Meet Juan Santiago | Events Planner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Juan Santiago and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Juan, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
As humans, we walk many paths in our life cycle. My story has many different paths, some clearer than others- one thing I have always said to myself throughout every path I’ve taken is “keep evolving”. Every time I get the opportunity I say these words out loud “I am forever evolving”.
It means every day I get the opportunity to be/to do- better than the day before and that I am not done yet- I have been evolving for 28 years, I want to continue doing so till the day my path comes to an end. What I definitely like the most about it is the way it self inspires me to keep going… if I think for a second that I am “done”- a new evolution chapter opens up.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As a full service event planner, I can pretty much cover every need related to an event. From designing, concept development, managing and staffing, bartending , clean up and breakdown. I am for sure, very proud, that I am able to execute my dreams. I’ve always called myself a “big dreamer with a sense of business”. I started at the bottom like many others, working two retail part-time jobs, to then spend the next 14 years managing and helping to develop every business I ever had the opportunity to oversee. All while still doing my passion on the side- events. At some point in my life, just a few years ago- things were very difficult, I had to walk over 4 miles back and forth to work. I had one goal- “keep evolving” so I did what I had to. It wasn’t easy, when you’re a big dreamer like me, the human factor is always around, some voices telling you ,- “you need to stop dreaming and focus on your reality.” Many lessons were learned, I have kept myself very grounded, and with the understanding of how I got to where I am. But if I could mention one lesson, I would say the ability to believe in yourself and break all boundaries. As a little kid, I develop a stutter that for many years inhibited me from communicating with others , if I had stopped believing in myself, and that I could, learn how to communicate again- my dreams were just going to stay up there in a cloud, yet- I kept evolving. I want people to know that I am one passionate soul and that I translate that fire into everything I do when it comes to an event and my brand. Just like my dreams have become true, I want to help my clients also see theirs becoming a reality, I know what it means to execute an event, a vision- my brand is dedicated to execute those to perfection.

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.
I would start by showing them our beach area. It’s the #1 place tourist always like to visit when they’re here. I would definitely want to feed them , as a good Puerto Rican, we always want our guest to have enough food so I would take them shopping, probably Publix, and make sure they have enough snacks- so that I can join them later at home when the midnight cravings hit. Then we would go home and rest.
I will probably already have a timeline (the event planner in me) with “things to do” every day. We would go to downtown and see our historic sites , we would visit our local theatre and enjoy a good show. I will most definitely want to take them to my favorite restaurant, where I got engaged- “Coopers Hawk”, their menu is to die for.
We will visit the zoo, and possibly our local animal shelter – as a dad of three fur babies , I am a softy for animals. Which means they will have to go on a “park date” with our fur babies, we love the “Dogs beach” in Bonita Springs. Historic sites are always a must! We would need to visit the Edison States & Gardens. By now I know all the thrift stores and antiques stores in the area, I would probably spend two days visiting those. We would even ride to Arcadia and visit the downtown area where all those fun stores are. Picking oranges is another must do when you are visiting so we would have to go do that. And because I am a foodie, I would probably visit five or six other restaurants while they are here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I couldn’t tell my story without mentioning my biggest inspiration in life. My grandmother , my “Abuela”. With nothing, she gave me everything. She raised me like her own and cultivated my heart to ensure I grew up to be not just a good grandkid , but a great, compassionate man. Also, my aunties- Linda & Delia, those two are like my sisters! Their unconditional love & support catapult me to next levels.
My cousins, their innocence and gentle love remind me every day that I can do anything, because they believe in me.
My godfather and Philanthropist, Marc Collins. He is literally an angel on earth. He has molded my character in ways I didn’t even thought a man could be molded. He believes in me more than anything. My dear godmother, Lori- she’s watching over me from her magical castle “up there”. Her words of encouragement will always resonate in my heart.
Lastly, my dear husband- Eliot. My love, my soulmate. My biggest cheerleader, he’s always by my side, inspiring me every day of our lives.

Website: jsxxpairofhands.com

Instagram: XXPOH

Facebook: JS Xx’tra Pair of Hands LLC

Yelp: XXPOH

Other: Email: juan@jsxxpairofhands.com

Image Credits
Earl Gardner