Meet Jeana de Arakal of The CAMP in Costa Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeana de Arakal.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
At a glance, you would think that my eclectic collection of careers points to someone who isn’t quite sure what they want to do in life. However, if you look past the job titles you can easily see the common thread to my work, my job is to bring people together and build communities. The job titles and companies have changed over the years, from creating events for a major publication in Orange County to supporting bars and restaurants in Sydney, Australia. From VIP Services Manager to Experiential Producer. No matter the continent, company, or role, I have found that my true passion lies in creating unique opportunities that bring people together and strengthens communities.

Most recently I have stepped into the role of Community & Tenant Relations Manager for The CAMP in Costa Mesa. I started this role in February 2020, the top of the pandemic. It was a dramatic learning curve; getting to know this community of small, local businesses as well as navigate the rules and regulations of Covid-19. Despite the hurdles that Covid-19 try to through at this community, we have managed to not only survive but host 20 outdoor concerts, two movie nights, two dinner series, and keep our team members, tenants, and community safe!

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?
A path without huddles wouldn’t be a path work taking! A challenge that has been present through all of the jobs and companies I have worked for is being a one-man-band. Being a part of a small company and team definitely has its benefits including not having such a long chain of command that it takes ages to get things done or having to worry about shareholders. However, on small teams, you have to wear many hats and sometimes that dance can be exhausting to the point of burnout. In marketing especially, having team members to bounce ideas off of and support the storytelling and content creation is crucial.

In my career, I have found myself being a one-man-band quite often and that has made it challenging to design, create, and execute campaigns and events that hold up to my standards and the client’s standards.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As the Community & Tenant Relations Manager for The CAMP, I help to bring the tenants of the CAMP together with our community. To do this job to the best of my abilities, I must specialize in listening. I have to listen to what each tenant tells me about their business, how they are different, how they like to share with the community, and ultimately listen to what the issues are that they could use support on. Similarly, I have to listen to the community, what are the organizations, institutions, other businesses around us doing, what are they in need of, what can we share with them, and what is the best way to share it.

As a CAMP team member, I am most proud of representing small and local businesses that take an active effort in being sustainable, environmentally-friendly, and eco-conscious. I am proud that I can help the small businesses that do so much for our community and have a direct effect on our community’s well-being and growth.

I feel that my experience in multiple different jobs across various different businesses makes me a jack of all trades. Which is incredibly helpful for small businesses that have varying needs.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Being a good listener, being open-minded, and being a strong communicator have all helped me succeed in this role as well as in past roles. Being scrappy and resourceful is an important characteristic as well when working for small businesses!

Contact Info:

• Address: The CAMP
  2937 Bristol St, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
• Website: https://www.thecampsite.com/
• Email: info@thecampsite.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecampoc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCampOC
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-camp-costa-mesa

Image Credit:
Jeana de Arakal

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