Daily Inspiration: Meet Jimmy Helgeson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy Helgeson.

Jimmy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hello, I’m Jimmy Jam (James Helgeson), and I want to tell you a little about myself. I grew up primarily Latin neighborhood in Chino, California. At a very young age (13) I started doing hard drugs and hanging out with a lot of cholos and gangsters. I then started to run drugs til we got raided. Then I was living on the street house to house. I ended up going to prison for two strikes with violent charges. Did 1.5 years, got out, and From there, I got sober of meth but started finding myself as a young KLUB KID going to circus and arena night clubs. All were LGBT. Then, the underground rave scene. From that, I started making my outfits and fell in love with fashion, parties, and events. Then I thought, “How can I make money and a career out of this?” I met a drag queen named TALLULAH (rip) and he showed me how to cook, being his assistant in production catering. From that, I worked on huge movie shows and music videos. I then moved to Vegas and started cooking for a guy who started a festival called “Life is Beautiful”. I started food vending and learning the inside and outside of what goes into party and event production. NOW I throw my own events (Cholita Club)! I am also a part of many huge events year after year, still good vending, hosting, and throwing my own parties!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely has not been smooth, I have been thru drug mulling, jail time, addiction, and now worked very hard to be where I am! I’ve had a lot of hate, a lot of people turn me down, and I just kept going! It’s still hard at times, but my dream is to make a festival out of what I do and watch my dreams unfold. My journey starting at smaller venues, coming up from past addictions, and a lot of heartbreak and overall being let down time and time again, to now is something I’m very proud of. But if I would tell a younger me, KEEP GOING! It’s coming just keep working hard at it!

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am big in fashion styling, chef, bartender, event planner, food production, and more! Being in events and production for basically my whole career life, you can get sucked into addiction, fake people, users, and overall a crazy life to work in. Don’t let all that get to you. Keep your eye on your dream and if no one wants to help you, do it yourself! I do it all for my events, from hiring, bar, food, vending, hosting my own events, and all the details that go into making a successful all-inclusive event! Spread love and dress yourself, dress your events with no regret!

Most proud of my #1 event, @cholita_club is my most proud event. I have moved clubs and went from weekly to monthly, and def hasn’t been an easy road as we know the competition in LA is tough. Now Cholita is hitting 700+ patrons doing a whole 90s backyard LA-style party. Something you would see kind of on Fox Undercover in the ’90s. I’ve gone thru blood sweat and a lot of tears to make this event welcoming not just to the gay scene, but to everyone!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
As far as inspiration, I get alot thru events and fashion shows I watch on TV. I don’t really watch too much TV but when I do it’s alot of fashion/cooking shows. I do get alot of inspiration from latinX designers such as Bella Dona, Rik Villa, and alot of my make-up mogul and hair mogul friends @hisvintagetouch @hernameismija @alecksg watching alot of my homegirls do big celebrities and seeing their work makes me see endless possibilities. LA street fashion has always been huge in my life and there are key people who dominate that and inspire ME as an event producer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CzQjpN6OylE/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
• Instagram: @jimmy_jjam