We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chelsea Elliott, MSW. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chelsea below.

Chelsea, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

My company name, Somocom Lab, is very…unique. I learned in my macro social work graduate program to think big, be innovative, and get out of the norm, and that’s how I came up with the name.

Somocom is a combination of the words “SOcial-eMOtional COMmunication” smashed together. The company is a “Lab” because we are emotional scientists guided by our curiosity and commitment to understanding the why behind the what in regards to behavior and emotional development.

The company name has caused some confusion and tilted heads, but once it’s explained you can see the light bulb go off every time. It’s a great conversation starter and a fun name to share.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hey, I’m Chelsea—and I’m totally obsessed with emotions.

Seriously. I love talking about them, learning about them, feeling them, and helping other people understand and create safe emotional spaces for themselves and the folks around them.

I was born in California, but my life took a big turn when we moved to Ohio so my mom could take care of my sick grandparent. That move changed everything. I grew up wanting to protect my mom from any more stress—she had already done so much just getting all four of us girls across the country to help family. Looking back, I can now see how impossible some of those decisions must’ve been for her. But at the time, I felt super confused and like I had zero control over anything in my life.

That lack of control shaped a lot. I became a hardcore people-pleaser and struggled with disordered eating, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. Emotionally, I was a mess—and no one really knew how to help. I got called annoying, too sensitive, dramatic… just “too much” in general.

College was the first time I got evaluated and diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Those labels don’t define me, but they definitely helped me understand how my brain works and what actually helps me feel okay.

I went on to get my Master’s in Macro Social Work from Boston College—even though I honestly had no idea what I’d do with that degree at the time.

Fast forward to 2020—the year everything changed for everyone. My oldest daughter was three years old, and I could see her struggling big-time with being stuck at home and not having her usual routine. I was pregnant, working full-time (so was my husband), and trying to figure out how to help her handle all these new, big feelings. So I wrote a book just for her called Natalie the Monster Slayer, to help her be brave when she felt scared. That book turned into another story about anger (Natalie’s Not-So-Fun Play Date), and then came emotions flashcards… and then an actual card game called The EQ Kids Crew. And just like that, my company was born.

I realized everyone our there was going through this collective trauma, and I wanted to be part of their healing—by conducting workshops, providing keynotes, and creating emotional tools that were fun, simple, and relatable for both kids and adults.

Now, I get to do what I love every day: be loud and proud about emotions, help people get more comfortable with the uncomfortable stuff, and create space for healing. Because we all deserve to feel safe in our feelings—and to know what to do with them.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

My business started as a side hustle that I planned on doing alongside my full time job (that I actually loved). But once I knew I had found my purpose in this work, I knew it couldn’t stay on the side and had to eventually become my main focus.

I remember being in a business program through Goldman Sachs, and my business mentor saying, “I’m the type of person who gets people to quit their jobs.” I wish then I hadn’t heard that message because I knew immediately it was for me. “But how and when?” were the questions ringing in my mind. For months we worked on challenges to stretch ourselves and prepare for growth with experts who could get us where we wanted to go.

I made a promise to God that if he allowed three things to happen in my life, I would take the plunge by the end of the year.

A few months later, I received confirmation for the last thing I needed and hoped God had forgetting about my promise. Of course He didn’t.

I was sitting in a coworking space and felt someone push my back and say, “Call her.” I knew in that moment I had to call my boss and let her know I would be leaving my job. I know it might sound crazy to some, but I did it, hands shaking and voice cracking. I ended up leaving my job January 6, 2023 and had a new contract beginning January 9.

I didn’t really know what I was going to do but ended up making six figures by April of that year. That lesson taught me to trust my instincts and know I’m not on this alone.

It was not an easy start, and I had no plans or prospects, but I knew how to use my voice to let others know what I’m passionate about and how I can help them. And that’s what continues to lead me to success today.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I am not a big social media user nor did I ever expect to have a following, but I can say I’ve had a few viral moments.

I remember not wanting to be the face of my company so I could stay behind the scenes and let my cute characters do the talking. Well, my business advisor was not having it. She challenged me to make a video for my audience that would resonate and give some sort of helpful advice.

I fought her for as long as I could before I had to produce something. She wanted me to send her the video before I posted it, but I knew I would overthink it and talk myself out of posting it, so I went for it. I uploaded the video to TikTok, said a prayer, and went about my day.

I never received a notification from the app, so I figured I would just keep posting to get used to the process and consistency. The next day, I opened the app to post the next video and saw that I had over 200,000 views and thousands of comments. I couldn’t believe it, but I knew I was onto something and couldn’t stop. It received over one million views a couple of days later.

Being able to connect with my audience and help people feel seen and learn new ways to parent has been an incredible privilege.

If you’re just starting out or don’t know where to start, start from the heart. Start where you are with what you have, bring your fullest authentic self. Trends change and the algorithms can have you trying to do things to keep up, but focus on your value add and stay the course.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.somocomlab.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/somocomlab
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somocomlab
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseacelliott
• Youtube: https://www.YouTube.com/@somocomlab
• Other: TikTok: www.TikTok.com/@somocomlab