Meet Gemma Totten | Entrepreneur | Photographer

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

Hi Gemma, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I am inspired by the process of turning an idea into action. Of dreaming a dream to life and knowing that once it’s birthed in the world, I have very little control over the outcome. This process ignites me and keeps me creating. I always ask myself; what if this idea in my mind came to be? What would my life look like if my dreams came to life? The answer is never what I expect but that is what keeps me going.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
One piece of advice I have often received is to find your niche and get good at one thing. I’ve done the opposite of that in my career. Explaining what I do quickly is often difficult, but the common thread through my work is that I do it from the heart. I let my heart and values of love, nonviolence, and kindness dictate who I work with. After I graduated from university, I knew I wanted to work for myself and do work that benefited the planet. Shortly afterward, I launched my fine jewelry company (co-founded with my husband), Chapter Six Jewelry. We did everything ourselves, and through that process, I realized I loved branding, marketing, and content creation. Two years ago, I started doing marketing + photography for clients whose brands are making the world better. In the past year, I have focused on using photography as a tool to tell the stories that matter. The road has been long, but I have learned so much about my capabilities every step of the way and pushed myself to acquire the skillsets needed to open the doors I want to walk through.

Journaling, meditation, and yoga have been practices that have allowed me to stay balanced on this path, and I also throw community events involving a combination of these practices. Bringing community together is one of my biggest joys. I also self-published an e-book titled Road to Self with 50 pages of journal prompts that I’ve used to guide my self-reflection over the past few years.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I was your tour guide to Laguna Beach, I would recommend coming with a very loose itinerary and the goal of spending as much time as possible exploring; from our canyon trails to beach coves, there is always something to discover! I walk everywhere here and through walking I always have serendipitous encounters – meeting new friends, discovering the cutest beach shack, or finding the perfect sunset spot.

My go-to restaurants are Active Culture for a healthy bowl, Ahba for a glass of biodynamic wine, La Sirena for a burrito, and Starfish for curry. My favorite hangout spot is Willbo in North Laguna.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents have cheered me on since day one. They have not always understood the path that I have chosen to take, but they have made sure I know that I am loved and supported. I have had so many moments where I have wanted to give up, and knowing that I have a support system has encouraged me to keep going. I am so grateful for the unconditional love they have given me; that love has inspired me to act with kindness toward everyone I interact with.

Website: https://www.gemmatotten.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemmatotten/

Other: https://chaptersixjewelry.com

Image Credits
Me or Self taken!