We recently connected with Kaleigh (keke) McBride and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kaleigh (keke), really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
If you want to find your purpose, find your passion. If you want to find your passion, look where your mind wanders & notice what brings you joy. Then follow that path. When you can work hard, but it doesn’t feel like work, that’s the key!
For me this has always been anything related with water and the ocean. For as long as I could remember, I was always drawn to the water. Being in the water always made me feel happy and at home.
When I was 16 years old, I got open water scuba certified. This is what really opened the door. Being able to stay down to observe marine life was incredible. A couple years later, I started working a job at the dive shop where I got certified. Working there, I wanted to learn as much as I could, and continued my diving education all the way up through Dive Master. At age 20 I became a Scuba Instructor. At the time, I was studying at FAU Harbor Branch Oceanographic institute for their Semester by the Sea program along with working as a diving instructor.
In 2014, one of my co-workers at the dive shop was offering a freediving class and had extra room for me to join. This was before social media, so I knew little to nothing about the sport of freediving, but was open to the experience. During the class I was amazed at what my body could do! I really enjoyed the simplicity of freediving compared to scuba. The breathing and mindfulness aspects of it reminded me a lot of yoga, which I loved practicing.
One year later, I joined the FAU Spearfishing & Freediving club in hopes to meet other like minded people and practice my freediving skills. Little did I know, the founder and club President, Farrell, would later become my future husband.
After I graduated from FAU, I was kind of lost. Struggling with having to get a real job & “career” when I knew deep down this wasn’t for me. Around the same time, freediving was still pretty new in the US, and PADI just came out with the Freedive Instructor program. I knew the instructor trainer from a past course that I took, and he was offering the course up in the Florida Springs, which wasn’t too far from me. I felt called to take the program.
Fast forward 6 years later, I currently own and operate my own business, Live Free Diving, with my partner Farrell.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My main focus right now is on my dive business Live Free Diving. We teach all levels of freediving courses from beginner, advanced, master and instructor. We also lead trainings, retreats & various experiences such as snorkeling excursions. I also teach mermaiding, which is a fun and artistic twist to freediving.
Our saying for the company is “free up your mind and enjoy life below the surface” and “freedom underwater”. The underwater world has always brought me a slice of peace and has helped guide me down a positive path that has changed my life for the better. Our goal is to help open your eyes to the joys and the healing benefits of the underwater world.
I think what’s unique about our business is that we really try to incorporate freediving as a lifestyle and build a freediving community in Florida, and are slowly starting to grow that across the world. Every sport claims “it’s more than just a sport, it’s a lifestyle,” but I believe freediving embodies this more than any. The benefits extend far beyond the water, freediving is a way for us to become more in tune with our mind, body, soul. It allows us to train our breathing, strength, and flexibility. freediving and spearfishing is a means for obtaining food. We’ve seen freediving have such a strong positive impact on so many lives, we want to share the love with as many people as possible.
I’m also a certified yoga instructor so my goal this year is to lead more yoga and freediving retreats. We’re also looking to grow our team of freediving instructors which is really exciting for us!
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?
Patience, persistence and being able to adapt. Owning your own business is a lot of work and has its challenges, but it’s also SO rewarding! The hardest part of the business was definitely the first 3 years, almost 2 of those years being during peak covid. I had a period of self doubt, and wondered if my dream was over and I would have to get a steady, “real job”. But you just have to get creative and make it work! I became a nanny while running the business to help make ends meet. One and a half years later, I was able to quit my other side hustles and fully commit to Live Free Diving. Almost 2 years later, I’m still fully self employed. So my advice is, don’t give up! Trust in the process and trust in yourself.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Listen to your body and take time for self care. What really helps me is spending time doing something I love or that brings me joy. For me that’s having a day at the beach, swimming in the sea, soaking in the sun and reading a good book. Do some yoga, listen to an inspiring podcast, take a walk in nature, clean or journal. Being an entrepreneur is not all glitz & glamor. There’s days of hardship and struggle. Just remember to breathe and take some time for yourself so you can recharge your battery. Also remember why you started in the first place. Stick with it, the reward is so much greater!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.livefreediving.com
- Instagram: @livefreediving @underseakeke @mermaid.keke
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livefreediving
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/livefreediving
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/livefreediving
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/live-free-diving-riviera-beach
Image Credits:
Brandee Anthony Media Urak Photography Live Free Diving
