Meet Jessy Shelton

We were lucky to catch up with Jessy Shelton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jessy, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

The ocean and the coast is calm yet fierce. When I look at it I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility to protect it. Being in this field I feel like, at the surface, there are scary topics/possible outcomes and upsetting facts about our state of the world. There are also so many positive changes coming from people and organizations doing amazing work throughout the field. As cheesy as it sounds, knowing that one person can create positive change and help to turn things around is what keeps me optimistic about our future. The ocean has faced many changes and seen several devastating blows, none as harmful as humans beings. Humans can also do great things. And if we change our ways and give nature its best chance to do what it does best, I do believe we can bring back a healthy and stable planet. That’s what keeps me hopeful.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Ive lived in SoCal for my entire life, growing up in the valley but being lucky enough to live by the coast from Ventura, Redondo Beach, and Orange County throughout the years. I am a SCUBA instructor and total ocean junkie. When I’m not teaching scuba or surveying the beach, I’m taking my dogs to the tide pools or to dig in the sand. They are the best beach trash finders on the planet if you ask me.
I also have been in the nonprofit world for over 10 years either leading as a volunteer or professionally working. This lead to me to start 3 nonprofits over the course of 2 years. I helped my last job create one in Kenya, Africa, helped a friend start one on an island off the coast of LA and now have my own, 7 Seas Collective. 7 Seas is my heart and soul wrapped up into a small, new (yet quickly growing) nonprofit. When I got my degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management at CSU Channel Islands, we did A LOT of beach surveys. They’re fun, easy to do, and you get to spend part of your day at the beach! As I entered the professional world, I encountered two issues I didn’t expect: 1- Many folks didn’t understand the beach as an ecosystem and 2- I wasn’t always taken seriously as an environmental scientist or professional in the field. I got comments about my hair, clothes, age, etc and some never seemed to treat me as a professional in the field. As many women face this, especially in the workplace, what was most impactful for me was seeing my sister, a power systems engineer at NASA, not only face this obstacle but push through it and look good doing it. She continues to wear her heels high, her hair big, yet do her job with excellence. An anomaly to some folks out there!
The lack of knowledge about the coast, my excitement to create positive change, and some amazing encouragement from my family, peers and boyfriend, led me to establish 7 Seas Collectiveg. I’m lucky to have found my amazing team of Catherine and Michael who are incredibly talented and well versed in the field. 7 Seas wouldn’t be where it is today without them. Our mission is to change the mindsets of folks through connection with our coast in hopes they will take care of our natural resources and get more curious about the world around them along the way.

Although protecting the coast was the impetus in creating my nonprofit, the lesson my sister continues to teach me, was made into a main pillar for 7 Seas. We want to change mindsets, encourage people of all types and backgrounds to do science, and show that you can not only look cute while doing it, but also be taken seriously.

That led to the creation of our event called STEAM Social Hour. They are basically happy hour style events with experts in varying art and STEM fields. This allows for a more casual conversation about art and science, especially from experts in underrepresented groups. We also hold monthly citizen science beach surveys that anyone can participate in without any prior experience. We then we use that data to work with local authorities to improve how we take care of our beaches as well as get vital signs for our coast.
We are excited to have other monitoring programs currently in the works and can’t wait to show everyone.

We hope to encourage connection to the coast, change the way of thinking as a society, and show that scientists come in many forms.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The most impactful skills in my journey so far have been confidence, kindness, and knowing I don’t know everything,

As mentioned previously, my experience has shown me I won’t always be taken seriously or trusted that I’m a professional in the field. It has been vital in my path to have my own back and be confident that I deserve my spot at the table, just as everyone else there.

Being kind and making connections with your most genuine foot forward has been so crucial to where I am today. I’ve seen people stoop to stepping on others to make themselves look better or get an opportunity before someone else. I was raised with the mentality that helping others and being a friend feels better and will get you further in life. I continue to exhibit that in my work and it’s only brought positive encounters.

Knowing that I don’t know everything is a skill I think everyone should have. No one knows everything and we are all still learning. That’s the fun of getting to know others and gains skills and make connections. If we can admit we don’t know something, in my experience, we move forward faster and with ease. It overall just helps prevent issues and creates trust especially within a team space.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

I’m lucky to have a team that is as helpful and understanding as they are talented. When I feel overwhelmed, I take a second to see what I’m overwhelmed by and what kind of help, if any, do I need. If I do need help, I tell my team and see how I can get support and communicate what would be most helpful for me.
If it’s something I don’t need team help with, I usually grab my dogs and go down to the beach (or a spot that is calming) and leave what I’m feeling overwhelmed by out of my head for a little. I really like using mindful techniques but sometimes when those aren’t helping, I switch to a distraction or calling my mom or sister to talk things out. It gives my brain the little break it needs to reset and work things through .

My advice would be, making changes to your work style so you get more out of your workday, feel better at work, and handle obstacles better is the goal.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and you can identify what is overwhelming you try to give your brain a second to relax before jumping to solution-mode. Taking a break when you need it, or if you think you could really benefit from one, is so overlooked. Productivity doesn’t always come from a 9-5 lifestyle.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://7seascollective.org
• Instagram: 7seascollective
• Linkedin: 7 seas collective

Image Credits

Pathos.Co
Russell Smith
Red Disk Photography