Caroline Kelm and her Husband Dax Kelm, who run Groundswell PR, are both stunningly good looking people. Like straight-out-of-Hollywood with chiseled features and huge smiles. And they have a beautiful kid, too. And they live right near the beach in South Carolina and travel the world working for large outdoor brands. Life is good.
We’ve come to respect Caroline because even after days of standing under fluorescent lights shaking hands and talking about the same products over and over at the annual trade shows, she’s always genuine, which is hard to find. In an industry that depends on relationships, she’s a pro.
Her connection to the outdoor industry started back in Jackson Hole, which is where she moved after college. She also met Dax in Jackson Hole and Groundswell PR has been open since 2012.
Today they have a full roster of clients including Fischer Skis, Freewaters, Hillsound Equipment, Hydro Flask, Jones Snowboards, Mountainsmith, Pistachio Chewy Bites, super.natural, The New Primal and the huge fish that is Under Armour. The business is growing and they’re continually hiring more people.
“Every day we pinch ourselves,” she says.
Outside the industry, Caroline is someone who you’d have no problem sitting next to on an airplane ride across the country because she’s funny, quirky and self deprecating. We asked her to tell us an embarrassing story and she wrote back with the following:
“When I was learning to surf in college, my girlfriend and I paddled out on a day that the current was very strong. It pulled us down the beach right into the middle of a surf competition. All we could hear from the beach was the announcer saying, ‘Please exit the contest area!’ We were paddling as hard as we could, but he shouted it about three times before we could get out of the way. It was pretty much mortifying!”
Down the road, Caroline says she’s excited about being a part of a growing movement in the industry that’s ensuring the products we use out in the mountains and in the oceans are made the right way. It’s not just about having fun, but also making sure that we’re accountable.
“Consumers are really getting to know the brands that they support and are starting to seek out those that are socially and environmentally responsible,” she says. “They’re digging deeper and want to believe in each company’s mission.”
