We’re looking forward to introducing you to Chrissie Velasquez. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Chrissie, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think more people struggle with feeling overlooked than we realize. Being overlooked can be such a lonely feeling, and we often don’t realize how many people around us feel the same way. Those feelings are valid. If we feel unseen, it is usually because there is a very real and valuable part of us that is not being seen.
Why isn’t it being seen? Because it has not yet been brought forward. It hasn’t been integrated into daily life in a way others can recognize. Many of us hesitate to communicate what we carry because we don’t want to look proud or self-focused.
But here’s the secret about hidden talent: hidden talent stays hidden. Uncommunicated talent stays uncommunicated. No one is coming to discover you, and no one is coming to discover me. It is up to us to take courage, step out, and say, ‘I think I can help people. I have something to offer.’ That takes a lot of courage, but it is a necessary step if we want to move out of hiding and stop living overlooked.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chrissie, and I help people write books. A few years ago, I wrote my first book, Costly. While I loved the writing process, I got stuck in publishing and distribution. After a long season of research, collaboration, and investment, I finally got it published. That experience opened my eyes to how many authors lose momentum in that part of the process, and I knew I wanted to help others find a clearer path.
That is why I launched Green Light Publishing House with my co-founder, Courtney Rose. Courtney is passionate about helping authors feel proud of their work. She believes a book should not only communicate a message but also carry the kind of design and branding that makes readers stop and take notice. Her goal is for every author to have the credibility and confidence that comes from holding a high-quality, professional book in their hands.
My passion is helping authors feel confident about their words. It is one thing to know something and another to communicate it clearly. I never want an author to feel held back because of uncertainty in how to express what they know. My role is to help them find clarity so when they speak or write about their subject, they do so with authority and ease.
What makes Green Light Publishing House unique is the way we value the author. A book should never be just a project to get finished. It should be an overflow of who the author is and the authority they already carry. Our focus is on helping the overlooked person step into being seen and received as the expert they truly are.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
As a kid, I could always talk someone into something, good or bad. If I noticed someone who was shy or sitting alone, I could talk them into coming to hang out with me and help them make friends. On the other hand, if I wanted to get into some shenanigans, I could probably talk someone into that too. It worked both ways, but the common thread was encouragement. That ability to draw people in and make them feel included always felt like a superpower to me.
As an adult, I see how much that shaped who I am today. I still love bringing people with me. I don’t like doing things alone, and I don’t believe in gatekeeping. My favorite thing in the world is to give someone courage through my words and conversations to help them step into the greatest version of what they already carry inside of them. That is what encouragement means to me: to put courage into someone else. I felt powerful as a child when I could do that, and I feel powerful now when I see the same spark come alive in others.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I see two kinds of suffering. The first is external. Something happens to you from the outside, and it hurts. That kind of pain is informative. It’s like touching a hot stove. You learn quickly where not to stay. If certain leaders in my past had not hurt me, I probably would have remained under their leadership, and I would not have learned what I know now. External pain has been a gift because it shows me which environments I need to leave.
The second kind of suffering is the pain that comes from growth. It’s the soreness of muscles after a workout, or the struggle of a little chick breaking through its shell. It is the pain that says, ‘If I stay here, I will wither. The only option is to move forward.’ That kind of suffering is encouraging, because it marks milestones of growth and reminds me I am breaking through limits I have never crossed before.
Success is informative, but it usually tells me what worked a long time ago. Suffering, on the other hand, teaches me where I don’t belong and shows me the thresholds I am strong enough to cross. Without the ability to feel pain, I would have stayed in environments that were a disservice to me, and I would have remained weak and underdeveloped. Suffering has been my teacher, shaping both my resilience and my growth in ways success never could.
Success is a lot of fun though. Suffering should be temporary. I highly recommend success.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would probably say that I am a truth teller, sometimes to my own demise. I really hate lies, and I believe people should be about what they say they are about. If I make a commitment, I intend to keep it. One friend once told me she was surprised I showed up for a big project, because she was so used to people saying yes but not following through. That moment stood out to me, because it made me realize how rare consistency really is.
What I have learned is that integrity in small things builds confidence in bigger things. Every time I follow through, I am teaching my brain that my words can be trusted. Neurologically, that releases dopamine, which reinforces the reward of keeping promises, and it lowers the stress response that comes with self-doubt. Over time, that creates an internal stability: I don’t have to wrestle with questions like, ‘Do I really have what it takes?’ because I already trust myself to do what I said I would do.
Truth builds confidence.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
There’s a saying that goes like this: “People don’t always remember what you say, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” When I am gone, I hope people remember that I made them feel courageous, confident, and hopeful.
And to whoever may be reading this, I want to say this: There is something inside of you that the world needs and no one else can introduce. No one else can take your place. You have a great purpose in this life and this life is a gift. Life is worth living to its fullest. There is always hope. There is always something to look forward to, there is always someone to help, there is always something to build, and there will always be someone to love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.greenlightpublishinghouse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrissie.joy/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissie-velasquez-390794107
Image Credits
Chrissie Velasquez, Courtney Rose
