Meet Taylor Walston Dewey | Photographer & Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Taylor Walston Dewey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Taylor, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I had a passion that I wanted to make a career out of but I also wanted to be able to own my own time and wanted to live a slower life than what the work life in America breeds.

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.
I started in a corporate job- the dream that’s sold to us in the movies and from when we’re little, we’re asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” and you’re told to be realistic. So I went the realistic route and I hated it. Not only did it suck the life out of me, it was like being bate in a tub of sharks and my time was owned by my employers and I was barely making enough to pay my rent.

I left and moved to Hawaii and took a dream job at One Ocean Diving but then the pandemic hit and I had to take another job that had a little more security.

That job didn’t feel right and I knew it was temporary. I picked up my camera again and told myself and God that I was ready to do this. I wanted to do this full time and stop letting fear stop me.

It was like this world of opportunity opened up. I built a whole new website and jumped into social media more head on. I started booking more and more and went full time within 6 months. But I realized I didn’t want my business to be like everyone else’s and I wanted to make an impact.

I was doing underwater/oceanography and also couples/adventure elopements/micro weddings. Part of what I love in this space is working with my people. By that, I mean people who also care about the planet, that I can vibe with and have amazing conversations with. Having these experiences with people helps us to create abundantly, too. through my work, I hope to educate people about the ocean and make a difference and create more ocean-lovers and change-makers at the same time!

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 would take them on a shark dive with One Ocean Diving! If you’re someone who loves the ocean (or maybe doesn’t) because you’re scared, diving with sharks is a life-changing experience and truly peaceful. We’re scared of things we don’t understand and I’ve seen this experience change so many lives. They’ll teach you about how their communication works, conservation, etc. and overall is a wild confidence booster for ocean exploration.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to shout out the ocean.

The overarching theme of my life is living sustainably in every aspect and the ocean has taught me most of what I know about sustainability; living sustainably, eating sustainably, consuming sustainably, giving sustainably.

That’s a large part of my work life is being able to manage my time so I can live the life I want and also make an impact in people’s lives without being burnt out and showing others how they can make that shift, too.

Website: taylorrwalston.com

Instagram: taylorrdewey

Image Credits
Cobian Dewey Taylor Cunningham