Meet Jackie Salcedo of Shelife Events in Miami

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Salcedo.

Jackie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Wow! Just reading the question took me back to a place where things in my life were so broken spiritually, relational, and financially.

Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? like when something happens as of result of something else, like a domino effect, that’s how SheLife Events got started, it was something very unplanned.

About a year before starting SheLife Event’s in 2016, I had experienced a break-up, I knew that I had to get out of the funk, and I decided to develop peace of mind by learning and reading books, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos on relationships and personal growth. I knew that the only way to move forward from this breakup was to expand my mind to new insights and ideas.

Scrolling through YouTube videos on relationships, I ran into a gentleman from London who created a content called “ULTIMATE Motivation To Get Over A Break Up & Broken Heart” by Keshav Bhatt, it was one of the top videos and the most eye-opening 20 minutes I had in my life. Since the moment I pressed play, nothing has been the same.

The video had such an impact on me that I had to subscribe to his channel and started watching one video after another. He then posted a video of himself seeking individuals that wanted to be coached by him and he was looking for five people around the world. And I don’t know what the heck got into my mind but I decided to apply…

After two interviews, I got chosen.

After a couple of months of coaching with him, he asked me to travel to London to meet him in person for the first time and I accepted.

In that first week of being in London, Keshav was going to do an interview with Gary Vee at a speaking engagement. And I had already known who Gary Vee was and I was telling myself this could be my only chance to have an intimate close setting with someone who inspires entrepreneurs all over the world because I already knew that Gary was making an impact on people. So, I bought a ticket on Eventbrite.

I remember Gary Vee speaking inside a boxing ring to entrepreneurs and by the end of the event, Gary asked the audience if we had any questions, I asked Gary what is one thing he could give me an advice that I can apply right now because I’ve been helping other businesses grow but I don’t have anything to call my own and he said “Jackie, you know what’s scarier than fear? REGRET! Remember that forever. Don’t ever regret, Go for it NOW”.

And I got back home to where I was stationed in London with urgency and so much excitement, and I thought to myself about a necessity I had in mind, a problem to solve that we were having in Miami, a space for women to get together and connect, I didn’t have the name for it yet, and I spoke to a friend about my idea who ended up being my partner in the set up of my journey with SheLife Events and that’s how it began, in this weird spiral domino effect. It was like everything was connected, the breakup, the video, Keshav, London, & Gary Vee.

Has it been a smooth road?
Heck No! Lol! Not at all, even though I was super excited to start this new journey, it was not easy.

One of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome, was deciding to commit or quit when my partner dismissed herself from the project. After booking an event that was planned ahead of time, just ordering our event flyers, we were ready to let our city know about our very first event on July 28, 2016 but then on June 12th, 2016 one of the worst tragic massacre happened to the LGBTQ+ community in Orlando at Pulse nightclub, 49 killed and 53 wounded in a mass shooting. It was one of the most devastating and heartbreaking news I had to process and grief, trying to make sense of what happened that night. I had to figure out what we were going to do with our event? will folks come? What if something happens at our event? will our audience feel safe? Will security be tight and right at the venue? My partner called me two days after Pulse happened and said she was going to opt out of the project. I understood, and it was up to me whether I was going to pull the brakes or move forward. There were so many insecurities and doubts running through my head and one of the main questions was if I could pull this through all on my own. I felt pressure because of what had happened was so recent and fresh to my skin and I would want no one hurt at any of our events.

I decided to not let fear guide my path and with the help of my best friend I got myself back up and decided to not let fear demand our destination and reminded myself of what Gary Vee said “… GO FOR IT NOW”, little did we know that at our very first event we had 75 supporters, security on the premises, and from there we launched.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am most passionate about EXPERIENCE, the ability to think of an idea and making it real for our audience to feel and absorb, it’s euphoric. It feels like I am being a magician, that’s the most exciting thing I do.

Outside of my imagination, designing, and engineering, I currently have three companies, SheLife Events where I build nightlife events for the LGBTQ+ community in Miami showcasing arts, culture, and entertainment. I am also the Director Of Operations of Boom Swipe where I help local business owners make money through technology by using a POS system, and I buy properties that are in distress and fix them with Real Estate Fix Investments.

I am most proud of building SheLife Events, SheLife started as a solution to a problem, finding a safe place to party but then it became more than just a party. It became about making a difference to those who participate in our events, to those who DJ, host, sing, film, dance, act, and play live instruments. I have seen our artists get more bookings after their participation from our events by someone seeing them through social media or someone experiencing them at our events. You can see the growth of their economic flow. I believe that SheLife has become a platform that sparks something inside of these souls and activates their internal source of talents that might not have been explored, a place for local artists to think outside of the box.

SheLife has played a part of the butterfly effect, our events have helped connect people, build romantic relationships, save a life, and be inclusive to other event organizers of our LGBTQ+ community. I see more a closer community now than three years ago.

Some say I am a brain but I believe nothing sets me apart from others, the only variable we all have is self-awareness. I believe we have all the qualities to make something extraordinary, we just have to learn how to TAP into that fire inside of us that will make that switch for you.

What’s your outlook for the industry over the next 5-10 years?
To be frank, I don’t know where this industry is going. I can only account for what I have now and future pace my ideas for the next SheLife Event, I try to stay present as much as possible because anything can happen the next five to ten years, all I know that new technology will play a part at SheLife Events at some point.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shelifeevents.com
• Phone: 7865532245
• Email: shelifeevents@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/shelifeevents/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shelifeevents/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shelifeevents
• Other: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/shelifeevents

Image Credit:
Kathy, Vanessa, Estefania, Franco,  Dj Ic3, Natasha, Jessica and Evelyn, Carina, Rae, & Haley

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