Meet Chelsea Oliver of Twist Events & Twist Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Oliver.  

Hi Chelsea, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My story began in 1991, but I’m going to fast forward to my 14th birthday when my parents picked me up from school and told me that the biopsy from my surgery came back as Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma of the bone. Less than 50 kids in the United States are diagnosed with this type of aggressive bone cancer every year, and I had to start chemotherapy immediately. One minute I was enjoying my first year of high school; the next minute, the hospital became my second home, where I went through multiple surgeries and rounds of chemotherapy.

My perspective on life changed, and sadly I didn’t have this epiphany on how valuable life was until I was diagnosed with cancer. I was isolated in a germ-free environment due to my low blood levels, lost all of my hair, developed anxiety and insomnia, and barely felt human after all the medication I was on. Although this was one of the lowest points in my life, it was where my relationship with cannabis began. This was back in 2005, when legal cannabis was not an option for cancer patients, especially for a minor. After many conversations, my parents allowed me to incorporate cannabis use into my treatment plan. I’m happy to report that I recently celebrated my 16th year of being cancer-free last month!

I graduated from Western Michigan University in 2013 and immediately moved to Colorado to join my best friend after promising each other that the mountains would be our next venture. I worked as a bartender and quickly got a second job at a cannabis dispensary down the street. I gained much of my knowledge in cannabis regulation over the next four years as I worked my way up to District Manager, overseeing multiple dispensaries.

In 2017 I thought I had everything figured out until I didn’t… I moved back to Michigan to help my Nana take care of my Papa until he sadly passed away a few months later. I was torn between moving back to Colorado or staying in Michigan during this time. I decided to remain in the Mitten and launched my company on my 26th birthday – Twist, Events by Chelsea.

I began bartending private parties, which led me to an opportunity to consult for a cannabis company in Bay City. At the time, Michigan‘s cannabis industry was the wild west compared to Colorado’s mature market. Michigan felt like following the rules and laws was optional because no one enforced them. College taught me a lot but didn’t teach me how to run a cannabis dispensary.

While running Twist Events, I accepted another position as the Director of Compliance for a vertically integrated cannabis company. I oversaw 25 licenses across the State of Michigan for over two and half years, working closely with the Cannabis Regulatory Agency, Bureau of Fire Services, law enforcement, and local municipalities.

I aspire to be an effective and valuable leader, businesswoman, and member of the community. I turned 30 this year and if entering this new decade taught me anything, it’s to find the strength to leave those unhealthy relationships, jobs, and situations that hinder your growth, potential, and value. It didn’t happen overnight, but I started slowly improving my self-narrative, which was constantly self-sabotaging me in the past. I took a chance by creating a second company Twist Consulting and rebranding Twist Events by Chelsea to Twist Events. I began believing in myself and realizing that every event I’ve worked, cannabis inspection I’ve passed, or connection I’ve made has led me to the path I’m on today. I’m grateful for where I am, but I’m excited about where I’m going.

“Doing what you love is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness.”

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?
I was guilty of expecting a line out the door and my phone ringing off the hook when I first launched Twist Events by Chelsea. It was discouraging when I would check my phone, email, and social media constantly in hopes that there was an event booking. In the beginning, I was happy to have an event once every few months, which grew to an event every month, and then multiple events in a day. The most effective tool for expanding Twist Events has been client referrals and word of mouth.

On the contrary to being too slow, becoming too busy was a challenge my business faced. It can be a blessing and a curse. I didn’t want to overpromise and underdeliver for my clients. I was also trying to avoid burnout while working two other jobs at the time. Twist Events became too busy to manage solo, and I realized I couldn’t work multiple events alone. Before having a clear expectation of what Twist Events represented, I sent people to work events without the proper training or guidance. I learned that I needed to invest in my team members by creating a mandatory training program to set them up for success and share the vision of what made Twist Events the highly reputable and professional event services company it is today.

Twist Consulting’s biggest challenge was making the difficult decision to leave a stable job as a Director of Compliance to go off on my own. After over a decade of working in the legal cannabis industry, I’ve learned to roll with the punches and get back up every time. I’ve come a long way, which helped me network and create the right connections with people working in the industry, regulatory agents, and other consultants to dive into Twist Consulting.

My dad always told me, “The joy is in the struggle;” I strive to learn from, evolve, and embrace life’s challenges.

As you know, we’re big fans of Twist Events & Twist Consulting. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
Twist Events is a mobile event services company that offers bartending, serving, hosting, production services, and rentals in Metro Detroit! Every client receives a free event consultation to cover all the details and we stay in touch every step of the way leading up to their event to ensure everything runs smoothly. When you hire Twist Events, you can sit back, relax, and mingle with your guests as you enjoy whatever the celebration may be!

Twist Events takes pride in offering our clients high-end event services, regardless of the occasion, guest count, or weather. We always go above and beyond to help reduce the stress of hosting an event. The team members at Twist Events must undergo mandatory training to learn proper bartending and serving etiquette, cleanliness, and alcohol safety.

Aside from providing professional event services, community outreach is an important initiative of Twist Events. We recently partnered with HAVEN of Oakland County, donating a portion of our merchandise proceeds and hosting a supply drive for the kids attending HAVEN’s Summer Camp. Twist Events is always looking for more ways to participate in similar outreach as we continue to build our business.

With Twist Consulting, I bring over ten years of experience working in the legal cannabis industry. My knowledge and expertise help clients maintain good standing with the State of Michigan and the ever-changing rules and regulations. I’ve expanded our cannabis industry portfolio to include consulting services for compliance, inventory, operations, and government regulation.

Alright, so before we go, can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Follow my journey as I continue to rebrand Twist Events and evolve our event services. Check out our website and social media pages – Bonus points if you Like/Follow us! Word of mouth and client referrals have done wonders for my business. If you or someone you know is throwing an event that requires our services, send them our way. If you’ve hired Twist Events in the past, leave us a review on your experience to show the world what sets us apart. We’re always looking to work with other event vendors and would love to discuss how we can work together to grow our businesses. Twist Events is always exploring ways to give back to the community throughout the year; we’re grateful for any support through our fundraising and charitable efforts.

Twist Consulting is still in the process of getting off the ground, but anything helps! Whether it’s contacting me for more information about our services, passing Twist Consulting’s contact information along to your cannabis industry connections, or cheering me on from afar – I appreciate all of it!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.twisteventsbychelsea.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twisteventsmi/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwistEventsMI

Image Credits
Noah Granitz