Meet Chelsea De Jesus | Empowerment Coach & Public Servant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chelsea De Jesus and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chelsea, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born and raised in Rochester, NY, but spent most of my teenage/college years in Tampa, Florida. I am Puerto Rican and the first in my family to graduate from a university. As the first one in my family to go off to college, I carried a lot of pressure to be successful in my life. There simply was no room for error. Although I worked extremely hard to achieve my goals, my college experience was very difficult since familial support was limited. Navigating the world of academia alone was a journey that impacted and shaped me into the woman I am today. This process shed light into the healing that I never had space to do, and my first time hearing of therapy/wellness practices was when I got to college. I was struggling with my mental health in college because I was carrying so much at once without any way to properly cope. This is when I started to explore generational healing and trauma, which inspired me to get my Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Behavioral Health. I knew I had to tap into the inner work that my family did not have the resources to navigate. Over the last 10 years since I started therapy, my healing journey evolved and I started to understand more about who I was as a soul. I learned a lot about self-love, self-worth, growth and soul purpose which is the catalyst to why I started my coaching business, SoulyHer, to empower the feminine soul.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career path is one that I truly believe has been divinely created and designed. I currently serve as a public servant in government for the Governor of New York, focusing on public policy, specifically in women affairs. I am proud to say my work is in alignment with my values, my soul purpose and a culmination of everything I worked so hard to achieve. Being a Latina woman working in government comes with many challenges, as it is not the most diverse space for minorities. Although challenging, I have navigated my journey by staying authentic to my truth and with the support of so many other Latinas in this work.

My journey to this work started with my desire to help others and communities. I started my career after college as a Case Manager for children and families. During my time, I learned that navigating the public sector was not easy because there are so many systemic issues that interfere with actually making a difference at times. I wanted to learn more about that and became very passionate about law/policy. I thought I was going to jump right into law school after this job but the Universe had a different path for me. I continued working in the non-profit sector doing community outreach and advocacy. While I thought the next step was law school, I ended up moving back up north to my home state but this time I moved to New York City. Shortly after my move, I pursued my Masters Degree in Public Administration. I knew I was exactly where I wanted to be! I learned that your path isn’t always the one you have written down, it is created and designed from above but it is your soul work to explore what that is!

With my work being very specific to women, it aligns with the work I do outside of my government duties and this is Empowerment Coaching for women. Throughout my path, I have always been very intentional about my healing work and focused on self-love, self-care, and inspiring other women to activate their power too! I love coaching because it is where I feel at home, I want all women to win and embrace all of their divine gifts and tap into their true authentic selves by living in alignment with their purpose.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Brooklyn, NY (I might be biased but it is truly one of the most incredible boroughs in NYC), if I know someone is visiting New York City, my first thought is you have to explore Brooklyn.

Incredible food, beautiful views (DUMBO park, Brooklyn Bridge Park), and of course so many great bars. I live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn where I go to many different places I love: Prospect park, Coffee Land (their caramel macchiato is better than Starbucks and you’re supporting a local business. The community bar Union Pub is a great late night spot, great people, and they have a wonderful beer selection. I also love all the food spots off Franklin Ave in Crown Heights (too many to mention but the best).

I would also make sure they went to Bushwick, Brooklyn (for obvious reasons), it’s full of Puerto Rican music, culture and food!! All the vibes.

For shopping, you must do thrifting in Williamsburg, Brooklyn! Such a cute place with great shops and boutiques too.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shoutout my mother because her strength, courage, and ambition as a single-mother is the driving force in why I do what I do every day for women. I would like to acknowledge my sorority Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. the first Latina sorority in the nation, which provided me the resources, guidance, mentorship, and sisterhood to get me through my college experience, even until today! I acknowledge every woman that I have crossed paths with and that I have learned from during my journey to this point.

Website: www.soulyher.com

Instagram: @chelseadejesus_ | @soulyher

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelseadejesus/

Twitter: @chelseadejesus_ | @soulyher

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soulyhercommunity

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVlF8J1S_Sks8Owzwz2752g

Image Credits
Media at New York Governor’s Office @kesleyd (photo with three women wearing beige/curly hair)