Caleb + Charlee | GYE's Beginnings
HELLO THERE! And welcome to our very first blog post! Yes, on the outside, it might look like our little business we have here is just full of fun things, but the truth is that we are two real people who just work really really hard on brand presence and business strategy. Sure, we're probably going to read this blog post in 6 months or so and think to ourselves, "amateurs!" BUT in this season of life, we are choosing purpose over perfect, and that is why we are jumping into this journey of sharing a little more about who we are behind the scenes and - more importantly - sharing whatever knowledge we have with you! Today, our imperfect purpose is to give you a little background on how Caleb, Charlee, and GYE all began (easier said than done to summarize the last 6 years into a few paragraphs!) In this short life that we're given, at the end of the day if we can say that we've helped just 1 more person, in some way shape or form, then our hearts are content! If that means pulling back the curtain and sharing some of the not-so-pretty-and-perfect truths, then we say SO BE IT. Let's start at the beginning with how we met and how GYE transpired!
FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MARRIAGE, THEN COMES STARTING A BUSINESS TOGETHER IN OUR 2 BEDROOM TOWN HOME!
Caleb and I grew up 15 minutes down the road from each other, played sports at small-town rival schools, and always knew of each other, but we never officially met until 2010 when we were living in different states and attended the same Halloween party in Jacksonville, FL! (We'll save that story for another date lol) From the moment that we met, we've pretty much been connected at the hip ever since!
In 2011, Caleb honorably got out of the Marine Corps, moved to FL, got a part time job as a server at Joe's Crab Shack while going to college, and started DJ'ing on the side as a hobby. His first 'gig' was at his sister's class reunion (thanks, Priscilla)! He's always had a knack for encouraging others, dancing, keeping the party going, and making people laugh. So naturally, he flourished in the entertainment field!
In 2012, I completed my bachelor's degree in supervision & management and started my search for a career-worthy job while continuing my serving job at Longhorn. On NYE of that same year, with the help of the infamous Officer Brooks and a firework show downtown, Caleb popped the question!
In 2013, Caleb continued going to college, working at Joe's Crab Shack, and DJ'ing on the side, and I would occasionally attend weddings with him on the weekends. Meanwhile, I started working my way up to management at Longhorn, but that was a slow moving train that I knew I didn't want to be part of for any longer than I had to.
In 2014, we got married in Atlantic Beach and honeymooned in the Dominican. It was amazing! (Fun Fact: about 80% of the original Jurassic Park movie was filmed in the Dominican.) While our wedding was wonderful, it was also quite the learning experience for us to be able to see everything from the bride and groom's point of view, and that was the muse which inspired us to do things how we do them now!
I've always been an older soul, taking life a little more seriously and generally sticking to a good plan. My plan was to find a managerial job that would offer tuition reimbursement for my master's degree. Boy did God have different plans for me! After the honeymoon, I quit Longhorn to take a marketing managerial job with my new degree, with hopes of gaining experience in a field that truly interested me. Well, I found out about 2 months into it that my superiors had been lying to me since the beginning, therefore I had been lying to all of my customers, and moving forward that's what I was expected to do for my future customers as well as future employees. That REALLY didn't sit well with me so I quit.
Meanwhile, Caleb's DJ business was quickly gaining traction, and he was starting to need a little more help. It was at this crossroads that Caleb "begged me" (his words, not mine!) to come work full time for GYE. He asked me to just 'try it' for a month or two. (ha!) and if I didn't like it I would just quit and get back on the Longhorn management train, which somehow felt like taking a step backward for me. This is what I love about Caleb... He isn't afraid to take chances. He pursues his passions. He's a world-changer. He's not a quitter. And he has one of the kindest hearts I've ever met. Well, we combined his passion for music, dancing, and all things entertainment with my passion for organization and all things business, and we turned it into what GYE is today. We are a husband and wife duo, striving to focus on our faith, marriage, business, and 2 dogs (and not always in that order). Now, we are taking this next step of peeling back the curtain to show you the good, the bad, and the messy minus our kitchen. We vow to be as truthful and honest with our posts as legally possible in hopes to maybe shed light on our little reality we call life.
