Meet Angela Corrado | Freelance Event Manager & Celebrity PA

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

Hi Angela, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Gosh. This is a question I seem to revisit fairly frequently in my own mind, and something I believe many business owners go through, in fact I think probably most people go through in whatever job or industry and also in life. I think I am naturally a pretty competitive person, not just from having played sports for most of my life but because I always want to do things to the best of my ability. I am not even competing with other people, I am just competing with myself to continue to evolve, improve, learn, share, grow and all those things, I am also a very persistent person so the more something seems out of reach the more I want to prove otherwise. I have this strong sense of right and wrong (or what I believe to be) so I want to do my best to provide my “expertise” to people in a way in which I deem correct to try and reduce the chances of them going to rogue traders that tarnish the reputations of others.

I genuinely love helping people which I why I have chosen the career path I have. The buzz I get from doing things for others is difficult to explain but is an intrinsic reason why I enjoy my job. I have spent many years building relationships, networking, traveling the world, introducing people and basically trying to create my niche craft so when the question to keep going or give up needs answering, I keep going. I think it’s important to also realise that if you decide to give up that might be the right choice for you but if you choose to continue it’s ok to change things, to adjust ways of working in order to achieve a desired outcome. We can start things and they become something we perhaps haven’t planned for and that’s not necessary a negative thing. In all honestly, my business is not how I had thought or planned for it to be originally, however I am open to modifying the pathway whilst still achieving the goal.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a huge sports, travel and music fan. My career has been heavily concentrated on sport and travel and so I thought perhaps tying up my passions in my job and everyday life might be fun and maybe even interesting. I am excited for life and trying to be a positive beam of happiness. I believe what sets me apart from others is I am not trying to be anything but myself. People can see and feel how genuine I am and how much I care.

I got to where I am today by not giving up on my dreams and pushing my own comfort zone. I get excited at trying new things, traveling to new places and meetings new people. I am fortunate to have travelled extensively and lived/works in UK, USA, Australia and Caribbean.

I began my career playing and coaching football which evolved into working with professional athletes and then lead to my business being what it is now. I work as a freelance events manager and I own a luxury lifestyle concierge service, for sports and entertainment industry clients as well as high-net-worth individuals, which I love (mostly).

Career moments that I am most proud of include:
Working in the MLS (Major League Soccer),
Being invited to The Queens Garden Party at Buckingham Palace,
Working in the English Premier League,
Event Managing boxing, cricket and NFL.

I do not like monotony so the flexibility of working on events as well as the concierge side of my business keeps me excited. I could be working on a global event seen my millions or working one-on-one with a client arranging a dinner party, private travel, personal shopping or anything else they would like. Like any career it comes with challenges. I have found the challenges have come from both the work environment but also home.

I come from a pretty strict upbringing, my parents moved to England from Italy just before I was born so everything I have done or achieved has been thanks to them enabling me to pursue my dreams, but also down to my own perseverance at breaking down the social norms I was expected to follow within the culture.
From a work perspective, working in a predominantly male environment has been challenging and rewarding. Due to other peoples preconceived ideas of roles, responsibilities and behaviour, I feel like I have had to work even harder in order to showcase and prove my abilities. Although this has been difficult it has not deterred in my career focus, but I do believe it has hindered some progress. I am someone who believes careers choose us. On occasion when I have attempted to look for roles out of the industry I know I find myself being pulled back in because there is nothing else that can deliver the same feeling of doing something you love. So I overcome challenges by trying to not panic and control the controlables. Although some thing I do struggle with is balance and knowing how or when to switch off due to constantly wanting to succeed.

In terms of lessons I have learned along the journey, this is a constant work in progress. Just like the earth is moving I feel I should also. I think I am a lot calmer than my younger self. For instance if I come across an obstacle rather than giving up, worrying or avoiding it I am able to take a deep breath, assess the situation and look at solutions rather than problems. I have also learned who I can and cannot trust. Unfortunately not everyone in the world is a good person, as much as we try to see the good in people, there are some folk who are just trying to cause negative energy – these people I try to ignore.

I think my biggest lessons and beliefs are, to stay positive and what’s meant for me won’t miss me.

I like to think my brand and reputation is trusted and dependable to those I work with. With regards to my story, I suppose I am still figuring that out myself. In simple terms though, I want to inspire people and help people.

I am on Instagram which you can follow, share and comment on @acconcierge

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If you are in London there are so many incredible places to visit. The city is full of history. A visit to Buckingham Palace is a must. There are lots of wonderful eateries and coffee shops. Some of my favourites include Sketch, Amazonico and Nobu.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to my Mamma and Papa for their love. They may not have always agreed with many of my work and life decisions but they have supported me through, which I am eternally grateful. Shoutout to my cousin Dom for always being my biggest fan and encouraging me to keep pushing “no risk, no reward”.
Shoutout to The Hoover family for being awesome and supporting my sporting pursuits.

Shoutout to all the amazingly talented people I have had the pleasure of working with and make doing what I do so much fun!…and that have become my extended family. Thank you!

Shoutout to all the people that “get me” and know the real me without BS.
Shoutout to everyone being their authentic self in a world where so much fake exists. Just be you.

Website: www.acconcierge.co.uk

Instagram: @acconcierge

Linkedin: Angela Corrado

Twitter: @acconcierge

Other: blog: www.acshootsthebreeze.com