Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheri Smith. She shares her story with us below:
Sheri Smith (https://tinyurl.com/SheriSmithResume) started her career at the tender age of seven when she landed a starring role in a Broadway musical – with no previous singing, dancing, or acting experience.
“Here’s Love” was the adaptation of “Miracle on 34th Street” and Sheri (Sheri Bond at the time) won Natalie Wood’s part. Commercials, one of which was the longest-running M&M commercial (“melts in your mouth, not in your hand”), and soaps soon followed. The family decided it was better for her to pursue an education than an acting career.
Smith worked (corporately) as the “gatekeeper” for Mark Canton at Warner Brothers as his administrative assistant and reader, Dick Robertson at Telepictures as administrative assistant and reader for films, and Arthur Axelman, a packaging agent at William Morris as assistant and reader for TV movies. She was assistant to the producer for Tom Cole which led to a part in a pilot for one of the first reality shows ever – The Dream Thing.
In the mid-’80s and at twenty thirty-something, Smith was encouraged by Dick Robertson to start her own company helping busy Hollywood Execs like himself. Executive Express, Your Personal Runaround was featured on the front page of the LA TIMES business section. Pam Dawber saw the article and liked the idea so much she developed and starred in a television “movie of the week” around Smith’s idea (This Wife for Hire).
In the 90’s Smith turned her talents to marketing a catering and event production company, They catered to some of Hollywood’s elite (Mayor Riordan, Rock Hudson, Stefanie Powers, and more) and were the exclusive backstage caterers for Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine. During the 2000’s, Smith decided to commute to Hawaii and build something for retirement (and fun!) – a unique, oceanfront vacation rental, a castle in Hawaii. It was here, immersed in Hawaiian culture, that she was able to spend time pursuing her passion as an artist, writing.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
“If it were easy everybody would be doing it!” I’d love to meet the person who has had a “smooth” road. If you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right!
My advice to anyone starting any challenging career, especially one in the entertainment industry, is this: “don’t be afraid to fail”. I know it’s a cliché to say “keep trying no matter what” but there is a lot of truth to it. If you stop, you’ll never know if the next person you would have connected with would have been “the one”.
Failure is a part of the journey, failure teaches you strength, resilience, perseverance, and eventually, you will have the tools you’ll need to be successful.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Am lucky to have a “dual” career, as I like to call it. One pays the rent, the other feeds my soul. I am creative in every sense of the word… I’m an event specialist and a writer.
As an event specialist, I do it all really and have been since 1990. From huge corporate events for thousands to small intimate weddings. And pretty much everything in between. Including non-profits (schools) and fundraisers.
I’m proud of the events we do for www.ChocolateFountainSoCal.com. Imagine a visually stunning, flawless presentation at your event – the fragrance of chocolate wafting throughout the room drawing the guests over. If you’re looking for something distinctive and fun, unforgettable and magical, yet affordable, look no further than a Chocolate Fountain experience. It never gets old.
And I’m also proud of the corporate events we do that have amazing themes, entertainment, and yummy food and cocktails. I can’t think of a theme we haven’t done in all the years GourmetCatering.com has been in business. Here is a cool pirate picnic, so you can see for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Xgl-kyBny0.
I wrote a screenplay which was inspired by true events and has gotten notice in a few writing contests: www.PeopleMakePlans.com.
I am now trying to find a producer to make the film. Working on two other writing projects – Mama Drama and a series called When We Wrote Letters.
We believe events are a lot like life – all about FOOD, FUN, and LOVE (ALOHA!) and to live aloha (love)! Not just a word, a way of life. Our company is woman vet-owned and family-run.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Coming from the East Coast and WHY I came to live here – the weather! Doesn’t everybody?
The abundance of organic fresh fruit and vegetables. The only thing I dislike about our city is the tagging and the unhoused people who live in tarps on the sidewalk.
My heart breaks for them and luckily I have been blessed with abundance to be able to help give them food and clothing and blankets and such. You have to give back.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://chocolatefountainsocal.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chocolatefountainsocal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CateringSoCal
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CateringSoCal
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Q81eyulOxPOoWw-w6idxA
- Other: http://www.peoplemakeplans.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-smith-4575a5b/
Image Credits
Thalia D Naidu
