Meet Ysabel Chavez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ysabel Chavez.

Hi Ysabel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Global Dream Team started as a way to share stories from creatives, entrepreneurs and more to inspire and empower others to pursue their dreams and passions while going on an adventure. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always been super entrepreneurial and creative; my family (and mom most specifically) always encouraged my ideas and entrepreneurial spirit and I always had the drive and motivation to build something. When I was in HS, I founded a Team Building Club which brought together people from various walks of life into a single room.

When I entered college at UCLA, I joined a really impactful entrepreneurship organization where I met an incredible set of people that inspired me, and after I graduated, I felt like I was a lot more isolated and lacking a community around me as I entered the adult world. I also began to feel bouts of depression working at a job that left me unhappy for various reasons. Post-graduation, I found that a lot of “connecting” with friends was through mutual dissatisfaction with working our jobs – which society almost tells us we aren’t supposed to like – and that’s just how it is.

I’ve always been passionate about meeting people and hearing their stories, as well as traveling and immersing myself in different cultures. My first ever flight out of the country was in 7th grade when I visited the Philippines for a month with my family. Sophomore year I studied abroad in Berlin, Germany and also visited Prague, Budapest and Rome. After graduating from UCLA, I planned a month-long trip abroad with my mom to Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Nice, Paris and Santorini, Greece. One of my favorite travel experiences was a group trip with my friends who were a part of my entrepreneurship organization to Bangkok, Thailand.

There came a moment when I sat myself down during COVID and tried to figure out how to combine everything I am passionate about and empower others through a single platform – and that’s how Global Dream Team came to life. I have always been motivated by my desire to help and inspire others and I hope that the work I do accomplishes this. Last year, I started writing out my vision for the platform and began spending my free time learning everything about filmmaking, video editing and storytelling. I invested in a Sony a6400 and drone, filmed some of my first videos with my roommates (who are also doing awesome things) and later attended something called Launch House in January where I was able to meet and film with some incredible entrepreneurs. I bought spontaneous one-way tickets to film with others and since, I’ve been able to spend the day with and share stories of various different inspiring people doing and working on the thing they love – from surfing with the First Female Surfer to represent American Samoa in the ISA in Hawaii to flying a plane above San Francisco with my friend who is pursuing her piloting dreams while being an entrepreneur, to spending the day with a fellow UCLA alum living van life as he pursues his music dreams, to surfing in Santa Monica with my friend who started his own podcast, to learning how to skate with a girl who started a skate community to empower female skaters. Now I’m planning for what’s next – sharing more inspiring global stories, people, culture, experiences and adventures around the world.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say one of my biggest obstacles starting off was Impostor Syndrome. I felt like I had to learn a lot to get started (and I’m still learning) and I felt a lot of anxiety and sleepless nights as I started building the platform and creating these videos, which I didn’t talk about much. I think my very first video took me over 40 hours to edit. There is also a lot of behind the scenes planning and post-production that happens for each video and right now, I’m challenged with slower than ideal processes of editing and producing, ensuring I continually find and outreach to people to feature for consistent content, ensuring that as I film in various regions, I am as culturally educated and researched as possible before going, and overall building an audience. Growing on YouTube takes a long time, and I have to stay focused and believe in myself that I can do this, even if right now not many people are watching.

My vision is for this platform to be truly global and feature individuals and capture the cultural essence of other countries – and there is a lot involved when it comes to finding them and reaching out to them. COVID is also an obstacle when it comes to traveling to different regions, disabling me to travel freely and safely. Since I am a solo creator, I also think about my future safety as a solo female traveler – which I know will be an obstacle when planning out where I am going. Money is also an obstacle and travel – creating content can be costly to start off, and I am not making much as I pursue this (but I recognize and am ok with this because I need all the time I can to get closer to my vision). I’m currently trying to find ways through sponsorships and figuring out how I can build the platform and monetize it so I can realistically continue to create and share these inspirational stories.

Overall having the “startup” mentality that I have, I am aware that there are a lot of moving parts to consider when getting into this, and I’m trying to learn, plan, do, create, and build everything myself.

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?
Currently, my line of work is in two things – Global Dream Team where I film travel/adventure content and feature people across the globe pursuing their passions on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, and I also create foodie content for my vegan account, Vegan Yzzy (mainly on TikTok) where I’ve been able to consult and create viral content for brands, alongside my own platform. Half the time, you might find me cooking and filming TikToks for myself or brands, and the other half I spend on Global Dream Team. While I am very passionate about vegan food, I am most proud of Global Dream Team and my goal is to build this as my career as a travel filmmaker and storyteller. What sets me apart from others is I am not just a travel creator showcasing adventures and travels, I share unique untold stories meant to inspire and empower while taking viewers on an adventure.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m always looking for people to feature and inspiring stories to tell, whether that be local people, creators/creatives, entrepreneurs, people living alternative ways of life, brands, and more. If you want to collaborate or share your story, you can email me at [email protected]. I believe there is so much talent in this world, unsung heroes, potential, and gifted people that the world should see. You can also support me by subscribing on Youtube and following on Instagram and TikTok. I am also looking to work with travel/adventure companies and create content so if you are a global business in need of this, reach out to me. If you have a skill in videography and an interest in travel and filmmaking or want to be involved in some way, reach out to me!

If you are interested in collaborating or working with me on food content, you can reach out to me at [email protected]. I create TikTok content for plant-based brands and restaurants and would love to work with you. You can also support me by following me on my TikTok @veganyzzy.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.theglobaldreamteam.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/globaldreamteam/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYsZr6VNArdPTjg2297Fl0Q/videos
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@globaldreamteam