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

Hi Chelsea , thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

I created an online community that I named The Hobbit Hikers. When I began hiking, I realized there was a lack of representation of bodies that looked like mine in the media. I’m also a huge nerd who loves the Lord of the Rings franchise. When I hike, I take multiple breaks – either for snacks, to rest, or to take photos of bugs, mushrooms, and plants. I think when most people think of hiking they picture someone in a superfit body wearing color-coordinated sets, racing to the top of a mountain. That is the exact opposite of how I hike! I created the Hobbit Hikers because we hike like hobbits: slowly, with intention, and with plenty of snacks. We have an appreciation of all things that grow and we WILL be stopping to identify those growing things (stopping to smell the roses, if you will.) It took Frodo and Sam three movies and 683 minutes (if you’re watching the extended version of the trilogy) to hike from The Shire to Mount Doom. We are Hobbit Hikers and we welcome anyone who appreciates nature and realizes that there is no medal for getting to the end of the trail first… in fact, you’re missing the best parts by rushing!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

am the creator and founder of the group The Hobbit Hikers, LLC, which is an online community dedicated to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and empowering environment to advocate for self-love and body confidence through joyful movement and time spent in nature.

I am a Star Host with TrovaTrip, which means I am highly rated as a group travel host. I host group travel adventures where hikers and like-minded travelers spend time exploring the world together. So far, we have traveled to Yellowstone (twice), Yosemite, Costa Rica (twice), and Bali. Next year, we are traveling to Iceland (twice), the Galapagos Islands, Morocco, and Croatia!

I am also a content creator on TikTok where I post daily vlogs, hiking content, and videos documenting the adventures of The Hobbit HIkers.

On the weekends, I teach inclusive and accessible Pilates classes, and coming soon, I will be teaching Pilates online for those who don’t live in Arkansas and cannot come to classes in person! I am also a Communications Coordinator for a non-profit that serves Arkansas families, mothers, and babies.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I didn’t mean to build an audience! I just started hiking in 2020 during the pandemic. I was feeling really down and not like myself, so I asked my friend Shelby to go hiking with me so we could get outside, experience a little dopamine, and have a change of scenery. I’m in recovery from a restrictive eating disorder, so I was not excited to take photos or videos of our hiking excursions. It was never fun for me to see my own body captured on film. Shelby started filming our hikes anyway, and after a while, I got the courage to post the videos on TikTok. They exploded! People from all over the world were hungry to see their body types represented in the media. It inspired thousands to begin hiking in the bodies they live in currently. Too many of us wait for our bodies to be “perfect” before we allow ourselves to experience the world. If you wait for that, you’re missing out on SO much. Seeing myself hiking online also helped me – it made me realize that I was strong and kind of awesome.

My biggest piece of advice for building a social media presence is to be brave, to be yourself authentically, and to just post the video! Don’t wait. If you show up as your authentic and genuine self, that will attract your people.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being creative is the reason I wake up in the morning. That, and because my old 15-year-old cat steps directly on my larynx every morning to demand breakfast. Being a content creator is one of my biggest passions. I think telling my own story in my own words is the most rewarding aspect. Growing up, my story was told for me. Being in control of my destiny, wrapping it up in a beautifully edited video, and inspiring others to be themselves out in nature is what makes my heart happy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_whatwouldellewoodsdo_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hobbithikersLLC
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whatwouldellewoodsdo