Today we’d like to introduce you to Chanel Estrada.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My love for event planning started when I was a little girl. I grew up in the church, with pastors for parents in a small Christian community. I like to think I was a little more invested in my community than most little girls because I understood the importance of connection so early on. Between our outreach programs and annual events, community has always been at the forefront of my life. I just loved serving people, and I had the pleasure of learning how to from the most passionate people I know, my parents.
From those early childhood lessons sparked my love for bringing people together which later translated into event production. I strongly believe that there is no better way to connect than over a perfectly curated dish or an intentionally nostalgic playlist. Food, music, art, entertainment, all these elements act as a center point meant to connect a myriad of people.
My passion for people is what inspired the birth of my business.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
While I grew up in a loving community, my home life wasn’t exactly bliss. Which is always surprising for people when they find that I grew up in the church. But the reality is, there were a lot of societal pressures our family felt we needed to meet because of the role we held in our community. My parents’ marriage ended about as quickly as it started, and with that, our family unit. It was hard growing up without the consistency of both parents. I grew up very quickly and felt the weight of independence as early as 8 years old. What I now describe as a positive self-starting attribute, back then was very difficult because I had to figure out everything on my own.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
In my line of work, there are two types of event producers, those who put on their clients’ events and those who take their clients through an experience from Day 1. I specialize in the experiential aspects of a production; you could say I’m a visionary at heart. I’m always proud of the work that I do but I’m especially proud of the relationships I’ve built in my career.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My mom always tells me, “Do it afraid, Chanel,” and I still live by that today. Never let your fears stop you from going after your dreams, do them afraid if you have to, the outcomes the same.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: bellecodesign
Image Credits
Emily & Luke Photography
Jennifer Haddock
Abara Photography International
