- May 6, 2024
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As a young boy growing up in Winter Garden, some of Chris Chan’s fondest memories were learning to fish with his grandfather when the pair would walk down to the boardwalk at Newton Park in the early hours of the morning. He also enjoyed swim lessons at the Winter Garden pool as a jellyfish student, and gardening and playing in his grandparent’s backyard.
Chan’s grandfather was a mailman, and he was well known in the community.
Chan’s lineage goes back on both sides of his family: Kannon on his grandfather’s and Rushing on his grandmother’s.
Across from the American Legion Post 63 in Winter Garden was the home of his great-grandmother, Cora Joiner Kannon, which the Winter Garden Heritage Tree Walking Tour passes by. Tanner Hall is named after his great-great-great-uncle Elwood Mitchell Tanner.
Now, Chan, 38, is continuing his family’s legacy with the planting of new family roots through his latest endeavor: Winter Garden Vibes.
The brand will include a podcast and merchandise line dedicated to celebrating the city’s special moments.
“My family’s roots in Winter Garden run deep, stretching back before the city’s official founding,” Chan said. “It’s a privilege to raise my family here in a city as rich in beauty as it is in heritage. From the majestic trees to the historic buildings, not to mention the breathtaking sunsets, Winter Garden truly has it all. But what makes our city truly unparalleled is its community; a tapestry of remarkable individuals whose warmth and spirit are unmatched. It’s this unique charm and camaraderie that inspired me to launch Winter Garden Vibes.”
PLANTING A SEED
Growing up in West Orange County, Chan attended local schools, including Clarcona Elementary School — now known as Prairie Lake Elementary School — Windermere Elementary School, Lakeview Middle School and West Orange High School.
Chan earned his college degree from the University of North Florida, where he initially studied business before transitioning to electronic media, broadcast and communications.
After graduating, Chan remembers receiving a phone call from a gentleman he had previously interned with at Mind’s Eye Creative, a video editing company that worked with Yellow Shoes Creative at Walt Disney World to produce commercials and planning DVDs, asking him to come help with a digital project.
What started as three months of work turned into so much more.
Chan helped run the company for about four-and-one-half years before moving on. He said he is endlessly grateful for the opportunities and what he learned in those few years.
Although Chan’s extended family has been in the city for decades, he moved back to West Orange after graduating college and starting his career about 14 years ago.
When he returned to the area, he lived in Wesmere in Ocoee and then moved into his grandparent’s house on Woodland Street in Winter Garden after he and his wife, Jenni, married.
The couple lived there for about three years before moving to Park Avenue and then Covington Chase. Along the way, two children joined the family: Faith, 15, and Lleyton, 10.
In 2014, Chan launched his first company, Think Minion, a high-end digital media creative agency based on his passion for Winter Garden.
“I just fell in love with our town all over again,” he said. “I would stay at work late and walk home, and it always just amazed me this beauty and quiet we had in our own backyards. I always knew I would want to be here, work and raise my family in this community.”
Chan has been developing relationships with people in the area ever since.
He is known for myriad local ventures, including the inception of the We Are Winter Garden brand and the design of the Winter Garden App, as well as hosting community events, and capturing pictures and videos through his company Chris Chan Media.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Chan did a campaign for all of the local small businesses that were hurting to help them survive. The campaign helped locals reserve meals based on the need at each eatery.
“I wanted to do something with the city to show off the beautiful place we live in with photography, videography and a positive brand,” he said. “Creating the We Are Winter Garden brand gave me the opportunity to give back and create some beautiful memories. I wanted to preserve our past and also take where we are now and help guide us into the future. That was the goal. To be able to share our heritage and keep the small town vibe. The app came along later, and I wanted people to be able to know all the amazing things that were going on in our community. I wanted to be a central hub for all that information.”
GROWING A GARDEN
Chan’s love for Winter Garden has now inspired him to continue nurturing his family’s roots by creating Winter Garden Vibes.
“This is a brand that I am creating for the community so they can hear amazing stories from our neighbors,” he said. “The people are what make the difference here. It’s a bubble of hospitality and history. It starts in leadership at City Hall and trails down. The idea is that I wanted to go out and film in all of the beautiful spots. My brain is always flowing with creative ideas. I saw a similar concept to the event trailer I have now, and I immediately reached out to people I knew who could make that vision a reality.”
Through candid conversations with local residents, Chan will explore everything that makes Winter Garden a true treasure.
He said the brand name is something everyone understands, brings people together and is cross-generational.
Perhaps the most unique part of the brand is a six-top bar trailer meticulously crafted by Sean Courtier of Extreme Golf Carts.
With the trailer, the podcast will be portable, and Chan will travel throughout different parts of the community to meet new people and hear their stories.
Chan said the innovative venture was made possible by presenting sponsor Empire Finish Systems with the support of Frank and Sal Ramos, as well as Iliana Ramos Jones.
“Their passion for our community is the driving force behind bringing these exciting experiences to life,” Chan said. “Imagine the energy this trailer will bring to our events, creating the perfect backdrop for stories and memories. … I’m so grateful that they believed in me and wanted to make that happen, but also that they cared enough about the community to do fun stuff like this and saw it as a creative opportunity.”
Chan next is looking forward to the trailer’s stop at SOBO Art Gallery’s Arts in April Party, where the brand will offer an exclusive VIP hangout spot.
“My goal for the brand is that people enjoy it and they want to be a part of it,” he said. “They develop a love for it where the brand organically grows and speaks for itself. I want the brand to bring positivity to our community. If the podcast happens to be successful and maybe even goes viral because of the people here and the stories they have to share, that would be incredible, as well.”
Winter Garden Vibes sources its merchandise locally working with the help of A.B. Newton and Company to produce hats, T-shirts and stickers.
Chan already has developed about 100 T-shirt designs for the company, and he plans on using the unique designs to help include support for local businesses in the new brand.
“Businesses will have the opportunity to choose a few designs they vibe with before joining our Facebook group,” he said. “They can introduce themselves and the business, and then ask the community members to vote on their favorite design. The business can print the winning design, and then do a super limited merchandise drop on a certain day of their choosing or at one of their events. You can drive people to business locations for the merchandise drops to support the community. The business will get branding, connections and almost immediate pay off. Everyone wins. The goal is to mix the brand with the businesses without creating separation between the two. We are one community.”
Personally, Chan said he enjoys seeing technology grow and hopes to continue to be a pioneer for it locally.
Currently, his focus is on naturally building the brand and spending more time with his family.
“You just have to be yourself,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of really great mentors (who) have taught me important lessons. It’s scary building something from scratch and putting it all out there for everyone to see. We all have fear and self doubt sometimes. Fear is the No. 1 killer. It takes your dreams and your motivation. Eliminating fear and negativity — which is way easier said than done — is probably the biggest goal I have for myself.”
Chan said his foundation and passion to continue pursuing his interests and investment in the community is Jesus.
“I talk about Him every day, and he literally gets all the praise,” he said. “My heart, my light is to be like Christ. Not to judge people, but to just be the light. If I can do that for my community, then I feel like I’ve succeeded. I will find multiple opportunities throughout my day to be upset or have anger, and I choose to live every day with as much joy as possible. Am I Christlike all the time? No. But I want to be as authentically me as possible.”
Those who wish to stay up to date on the latest happenings of Winter Garden Vibes should follow the brand on Instagram, join the Facebook group and subscribe to the newsletter.
“Thank you Winter Garden for your incredible love and support,” Chan said. “Here’s to creating unforgettable vibes and stories together.”
