Hi! I’m Paige Chenault, the founder and CEO of The Birthday Party Project. We are a non-profit organization that brings JOY to homeless children through the MAGIC of Birthdays!
I moved to Dallas and quickly fell in love with the best thing that’s ever happened to me, my husband, Colin. After our wedding, I started my own event planning company. Oh, how I loved being an integral part of peoples’ milestone celebrations! After the birth of our daughter, Lizzie, I realized that God was calling me to a greater purpose: celebrating the lives of children that might not otherwise feel celebrated. After years of research and consideration, we launched The Birthday Party Project. Now, my days are consumed with juggling family time, managing a growing team, empowering our birthday enthusiasts around the country, and dreaming big! I’m a serial optimist that believes anything is possible (because my life is proof!).
How do you take care of yourself so that you’re physically and mentally prepared to be your best self for others?
It took me years to really learn the value in taking care of myself. But the saying is true, in order to fill someone else’s cup, yours must be full!
Sleep! I’m a night owl and could truly work until 3am, but I need a good 8+ hours of sleep to be my best. Colin and I have an unspoken rule that we get in bed at the same time every night, and lights out around 10:30pm.
Yoga. I’ve been going to yoga regularly for a couple of years, and encourage my team to do the same. In fact, at the office, we have mandatory Monday yoga. At lunch, we all leave our desks and walk to the studio and back. It’s a great way to recharge!
Singing praise and worship in the car. I love to sing-loudly! I have decided that the louder I sing, the better I sound. Starting my day with praise helps me set my intentions, feel gratitude for this awesome life, and gives me strength to face challenges with grace and wisdom – it is truly my favorite time of the day.
What is one tradition or routine that’s really important to you / your family? And why?
When we’re all in town, we tend to be creatures of habit. After dinner, we play a fairly competitive game of Uno. It’s been fun to play as Lizzie has gotten older. We learn a lot about her life around the coffee table!
Your PICK SIX: What 6 things (products, services, etc) can you absolutely not live without?
1) Lululemon yoga pants: They squeeze you in all the right places. We work in yoga pants most days, and when I wear them, I have one less excuse to go workout, you know?!
2) Tumi Backpack: I’ve started traveling quite a bit, and needed something to hold my laptop, wallet, paperwork, and notes. This truly has all the compartments and makes me look so professional! I’m not a purse carrier, and I tend to scatter paperwork and to-do lists, so this backpack keeps it all together for me.
3) Daily Audio Bible: I’m on the go quite a bit, so being able to listen to scripture has been a huge benefit. I struggle to read without distraction and find that car rides, plane rides, and subway trips are a great time for me to clear the noise and focus. It’s great for kids, too. Lizzie and I listen together in the car on the way to school (hello, multitasking!).
4) Whiteboard paint: Most of the walls in our office are covered in whiteboard paint. We write our core values, goals, impact, and to do list on these walls. I love walking into my office and erasing a task! It’s been great for personal focus and team accountability.
5) Eat.Sleep.Party.Repeat. t-shirt: I just love this shirt so much! My dear friend Jill createdthis shirt for us, and every time I wear it, I seem to be engaged by strangers about our mission. Not to mention it’s super soft and comfy. This shirt represents so much for me: the start of TBPP, the support and encouragement we receive, and my ultimate goal: to have a party in a different city every day of the week!
6) Contigo Water Bottle: I fill up my reusable water bottle every morning, and make it a goal to refill it 10 times before the day is over-I usually drink more than that. Water keeps me full and hydrated, and helped me kick my soda habit years ago.
Anything else you think our readers would love to know?
I eat cashew butter right out of the jar. I love a clean kitchen and a nice glass of wine, asking questions and meeting new people. Everyone has a story, and that story matters. I believe in the power of marrying your talents and your passion. When you take time to align your gifts and vision, you can unlock your purpose. I love to share my story and ideas with others in hopes of inspiring good works. Our world has so much goodness, and watching others give brings me such JOY! I firmly believe that JOY changes lives and can transform culture, and I’ll press on towards my goal of making that happen across the world!
Follow along with Paige:
Website: www.thebirthdaypartyproject.org
Instagram: @bdayenthusiast and @paigechenault
