Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Scott.
Hi Chelsea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Firstly, thank you for inviting me to sit down with Voyage. I am Chelsea Scott and I am a 24-year-old New Jersey native. My professional home base is New York City, though I am currently living a nomadic quarantine lifestyle. I am a Management Consultant at Deloitte & Touché in New York City where I work at the intersection of technology, media, and entertainment. I am also the Founder of two passions projects– Read Between the Wine Book Club and The Seeds of Sisterhood.
My story, where do I begin! Growing up, I would spend my summers in Alabama with my great grandmother, Annie Laura Jackson. My days were spent sitting on her porch and asking her questions on topics ranging from faith and family, to Black history and culture. Little did I know, those moments on her porch were molding the cornerstones of my story: Family, storytelling, Black culture, and sisterhood.
Throughout adolescence and early adulthood, my love of sisterhood and community bloomed. While at Duke, I joined my beloved sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and also had the opportunity to do a semester-long exchange program at Spelman college in Atlanta. These sisterhood experiences compelled me to launch my first passion project, Read Between the Wine, after my graduation from Duke. Read Between the Wine is a multi-city book club that connects 150+ young professional Black women through literature by Black women authors. Today, as Founder and New York City Chapter President of Read Between the Wine, I am committed to using sisterhood as a tool to improve the overall well-being and personal and professional success of Black women, as well as uplift the communities in which we operate through extensive service offerings.
Through my work with Read Between the Wine, I’ve become keenly aware of the deeply rooted desire that women, particularly those in their 20s, have to find common ground and means of connecting with other women. In June 2020, I spent a few weeks with four of my girlfriends in Arizona quarantining. During that trip, we asked each other tough questions and engaged in thoughtful conversation that brought us closer together. This trip led me on a journey towards discovering questions that create expansion in relationships. This journey culminated in the creation of my second passion project, The Seeds of Sisterhood. The Seeds of Sisterhood is a 30-card question deck that helps women to foster more fulfilling, authentic sisterhood relationships. With this project, I am on a mission to help women tell their stories more authentically, leading to stronger relationships.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my biggest challenges was learning how to navigate my unique mix of skills and passions. I am a creative and connector by nature, while also being very analytical and data-driven in my approach to problem solving. Historically, I reserved my business-thinking for work and my love of storytelling and connecting for life. Over the past three years, I’ve challenged myself to blend the two and have found it incredibly fulfilling to view my passions through more of an entrepreneurial lens, and to view my professional life as a space to go deeper in my connections, particularly in mentorship and client relationships. My inclination was to always create a separation between “hard” skills and “soft” skills but I think my success so far is tied to my ability to play on both.
Of course, the other obstacle is always time! I dedicate at least an hour a day to my personal projects. To me, pouring into myself and my dreams is an act of self-love so I prioritize that daily. There truly are not enough hours in a day and, one thing about me, is I’m going to get at least six hours of sleep (LOL), so that just requires me to be more intentional with my time throughout the day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Read Between the Wine is a book club of 150+ Black women in New York City and Washington DC who connect through literature written by Black women authors. The Seeds of Sisterhood is a question card deck that helps women strengthen their relationships with other women. You can learn more about both of these projects at ChelseaScottCollective.com.
What matters most to you?
What matters most is enjoying the journey. I aim to live in such a way that honors my work and purpose, as well as my joy, well-being, and creativity. Our generation idolizes the grind mentality and the idea that you have to run yourself into the ground to be successful (and to be honest, I was once that person). However, I’ve realized that I am my most effective when I prioritize wellness and adventure in my life. I work incredibly hard between corporate America and two passion projects, but I also prioritize giving myself outlets such as being present with my friends and family, reading, spending time with God, travelling, and giving back to my community. What matters to me is chasing my passion and purpose, while keeping myself grounded in the things and people that I love.
Contact Info:
- Email: cscott0828@gmail.com
- Website: ChelseaPScott.com
- Instagram: @ItsChelseaScotty
- Other: @ReadBetweenTheWineClub (Book Club Instagram)
Image Credits
Jason Wright, The Wright Moment
