Meet Melissa LaCome-Schinbeckler | Event Producer + Adventure Seeker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa LaCome-Schinbeckler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I cringe when I hear the words work life balance. I grew up in a home where working, doing something every hour of the day to provide for your family and work towards professional goals were considered balancing life’s demands. I watched my father work day and night to provide for our family and my mother do the same to raise us. It wasn’t until I was much older that I understood how this formed and contributed to my relentless drive and made it challenging for me to see where one’s personal needs enters gets added to the list.

Until a few years ago, if someone mentioned work life balance I quickly lost interest in the conversation, if it was brought up while I was interviewing, I was left questioning the person’s work ethic, (unfairly I now believe). The sentiment of work life balance resonated as someone who was unreliable, inconsistent, unfocused and don’t ask me if I thought they would stay loyal. It was this doctrine that lead to many burnouts, so many that I didn’t recognize them as such, simply put, I would shake it off and keep going. That was until 2019, I found myself yet again, “below the line”. Physically and mentally exhausted, unhealthy, short fused and completely depleted. If the preverbal bucket was empty, I didn’t know it because I had given my bucket away too. My unhealthy habits of relentless drive had yet again seeped between every crevice of my life, tainting everything I touched and loved.

Today, I’m a mere version of who I was just four years ago. I honor the priorities of the day as a religion. I don’t let one day pass where I don’t spend a portion of time working on myself. It’s like the song, … I love myself more. More than anything or anyone for the first time in my life. My family, friends, community partners, and team benefit from my shift of belief. I now relentlessly coach my team on prioritizing and honoring their personal commitments first. I want their whole selves available to work with, and I’m a believer, that in order for this to happen, they must take care of themselves, and prioritize taking care of themselves each day. It’s imperative to honor their commitments to themselves as if their life depended on it. Because it actually does and I’m a living breathing example of how shifting into a daily practice of having your name on the list too has such a positive impact on all you do. Not to say this doesn’t take a lot of self-talk, motivation and some days literally force, but the consistent intention tends to win each time.

And even though hearing the words work life balance still gives me a negative visceral reaction, I no longer ignore the intent behind the discussion, because I too practice it each day.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I never considered event planning when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. In fact, it wasn’t until one of my four older brothers was insistent I go to college and pursue a professional career that I started to really dream up what I actually wanted to be.

I was pursuing law school until I didn’t get accepted into my top five choices (Michigan and Georgetown your loss my gain), why I didn’t keep trying and apply to any other countless law schools that would have provided just as much experience and a law degree I thought I was seeking was one of those life decisions that changes a person’s trajectory forever. It is the decision that lead to what I’m doing today. Of course, again, it wasn’t without mentorship that my “precise attention to detail” was made apparent to me as a viable skill that I could actually make a living doing. And it wasn’t without a hunch from a very talented recruiter who when meeting with me for a job I felt like I had to take, lead to my first official event marketing role, which I eagerly and with fervor . That was until I finally gave into the incessant gut feeling that there was more to learn, more to create than the niche events I had been producing.

So without a plan, no business or otherwise, just the knowledge of creating and executing small to large niche events, I ventured out on my own. Eleven years later and I say with certainty I’m exactly where I am meant to be. This past decade has brought the highest highs and the lowest lows, some powerful challenges that has made me grow in a variety of ways. To hurdle the challenges has been no short of reminding myself, when your gut speaks to you, listen. That my will power and perseverance can only get me so far, that asking for help is a must. I’m still learning this skill, each time I call on it, I’m reminded of the guidance and clarity I receive from so many. Along with reading countless books on topics that range from leadership, the art of listening, being present, meditating, good health, self-help, etc., and the occasional check in with my therapist and my horoscope, I continue to calm the anxiety, the storms that continue to show up and I simply just don’t give up.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

Depending on the time of year, we would start out our day with a hike, either Mt. Sanitas in Boulder or we would visit Red Rocks and run and walk the stairs. If it’s in the winter we would start out with a 60minute yoga sculpt class at CorePower.

We would then grab brunch, at either Bacon Social House, Olive & Finch or Snooze.

Then we would head over to Jalan Spa in Uptown, we would arrive early so we can take advantage of the complimentary 15m foot soak, before indulging in a 90minute facial and massage.

We would get ready at Jalan then head to Social @ the Thompson Hotel, before heading to either a show at the Buell or to dinner at Death & Co, or Barcelona. If we feel like a digestif, we would go to, The Thin Man, in Uptown, or the Clayton Club in Cherry Creek.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My family! My husband Jarrett and our two boys, Julian and Nic have been my muse, my strength and encouragement I’ve needed to get started and keep going. Our community as a whole has been extremely supportive and beyond generous, with endless mentorship hours and encouragement. There are so many who I could name who have been my champions from day one. You know who you are! xo

Website: www.lacomeevents.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacomeevents

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/3681506/admin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lacomeevents/

Image Credits
The Scout Guide Denver