Get to know Chelsea Laspada, Director of Creative Production, Kajabi

When we launched this blog in summer 2022, we mentioned sharing behind-the-scenes interviews and sound advice from intentional guests in the marketing and communications space. We haven’t forgotten this promise!

Today, we’re providing a peak at an exclusive interview with Chelsea Laspada, Director of Creative Production at Kajabi. In this post, you’ll get to know her heart for promoting brands she personally loves, her passion for making a difference in this world through her creative, marketing and storytelling skills and how she stays true to her values. Take a read, and leave a comment if this interview has an impact on you!

Owning your personal mission

I've seen many successes in my career for which I am grateful for. But still, the thing I am most proud of is that I have stayed true to what I know is most important: making an impact in the world.

Let’s start with the basics. Tell us who you are, what you do and what motivates you.

Hi! I'm Chelsea, a swiss army knife marketer, passionate creative, and lover of storytelling. I enjoy strategizing and executing unique campaign ideas to elevate brands and tell their stories. I currently work as a Director of Creative at a SaaS company called Kajabi that helps creators earn more by selling their knowledge online through courses, memberships, podcasts, and more.

I learned early in my career that what motivates me is promoting brands that I truly love. Whether I'm writing, editing, strategizing, designing, discussing, or directing, I enjoy building relationships, experimenting with out-of-the-box ideas, and challenging myself to grow and learn each day!

Looking at your career history, it’s easy to see you're passionate about purpose-driven brands. How did you break into marketing and communications and particularly for brands making a positive difference in the world?

I always knew that I loved different forms of creativity, and I wanted to use my skills and passions to make a difference in the world. I studied communications and public relations in school, but wanted my career to be an intersection of what I learned and the creative side that always fueled me. I completed two different marketing internships in college with non-profits and absolutely loved it. That was the ah-ha moment where I realized I could help create impact far beyond just what my job description provided if I was a part of a purpose-driven brand or organization.

From there, my first job out of college was for a social good company called Sevenly. I loved their mission — $7 donated from every purchase to a featured charity, and the featured charity changed every 7 days in order to create more exposure for different causes all over the world. I started in social media, which was really just starting to become a pinnacle for brands at the time, and eventually moved into a Brand Manager role and built my career off of that momentum.

Since then, I've been a part of numerous companies that all had different products and missions, but one thing kept me hooked; I was in it for the love of the game. Being a part of something bigger than myself, and getting to hear first-hand customer accounts of how we were making a difference.

What are you most proud of in your career? And why?

I've seen many successes in my career for which I am grateful for. But still, the thing I am most proud of is that I have stayed true to what I know is most important: making an impact in the world. It's easy to get caught up in climbing the corporate ladder or tempting offers from brands you don't align with, or be pulled in directions that just don't feel right for the sake of growth. But in times of uncertainty, I [have] remembered my own personal mission and held true to it, just as I expect the brands I have been a part of to do. At the end of my career, I want to measure my success in the lives I've helped change. The stories I've heard over the years keep me motivated and proud to continue chartering my own path.

What do you wish you knew before getting into this business? Any lessons learned?

No one is perfect. You are serving humans, so be human. Don't expect things out of yourself that you wouldn't expect out of others, and lead with empathy, kindness, and heart. As I've grown into a people manager now managing a team of 9, I've learned that giving people the opportunity to fail and learn (yourself included!) is key to being a part of a business that can be close to your heart. There are more emotions involved in this type of work, so have some grace with yourself and others, and good is bound to come out of it.

Let’s end on a more personal note: what advice would you give to those looking to align their next career move with their personal values?

Take your time. Be methodical and strategic about the companies you are investing time in and understand your personal mission. Tap into your network and reach out to people who work for companies you align with. I got my first job at Sevenly by messaging my future boss on LinkedIn and sharing my passion for what she was doing and how I wanted to be a part of it!

We are inspired by Chelsea’s words and hope you are too. Thank you, Chelsea!

If you know someone in the marketing and communications space who loves serving purpose-driven brands and sharing sound advice, please reach out -> plumandparcel.com/contact! We’re always looking for our next guest.

Stay tuned for more interviews!