Hester Chang: the Balance of Beautiful Artistry and Corporate Know-How

Posted: June 14th, 2010 | No Comments »

What better time to introduce our V-Inspiring woman than in June, the busiest month for weddings? Whether it’s a wedding, bar mitzvah or even corporate event, Hester Chang is a true artist, creating and executing events so personal, beautiful, and unique to each person and their individual vision, that you’re sure to have a celebration filled with memories to last a lifetime. A long-time consultant and equity research analyst, Hester brings to this artistry the high standards and experience of her former career!

Please view her website at www.emmaeventsnyc.com or to reach Emma Events, please call 646.454.1219 or email info@emmaeventsnyc.com to inquire about a wedding, birthday party, anniversary, bar mitzvah, and corporate events.

Job (aka, Career/Calling/Inspiration): Event Planner

Age: 34

Family situation: Married with two kids (girl 3 and boy 5 mos. old)

How do you make sure you feel good everyday? I take an extra long shower in the morning to relax, wake me up, and prepare me for the day.

What inspires you to do the work that you do? I love to see people happy, so planning weddings gives me a real sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. 

How did you muster up the courage/confidence/stamina to create the life you have? Thanks to a supportive husband and family, I am able to spend time raising my children and started my event planning company. I had spent long hours working as a consultant and then an equity research analyst for the previous 10 years. I was more than happy to give up the well-paid position and long hours in order to care for my babies, see their firsts and pursue a career I enjoy.

What’s your approach to nutrition? I focus on eating hormone-free meat and organic fruits and vegetables. I rarely snack and just stick to three full meals a day. I always aim to eat with my children at the dinner table and eat the healthy food that they do.

How do you stay inspired when difficult challenges arise? When event planning gets to be challenging or stressful, I find it helpful to take a quick break with my kids and then brainstorm new ideas/solutions.

What do you do to stay in balance? I don’t always have the right balance, but I try not to stress about it – I do the best that I can. I keep to a routine on the weekdays as much as possible for the kids and work. I’ve also learned to multi-task or wait to do things when the kids are in school, napping or sleeping. The periodic night out with my husband and moms’ night out keeps me sane. Overall, it really helps me to simply do a little bit of everything and try not to overdo it on anything.

What’s your ultimate indulgence – just for you? When being a mom and events get to be too much, I try to take a break by treating myself to a spa massage while my husband or nanny watches the kids.

What advice do you have for women aiming to have it all? In other words, what do you do or have you done that works for you? The best decision was to convince my husband that I needed a nanny/housekeeper to help me with the kids when I need to work from home. Being able to simply shift from work to kids and back to work makes it very easy for me to spend time with my children when they need me and do work when it needs me! On the weekends, we have grandparents help with the kids, so my husband and I have hands free for a few hours and our children love spending time with them.