Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chabeli Sanchez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Chabeli, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I think about having a regular 9-5 almost EVERY day of my life– It’s something that I think most small business owners think about constantly.

When you work for yourself there really isn’t a straight delegation of hours per day or per week– you literally don’t stop working. You are your business; and you are what makes it thrive or die. I crave of walking into work at 9am doing work till 5pm and then leaving and not taking an ounce of that home. As small business owners we take everything home (most of us work AT HOME) so really finding that hard stop time for work is difficult. But then I think, if I worked a 9-5 I would be working towards someone else’s greater goal not my own.

Is it hard, yes! But honestly, there is no other job in the world I would want. I am so happy being the owner of P.S. & Associates Event. When our team is packing up the last bits at the end of the night of an event thats when I feel the most rewarded… we didn’t! There is not greater feeling than being able to make someones dream come true.

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 the owner of P.S. & Associates Event Planning which is a full-service planning, coordination, and styling company that curates special events and cultivates celebrations to bring to life the personal styles and dreams of our clients. We recognize that each event is unique and embrace everything from the grand essentials to the tiniest details as a chance to be creative and showcase character.

Coming from a large and uniquely built family, creating new ways to gather became second nature to me- I bring an unparalleled blend of experience, education, and personality to each and every event. I received my Communications degree from California State University, Los Angeles where I served as the Event Planner for the Lambda Pi Eta Honor Society.

I promised myself I would always follow the passion of my work, not just a paycheck. What started out as a dream has now become a reality.

What sets myself and my team apart from others in our field is that we truly care about personalizing each and every event. You’ve been to one wedding, cocktail party or holiday event you have been to them all? NO! I want our events to be the opposite.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

When I first started P.S. & Associates Event Planning I was waiting (serving) tables 5 days a week. Wedding & Event Planning was my side hustle. I remember I would be serving at a lunch shift and when it was slow I would answer emails in the side station pretending to “do side work.” I would get home late from dinner shifts and then sit at the computer and make my to-do list for the next morning, schedule calls and site visits. My first year of business I did 2 weddings, my server job brought home all the money. During my second year is when I made the leap of faith and quit serving tables and went full time in the events world. It was scary at first, but then I fell into a rhythm. That first year was filled with networking, going to different venues and just introducing myself. It was rough, but all that paid off in year two. My name starting getting around and I got a lot of referrals that way. Till this day 90% of our clients are referral based.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Referrals. Referrals. Referrals. Our clients are the absolute best and have spread the word (for which we are eternally grateful).
The best advertising you can get is a past client/ customer who lets all their friends and family know.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.psplans.com
• Instagram: @ps_plans
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psplans
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/p-s-and-associates-event-planning-los-angeles-3?osq=p.s.+%26+associates+event+planning

Image Credits
Head Shot- @tiffanyjphoto Group Photos- @ChristyKendallPhotography