Meet Ja’Nia Cannon of Code Peach Event Management in Orange County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ja’Nia Cannon.

Ja’Nia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I must start off by saying my story is one of a person with unwavering resilience, a love for people, and a passion for creating lasting memories.

My journey is a story of triumph and rebound, mental and physical challenges, emotional toils, and breakthroughs. Most importantly, I embody a faith-filled resilience that electrifies others, into pursuing action to reaching their full potential.

I am a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, a single mother, motivational speaker, and entrepreneur.

Born and raised in Orange County, California, I’m the youngest of four siblings and blessed with four bonus siblings. My role in the family has always been, “The Connector.” I connected everything, and everyone; be it through humor or my natural ability to forge opportunities of fellowship.

Growing up with parents actively involved in community service organizations; afforded me many opportunities as a speaker and community liaison. My parents embraced my natural inclination to create lasting memories and experiences. These opportunities would later catapult me into various leadership opportunities during college and beyond.

This very innate ability spurred me into a career in hospitality. During my corporate experience, I worked for some of the world’s largest hotel chains as a senior-level event manger. Also, I have planned events in the entertainment industry. Later, this led me to establish my own company: Code Peach Event Management, LLC.

I must credit my Heavenly Father for His unfailing grace, wisdom, and ordering of my steps. I grew up giving speeches at my parent’s events in an effort to earn my allowance at times. I now provide motivational speeches and lead women empowerment experiences; I love how my childhood experiences have resurfaced in my adult life. I offer a warm and inviting space for multiple topics of discussion. I believe my humility and gratitude, finessed with my bold energy make me an untamed force with limitless bounds, ready to bring generations to their knees!

Great, 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?
Whew! How can I condense my response! First, I don’t believe the road to anything great is meant to be smooth. Instead, I think each of my struggles paints and shapes my journey into a more vibrant story each day. My struggles past and present are what make being Ja’Nia so unique and beautiful.

Making the decision to leave corporate America, start my own business and pursue empowerment/motivational speaking hasn’t been an easy feat. I’m a single mother to an 8-year-old daughter with the most beautiful spirit. On more than one occasion, I have had the urge to drop the entrepreneur life, as financial struggles rear their ugly and necessary head. Being a single mother has challenged me and helped me identify that I am a resilient woman; and that to date had been my most rewarding assignment.

I’m a planner by profession and nature; sometimes not having it all figured out but having to continue to take steps in faith fills me with anxiety. The entrepreneur desire and journey forced me to realize I was part of my issues a lot of the time. So I was tasked to deal with me; in order to be a better leader, mother, woman, and trust myself to make better decisions.

I’m a domestic violence survivor but I never truly dealt with it until I stopped playing it safe, decided to pursue my passion/purpose and started making self-care a priority. I believe taking care of our mental health is always necessary. It has allowed me to be a better businesswoman, mother, friend and leader. Perfectionism has also delayed me a lot of times. I’m fortunate to have an outlet of therapy and close friendships that remind me of my resilience versus allowing me to shrink in fear.I’ve learned that I can take isolation way to far. Then, there are times where all I want is connection and entrepreneurship can be so lonely.

Entrepreneurship isn’t as glamorous as social media paints it. The real glamour is pursuing your purpose, whatever that may be.

I’ve had to learn lessons in valuing myself first before others will. I had to walk away from clients and partnerships because I realized they weren’t paying my worth or valuing my work. Lessons that according to my bills weren’t worth learning; but if it’s doesn’t sit right with my spirit, I can’t afford it.

I didn’t have a model in my family or friends so I had to start the entrepreneur journey as a lone wolf. Distraction dressed up in my desire to help everyone will never benefit me. I had to deal with my codependency and face Ja’Nia. I had to learn that my desire to be authentic is just fine. I don’t need to be like any other event planner or speaker. I just need to be Ja’Nia. Ja’Nia is not for everyone but for the ones God’s called her to reach and impact. As long as I show up to each struggle, and give my personal best with God as my guide. I’m content in the journey and excited for the challenges along the way.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Code Peach Event Management – what should we know?
This is two-fold for me.

Code Peach Events is an event planning and management company that curates experiences for all occasions, from corporate events and conferences to special celebrations & weddings. Currently, we are known for mainly weddings but my background is majorly in corporate, conferences and entertainment events.

Although we look forward to diversifying our portfolio based on our wealth of experience, I am proud of the foundation we have laid with gaining educational experience, corporate experience with planning events in corporate settings, higher educational settings, the wedding industry and in the entertainment industry. Our professionalism and attention to detail is always something clients and vendors compliment us on. What sets us apart is we love creating authentic moments. We are excited to step outside the box even if it doesn’t seem trendy. The importance of reaching a companies goals and creating a memorable experience for all is important, and honestly, that should be the standard.

Secondly, Ja’Nia Cannon (me) is a motivational speaker & and empowerment experience curator specializing in women and single mothers. I am currently known for my empowerment experience called Unfinished Masterpiece. I am proud of this current season in my life; taking risks and being authentic. I am proud of the upcoming opportunities and the events I am curating to create a space for women in all walks of life to have the opportunity to connect, be transparent, vulnerable and fuel them to create a positive transformation. What sets me apart is, I take a strategic and interactive approach to provoke positive change in my audience. I look forward to taking further steps in destiny to making a positive impact on others.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Resilience & my faith in God are the most important quality/characteristics that I can credit to my success. While I always encourage myself to set goals, have a strategy, and plan; there have been times in my journey where the goal may have been set, I may have worked hard, and still for some unforeseen reason, a setback has happened. In these moments, I may have felt like I wanted to sink. However, instead, I just put on new boxing gloves and continued to partake in the fight. I get on my knees and say, “God I may not know why but I know how I will get through this and the answer is through my faith in you, my waymaker!”

There have been moments when I didn’t even know financially how I was going to see another day and I had to just have faith and be obedient. God has a way of convicting me and every single time I am obedient, He ultimately provides. I had to learn to focus on what I could do with what I had in my possession instead of focusing on what I lacked. Each time I am thrown a roadblock, I don’t shrink. I become battle-ready.

Sometimes being battle-ready is continuing to be a student to your industry, it’s being still and relinquishing control, its changing course, its journaling and figuring YOU out, it’s asking for help, it’s taking a risk, its starving distractions, it is buying yourself a gift, it’s taking a moment to dance, it’s going on vacation, it’s going to the gym and sometimes its going to bed or simply taking a shower. Regardless of the fears or perceptions others have put on me, I still show up. I do the work and I do the internal work. Most importantly, what allows me to remain resilient is that I start my day by devoting time for God. I’ve tried it other ways and it doesn’t work for me! I’m just no longer in the business of doing things that don’t allow me to show up as who God called me to be.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.codepeachevents.com
• Email: info@codepeachevents.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codepeachevents/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CodePeachEvents/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/janiaonpurpose/

Image Credit:
Maurice Will Photos
Little Honey Photography
Laura Waldron Photography
Photography by Paulina

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