Meet Brenda Cali | Owner & Creative Director, Gatherings for Good Events

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

Hi Brenda, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I had been working in the event industry for many years back home in the bay area since the early 2000s working for start ups and other organzations trying to get as much experience as possible. After moving to Santa Barbara I got involved with some of the events around town, volunteering my time and networking. I knew it was something I had to pursue. I always loved the feeling of giving back to the community and doing something good for others. I enjoy supporting non-profit organizations and donating my time and money to help those in need. Ever since I can remember I’ve had a passion for event planning and organzing social events. I had been wanting to start a business of my own for a few years but it was never the right time. One day while working for a local non-profit I was sitting at my desk and decided it was now or never. I had to take that chance and go out on my own. It was a huge risk leaving a stable job to start a business but I knew if I didn’t I would regret not trying. I didn’t want to just be another event planner though, I wanted to stand out and make an impact. I came up with the idea of combining my passion for events with charitable giving. Doing good for others while also helping people plan amazing events was the perfect combination. Once I had the idea, finding the right name was next. I started writing down my ideas and putting together certain words and eventually came up with the name Gatherings for Good. I took a leap of faith, put in my 2 week notice and the rest is history, as they say.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Starting my own business was such a big risk and I really had no idea how to even get started. I am really proud of the fact that I overcame so many obstacles in the beginning and that I didn’t give up no matter how hard or challenging things became. I did everything on my own, I did not hire anyone to design a logo or website or do any of the blog or social media content. I taught myself how to do it all with very little help. I worked my way into the industry through old fashioned networking and by putting myself out there which is not easy for me to do. I am very much a behind the scenes type of person so anytime I had to speak in front of people or “sell” myself or my services it was difficult and out of my comfort zone. It was also very intimidating in the beginning because I knew many seasoned event professionls that were people I looked up to and admired and now they were technically competition. But that’s probably something that I learned very quickly not to be the case. In an area like Santa Barbara, the event community is very supportive and welcoming to newcomers in the industry. It doesn’t feel at all like competition. There is plenty of work for everyone and everyone has something different and unique to offer. I think having that support was very important to my success and the reason I never quit. I surrounded myself with people who encouraged me and helped me along the way. More recently I hired web designer, Jeanne Verger of Jeanne Verger Creative, who helped me rebrand and design a new website which I am very proud of and excited about. It was a fun collaboration and Jeanne’s expertise and creativity really helped me create a website that feels authentic and truly speaks to who I am as a person and business owner. I love how it tells my story and shows the scale of what I am able to do when it comes to events. The most important thing that I want people to know is that I truly care about the people I work with and the experience they have working with me. Whatever their vision is we can work together to achieve their goals. Their dreams become my dreams. I care about those small details and those personal touches that make each event special and unique. This is not just a business or a job that I do for fun, even though I enjoy it. It’s really my passion and something I have built my life around. It’s all about the story and the process of getting to that end result which is what I take very seriously.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This is a hard one! Santa Barbara has so many fun and interesting places to visit. I guess I’d say if you’ve never been to Santa Barbara you’d definitely want to try some of the originals when it comes to food and drinks starting with Joe’s Cafe’s downtown on State Street for some of the strongest cocktails in town. A short distance away you have your choice of restaurants along the waterfront or in the Funk Zone. Some of my favorites would be Loquita, Lucky Penny, If you’re in the mood for sushi or seasfood, Oku and the Santa Barbara Fish House are wonderful choices with amazing food and views! Across the street enjoy a stroll along the pier and take in some of the sights. Stop for ice cream at the Great Pacific Ice Cream Co and as the night continues, watch the sunset over the Santa Barbara Harbor from the tasting room at Deep Sea Winery. The next morning, have breakfast at Jeannine’s or Cajun Kitchen, two of Santa Barbara’s staples for getting your day started with a hearty meal. Take a walk to the Santa Barbara Courthouse – a landmark not to be missed! If there’s time I always suggest getting out of town and up to the Santa Ynez valley for a picnic and wine tasting along the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail where you can relax and get away from it all while seeing some of the valley’s most iconic and beautiful wineries such as Fess Parker, Firestone, Zaca Mesa among many others. if the beach is more your style you can’t go wrong with brunch at the Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach for some amazing food and people watching! It’s also dog friendly if you happen to bring your furry friends along.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to give a shoutout to my husband, Danny, for his support and encouragement when I told him I wanted to quit my job and start a business. He believed in me and having his support has really allowed me to believe in myself and follow my dreams.

I also have to give a big shoutout to Maxine Goulding, Owner of California Special Occasions. She was one of my mentors who helped me tremendously when I was first getting started. She is an incredibly smart and talented woman and event planner that took me under her wing and taught me so much. She saw that I was very serious about wanting to work in the event industry and brought me onto her team so I could get the hands on exprience I needed. She was always there for me since the start and I truly am so grateful for her guidance in those early days. She is a wonderful person, leader, mentor and a very accomlished event planner that I have always looked up to and she is someone I admire very much still to this day. You can read more about her and her accomplishments here. https://www.caspecialoccasions.com/who-we-are/

I also want to thank another incredible woman, leader and event professional – Deboray Moody who was another mentor of mine. She ran the wedding certification program at the Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants (ACPWC) that I completed and was always there to inspire and encourage me throughout the formal training I received and the certification process. You can learn more about that here. https://acpwc.com/

Website: www.gatheringsforgood.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gatheringsforgoodevents/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gatherings4good

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GatheringsforGood/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gatherings-for-good-santa-barbara-2

Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/gatherings-for-good-santa-barbara/8a8031d3dfdc02af.html

Image Credits
Photographer Credits Jen Rodriguez Danielle Honea Sarita Relis Photography Thrive Media 805 Rewind Photography Alexandra Wallace Jess Lerner Photography Lerina Winter Photo Kacie Jean Photo Native Heart Photography Elise Nicole Photo Brooke Borough