My Event Full Life is your chance to take a peek inside the lives of some of Eventbrite’s most seasoned organisers as they share the secrets behind their success. What lessons have they learned along the way? What advice has been the most valuable? And what keeps them up at night? Get ready to be inspired.
Strength In The City is about more than just wellness. It’s about empowering communities through carefully curated events. From journaling workshops and fitness festivals to upcycling classes and street cleans, Strength In The City promises to nourish attendees inside and out.
Events take place in cities across the US, including Chicago, Denver, San Diego, Austin, and Miami.
Here, passionate founder Liezyl Ribero shares her vision, motivations, and advice for other event organisers looking to make a difference.
There aren’t enough hours in the day. I honestly don’t sleep. I can go to bed at 1am and am up again at 5am. I’m one of those people. But it’s not worry or anxiety that keeps me up at night. It’s because I love what I do and want to keep pushing forward. If I come up with an idea at 10 o’clock, all of a sudden, it’s 2 in the morning and I’m still working. I can’t stop doing what I’m doing. I wish there were more hours in the day to create more—and to chill and rest, too.
We’re always at the mercy of Mother Nature. Running outdoor events means you’re constantly checking the weather. But we’re lucky we have built a team that knows what to do in those situations—and they get to work fast. The weather has not been on our side this year. In Chicago, Illinois, we’re always ready for the weather to change. But this year, the rain in Denver, Colorado, during an event meant we had to bring 40 vendors inside. Over the years, we’ve learned to have a backup plan and make sure we have indoor and outdoor options at our events.
I’m the mama who puts the fire out. I thrive under pressure. It’s where I win. I’ve worked on being calm and believing that when something unexpected happens, you can’t dwell on it. You must figure out how to fix, change, and improve it. And just be super honest with everybody around you about what’s happening.
I wanted to get into politics. My mission is to change Chicago for the better. Initially, I wanted to get into politics, but I changed my mind—it just wasn’t for me. So, I started Strength In The City to bring communities together, and make health and wellbeing more accessible.
We’re not just an event. It’s not just fitness. It’s everything. We’re bringing people together because they need a social connection, to move their bodies, or to learn something from the educators we’re bringing to these events. I’m seeing the impact of these small changes, and I can’t wait to see them on a larger scale.
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We have one life to live. My passion is to connect and meet people. It’s so great what Strength In The City is giving to me. The relationships I’ve built would have never happened if I never created this organisation.
Sometimes I want to quit. There’s so much s*** going on in the back end; it’s overwhelming. But then you get positive feedback from attendees and partners, and you know you can’t stop—we’re so much more than events.
I don’t make any money from anything that we do. It’s like we volunteer. People think we’re a huge organisation, but there are only five of us. We’re still the little guys; we just have big hearts.
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Start small. My advice to those starting is to start small. When I started, I had grand plans, so I rented out the biggest field for my event—and it looked empty. Events look more significant in a smaller venue. Fill the space and let things grow organically. It’s smarter financially, too, because you’re not spending as much money.
Listen more than you speak. I’m such a doer sometimes. I don’t think “let’s do the A, B, C, and D”. I just kind of go straight to D. I’m learning through the teams we’ve built how to be more thoughtful and ensure we have a structured plan in the future.
