Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Beeson.
Hi Chelsea , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
For a really long time, I was in survival mode. I spent a lot of my life doing what I needed to do to get through things, and I got really good at taking care of everybody else. I don’t think I truly believed in myself for a very long time. Eventually I realized I had all these pieces of myself that I’d been collecting my whole life. I knew how to bring people together. I knew how to create an experience. I knew how to make people feel welcome. I knew music. I knew events. I just hadn’t figured out yet that those things could actually become my life. I started giving myself permission to be creative and weird and fully myself. And honestly, I feel like I’ve spent the last couple of years thawing out. But now I have the tools to make my corner of the world as magic as possible. I don’t just want to be a DJ. I want to create things that bring people together. I want to build community around music and creativity and people who maybe never quite felt like they fit somewhere else. I want to create spaces where people can show up as themselves and leave feeling more connected than when they arrived.
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?
Absolutely not. It’s been a really winding road, and there have been some pretty hard chapters along the way.
I spent a lot of my life in survival mode, and for a long time I didn’t really know who I was outside of taking care of everybody else and just getting through whatever was in front of me. There were definitely times when I felt stuck, and times when I didn’t believe in myself.
But looking back, I can see that all of those experiences gave me pieces of what I’m doing now. The hospitality, the management, the events, the music, the people—I was learning all of these things without realizing where they were going to lead me.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth. But I don’t think I’d change the road. I’m finally at a point where I’m taking all those pieces and building something that actually feels like me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is kind of a beautiful mix of music, events, hospitality and community building. I DJ, produce and help create events, and I love bringing people together in spaces that feel welcoming, creative and a little bit weird.
I’ve spent more than 20 years in hospitality and about a decade in management, so I’ve learned how to read a room, take care of people, solve problems on the fly and create an experience—not just an event. Music became another way for me to do that. When I DJ, I’m not just thinking about what song comes next; I’m thinking about how I can make a room feel something.
I’m probably best known for bringing a lot of personality into what I do. I like things to be fun, unexpected and genuine. I’m also really passionate about creating opportunities for other artists, DJs, producers and creative people to connect, which is a big part of what I’m building with Be Weird.
What I’m most proud of is that I’m finally building something that feels like mine. I spent a lot of years helping other people build their businesses and experiences, and now I’m taking everything I’ve learned and using it to create my own.
I think what sets me apart is that I genuinely care about the people in the room. I don’t want people to just attend something I created—I want them to feel like they belong there.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about St. Louis is the people. There’s this really beautiful combination of creativity, weirdness, grit and genuine community here. There are so many incredibly talented musicians, artists, chefs, makers and small businesses, and I think there’s a real willingness to support each other and make something happen even when we don’t have a huge budget or a ton of resources.
I also love that St. Louis has room for people to be a little weird. There’s so much personality here, and that’s something I really value.
What I like least is probably that sometimes I think we don’t realize how much talent we have here. It can feel like people have to leave St. Louis or look somewhere else before they’re taken seriously. I’d love to see more opportunities, more collaboration and more support for the people who are already here creating really incredible things.
Honestly, that’s part of why I’m so passionate about what I’m doing. I want to be part of creating the kind of community where people don’t feel like they have to leave to find their people.
Pricing:
- Weddings/Celebrations/Community events
Contact Info:
- Instagram: BeWeirdSTL & Chefchelstl
