A Luminary Womenpreneur
We recently had the privilege of interviewing Chantel Elloway. As one of the “Most Influential Women in the Middle East” – CHANTEL ELLOWAY is a visionary entrepreneur, investor, and champion for women’s empowerment. As a Canadian powerhouse based between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE, she’s redefined the landscape of global communications, evolving her expertise beyond luxury tourism, health and wellness, real estate, film and entertainment into FinTech, Web3, and Artificial Intelligence by running her own communications firm, CEPR for over the last decade.
As a founding member of Lif3.com and an angel investor in Web3/AI. projects, Chantel embodies the spirit of innovation with a pioneering voice that resonates globally. Her background, which spans blockchain trading, media relations, and as a journalist – has shaped her into a renowned expert who blends strategy, creativity, and purpose. Through her elevated leadership – she has empowered brands to find their voice and elevate their narratives with authenticity, purpose, integrity and impact.
Chantel Elloway is a force of nature with a foundation rooted in Public Relations, Government Relations, Investor Relations, Media Relations, International Relations, video production, and years of experience as a finance reporter for publicly listed companies and speechwriter for politicians. However, it’s not just her technical, creative, and leadership skills that set her apart—she’s a luminary voice for female empowerment and a mentor to many.
As a true polymath, Chantel has amassed multiple degrees and certifications spanning Business and Commerce, Public Relations, Digital Marketing, Entrepreneurship, Real Estate, Computer Programming, and even Dental Hygiene!
Her journey is a testament to the power of vision and perseverance, rooted in a commitment to leaving a legacy to inspire freedom, higher consciousness and financial literacy. By leveraging her deep expertise and passion for communication, community and collaboration, she continues to shape the global tech and finance landscape, leaving an indelible mark on the industry and inspiring others to follow in her footsteps. Chantel Elloway is truly the epitome of innovation, and her story is only just beginning.
From Scaling Teeth to Scaling Businesses we asked-Chantel Elloway
We started the interview by asking, “Could you elaborate on the inspiration behind founding CEPR and a little bit more about how you began your professional journey?”
Chantel shared, “I’ve had the experience of being both an intrapreneur and an entrepreneur. Following high school, I pursued studies in college and university taking programs such as: business and commerce, real estate, and even dental hygiene, influenced by my family’s deep-rooted connection to dentistry – as evidenced by my father, mother, sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, and even my grandfather, all being dental and medical professionals. Their influence made this path feel natural to me. Reflecting on this journey, I take pride in my decision where I later pivoted, when I realized that although it was in my blood – I decided to redefine my purpose and leave the dental cubicle where I was scaling teeth to align with my higher calling of scaling businesses, globally.
Before founding Chantel Elloway Public Relations (CEPR) – many people don’t know this, but I worked for the government for several years with experience municipally, provincially, and federally in Canada on many political campaigns, as I truly wanted to serve my community and country exponentially.
I began as a legislative assistant and political aide in the esteemed legislature of British Columbia, Canada, supporting several politicians. Advancing to the role of communications officer, I eventually became a speechwriter as a media relations and communications officer, gaining my initial exposure to journalism. My late grandmother, a seasoned professional writer, passed down her literary legacy to me. My father honed my creative writing skills, while my mother enriched my writing journey over time by inspiring me with her words of wisdom growing up.
It was during my tenure in government that my talents were fully recognized, and I was encouraged by my superiors in government who mentored and believed in me to pursue a public relations education while continuing my governmental duties, a gesture that I view with deep encomium for its profound impact on the development of my skills and that truly marked the defining moment of my pioneering steps on my professional and awakened journey.
After my exposure to politics since the age of 13 and working in government for several years, as a finance reporter, combined with my knowledge of the “Business and Commerce” program in university, it was only a matter of time before I was headhunted by an investment banking firm, where I had the opportunity to work with start-ups and alongside Venture Capitalists when I originally founded CEPR and grew my company from working provincially, to across Canada and have traveled to over 118 countries gaining insight, expertise, and evolved ways of thinking. I’ve always been a strong believer in life-long education and continual learning and received certifications to enhance my expertise in programs online/offline such as: Digital Marketing, Real Estate, Python Computer Programming at various accredited schools and Entrepreneurship through Harvard Business School while running my company.
I’ve truly been incredibly fortunate to work with clients across the globe in a range of industries, from luxury tourism and hospitality to film and entertainment as well as in health and wellness. Over time, I’ve ventured into disruptive sectors like FinTech, Web3, and Artificial Intelligence, becoming a founding member of LIF3 and investing in numerous early-stage startups and projects in these dynamic spaces. My professional journey has been an emblem of brilliant opportunities. I’m grateful to have the experience of collaborating with politicians, professional athletes, celebrities, healthcare professionals, award-winning entrepreneurs, and trailblazers who are shaping the future of finance, A.I., blockchain, and beyond and take that knowledge and expertise and pay it forward.
A Crypto Queen
We were curious to learn more about the moments that inspired Chantel Elloway’s investment decisions. So, we asked, “Can you share a defining moment in your journey within the Web3 space that significantly influenced your investment decisions?”
**Disclaimer: The views expressed are solely Chantel’s. This interview is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Any potential investments should be thoroughly researched and considered carefully. Investing involves risk. Consult with a qualified financial advisor in your jurisdiction before making any investment decisions.**
She shared, “Currently, the evolution of Bitcoin Ordinals, meme tokens, gamification of projects, the introduction of Bitcoin ETFs and potentially other ETFs are underway, in addition to the tokenization of real-world assets are redefining the world and the digital economy now as we know it.
To understand how to make informed decisions for any venture, you first need to research and define success: what are you trying to accomplish? What strategies do you employ to stay at the forefront of the rapidly changing landscape of blockchain technology, FinTech, and digital currencies? It’s also important to ask innovative questions about how a project is either solving a problem, innovating a solution or creating a breakthrough. I personally ask if the timing is right, how much of the market will they pioneer, disrupt and share, create powerful criteria to identify the right team (including the developers/product team behind a project) who share the same vision and values for the organization, how they will distribute their products and/or scale their services, will their market position be durable and defensible long-term, and continue to test ideas, re-build concepts and hold space for innovation each and every day? Those are some of the many elements that I consider.”
We further asked, “What was a defining moment for you in this space?
She replied, “What was a true catalyst and defining moment for me personally were two major moments. First and foremost, I’m pleased to share that I co-wrote my first “white paper”. This is more rare than one may think for a woman to do so in the Web3 space. My dream is to inspire more financial literacy by encouraging everyone, especially women interested in S.T.E.M, or who have an interest in Blockchain and Cryptocurrency to learn about the beauty of Web3 and write more “white papers” themselves and become founders, co-founders and founding members of projects too. It’s a very exciting time that we live in, full of so many opportunities.
The second defining moment was when DeFi (decentralized finance) was introduced to me and the concept of yield farming – which was users earning rewards by providing liquidity to DeFi protocols, tokenization of assets, decentralized exchanges, governance tokens, and so on really was a game-changer for me. Yields during this time period compounded extremely high averages, but were short-lived and came with higher risks associated with them. However, the experience and extremely high gains from these yields in such a short time period fascinated me and provided me more capital to invest in long-term investments and diversify my portfolio into projects that would truly transform Web3 as we know it.
This is symbolic, because I find many in society often operate on the Newtonian paradigm of linear growth and living as individuals, which often clouds our perception of what is real and what is not real. Linear thinking is thinking in sequence. Exponential thinking is thinking in a way that can compound. Shifting your mindset from a linear and scarcity mindset to an exponential and abundance mindset will truly elevate your life.”
Busting Common Myths we asked-Chantel Elloway
Every industry has certain common myths that need to be addressed by industry experts. So, we inquired, “What are the biggest misconceptions you encounter about the blockchain technology and cryptocurrency space, and how do you address them in your communication strategies?”
She responded by saying, “There have been many misconceptions since the origin of the first white paper ever written surrounding Blockchain and beyond; however, that’s why as a communications professional – providing education and awareness that provides facts, use cases, and dispelling myths and misconceptions is important.
Investing in Web3 and A.I.projects are a great opportunity, but ensure you prioritize safety and understand the risks. Before buying crypto, know your jurisdiction’s laws, tax regulations, and guidelines. Consult a professional if unsure.
Secondly, when considering a potential token, be sure to conduct thorough research. This includes examining the website, reading the whitepaper for spelling errors, verifying goals and strategies, and analyzing tokenomics. Beware of scammers and third-parties who are not licensed to invest your money. Understand investment verses speculation. Investigate the leadership team of projects, seeking any troubling signs or issues. Assess market metrics, stay updated on world events and crypto news, and establish a clear investment strategy. Study the token’s price history, and previous and upcoming projects, and determine its utility. Lastly, decide between centralized or decentralized platforms, while considering associated transaction fees and risks.
Also, at the forefront of the rapidly changing landscape, it’s important to continuously learn, diversify your portfolio, collaborate, grow and community and find your tribe, participate in events and/or conferences, be accountable, have integrity and transparency, as well as be flexible and adaptable to volatility and changes in the markets and the regulatory environment, with a pioneer mindset and “blue ocean strategy’ mindset. It is not checkers – it’s chess in technology – the market, competition and innovation moves and requires strategic foresight, adaptability, and long-term planning. In tech, entrepreneurs and innovators must anticipate market shifts, consider multiple layers of interdependent factors, and craft intricate strategies to stay ahead, much like chess players thinking several steps ahead.”
Finding opportunities in volatile times
We asked Chantel Elloway, “With the blockchain and cryptocurrency industries known for their volatility and rapid shifts, how do you decide when to pivot your business strategy to adapt to market changes?”:
She said, “I excel in investing by recognizing opportunities where others see risks. While many succumb to panic selling, I strategically leverage asymmetrical risk to capitalize on undervalued assets and have had extremely great success in doing so because of this mindset. To me, the mathematics and mechanics of money are a profound reflection of our conscious and subconscious beliefs about wealth and our limited perception of what money is.
I view money as a tangible representation of our consciousness and energy, facilitating the exchange of goods and substances possessing diverse properties, elements, and values that we, as humans, have assigned to them, including the energy inherent in money itself.
From start-ups, and investing in volatile markets to investing in an ongoing enterprise – just as a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance, you must keep returning your focus. If you gaze too long at your circumstances, you will become overwhelmed and thrown off balance. Lack of focus is the biggest failure of an entrepreneur and can prevent focus. Always keep your eyes on your vision and the prize, because growth and comfort cannot coexist. You either have a fixed or a growth mindset.”
Embracing Humanness
“After becoming a millionaire and succeeding across different sectors while embarking on new ventures, what continues to inspire you to keep pushing the envelope and seek out fresh challenges?”
Chantel shared, “I embrace my humanness and strive to learn, grow, and evolve every day. I find beauty in embracing each day and the gifts bestowed upon me by God. I enjoy serving others and believe that as humans, we are connected to nature, which is constantly moving forward. Nature teaches us the laws of reality, and we must nurture our environments by understanding the link between our psychology and physiology. Our thoughts and beliefs greatly impact our health, surpassing the effectiveness of supplements, diets, medicines, or exercise.
Our beliefs shape our biology and our perceptions create our reality. The key to boosting our immunity and resilience lies in cultivating exalted emotions like compassion, love, and self-respect. Love is a powerful force that can heal and strengthen our bodies from the inside out. It’s important to understand that our bodies, feelings, thoughts, ideas, and possessions are not who we are at our core. They are merely extensions of us. When we detach our identity from these things, we are free from the fear of losing or changing them.”
She added, “The answers to life’s questions aren’t about what’s right or wrong; when you remind yourself that the questions of life are simply happening for us, not to us. Prioritizing our path and purpose as change agents who are transient eternal beings on this earth, having a human experience is crucial for our soul’s awakening and invitation to aliveness. As humans, we have the innate freedom to each and every day to be as natural as nature itself. Instead of getting caught up in how things should be, we should focus on understanding why they are the way they are, by remaining curious but trusting in the alignment of your Divine path God placed you on. By listening to our instincts and connecting with nature’s wisdom, we can find guidance on how to live our lives and freedom in simply embracing being a human being, and not always a human doing.
Glorifying busyness is exhausting. Peace-of-mind and freedom is admirable, to me. I believe true success is having the freedom to do the things you want to do and the freedom to no longer do the things you never wanted to do in the first place, while having peace-of-mind.
To accelerate our purpose, we must regularly ask ourselves important questions: Why do we do what we do? What do we hope to accomplish in this life? How can we contribute and be of service to others? What legacy do we want to leave behind? By reflecting on these questions, we can align ourselves with our true purpose and make a meaningful impact on society every day.”
Words of Wisdom She Suggests For Our Readers
Lastly, seeking guidance for our readers, we asked, “Do you have any words of wisdom for anyone reading this right now?”
She replied with a variety of answers, “Show up each day with an intention to walk with authenticity and to find love and light in every person, place, thing and moment. Innovation requires focus, consciousness, and a quantum mindset. Strive to meet needs and solve problems better than existing alternatives. Reflect on who you are and who you want to become while allowing room for improvement and accepting failure. Embrace your unique journey and avoid comparing yourself to others. Be patient and trust in the timing of your past, present, and future, while believing that the best is yet to come. Differentiate between your position and your purpose, and always strive to exceed expectations. Continuously invest in yourself, society, and in life-long knowledge. Instead of having a scarcity mindset where you think you can’t afford things, change your perspective to ask yourself, ‘How can I afford it?’ Believe in your worth and deservingness. Sometimes, people, things, and situations are meant to guide and strengthen us. Remind yourself that opinions are not facts. Instead of seeing problems, view them as opportunities for innovative solutions. Make informed buying decisions based on value, not just affordability. Embrace adversity and exercise resilience, being open to failure and taking sacrifices and risks. Leverage your networks and know what and how to ask and articulate what you want and be open to receiving and comfortable with rejection. Do not blame others and systems, but instead work on building your system internally from within. Utilize your network and know how to ask for what you want, even if rejection may occur. Be grateful for both successes and challenges and be intentional with your words and actions. Be adaptable and go with the flow, as there is power in learning and growing. Treat everyone with kindness and work on improving your emotional intelligence every day. Lead by example, mentor, and support others. Trust in God’s Divine timing for your life. Pay it forward. ENJOY LIF3.”
To learn more:
Follow Chantel Elloway on LinkedIn.
Find Lif3 on their website http://lif3.com
Follow Chantel Elloway on Instagram/Twitter(X): @chantel_elloway
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