Salty Luxe creator Sarah shares her adventure through sustainability and travel.

Your story through following your dreams is so inspiring!! Tell us, What was life like before your social media grew into Salty Luxe as it is today?

It has been a massive process. Nothing good in this world ever comes easy, but it's always worth it & I really want everyone to know that. Never give up on yourself or your dreams, anything is possible. 

I have always loved travel & creating! When I was in my early 20's I went on my first solo adventure ~ I  had this relentless desire to explore, challenge myself & do things with purpose. To this day it's still one of the most amazing things I've ever done! I lived with a hill tribe in a remote region of Burma, working on an elephant conservation project. Every day we walked into the jungle for 8+ hours to study the behaviours of elephants in the wild & the importance of this connection. This experience really sparked my joy for travel & photography.

Fast forward & right before I went head first into SALTY LUXE, I had been working at an amazing Australian charity the 'Cancer Council' for 6+ years! I organised all the big events like Daffodil Day, Australia's Biggest Morning Tea & Pink Ribbon Day, all raising money in the fight against cancer.

When I left my 9-5 job I was pretty daunted at all the unknown, but without doubt it's the best thing I've done. There has been massive ups & downs, but I get to work with my bestie every day (& constantly living in a bikini isn't bad either!)  

You spread so much happiness and just down right good vibes on your instagram, and we are so here for it! What are some tools/good vibe inspirations that keep you motivated and positive? 

I am here for YOU! This is the best, thank you.

I think the biggest & most important factor to consider is your mental health & wellbeing. If you don't feel good, you definitely can't help others feel good. You have to put your joy before your work / business, take time to ground yourself, jump in the ocean, run, whatever you need to. Work can wait but your happiness cannot.

At what point did you know you could leave your full time job and take the plunge into pursuing Salty Luxe full time?

Great question. I think it's different for everyone & depends on your personality & what you feel comfortable with, no right answer here. For me, I just wanted to know I could support myself financially before I left my job. I may not have been earning the same income, but I was always able to pay my bills when I jumped in. 

You are a woman of many talents, not only do you sell your AMAZING tropical presets but you have also recently launched an online store selling your travel prints. Tell us about your journey through pivoting and launching new areas of the salty luxe brand.

I always wanted to create a brand that was true to me & never 'sell out' for anything. We have turned down SO many jobs simply because they didn't align with our values (especially in the sustainability space). Creating an online store allows us to keep the dream alive through sharing things we love deeply (like our Fine Art Prints) while being very picky with our clients & maintaining a trusting & very real relationship with our audience. Being true to you is probably one of my biggest learnings & my best advice to creating an authentic brand.

We watch your instagram stories literally straight away every morning (you and @mariefeandjakesnow are our favourites). The salty luxe brand is an inspiration to many I am sure. Do you have any challenges working for yourself pursuing your passion?

Yesss, Marie & Jake are legends, again very real & it's just happy days watching their stories, isn't it!

Absolutely it's an incredibly challenging industry, my gosh. So much is going on behind the scenes. Some days I have felt as though there is no way I could 'show up' but honestly, my community keeps me inspired & motivated to keep going.

                    
It's been a wild year, and I can imagine so many travelers are just itching to get away. When the borders open again where is your first destination?

We'll be heading back to the Maldives to complete a trip we were 5 days (of 6 weeks) into when COVID hit. Can't wait!!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I would love to live on a small island in the Pacific for a little bit. That would be goals for me!

You have a deep appreciation for sustainability and the environment which we totally love about you, being a sustainable and ethically made brand we vibe so much with influencers using their platform for the greater good of the planet. What was your life changing moment when you realised plastic was catastrophic? 

I have been brought to my knees on MANY occasions. Overcome by devastation at what we as humans have done to the world. I've been swimming with whale sharks on remote atolls to turn around & see plastic floating next to me. I've seen a turtle try to eat a plastic bag thinking it was a jelly fish & I've witnessed first hand the impacts of many marine species having to have their fins / limbs amputated because they have been caught in ghost fishing nets.

The average lifespan of a plastic bag is 12 minutes, but it takes 100-1000 years to break down. What are we even doing.

Thank goodness for brands like you who want to make a difference, thank you so much for everything you are doing to contribute to a better & healthier world. We are 100% committed to educating our audience & doing better ourselves & we won't stop for anything.

What are some changes you want to see in the world?