The power of intentional living.
i believe in
In any given moment I have two choices:
challenge → uncertainty → avoidance
or
challenge → uncertainty → perseverance → growth.
My life is a testament to opting for the latter.
As someone born and raised in Hawaiʻi my passion for intentional harmonious living is rooted in the island culture I grew up in. These are five values which I strive to embody and to honor with my relationship to self and the work I put out in the world.
My Guiding Pillars
learning from hawaiian values
HOʻOMAʻEMAʻE – Living with respect and honoring one’s person and body inspires others by example. Pure, clean and to cleanse.
KULEANA – Right, privilege, concern, responsibility. Kuleana encompasses that for which one has ultimate responsibility.
ʻIKE – Knowledge, awareness and understanding. By fulfilling one’s responsibilities and providing the highest level of service, one demonstrates ʻike.
MĀLAMA – To care for, protect, nurture. To mālama means to focus on the needs and well-being of both the individual and the whole. Mālama ʻāina, care for the land, Mālama kai, care for the sea.
PONO – Goodness, correct, proper, righteous. Pono is a way of life. To be pono is to consider all persons, relationships and present situations when making decisions.
Podcasts with Chelsea
Listen to some
I've been told I'm too honest. Listen as we go deep into the topics of mindfulness, creativity and my journey with social media.
In people over profit
we believe
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my story
It started on Kaua'i.
On a small island there was a small girl who often had allergies. My story begins with an ending. For me, dropping out of architecture school was the thread that unraveled the blanket of the life I thought I was going to have. I tried so many different things from graphic design to selling jewelry. I stocked shelves in a grocery store. I was a spa attendant and a part time tour guide.
At the time my life felt like a failure - a former academic high achiever who fell off the wagon somewhere. I knew I wanted the freedom to create my own hours, to spend time outside, and to impact the world in a positive way.
But I kept creating..
I started sharing photos of the things I loved to do - a nature and adventure centric life of diving, hiking, and eating locally sourced foods. I never expected posting photos on Instagram to turn into a career. My growth on social media was always organic and steady, largely fueled by my underwater photos and networking with great creatives. There was no “viral” moment, instead it was a slow transition from side hustle to full-time, even employing my own team.
In 2016, things started to pick up as social media became a bigger force in the marketing world and I decided to leave my job to “try out this social media thing” full time. At that point I actually felt that I was late to the whole social media train!
Over the next few years, I worked with dream clients like Canon, Adobe, DJI and National Parks Foundation . I am proud to be supported by an all-women team of big dreamers who get things DONE.
1.1 million followers..
At the end of 2020, I hit 1 million followers while simultaneously hitting a pause on travel. With more time at home during the pandemic I launched a recycled swimwear collection and finally launched my own Chelsea Kauai presets too.
I still can't believe the amount of support I get from my community. I am so appreciative and grateful for the connection and lessons we are able to share with one another in this big, sometimes confusing world. You all make me feel less alone. My passion is taking all that energy given to me and reflecting it back to you in the form of writing, photos, and experiences which empower us all to live more intentionally and courageously.
Thank you for being here!
Book you’d recommend:
2.
Abundance: The Future is Better than You Think. The Rise of Superman, The Agony and The Ecstasy, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
Favorite thing about Kauai.
3.
The quiet. The way it smells. How pristine nature is. The abundance of fresh fruits. It's also THE perfect temperature balance.
What is your spirit animal?
4.
Hummingbird. A shaman in Guatemala told me that years ago and it keeps popping up.
Someday I want to_______.
5.
Freedive under an iceberg. Host a mini documentary series. Design a house.
Tips for aspiring travelers.
6.
You can literally find almost anything on the internet. Research beforehand vs falling into doing the same tourist itinerary everyone else does.
If you could only eat one meal for an entire week, what would it be?
Top 3 places you would visit over and over again?
7.
Indonesia, South Africa, my own mind.
how long can you hold your breath & whats your deepest dive?
8.
4 minutes & 104 ft freediving or 130 on scuba
Get to Know Chelsea
Pasta, or any kind of noodles. Oh gosh wait also buddha bowls with peanut sauce.
1.
q&A with Chelsea
In people over profit
we believe
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec viverra lacinia lacus, quis pretium felis placerat sed. In ut porta elit. Vestibulum quis commodo velit. Phasellus convallis massa non dictum varius. Proin at viverra diam. Aliquam ac dignissim.
Walk down memory lane
Here's a timeline of the journey so far 2013 - 2021
2016
Brand partnerships skyrocket - collabs with brands like Beats By Dre, Teva, Under Armour, Condé Nast
2017
2018
2019
Sponsored by Canon USA
Face of DJI Global’s Mavic Air commercial launch video
First time high-lining
First time trying Acro Yoga
Featured in Forbes
2020
Jan 2020 - completed acroyoga Level 1 teacher training
Sept 2020 launched recycled swimwear collection w/Away That Day
Sept 2020 - Hit 1 million followers on Instagram
November 2020 - Launched my own Presets
2021
Moved to South Africa
Releasing my own journal called - Notes to Self
Working on putting together a free-diving retreat!
Pre 2013 - Working at a grocery store
July 2013 - First photo to hit 1k likes
Oct 2013 - First freedive course, first time hitting 100’ Freediving
2013
2014
First photo to be published in a magazine
First partnership with a tourism board. Condé Nast x Visit Arizona
2015
Quit my day job working as a spa attendant and decided to “see how this social media thing” goes
Launched Notes to Self Journal
2022
Launched Flowstate Collection with Feat.
