Hidden Gems: Meet Justine Wentzell-chang of Red Balloon Station

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justine Wentzell-chang

Justine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In a classic daughter of immigrants story, I went to law school and that combined with my global and multi-lingual background should’ve led to life as an international spy…or at least a human rights attorney. Instead, I was swayed by a life of glitz and rhinestones and decided to pursue a career in country music (I wanted to be an artist manager and build global artist brands).

In Nashville, I learned a lot about songwriting, the music business, and the branding of artists. But life in the country was a little too slow for this Angeleno, so I moved back to L.A (native Tongva land) and dove deep into film and television. I developed and produced numerous movies that sold globally to platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Channel, just to name a few. I even made use of my law degree and became a master dealmaker.

I loved working with other producers and filmmakers on developing their scripts and producing a movie that people all over the world would see. And since I worked in a very niche and commercial part of the industry, I learned quickly what it meant to write movies that sell.

But…something wasn’t sitting right with me.

One of my biggest pet peeves was whenever I’d see character descriptions like “Sexy Asian Woman” or constantly reading stories about women in distress. Why are we always in distress? I’m tired of being in distress!

It was here that I really understood where the power of words began, and why after law school my gut told me not to practice as an attorney but to follow the path where I knew I could make a cultural difference in the world.

​So a small flame lit up inside me and wherever I could, I would make changes to the scripts to make them more authentic, often smiling to myself because no one would ever really know the work I was doing, but it felt like I was on a secret little mission.

I could only do so much though, and when I came to a crossroads in my career, I was tired of dealing with vanilla stories and performative diversity. But I wanted to keep helping others tell authentic and diverse stories that genuinely connect with their audience.

That was when an unexpected plot twist occurred. I was asked to write social media copy for a luxury skincare brand and it was like hallelujah lights raining down on me. It was then that I discovered copywriting & marketing are just storytelling for brands. And brands and their marketing are EVERYWHERE.

At the same time I also discovered I don’t just love helping other writers develop their scripts, I too LOVE writing movies and TV, which led me to being selected as one of 11 projects to participate in the Producer’s Guild Diversity Program back in 2019, and selling my projects.

Suddenly I realized I was finally living my childhood dreams of being a writer, but in the most unexpected ways.

Nowadays I’m a copywriter, brand storyteller, and messaging strategist for phenomenal BIPOC & women entrepreneurs who are culture-changers, community-lifters, and equity-driven brands.

And I write the occasional RomCom or Holiday movie, bringing diverse stories to the screen 🤓

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It most definitely has not been a smooth road. Since going off on my own and building Red Balloon Station (that’s the name of my company), I’ve had a lot of ups and downs.

I was building great momentum as a freelancer when my first son was born, right at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

At that time I thought I could give myself a little maternity leave, but by the time I felt ready to start working again, my clients had shifted along with the rest of the world trying to navigate COVID.

So I felt like I had to start completely over. But this turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because I ended up taking my first copywriting course to really hone my skills. I was a great writer, but I hadn’t had any formal copywriting training.

Taking that first course also helped me shift my mindset from freelancer to business owner.

As I gained experience working with different clients, I fell in love with the work I was doing but really wanted to work with more values-aligned clients. It wasn’t until last year when I started working with an incredible business coach for BIPOC entrepreneurs named Carissa Begonia, who founded CONSCIOUSXCHANGE, that I finally saw significant growth.

Through Carissa and CONSCIOUSXCHANGE, I also found a powerful community of like-hearted folks with the same passion for equity and social justice that I have. This gave me more clarity and focus on who I want to serve, which has been key to my growth.

And I’m so grateful because my clients and collaborators have all become friends, too.

The challenge I’ve been facing lately though, is becoming a mommy of two now. There’s a constant struggle between being the present mother I want to be, as well as being the impact-driven entrepreneur I want to be.

But alas, we take it one day at a time and try to show ourselves as much grace as possible, don’t we?

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Red Balloon Station is a creative hub for storytelling services here to amplify the voices of impact-driven BIPOC + women service providers, like coaches, consultants, wellness providers, mental health professionals, and even lawyers. I really love working with other culture-changers, community lifters, and equity-driven folks.

As Chief Storyteller & Messaging Strategist, I bring a unique perspective and set of skills, including:

✨My in-depth knowledge of storytelling to build genuine connections
✨The combination of skills pulled from my legal education and entertainment industry experiences to write strategically and persuasively
✨My drive and sense of responsibility that we as business owners have the power to influence, transform, and create culture—and we should do so thoughtfully and intentionally

Through the power of thoughtful, strategic, and impactful storytelling and messaging, I am here to help impact-driven entrepreneurs:
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🎈 Create a magnetic brand voice that helps them stand out above the noise
🎈 Build meaningful relationships with their audience by taking their audience on an unforgettable customer journey
🎈 Turn their audience from casual travelers into absolute superfans
🎈 Leave a lasting legacy of positive cultural change

How we achieve this together:

🚂 Finding your voice & building your foundation with a Brand Voice & Messaging Guide, captivating and action-driven website, basic (but critical) email automations
🚂 Nurturing your audience through email newsletters and social content.
🚂 Supercharging your business with thoughtful, strategic, and impactful launch campaigns

How we can work together:
📝Do For You Services
📝Do With You VIP Breakthrough Sessions
📝Small Group Programs
📝High-Level consultations through my Magic Hour Sessions

When you come to Red Balloon Station, you’ll find yourself a collaborator who cares deeply about your success. I’m here to bring all the Big Sis Energy to your marketing and messaging needs with a safe space to be your authentic self, have real talk, and give you the occasional kick in the butt as needed.

And I’m proud that I’ve been able to become a trusted collaborator for other amazing BIPOC entrepreneurs, especially other Women of Color, because for too long someone else has been writing our stories, misrepresenting them, and often even erasing them.

So telling your stories means sitting in the conductor’s seat of your own truths and making sure you’re steering the narrative.

I love working with my clients to dig deep and find confidence in their unique brand voice to power their mission and build community.
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How do you think about happiness?
I find joy in many things, but here are a few things…hearing my two boys laugh and smile, seeing their art, watching them have fun. Maybe it’s cliché but I love being their mother and they make me happy.

But my happy place is definitely the ocean and I’m so grateful to have grown up by and live near it. It brings me so much peace—smelling the ocean and listening to the waves.

Most of my closest friends and my inner circle today are friends I grew up with and have known for 20-30+ years now. Seeing them grow as humans, and being around them makes me happy because they are genuinely good people—the best I know. Someone even once told me my standards are too high, but I told them my friends are my standards and how blessed am I to have such incredible people in my life to be able to set those standards?

Being in community with other changemakers also makes me happy because it fills me with hope and motivation. When I’m around like-hearted folks I feel like the world is brighter.

And, perhaps to no one’s surprise, writing also makes me happy. I love writing RomComs and Holiday moves as a way to bring joy into others’ lives but also as a vehicle to communicate meaningful and relatable messages. And I LOVE the work I do with my clients—it’s not just about selling something, it’s about helping them write their story and create a legacy they can be proud of. Writing and telling all kinds of stories brings me joy—my head is always overflowing with ideas for stories. My elder son and I even make up our own stories at bedtime.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.redballoonstation.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redballoonstation
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justine-wentzell-chang

Image Credits
Christopher Wentzell, Marguerite Henry, Corrine Limas