Kimi’s Wild Idea: To practice sustainable hunting, spread the message about the importance of the ocean and make a living doing what she loves.
If you’ve heard of Kimi Werner, you’ve probably seen the picture or video of her gracefully swimming along, holding onto the dorsal fin of a great white shark. Kimi is fearless, and she’s a force of nature.
Growing up off the grid in Hawaii, Kimi’s father taught her to free dive. She gave it up for years, then rediscovered it later in life and went on to become the national spearfishing champion, a chef, an award-winning artist, and sought-after speaker. Her work as an environmental advocate wasn’t always her goal, and her path has taken unexpected turns as she has built a career that combines many of her passions.
Kimi is a great storyteller, and she has some amazing stories to share with us, like her famous encounter with one of the biggest predators of the ocean, the magic that took her on a trip to the Azores, and the fearlessness of standing up for herself in asking for equal pay. Her biggest lessons she wants to share though are the power of trusting your gut, and slowing down in order to speed up.
Listen to this Episode if
- You love the ocean.
- You are interested in spearfishing.
- You believe in equal pay and equal rights.
- You want to learn to free dive.
- You’re passionate about saving the ocean.
- You believe in magic.
Key Takeaways
- 5:40 – Why you have to slow down to speed up.
- 6:40 – How Kimi swam with a great white shark.
- 11:30 – Kimi combined all of her passions into one career.
- 13:00 – Spear fishing was a part of Kimi’s childhood.
- 16:00 – What happened the first time Kimi went in the ocean alone.
- 19:40 – Kimi’s belief in magic.
- 25:25 – Kimi’s magical trip to the Azores.
- 29:20 – How you know when to pull the trigger.
- 33:10 – Kimi’s fight for equal pay from her sponsor.
- 44:15 – Now Kimi will always speak up.
- 45:35 – Kimi’s training tips.
- 47:10 – Advice for her younger self.
- 49:50 – Keep Wild is Kimi’s lifestyle brand.
- 55:25 – When Kimi asks for help.
- 58:00 – How to create a living from your passions.