Today we’d like to introduce you to Chacha Sands.
Hi Chacha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Houston but moved to Portland during my twenties. It was there that I established my companies, but I maintained my network back home. In Portland, I had a boutique, a creative firm, and a magazine, while The Deep End EQ (TDE) was primarily based out of Houston. I maintained contracts with Houston clients and would travel back and forth for many years.
When Covid hit, I knew the creative field and market in Portland would take a major hit, so I opted to relocate and refocus on TDE. Once in Houston, I managed to maintain the other companies well into 2021 and finally had to put an indefinite pause on them sometime in 2022. TDE thrived in Houston and was temporarily absorbed as a partnership with another local organization, Cornerstone Team Counseling, for the last four years.
I’m now running TDE solo and have a steady client base and various contracts in the works. I office out of WeWork Galleria, which I love and recommend, and I still have unofficial clients with my creative firm doing interior design and editorial styling.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not in the slightest! I started my first company right out of college as a naive 20-something and learned very quickly how uphill entrepreneurship would be. When I first launched my magazine, I thought it’d be simple to get them into stores since I had seen many shops selling magazines. After rejection after rejection, retailers said they had enough magazines and that they didn’t sell so they weren’t willing to buy them wholesale. In my creative firm, I had contract issues with clients or subcontractors who would try to intimidate and bully me into voiding agreements. When I opened the boutique (with my mom), we went days without customers, realizing how critical location and effective marketing would be. Instagram thought one of my accounts was a robot and blocked us for at least a month, ruining our rapid gain in followers, which caused us to plateau during our peak trajectory. I could go on and on about struggles for a small business and entrepreneurs. In the end, it was all worth it, but it was definitely not smooth sailing!
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?
Crib Design House (CDH) is my first company. 2014. A multidivisional creative firm specializing in curated experiences and inspired environments. I am known for maximalism and as a do-it-all creative. My proudest moments were various projects with Red Bull Music and touring the West Coast with musician Blossom as her brand manager and stage stylist.
Beacon Quarterly
This came shortly after CDH was established as a way to gain visibility. Beacon is a multimedia platform and printed magazine with a focus on music, fashion, art, and design. It was entirely ad-free. I am proudest of the internship program I led for 5 years, many of whom went on to major schools like NYU or landed dream jobs. I am also proud to say we published work from over 22 countries around the world and never rejected a submission – one of my founding principles.
The Deep End EQ
TDE has been an ever-evolving company with many phases. It started around 2012 as a collaboration with a therapy group. Its success led to monthly workshops, then a full-time partnership, and finally to a solo gig with weekly individual clients. My workshops are unique in that I incorporate creativity in every session. I am known for helping people connect the dots in meaningful ways and empowering individuals to find and be their truest selves.
Trove Curated Home
Trove began as my mom’s thing in 2014; it was a small stall in a cooler version of an antique mall in SE Portland. I stepped in late 2015 to manage it while she was on deployment in Iraq. While she was away, I had a vision to partner up that I would later pitch upon her return. By the summer of 2017, we had the keys to our very own brick-and-mortar store in downtown Portland and spent our last few years in the Pearl District. We were known as a mother-daughter-duo and for high femme, high glam, vintage maximalism. We carried tons of local makers and had popups for all of our friends who were in the trade – perfume, vintage clothing, pompom workshops, art shows, etc. We really tried to be active in the community and support other small entrepreneurs.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the diversity in culture, affluence, and industry in contrast to Portland, which felt like a small bubble. On the other hand, sometimes, the size of the city can feel overwhelming and inaccessible to tap into. Houston feels very commercial/corporate, which can also feel like a barrier. I think these points are like the glass half empty or half full; I think they can be positives with the right mindset.
Pricing:
- Workshops $100
- Individual Coaching $225
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedeependeq.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedeependeq
- Other: https://thedeependeq.as.me/march
Image Credits
Christine Taylor
Ashley Walters
Kourtney Roy
KGW8 Portland
Daniel Ramirez
Riley Brown
Red Bull Music
