Chelse LeighRN · Author · Artist · FounderExplore my work

Serving, creating, and building since day one

Hi, I’m

Chelse Leigh

Registered Nurse, Author, Artist, Entrepreneur, REALTOR®, Notary Public.

I rarely sit still. I love building businesses, writing stories, creating art, helping families, and finding new ways to give back to my community.

Every project you will find here is rooted in one simple mission: to inspire, serve, and leave the world a little better than I found it.

Explore my workMore about me
  • Registered Nurse
  • Author
  • Artist
  • Entrepreneur
  • REALTOR®
  • Notary Public
Chelse Leigh, registered nurse, author and entrepreneur, in a navy blazer
10% of profitssupport the Helping From the Heart Foundation
  • 6ChildrenThe reason behind everything
  • 9Seasoning blendsCrafted for real kitchens
  • 80%Less sodiumWithout losing the flavor
  • 10%Of profits givenTo the foundation
Chelse Leigh in a white button-down shirt, photographed against a charcoal backdrop

I firmly believe that a life is best lived by serving others and creating things that make a difference.

Welcome

Rarely one thing at a time

A wife, mother of six, registered nurse, entrepreneur, author, artist, licensed REALTOR®, and notary public.

My Journey

It started at the bedside

My professional career began in healthcare, where I have had the privilege of caring for patients as a registered nurse in multiple settings — emergency room, ICU, and in the home.

Nursing has taught me compassion, resilience, critical thinking, and the importance of advocating for others — lessons that have shaped every aspect of my life, both personally and professionally.

Outside of nursing, I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Rather than limiting myself to one passion, I have chosen to pursue many. Each business, creative endeavor, and community project reflects a different part of who I am, but they all share the same purpose: helping people.

Where I’ve practiced

  • Emergency Room
  • Intensive Care
  • Home Health
  • Case Management
  • Psychiatric Hospital

Expertise

Many passions, one purpose

Rather than limiting myself to one calling, I have chosen to pursue many. Each reflects a different part of who I am — but they all exist to help people.

  • Registered Nurse

    Bedside care across emergency, intensive care, home health, and case management — where compassion meets critical thinking.

  • Author

    Psychological thrillers born from vivid nightmares, alongside children’s books that celebrate curiosity, kindness, and family.

  • Artist & Creative

    Original paintings, handcrafted pieces, and humorous greeting cards made to brighten somebody’s ordinary day.

  • Founder, Smart Seasonings

    Nine low-sodium blends with up to 80% less sodium, built so healthier eating never has to taste like a punishment.

  • REALTOR® & Notary Public

    Guiding individuals and families through life’s biggest milestones — buying, selling, and signing with less stress.

  • Nonprofit Co-Founder

    Helping From the Heart Foundation, founded with my Marine veteran husband to serve veterans, first responders, and neighbors in need.

Work

A family of dreams

Three living projects, each with its own home on the web. Every one of them started the same way — with someone I wanted to help.

Front cover artwork for one of Chelse Leigh’s psychological thrillers: a woman’s face streaked with mud against dark woodland

Author

Books by Chelse

Psychological thrillers that keep readers guessing until the very last page — and children’s books made for reading out loud.

Storytelling has become one of my greatest passions — but the inspiration behind my stories is anything but ordinary.

Growing up, I experienced what I can only describe as a haunted house. Those early experiences sparked a lifelong fascination with the unknown and left me with an imagination that has never stopped asking, "What if?"

I have also had incredibly vivid nightmares — so vivid that every psychological thriller I have written has been inspired by one of my dreams. I often wake in the middle of the night to jot down scenes before they disappear.

My career in healthcare added another layer of realism. Working in emergency room trauma and in a psychiatric hospital exposed me to some of the most heartbreaking, shocking, and unforgettable moments imaginable — deepening my understanding of human behavior, fear, resilience, and the complexities of the mind.

Alongside my thrillers, I write children’s books that celebrate curiosity, creativity, kindness, family, and learning. While my thrillers explore the darker corners of the imagination, my children’s books reflect my hope of inspiring young readers and creating meaningful moments for families.

  • Psychological thrillers
  • Children’s books
  • Drawn from real dreams
Visit the book site(opens in a new tab)
Chelse Leigh in a striped apron mixing a seasoning blend in a glass bowl, surrounded by bowls of paprika, turmeric, salt, olive oil and fresh basil

Founder

Smart Seasonings

Healthy food should never be boring. Nine blends with up to 80% less sodium — and none of the compromise.

Smart Seasonings began with one person in mind — my brother. He has Type 1 diabetes and was placed on a sodium-restricted diet due to declining kidney function.

Because of his restrictions, I found myself making separate meals just for him. I refused to believe that eating healthier meant sacrificing flavor, so I started experimenting in my kitchen to create blends packed with taste and significantly lower in sodium. He loved them.

Before long, other family members wanted them too. Within a few months I was shipping homemade seasonings across the country to relatives who kept asking for more.

It was not until I became a registered nurse that I realized just how much these seasonings were truly needed. Whether in the emergency department, case management, or other settings, I met countless people living with high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and diabetes — all requiring a reduced-sodium diet.

Time and time again I would educate patients about lowering their sodium, only to hear the same response: "Well, Nurse Chelse… I just don’t like Mrs. Dash." I understood exactly what they meant. People want to eat healthier — they just don’t want bland food.

That is when I decided it was time to share my family’s secret, introducing them publicly as Smart Seasonings (formerly Heart & Kidney Healthy Homemade Seasonings).

Because eating healthier shouldn’t feel like a punishment — it should be something you actually look forward to.

Now that’s a win.
  • 9 unique blends
  • Up to 80% less sodium
  • Heart & kidney friendly
Explore the blends(opens in a new tab)
Chelse Leigh holding one of her original paintings in her studio
Studio portrait of Chelse Leigh, artist and greeting card designer

Artist & Creative

Gallery by Chelse

Original artwork and humorous greeting cards made to make people laugh, smile, think, or simply feel seen.

Creativity has always been a part of who I am.

From painting original artwork to designing humorous greeting cards, I love creating pieces that make people laugh, smile, think, or simply brighten their day. Every painting, greeting card, and handcrafted creation is designed with the hope that it brings joy into someone’s life.

Whether it is a heartfelt piece of artwork or a greeting card that has you laughing out loud, creativity is one of my favorite ways to connect with others.

  • Original paintings
  • Greeting cards
  • Handcrafted pieces
View the gallery(opens in a new tab)

Real Estate & Notary Services

Helping people doesn’t stop in the hospital

As a licensed REALTOR® and notary public, I enjoy helping individuals and families through some of life’s biggest milestones. Whether buying a home, selling property, or assisting with important legal documents, I strive to make each experience smooth, professional, and stress-free.

  • Buying a home

    Guidance through one of the largest decisions a family will make.

  • Selling property

    A professional, straightforward process from listing to closing.

  • Notary services

    Careful handling of important documents when accuracy matters most.

Helping From the Heart Foundation

The project closest to my heart

Perhaps the project closest to my heart is the Helping From the Heart Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded alongside my Marine veteran husband.

Together, we are committed to serving those who have sacrificed so much for others. Through our foundation, we support veterans, first responders, and underserved members of our community by providing assistance, resources, and acts of kindness when they are needed most.

  • Veterans
  • First responders
  • Underserved neighbors

10%

10% of the profits generated across my businesses are dedicated to supporting the foundation and giving back to the community.

Every purchase you make helps create a positive impact far beyond the products themselves.

Family First

Above every title, my greatest blessing is being a mom

My six incredible children inspire me every single day. They are intelligent, creative, hardworking, and already beginning to build entrepreneurial dreams of their own.

Watching them discover their passions has been one of the greatest joys of my life, and I hope that by pursuing my own dreams, I am showing them that with determination, kindness, and hard work, anything is possible.

Family is the foundation behind everything I do.

Chelse Leigh with her husband and four of their children outside a school building
Chelse Leigh with three of her children at a pumpkin patch in autumn

Thank You

I’m truly grateful you’re here

Whether you found this website through one of my novels, artwork, greeting cards, seasonings, real estate services, or community outreach, thank you for being here.

I invite you to explore the many different branches of my journey. While each project may look different on the surface, they all exist for the same reason — to create, to serve, to inspire, and to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Thank you for supporting not just one business, but a family of dreams dedicated to making the world a little brighter, one project at a time.