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

Hi Chelsea, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
When I was younger, I worked ALL THE TIME. I couldn’t work enough. I loved the feeling of accomplishment, so I would take a job anywhere to fill any spare time I had. I felt restless with unproductive activities. Once my husband passed away in 2020, I really took some time to re-evaluate my life and goals. I really transformed my super-aggressive goals of making all this money today and retiring early, to a balance of doing something I really enjoy throughout my lifetime. I started only taking jobs I really enjoyed, weighing the value of an opportunity instead of simply the amount of money being offered. I invested in passive income opportunities, rental property, social media, etc. Now, I work probably 6-7 hours 5 days a week and spend the rest of my time with my kids and exploring. This is a sustainable long-term scenario for a happy, fulfilling life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have so many different avenues that I have taken professionally and creatively, I am always in motion! I was married to a marine when I first moved to San Diego. We had a 2 year old son and were trying for our second. My husband had been in the Marines for 10 years and served on 6 different deployments. When we were moved to California, his deployments stopped and his PTSD started setting in. He turned to alcohol and slowly started losing himself to the bottle. When our second son was born, we were told he had a very rare heart condition and was rushed into an emergency surgery where his little heart was reconstructed. It was then, right after his birth and still being in the NICU, my husband’s disease progressed. Within two years of this battle, he passed away and I had to figure out what my life was going to be. A 29 year old widow with two small children, this was not the fairy tale I had envisioned for my life. Covid was just taking root and I wanted to make a change so, in 2020 I started sharing my story on TikTok and found an audience of people that needed to feel seen. Through scripted scenes of my own life as well as monologues of my experience, I was able to give that to so many. From there I went to share my humor making relatable content for parents, and finally, I combined my love for acting and my professional investment knowledge to become an Executive Producer on a film in London, soon to be released! I went from being a terrified young girl to an empowered successful woman in three short years. My story is proof that no matter how hopeless it may seem, a better life is just around the corner. You have to keep taking steps away from the dark and into the light.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would take them to Belmont Park for sure! We would ride the roller coaster and grab food from a pop-up! Then, I would take them downtown to get lobster rolls from The Tipsy Crow and then we would HAVE to see a comedy show downtown at the Mad House Comedy Club!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
At the risk of founding cliche, I was at a very low point in my life when I was losing my spouse to addiction. I follow Jesus Christ, and I remember searching scriptures for a way out. I was looking for a pass to give up. Instead, I found strength and encouragement to carry on. There is a lot that can be said about a God that says, when you walk through deep waters, I will be with you and when you’re standing in the midst of the fire, you will not burn up. There were a lot of things that happened in my life during that time that I cannot explain and I cannot take credit for. Those events turned my life around and really put me on a new trajectory.

Instagram: @chels.ocean

Other: TikTok- @chels.ocean

Image Credits
@chrisjonphotography. Chris Jon Photography @marcybrowe_photo. Marcy Browe

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