Meet Ysabel Chavez | Founder and Creator of Global Dream Team

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ysabel Chavez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ysabel, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I suppose you could say I’m a bit of a risk-taker. I definitely don’t like to go down traditional paths and I like to create my own path. You could say going all in on my projects and businesses is a risk if I’m currently making less than a more traditional job or it is a risk when they say “90% of businesses fail”. For me – I love working hard, investing my time and energy into something I am passionate about, starting things up from the ground up and seeing them grow. So in my eyes – I think the bigger risk would be not doing what you want to do in life, and letting that time pass you by. After working at a job straight after college that scared me that my life would become a 9-5 behind a computer screen – I knew I needed a change and it was in my power to create the life I want.

There are some risks I do think of as I start my own businesses though; whether that be financial challenges, risks of doing something out of the ordinary, or risks as a traveler as a young female. I do take these things into consideration but if anything these things push and motivate me even more to do it. Starting from ground zero can feel risky at times, but you learn so much and now have that experience to take with you for your life.

Nowadays, as I think about the exact path of Global Dream Team, where I want to take it and how that could change my lifestyle, I think about the pros and cons, check-in with myself, and try to move past any negative thoughts by remembering that I always have the power to adjust things so I am not living in fear, but rather waking up every day excited for life because I intentionally built it that way. And at the end of the day, the biggest risk is not trying. You also have to ask yourself – “but what if it DOES work out – and how can that lead to more beauty and fulfillment in my life and the potential to inspire others?”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started Global Dream Team, a channel that shares travels, adventures and unique experiences across the globe to inspire others to see more of the world and cultures around us. I also aim to share stories of passion-seekers and visionaries to inspire and empower others to pursue their dreams and passions. I try to put an emphasis on showing other sides of a country that most people may not typically see (ie; visiting indigenous tribes, talking about coffee culture, history, etc). I was actually just in Costa Rica and Brazil where I filmed a lot of content in the region, including my most recent video I released in my Costa Rica series, I Learned To Surf in 5 Days (you can check it out here: https://youtu.be/JWn0_sRi9Es). Some other upcoming videos include Learning to Surf in 5 Days (featuring a company that focuses on the importance of connection and sustainability through yoga and surf), 9 Days in Costa Rica (showcasing more rural and remote areas, communities and culture), How Acai Is Made In the Amazon, and a behind the scenes of how Carnival comes to life in Brazil while spotlighting passionate Samba dancers. What sets me apart from others is I am not just a travel channel where people can see things to do, but I share unique places, inspiring people, and aim to capture the cultural essence of a region. Eventually my goal is to also cultivate a community of dreamers around the world.

I decided to go all in on this project in December of 2020. It was actually in April 2020 where I was in a position working a job I was unhappy at, and decided to sit myself down and write down all the things I was passionate about, and how to combine all of these and create a platform to inspire others as well. I started off with doing “adventure-based interviews” with creatives and entrepreneurs in LA – starting with my friends, and later traveled to Hawaii and Miami for my first travel videos. As I continued, I realized I am so incredibly passionate about travel and didn’t want to box myself in to doing videos just on creatives and entrepreneurs. I can’t say it was necessarily easy – starting off doing my own thing, I was faced with a LOT of anxiety and imposter syndrome, but I realized this was normal for a transition period in my life and slowly started to gain a lot more confidence and expertise in what I was doing. Honestly, I overcame those challenges just by continuing to DO. By creating more, every single day – you are bound to get better, improve your skills, and gain confidence in your line of work. I also invested in courses and tried to learn from the pros like with filmmaking and video creation – there are countless resources out there to help you. I learned (and already knew this) but success is not overnight. You have to fall in love with WHAT you are doing, the process, and improving and learning day by day. Early anxiety is normal, but if you keep doing it, you will get there. What I want people to know about my brand and story is that if you are passionate about something or want to pursue something in the world, you should 🙂

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a vegan foodie so I love going to vegan/plant-based restaurants – and there are so many in Los Angeles! We could start off the morning with brunch at Sage Plant Based Bistro – it’s been one of my favorites since going vegan in 2016 (but one of my favorite things is also trying out new restaurants, so we could also hop on Yelp and spontaneously find one we both haven’t tried yet). I live in Santa Monica, so maybe afterwards we could take a walk by the beach. I realized I don’t do it too often and last time I did, I looked into the horizon with all the palm trees and remembered how lucky I am to live here. Maybe after we could stop for a donut at Sidecar – they have vegan options there too! I also love walking down Abbot Kinney especially when it’s a nice day, so afterwards we could go there and grab something to drink like a matcha from Cha Cha matcha. I have an amazing friend group, so in the evening, maybe we could all get together at a beer garden or at a friend’s place to hang out, and we could end the night with some festivities at a fun bar like the Lincoln or the Brig in Venice.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
.Well for starters, I have to give a huge shoutout to my family who have been supportive of all of my endeavors since day one. Growing up I was always super entrepreneurial and had a lot of ideas, and my mom most specifically always encouraged me to pursue my passions. When I was in college at UCLA, I joined an impactful entrepreneurship organization which also played a big role in spurring my entrepreneurial pursuits while meeting a lot of inspiring individuals. It was during my time at UCLA where I had my first solo and group travels which sparked my love for traveling, curiosity for seeing the world and the transformative experiences of immersing in different cultures. Now having created this platform to share stories of inspiring individuals and travels from around the world, I am also so grateful for the support and encouragement I get from everyone playing a role in helping bring the vision to life.

Website: www.theglobaldreamteam.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/globaldreamteam

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ysabel-chavez/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsZr6VNArdPTjg2297Fl0Q

Other: Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@globaldreamteam

Image Credits
“I Pledge to Surf More” Photo Credits: Anki Cramer