We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cecilia Caparas Apelin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cecilia below.
Hi Cecilia, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
“Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” – Brene Brown
It was Spring of 2015 when I left a corporate role that I loved. I had an amazing job as an art director at a San Francisco fashion retail brand. I had reshaped the way they did their photoshoots and reinvigorated the brand through photography. We had so much fun on set and I adored all the amazing talented crew we would see almost everyday. We became family. As much as I loved it, the dreamer and truthseeker in me wanted more.
The first of many risks I took after leaving corporate was starting a boutique branding agency, Indigo Sky Creative. Our mission was to help brands define their core truth and values and express it through content and experiences. We humanized their offerings which led me to consult for some of the biggest brands in fashion and tech around the world- Gap, Jos A Bank, Ariat, Samsung, Airbnb, and Conde Nast to name a few. I wore my creative director and executive producer hat most projects, which had me traveling around the world to be on set, working in some of the most inspiring studios. While it was adventurous and exciting, I yearned to be closer to home to play my biggest role in life as a mama to my two incredible daughters – Ava Indigo and Mila Sky, which I named my agency after.
One day, I was directing a shoot on set per the usj. The photographer asked me what I was planning to do next given that I had so much momentum with Indigo Sky Creative. I told her about my dream of always wanting a space to house all the creative energy in our industry and how I saw a gap in the market for a space in the Bay Area like this. After traveling around to so many studios, I felt the urge to make a space in the East Bay because I knew that 1) there is a surge of creatives moving to the East Bay, 2) being an East Bay native, I wanted to rep the East Bay with a space that I can be inspired by and also so I would be home more and 3) I wanted a place that my other creative friends could be inspired by to as I had seen so many leave the Bay to find work. I knew that if there was a space in the Bay Area that could act as the hub to our industry and community, it would open doors for so many opportunities. That is when the photographer suggested that I reach out to her friend, Alexis Laurent, who was looking for his next project. As an artist and developer, Alexis understood the need for creative spaces and wanted to support my vision. In that very moment, we texted Alexis and set up a meeting for the following week.
When Alexis and I first met, we knew we were aligned in creating a magnificent space like no one had seen before. We talked about the philosophy of Urban Acupuncture and how that was the foundation of finding the perfect location to house my vision. He was excited to partner with me on making my dream come true. While we started looking in San Francisco from the piers to Treasure Island, I knew in my heart I wanted something in the East Bay. After a deep search in Oakland, we landed in West Berkeley, an up and coming industrial part of the city with so much rich history of artists, chefs, musicians, filmmakers, bakers, and architects. It was the perfect mix of creative energy already in the neighborhood, which happened to be a few blocks away from Alexis’ art studio, where we had our first meeting. It was a full circle moment.
The first time we walked into the building in mid 2018, we KNEW it was the right one. From the industrial beams, to westward facing windows, to the indescribably energy, we could feel that this building had soul. It was a massive undertaking, with just Alexis and I at the helm, but I could not pass up on this opportunity. I had been talking about this dream since 2008, when I was heading up brand content creation for a global tech company. I knew it was part of my purpose in this life. As scary as it was, we quickly put in a bid for the space, beating out a couple of other bids that had been in negotiations for a few months, and were handed the keys right away. With Alexis in charge of funding the majority of the building design, and with my business and industry knowledge, we jumped right into it. Little did I know that this was just the beginning of one of the biggest endeavors I’ve ever took on as I put all my savings, energy and time into this project. I had never done anything like this before, but my vision was so clear that I knew this was the path I had to take.
Construction crews filled the 20,000 square foot space as we strategized on the design. I trusted Alexis with the build out as this was not his first buildout rodeo. He had a few event venues under his belt – The Pearl in SF, Bloc15 in Oakland and a few other investments in Paris, Portland and Stinson. I would be in charge of all business operations – finding the right team, brand marketing, forecasts & projects, outreach. It was literally ALL THE THINGS. I named the space “CIEL” because I wanted something that would represent both Alexis and me. “Ciel” means sky in French. Sky is special to both of us as we both love the sky and the different colors each day brings, it also means “the sky is the limit”. If you ask my youngest daughter, she will tell you I named it after her because I needed to name my next business after her or else. (lol)
We were quickly well on our way to making it to our soft opening. Everything was on track – I hand picked an amazing team to help me execute in start up mode, our business plan was completed, the business infrustructure and operations was taking shape, the logo was formed – it was all going according to plan. However, one beautifully warm October Sunday, tradegy hit us hard and altered our lives in a major way. Alexis was celebrating his son’s 13th birthday in Stinson Beach. He was boogie boarding with some of the other dads when a random wave took him under and he broke his neck. He was rushed to the closest hospital via helicopter and immediately taken into the trauma center. I received a call from his best friend who had gotten the news. I had just gotten home from a family baby shower. She told me to sit down because she did not want me to panic, and told me about Alexis. At this moment, we did not know what was going to happen. We did not know if he would survive. My mind went from the extreme of celebrating a new life on its way to my time with Alexis flashing before my eyes. We had gotten to know each other very well over the couple years of searching for the perfect space. And in that moment of finding out the news, for the first time, I could not see the future.
A few hours later, my phone rang. The screen said “Alexis Laurent”. I wondered, how could this be? He can’t move. He may be dying. This could be the worst news of my life. I picked up the phone and heard his voice on the other line. He said,
“Cecilia, I broke my neck. My life is over. I need you to go on with the project without me”.
“Alexis, where are you? I need to see you. You are going to get through this. WE will get through this.”
Then his ex-wife gets on the phone to give me details of how to get to him. I rushed to the hospital with my gay bestie, who ended up being some comic relief in that tragic moment. He had just come from Oakland Pride and was wearing a hat that said “Dick’s” and asked if he should change but every second counted, so I told him to come as he was. Once we get to the hospital, his ex-wife kindly told me how to get into the trauma center as I was not family. They had to make an exception for me. As the doors opened to the trauma center, I left my gay bestie with his ex-wife and walked down the long corridor of trauma patients and surgeons rushing from room to room.
Alexis was at the very end of the hallway, connected to so many machines, and was completely braced up. He was on a ventilator and could barely talk.
“Cecilia, I’m all messed up. You are going to have to finish Ciel without me.”
“No, Alexis, we started this together and we are going to finish this together. Let’s just take one breath at a time.”
“Then write this down…you’re going to have to call Alex to finish the cyc. Then call Joe regarding the floors….Then make sure the paint gets delivered by 3pm…” He proceeded to give me a long to-do list of all the things needed to get the buildout to the finish line.
I had never managed a construction site, let alone step foot onto one until this project. There was too much at stake to let this project end before it started. It had taken years to find the right location, I finally had a partner & angel investor that believed in my vision, and we were only one month away from our soft opening. The one thing I knew in that moment was Alexis’ brain was still on fire. He was able to think clearly and communicate. This was my sign of hope that I needed to continue building Ciel and take the biggest risk of my life. I was able to see the future again.
The next day, I was back on site with the construction crew to delivery the tragic news. I told them that we had to get this to the finish line and thankfully, they were all in. The next few months were a blur. My routine consisted of getting my daughters ready for school, then going to Ciel to manage the construction site and to keep my team on track for our opening, then going to the hospital to check on Alexis. I was making some of the biggest decisions of my life during these months. As a small but mighty team, we managed to get the space opened and introduced to the creative community on schedule!
We were introduced to the fashion, art, music and tech industries in January 2019 as Ciel Creative Space. Since then, Alexis, now quadriplegic, made his way back to Berkeley after multiple surgeries and is living his new life in his remodeled studio as his ADA home. He is back to developing buildings, completing a few projects and on to new ones, and creating art on a large scale again with the help of his team. With me, I am happily living in Berkeley with my family seeing the girls grow up into sassy teenagers and loving every moment. I had to dissolve Indigo Sky Creative during the pandemic, so I’m not on set as much as I used to be, but seeing crews at Ciel fills my cup. I’m still taking risks on the daily, but am more discerning of which ones truly align with me. My daily routine now consists of spending QT with my daughters, grounding and protecting my energy so that I can fully serve the greater community at hand, and having fun with like-minded souls that are living their highest frequency.
As for Ciel, we are celebrating our 5th anniversary this year! We have hosted major productions from around the world for photo shoots, commercials, fashion shows, immersive art experiences, live streams and more. We have won industry awards and recognition which we are so honored for. We have also almost tripled in size to 55,000 square feet of space and now have 10 studios, a coworking space, art gallery cafe and future podcast rooms and speakeasy opening later this year. Over the years, with our mission to make space to be human, we have been able to serve the creative community throughout the pandemic and recession and have acted as a hub of safety and healing. I’m so grateful for all the support we have gotten as folks find us through word of mouth. I like to say we manifest miracles on the daily with the support of my small but mighty team. I am constantly reminded of my Why as it has not been easy by any means. Each day and week bring new surprises and hurdles, which we take one breath at a time. As for my dream and risking it all, I still pinch myself each time I walk into Ciel and say “Damn, we did f*cking that.”
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a mother, creative and entreprenuer. As a mama and matriarch, I find myself balancing my passion for the creative arts with making the world a better place for my daughters and future generations to come so the projects I get involved in reflect this. The golden thread throughout my life has been to uncover layers of truth so that we can create with the purest intentions. As a lover of design, fashion and brand marketing, my career expands through various industries including advertising, fashion, music, art and tech.
My career began in 2001 in advertising and sales. In my mid 20s, I became a brand manager focusing on brand marketing for Logitech, a Swiss company specializing in designing technology to help bring people closer together. During my long stint at Logitech, I successfully managed the company’s brand packaging, web photos and video assets in addition to growing the internal creative studio and expanding the team from one individual to a full team of art directors, producers, writers and editors plus a long list of top-class photographers, videographers, and stylists. I pushed the branding from Euro-centric models to a diverse cast of talent, which I worked hard to do, especially being the younged POC woman in the room most of the time. I was in charge of global budgets for advertising campaigns and was also certified CPM project manager, where I led a major re-branding project, as well as managed an award winning package design for the Harmony remote. This company holds a special place in my heart as its where I made so many life long friendships. I like to call Logitech the high school of my career.
In 2012, now with my two daughters in tow, I left Logitech to freelance for tech and fashion companies. Freelancing gave me an opportunity to spend time with my babies and witness them experience the world. And because I made my own schedule, I was able to travel a ton and go on so many adventures.
In 2013, I was recruited by Old Navy as their Photo Art Director and quickly became an essential part of the company’s re-branding by elevating the brand’s online presence which resulted to an increase in online sales and overall revenue. I had so much fun with this team and loved every set I was able to direct. From disco balls and DJs playing music on set, to casting the top Plus models and hiring the best photographers and crew, I loved pushing the envelope in the best way possible. I know my branding legacy lives on through the casting, online direction and the processes I put in place while I was there.
After leaving Old Navy in 2015, I founded Indigo Sky Creative, a creative agency based out of Oakland where I led a team of creators to produce content for the likes of Condé Nast, Gap, Tailored Brands, Airbnb, Facebook and Samsung. My design eye and strong sense of collaboration has won us various industry brand and design awards.
Giving back is important to me as I regularly hosts large-scale fundraisers for local and global organizations such as California Wildfires, ACLU, Planned Parenthood, and have partnered with several organizations centered on sustainability and furthering ecosystems in third-world countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Korea and small villages in Africa.
Since Ciel Creative Space was born in 2018, it has taken over most of my life. Founded by Alexis and me, and with me as CEO, it was built with a vision to create an artistic sanctuary in the East Bay for creative minds to explore, collaborate, co-exist and create the very best in visual content and experiences. We make space to be human.
I’m also involved with a few boards focus on supporting the Bay Area creative community. In my free time, I’m usually spending time with family and friends, going to concerts, art shows, meditating on a beach during sunset on an eve of a full moon or chatting up with friends about quantum physics and how science are art are interconnected.
Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?
In November of 2019, we had forecasted a small profit for our first year in business. After finding out that the tenant on the other end of our building wanted to potentially leave, we decided to see if they’d be open to us taking over the lease so that we can expend into more studio spaces. We talked with our landlord to start negotiations.
We signed for the additional space in December and started moving in in January 2020, with construction also happening at the same time. As we all know, March 2020 happened and stopped everything in the world. Having gone through my partner’s tragic accident, we knew nothing would get in our way, not even a pandemic. Following strict health and safety protocols, we finished construction and opened 4 more studios amidst the flux of covid.
In 2021, the state of California declared June 15 as California’s reopening day. Being that only a small select few in the industry knew we existed, let alone expanded, we decided to take a risk and have one of the biggest re-grand openings ever. My vision for this marketing event was to activate each of our studios is the most magnificent way to give newcomers to Ciel an experience that they will remember.
With a very small runway and unpredictable cashflow due to the pandemic, we called in a lot of favors from sponsors and started planning with an amazing event planning company, Make it Mariko, and beverage company, Alkali Rye, both local BIPOC female led businesses, who were aligned with our mission and values. With my branding experience and creative direction, we wanted to set the stage for our REBIRTH. We strategized with a PR company to help get the word out. And by Tuesday, June 15, 2021, we were ready to have our re-introduction into the creative industry!
We had over 1,000 people come to Ciel for our Rebirth event highlighting different uses in each of our studios centered around our beautiful BIPOC community. For Studio 1, we conducted livestreamed interviews showcasing local BIPOC creative industry business owners. In Studio 2, we worked with our lighting and grip partner, Little Giant, to set a green screen for aerial artists to be performing “in the sky”. In Studio 3 and 4, we had our event partners present furniture, event photo booths and food and beverage offerings. In our sound studio, Studio X, we held a private concert featuring The New Diplomat. In some of our common areas, we featured wellness activations in the forms of sound healing, CBD beverages and tea rituals. We even had a butterfly release of 111 butterflies in the middle of our building. Studio 5, our biggest studio, had a fashion show by one of the Bay Area’s couture boutiques, McMullen, and models by Three Model Management, that turned into a dance floor with live music by local artists, Jazz Mafia. In Studio 6, we had a fashion shoot highlighting one of the top photographers in the Bay Area, Ashley Batz and glam team by Brandi Moore Agency. (Studio 7 was unavailable due to a producting renting it out for a shoot) Studio 8 had more event sponsors demonstrating how we not only due large scale events, but can do small intimate celebrations as well.
All in all, it was an event that sent shock waves into our corner of the Bay. We succeeded in telling the industry that Ciel is alive and that we are here to serve the creative industry to the fullest. Because of the event, we were able to get an increase in word of mouth and press which led to an increase inquiries and revenue from this big marketing risk that we made. We were even recognized by the City of Berkeley declaring June 15 “Ciel Day”.
We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.
(snippet from the original story)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cielcreativespace.com
- Instagram: @cielcreativespace @ceciliaapelin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cielcreativespace/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ciel-creative-space
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cielcreativespace6284
Image Credits
Geno Ramos Josh Sugitan Naomi McColloch Ashley Batz Brandon Ruffin