We recently connected with Kaleigh (Keke) McBride and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kaleigh (Keke), thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
In the world of entrepreneurship, owning a small business can feel like living the dream. It’s a chance to do what you love every day, with the freedom to pursue your passion and the independence to make creative decisions that shape your vision. The positive impact you can have on your community is an unmatched feeling. However, to be real – the burnout that can come with it is just as real. Small business ownership often means blurred lines between work and personal life. You’re always “on” because there’s always work to be done, messages to respond to, never ending responsibilities, and at times, overwhelming pressure.
Being a professional freediving instructor, work is very seasonal. During spring and summer months we are in non stop hustle mode. By the time fall comes around, the burnout really starts to kick in and this feeling could last weeks to months. This past year I’ve been trying to focus more on self-care during the busy season, which is the secret sauce in avoiding burnout.
Taking care of your mental, physical & spiritual well being is critical for long term success. When you’re passionate about what you do and who you serve, it can be hard to say “no” and far too easy to fill every minute of every day with something work related.
I have learned the importance of setting boundaries and taking breaks, reminding myself that it is not a selfish act, but it’s an act of self-care and a sign of respect for yourself and others. You have to protect your energy and do things that recharge your battery, whatever that is for you. For me personally, that’s spending alone time in nature, walking on the beach, shelling, making jewelry, reading a good book, practicing yoga, meditation, swimming in the ocean, doing something I love, and every now and then treating myself to a spa day!
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My journey as a professional Freedive Instructor started back in 2014 when I took my first freediving course. At the time I was working as a scuba instructor at a dive shop and one of my co-workers, who was the instructor, had a space left in the class. This was before Instagram and social media, so I really didn’t know too much about freediving and was honestly quite intimidated at the marketing of “holding your breath for three minutes and diving down 66ft.” I decided to go into the course with an open mind and have zero expectations. The course unlocked some hidden inner mermaid superpowers and I was instantly hooked! I enjoyed the freedom of having less gear compared to scuba along with the mindfulness and breathing techniques. I wanted to continue my freediving journey and went on to take the PFI Intermediate course with Ted Harty, followed by the PFI Advanced course in Kona Hawaii and eventually my Freedive Instructor course. I still enjoy scuba diving, but freediving is my true passion and has had such a positive impact in all aspects of my life including mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. Freediving has truly changed my life for the better, and my goal is to help others experience these wonderful health benefits through the power of freediving and the underwater world.
Currently I am the first and only female PADI Freedive Instructor Trainer in Florida. I teach freediving full time along with coaching & training sessions, lead international dive travel & retreats, teach mermaiding, lead snorkel tours, provide mentoring and more. I own and operate Live Free Diving with my husband, Farrell Tiller. We have been in business for over 6 years and have some exciting new things planned for this year! One being our 2nd Annual South Florida Freedive Fest, which is a four day freediving event focused on freedive training, workshops, community & networking! Check out our website if you want to learn more about this event!
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?
Before starting our company in 2018, I worked at a few different Dive & Surf shops for over 10 years. The knowledge I learned while working at these shops definitely set me up to be where I am today. I started from the bottom in retail, and worked my way up to be one of the lead dive instructors. I learned so much about the diving industry, customer service and made some great connections. I’m grateful for all the lessons I learned during this period of my life. I put in a lot of time and hard work to be where I am today.
For people early in the journey of starting your own company, especially a diving company, I strongly suggest getting experience in the industry and working for another company before starting your own. We live in a microwave society and people want results fast and instant, but if you want to be successful long term, you have to lay the foundation and put in the work.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The number one challenge we are facing right now is being spread too thin! We offer a lot of different services from freediving certifications, freedive training, instructor courses, mermaiding, snorkeling, boat tours, scuba diving and travel retreats. Our small company is growing and demand is rising which we are SO grateful for! But we’re to the point where we need help and want to grow our diving family! We focus and specialize on small, intimate experiences and cater to each client’s needs, but since it’s just my husband and I leading all the experiences and certification courses, it can be hard to keep up with the demand. We just recently hired a snorkel guide, “Nature Nick”, to join our team and he has been an absolute gem! He’s very passionate about the ocean, conservation and safety, which is extremely important to us at Live Free Diving. Our plan is to add another passionate freediving instructor or PADI Divemaster to our team so we will be able to offer more underwater experiences. If you happen to know someone please reach out to us!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.livefreediving.com
- Instagram: @livefreediving @underseakeke
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/livefreediving
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/livefreediving
Image Credits
Laurent Kramer
