Meet Christina Lopez | Owner, Principal Planner & Creative

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

Hi Christina, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
For many entrepreneur’s and business owners, finding a balance between our work life and our personal life can be extremely difficult because unlike others, we have no such thing as a ‘Day Off’ which can be dangerous to your mental, emotional and physical health. For me, this was a virtue that took me awhile to understand and put into action. In the beginning of my career as Owner and Principal Planner at EventsBytheCea, every single moment was about work. I lived and breathed its essence. Email was my best friend and talking with clients all hours of the day and night was my normal. Yet, the moment I began to make a shift was when I started to lose focus on other areas of my life. The moment when you cannot sit in the room with your best friend without having to check your phone or respond to an email OR when you get so anxious that you are unable to be present with your loved ones. It became a constant battle within myself that I became too tired and overwhelmed to fight; it was then I made a solid shift in my work life balance. I began to give myself actual days off where I did things for me and I began to put less pressure on having to respond to every call and every email within a 5-hour span. Slowly but surely, the anxiety, stress, insomnia, and worry began to go away. Now, fast forward four years into my business and I am now married and have a 9-month old baby boy, my work life balance has completely changed. I have relinquished some control and have empowered my team to take on more clients which in turn leads to more tasks and projects which ultimately allows me to focus on my family. This shift has allowed me to see my business in a new light, to educate and grow my team, and to truly appreciate our successes and failures. It ultimately has shown me that you do not have to be married to your business to be successful but instead, empower yourself and your team to be the best that you can be and from there, success will follow. It always does.

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?
EventsBytheCea is a full-service event & design company that is truly for the oh so fun, loving and carefree! We are dedicated to turning your Pinterest dreams into a reality because we believe your celebration is our celebration and we want to ensure that every detail, every vision, and every ounce is done with love. Our promise to you: we ensure that everything is exactly how you envisioned it. EventsBytheCea consists of three full-time lead planners and designers and nine fabulous interns. In our first year, we had 23 events and fast forward to almost year four, we are averaging 80 plus events. Its been a journey of lots of ups, downs, incredible connections, and life changing opportunities that have fueled our creative minds and souls.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a Huntington Beach and SoCal Native, this question is an easy one! My top recommendations for the ultimate vacay that not only brings the best time but the perfect instagrammable photos would consist of the following: – Day 1: To fuel your jet lag, cruise on over to Pacific City for a Mint Mojito at Philz and then grab a bite of ceviche at Ola and then to top it off, watch the sunset with a cocktail in hand at Tanners. Perhaps, if you are feeling like a sugar fix, go to the Funnel House to grab a Funnel Cake! – Day 2: To truly get your vacay started, the beach is where it is at! After your first day of indulgence, visit ‘A Thousand Steps’ in Laguna to kick your booty in gear and take a cool dip at Victoria Beach. Once you feel those hunger pains, get the best OG burger at Shake Shack and enjoy your food coma at Pelican Point in Crystal Cove. – Day 3: After too much fun in the sun, it is time for some retail therapy at Orange County’s finest and luxurious mall, South Coast Plaza. I recommend visiting Din Tai Fung for the best DUMPLINGS ever! – Day 4: Paddle boarding in the Back Bay and a Saki Dinner at Sushi on Fire; be sure to say Hi to Mamma! – Day 5: To end your memorable vacation, make a day bringing out your inner child at Balboa Island! Grab a balboa bar and ride the ferry…oh, don’t forget to top it off with a sunset kiss on the Ferris Wheel!

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?
This is a tough one as there are so many people and groups that have led me to where I am at especially with the creation of EventsBytheCea. With that being said, I am a going to take a quick mental walk with you down ‘Memory Lane’. Although, my passion for event planning and design came at a young age. It truly ignited at UC Irvine when I joined and became President of the Fashion Interest Group (FIG), an organization where creative students put on an annual fashion show to benefit a charity of their choice. After graduation, I had the wonderful opportunity to work full time as an Events Manager at Kendra Scott where we put on weekly events at our store and community to market our products. From there, I met the talented owner of Pure Lavish Events where my love for wedding planning truly began and the rest was history!

Website: www.eventsbythecea.net
Instagram: EventsBytheCea
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/events-by-the-cea-costa-mesa-2
Other: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/events-by-the-cea-costa-mesa/6bbaf7e01e1fa758.html https://www.pinterest.com/eventsbythecea/_saved/

Image Credits
@lexandthelotus @lensmakememories @ria.georgia