Meet Corrie Mendes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Corrie Mendes.

Hi Corrie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my career over 15 years ago and have a very diverse background in TV and Event Production, jumping into LA as a coordinator on the Emmy Awards, AMA’s, and Oscars. My career took a turn when a colleague on the American Music Awards introduced me to an Event Production Firm that was looking for a Producer to do an event in Europe. I said yes and spent the next 13 years creating and executing lavish celebrations for the jet set.
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I have been lucky enough to work with some of the biggest celebrities and corporate brands…..repeat clients that feel like family. When I create & share my client’s big life moments…it becomes family. I’m quiet and respectful with all my clients but have gotten to work with Musicians, Actors, Executives, and Top Athletes. Some of them have been mentioned in publication/social media, and I can share working with Vanessa & Nick Lachey, Hilary Duff, Ashley Tisdale, Lana & Sebastian Maniscalco, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney & Travis Barker, Christina Aguilera, John Mayer… I have also worked with some of the largest corporate brands in the country: Media Arts Lab, Ouai, Fred Segal, Carouso, Instagram, Mane, Blended Strategy Group, Shake Shack, Calirosa Tequila, R&CO and MGA Entertainment.

My ability to budget and streamline operations, combined with an exceptional eye for color, party design, and honest nature in this business sets me apart. I launched C Event Studio (2015) as a full-service event production company that prides itself on the highest levels of service, strategic thinking, and client discretion — making every step of the planning process effortless. From eliminating overspending to collaborating with the best of the best event vendors. Whether it’s a birthday bash, destination event, a brand launch or wedding… The results are seamless, and they are spectacular.

Calm and composed in any situation, I have notably put smiles on the faces of the toughest clients in the celebrity and professional world; working in the most exclusive locations in the world including Italy, Spain, France, Mexico, Canada, Brazil and the British Virgin Islands. Focused and mindful, with an approach to planning that never fails to go above and beyond, C Event Studio guarantees your guests will enjoy a flawless experience they’ll never forget.

In my spare time (ha), I am also the Founder and CEO of Party Decor Rental Company TEAK & LACE & single mom to two amazing little people that I love more than this world.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I moved here from Canada 23 years ago with no college education or family trust fund (as some do in this city). A LOT of drive, dedication, persistence, and hard work have gotten me here today! There’s been a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but I am grateful for every day, every freedom I have, and every client I get to work with. It’s a very high-stress but rewarding job that takes me all over the world, and I have to pinch myself sometimes that this girl from Canada finds herself in some pretty amazing situations.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m most proud of a job I did in Brazil….it was such a huge undertaking for a musician I admired. We took 40 of his friends there for his birthday. No site visit, so I preplanned as much as I could and went in ready for anything. Kept on my toes the whole time…. can’t be to comfortable in case a plan B needs to be addressed on the fly.

By the end of it, him and his management team were so happy and grateful. My client noticed every detail…from the custom pillow to the photo behind the bar. The experience changed my life…how I want to feel & how I want to make other people feel.

Staying honest with people’s money and being able to pull off the ‘impossible’ is what sets me apart. I have been known to pull off the impossible in a very small window of time. One party I did was 4 hours’ notice….. The most recent was Kourtney and Travis’s gender reveal in less than 48 hours.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Social media can be a bit deceiving…take it with a grain of salt and try to find a real, genuine mentor. I have worked with and under some tough people and knew what I didn’t want to be. But I did learn attention to detail, thick skin, and how I carry myself in certain situations from my mentors in the past.

Today, I look up to other strong women in my industry; we share stories, drink tequila together, and have each other’s backs. It’s amazing.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ceventstudio.com
• Instagram: @corriemendes

Image Credits
Scott Clark Photography (lead photo, me & Vanessa photo, Hawaiian table photo)