We were lucky to catch up with Chelsea Elliott recently and have shared our conversation below.

Chelsea, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

I took a major risk when I left my very lucrative and stable full-time job to pursue my purpose.

In 2020, during the pandemic, my husband and I were both working full-time from home while raising our then-3-year-old daughter and preparing for a new baby due in September. It was a terrifyingly stressful time, but I knew I had to make sure our oldest daughter was emotionally well during this time. I decided to write a book for her about her that talked about being brave even when you’re afraid. That book, Natalie the Monster Slayer, and the second book, Natalie’s Not-so-Fun Play Date, were the catalysts to me creating the EQ KIds Crew® Card Game and founding Somocom Lab (The Social-Emotional Communication Lab) to help all people understand and manage their emotions.

I had already been in business for about 1 year when I had the privilege of participating in a small business program for Black women solopreneurs. I had a well-paying and stable full-time job at the time, but I knew I had to pursue my business further. This work is my purpose, and all signs led to me doing more.

During the program, we had highly successful business mentors we got to meet with twice a month. On our first meeting with the mentor, she said, ‘I’m the person who gets you to quit your job.” I knew without a doubt that her message was for me, but I had no clue how I could do it.

I ended up with a large business opportunity where I obtained business financing. I told God if I could obtain the financing and have a couple of other things come through, I would leave my job to pursue my business full-time. While the opportunity fell through at that time, I was still able to secure the financing, and the other situations also happened. I was shocked but couldn’t fall back on my promise.

This is where things got real. I was sitting in a coworking space getting some work done, when I felt a push on my back and a subtle and calming voice whisper in my ear, “Call her.” I didn’t know anyone in the space at the time, so I knew what was happening, and if I didn’t listen to the subtle, calm voice, I would be forced out of my job, as this is not the first time this has happened.

With shaky, sweaty hands, I picked up my phone and called my boss. “Hey, sooo…I’m going to resign from my position in January.” She was taken aback but was ultimately excited for me. Everyone knew the work I was doing and knew how passionate I was about it.

I submitted my official resignation on January 6, 2023, to pursue business ownership full-time. That was one of the scariest and biggest risks I’ve ever taken.

Chelsea, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chelsea Elliott, and I am a wife, mom, and social worker who loves helping people learn about feelings and emotions. My purpose in life is to help children and adults understand themselves on a deeper level and learn effective ways to advocate for themselves by increasing their emotional intelligence.

I was born in California and had a family emergency that moved us to Ohio. It was a scary move, and none of the adults around me knew how to help me manage my emotions during that time. I was called annoying, a brat, a drama queen, and attention-seeking. I cried and felt extremely worried all the time and always felt like something was mentally wrong with me. I developed suicidal ideation, self-harming behaviors, extreme people-pleasing, and eating disorders, trying to “fix” my broken brain and make sure I wasn’t a burden to the people around me.

When I went to college, I was formally diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and ADHD (it was just ADD at the time), which explained a lot about the feelings I dealt with throughout my childhood. I ended up receiving my bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in social work to understand more about the mind and how it impacts everything we do, the way we interpret situations in life, and how we function in society.

Fast forward to having my own family, I knew that if my children didn’t know anything else in the world, they would always know how to express how they felt. Luckily, they are both very intelligent, and they are very self-aware with high emotional intelligence at their young ages.

I am on a mission to help families and educators create emotionally healthy and safe spaces for themselves and their kids, teach children how to express their emotions in healthy and safe ways to get their needs met, and support workplaces in understanding how emotions can be displayed and supported in professional environments.

My main product is the EQ Kids Crew® Card Game that puts words to feelings, activities to regulate kids’ bodies during emotional moments, and teaches them to communicate more effectively. I also provide workshops, professional development, and keynotes to various groups about all things emotions.

My company has been featured in Parents Magazine, the Today Show, Good Housekeeping, Care.com, PBS, Black Enterprise, and other amazing notable media outlets, and have partnerships with school districts and community organizations who are committed to embracing emotions in the personal and professional lives of staff, customers, students, and leadership.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The most helpful thing for me as a business owner is to take ownership of my mental health. There are going to be times when you feel like you’re not cut out for this, when people reject your work or ideas, or when you run out of money. This is not easy, and if you are not mentally able to handle the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship, you can quickly lose yourself. I have a strong relationship with my therapist, a supportive group of entrepreneur besties who are scheduled on the calendar, mentors and coaches who gladly share their wisdom and insights, and self-care and emotion-regulation tools to keep me grounded. This is not at all easy, but it can be worth it with the right support.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

I feel like everything I have ever done or been through has led me to what I am doing today. I would choose this work time and time again. When you can finally put the pieces of your life together and find a way to support your family by helping others be better than you, there is no greater feeling, careerwise.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.somocomlab.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/somocomlab
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/somocomlab
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chelseacelliott
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/somocomlab
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@somocomlab
• Other: TikTok: www.tiktok/@somocomlab

Image Credits
Sugar Plum Creative, Purple Star Photography