Meet Cindy Chavez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Chavez.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Cindy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I swear I was born performing. Ever since I was a little girl, it was all about dreaming and creating, living in imaginary worlds and bringing them to life. I grew up in West Los Angeles. My dream from as far back as I can remember was to be an actress. The entertainment industry always fascinated me but intimidated me at the same time. I did the whole agent thing when I was a kid. I spent a lot of time on stage, doing musicals and plays all through my school years.

Growing up in Los Angeles was no joke. I grew up fast and furious and burnt out quickly. I had very low self-esteem, not the greatest self-image and incredible self-doubt so the acting career seemed unreachable. I ended up leaving LA and the arts when I was 19 years old. I moved to Santa Cruz and was a vet tech and receptionist for many years there got rid of an abusive relationship and met my soulmate who I’ve now been married to for almost 15 years. I also went back to school and got an AA degree in Biology. Got married, had a few kids, we ended up in San Diego in 2008. After having my second son, I became depressed. My therapist recommended I find something for myself so I decided to join the YMCA. The YMCA is where I found Zumba Fitness and my passion for connecting and motivating people.

In 2010, I became a licensed Zumba Instructor and I still teach today. Every class that I teach, I give everything I have to the people in my class. Anyone who takes my class wasn’t just going to exercise, they are going to have an experience. But something was always missing. I returned to acting in 2015. The Los Angeles career was nowhere in my conscious mind for the hurdles were way too big at the time. I was living in San Diego which has a wonderful theater community, so I decided to jump back in. On stage. And oh boy, did I! I was getting cast in play after play and then I decided to listen to the universe and make acting a priority. I started professionally training in 2016, got a commercial agent, booked my first National commercial in 2017 and all of a sudden it was happening. I was back in it but not all the way…I was living in San Diego but also staying with my parents in LA to pursue the career. This took a toll on my family.

Finally in June of 2018, we moved back to Los Angeles so I could pursue this career head on and reunite with my family that is here in LA. Since the move, it’s been incredible. I’ve landed awesome representation (with a few bumps along the way), became a member of SAG-AFTRA, booked a co-star role on the Netflix show GLOW, landed a role in a wonderful original Hollywood Fringe show and I’ll be on location for a short film produced by the Umbrella Academy producers with a very talented cast. I’ve had to overcome a lot of personal obstacles to get here. I had to face self-sabotage, anxiety, depression and a negative self-image. I’ve had to rebuild my relationship with myself and I share this personal journey on Instagram. I like to show that anyone can change their life with hard work, commitment and a passion to do so. Nothing is impossible.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s never a smooth road! Haha. But I think that would be boring. The biggest obstacle I’ve had to overcome is self-sabotage and self-doubt.

Being an actor has so many facets to it. It’s about confidence, having a trust in yourself that is solid. Self-doubt or insecurities have no place in an acting career, but unfortunately, it’s part of the territory of being an artist. I’ve went through intensive therapy including hypnotherapy to “reprogram” my self-talk and ditch old negative patterns but this is something I have to pay attention to every day.

Also, pushing too hard, too fast. Being impatient, Careers take years to build, an acting one is no exception. You have to get known by casting directors, book some jobs, gain their trust as a competent employee. This takes time. I’ve had to readjust my expectations and my mindset.

Speaking of adjusting expectations, I’ve had to ditch perfectionism. Perfectionism does not work in the acting world. All it does is put unrealistic expectations on yourself and then gives you a reason to beat yourself up because, OMG, you weren’t perfect! Well, I’ve learned that there is NO perfect. It’s all about accepting who you are, doing your best and being your authentic self.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
Well, I consider myself three things: Actor, Zumba Instructor, and Open Empath and Motivator.

When it comes to being a Zumba Instructor, the most important thing for me is that anyone who walks into my class feels like a rockstar. I’m not there to “perform” but to engage. I am proud of the way I teach my classes because I truly connect with every person. My choreography and cueing skills make it easy to follow and builds their confidence throughout the class. But again, I want the people in my Zumba classes to have an experience not just get a great workout.

To be vulnerable and open is a strength, not a weakness. I am known for being very open and real to support others and help them to accept that living your true, authentic life is something to be proud of. I share my struggles, my shadow side, all of it. I talk about my battles with anxiety and depression, my insecurities, This not only helps others but it helps me. Sharing our journeys is cathartic in so many ways. I used to be ashamed of being an open person who is highly sensitive because being tough and “together” is so valued in our society. But through my journey, I’ve realized that I’m proud of who I am and I want other people to learn from the mistakes I’ve made and the lessons that have fallen upon me.

Oh, acting. This has been the most gratifying but one of the toughest careers to pursue. As an actor, I live my life I present, always taking everything in. Besides the craft of acting, the auditioning skills and the business, I’m proud of my ability to connect with other actors. Building community is one of my strengths and in the acting world, this is no exception. I never view other actors as competition but as allies. Without the support of each other, what else is there? Every person that crosses my path is meant to. And I live every moment being grateful to making new friends at auditions, on set and in class. Again, community is a huge part of this career. You can’t be an actor alone.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Well, being a recovering perfectionist, success to me USED to be being the best, winning the awards, getting chosen for the role, or getting accolades and being validated by others. Not anymore! Putting unrealistic expectations on myself lead to a lot of negative self-talk, shame and self-sabotage. I learned that lesson many times.

Success to me is embracing every part of the journey. The good and the not so good. I think once you start viewing every experience as a success (even when it’s failure), that’s when the true growth really begins. I’ve had to do a lot of mindset work and reprogramming to move away from success being defined by how much I’ve achieved or recognized for.

Success is a personal thing. Everyone has their own meaning of what success is to them. A career as a working actor sometimes overwhelms me, I’ve had to develop a new mindset in order to breakthrough in this career. Never viewing the booking as a success but just getting the audition as the win. Also, knowing what I can control versus what I can’t control. So important in this industry. I can control the work I put in, my mindset and the trust I have in myself in that audition room. Once it’s over, that’s it! But, if I know I did my best, I can walk out of there feeling successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: cindy-chavez.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindychavezactress/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindychavezactress/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cindychavezact
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7848547/

Image Credit:
Vanie Poyey Photography, Karla Trujillo Photography

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