We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christalee Lema a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Christalee, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

I’ve spent my career as a special FX makeup artist, doing everything from subtle camera-ready looks to full-on character transformations. Universal Monsters were my first love growing up, so working in special FX always felt like my path.

And then COVID hit.

Like many of us in the arts, my career came to a halt. Makeup artists are in the closest contact with actors, which meant there was no timeline and no clear “when” for when I’d get back on set. Sitting still has never been my strong suit, so I started asking myself: What do I love? What am I good at? What could actually survive in a world where we couldn’t go anywhere or do anything?

My answers were… coffee and monsters.

On paper, that sounds ridiculous. But to me, it made perfect sense. I dove in headfirst: sketched logos, designed labels, dreamed up spooky flavors, learned how to roast, and (probably foolishly or maybe bravely) dumped my entire savings into creating a monster-themed coffee brand. My safety net was simple: either people would love it, or I’d have enough coffee to last me a lifetime.

When my first 100 pounds of beans was finished—122 bags—I launched on my social media sites. To my shock, they sold out in just ten days. Suddenly, I wasn’t just a makeup artist waiting out the pandemic—I was running a full-blown coffee company and I needed to quickly figure out how to do it.

When in-person events came back, I realized my brand didn’t quite “fit” at farmers markets and craft fairs. I stuck out like a sore thumb—which was great for sales—but it also showed me something bigger. There were other artists out there like me with alternative brands, who also didn’t have spaces that felt like them unless it was around Halloween season.

So in May of 2023, I decided to try something new. I partnered with a local venue and curated a spooky, immersive artist market with 25 vendors and named it Drop Dead Crafty. I thought it would be a one-time thing. Instead, it kind of exploded in a way I didn’t expect – much like with the coffee sales.

Two years later, and my little “side pivot” snowballed into over 25 events under my company, Eeeek!. We’ve built a community where the weird, the spooky, and the unusual aren’t just welcomed, but encouraged.

What started with monsters and a cup of coffee turned into something bigger than I imagined: a uniquely fun and unusual journey for people like me who never quite fit into the ordinary.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

A couple years in, I realized I wasn’t just a makeup artist anymore, and I wasn’t just running a coffee brand either. I was running two full-blown businesses—my career in makeup (which came back in full force post-COVID) and Eeeek!, which had morphed from a spooky coffee company into a full-on event machine that was also still also selling and shipping coffee to all parts of the world when I wasn’t selling it in person at events.

It was the kind of chaos where you’re answering emails at midnight, dragging tons of bags of coffee around as well as a full set up for events, booking multiple vendors, and still showing up on set at 6 a.m. to get someone ready on set the next day. I’d built two completely different careers, both demanding 110% of me.

By 2024, I had to make some changes: either I scaled one of them up with help—hire people, open a coffee shop or coffee truck—or I scaled something back. But the problem was that I loved both. Makeup had been my life for 13 years. Eeeek! had turned into this unexpected, thriving, strange tight knit community and I hate having to pick between the two.

So I decided to really take some time, thought, and inventory on what it was I actually liked about what I was doing.

The answer wasn’t the product on either side – coffee or makeup. It was the people.

I love connecting with people, hearing their stories, helping them showcase what they do—whether that’s making someone feel good before they walk on stage, or giving a local artist a platform to show off their work.

Once I saw realized that was the common denominator in both, the decision became easier (still terrifying, but clearer). Coffee had been the gateway, but it wasn’t the heart of Eeeek!. So I let it go. I stopped selling coffee and redefined Eeeek! as what it had already become: a creative event company.

That shift gave me a lot of my time and energy back—and it kept me doing what I actually wanted to. Now I get to run both sides of my spooky little world without burning out.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I knew I didn’t want my events to feel like the typical “pop up” experience with rows of vendor tents. It didn’t feel impactful enough. That wasn’t me, and it wasn’t the kind of community I was hoping to build.

Instead of putting out public applications, I handpicked and researched the artists I thought would be cool to feature in each different space. I thought about how their work could pop best in each venue, finding backdrops and spaces that would make their work stand out. Every event was curated like a gallery show, but with more personality.

I also made sure vendors weren’t just “set up and forgotten.” I created vendor highlights to help market their work, tailored promotions to fit their brand, and when I worked with venues that didn’t have unique spaces to play with, I tried to go the extra mile in other ways—whether that was boosting their exposure online, checking in to make sure they had everything they needed, or letting them know they weren’t just another booth in the room.

And whenever I could, I hand wrote thank-you notes for each vendor—because investing their time and energy into my events wasn’t something I ever took lightly. (There were times I ran out of hours in the day, but the intention was always there.)

It isnt just about throwing fun events. It was about building relationships, and a space where artists felt seen and like I valued them—not just booked them for profit.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

For me, authenticity is huge. Every event I put together has to feel authentic —both to me and to the crowd I want to attract. I don’t book vendors just to fill space. I ask myself: Would I buy this? Do I know someone who would love it? Would I actually want to hang out at this venue if I wasn’t working? Are these people I’d want to grab a drink with? If the answer’s no, I tend to stay away from it.

I really like this saying: if you show up at the things you like, you’ll naturally find the people who like those things too. For me, it was more this: if you host the kind of events that inspire you, the right people—your people—will show up. I cant tell you how many times i’ve met new vendors, clients, and friends that were once just someone showing up to one of the events I hosted. It’s the coolest thing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eeeekcreative.com
• Instagram: eeeek_creative

Image Credits

none – all posters