Rooted in Movement. A Conversation with Kella of Nomad Home
Looking back, what parts of your upbringing or personality do you feel most shaped the woman you’ve become today?
I’m an only child of Chinese parents who fled the Cultural Revolution, arriving in Canada with no education, no English, and no safety net. They worked 12-hour days, six days a week, so I could have every opportunity.
My grandparents believed my place was to stay home, marry, and care for family — but I was determined to prove them wrong. I fast-tracked my career at PepsiCo and P&G, chasing the corporate dream.
Then my dad was laid off, and I saw that even the “safe path” wasn’t safe. That’s when I knew I had to build something of my own.
Has your definition of success changed over the years? What feels meaningful to you now?
Completely. At 17, I wrote a five-year plan: win case competitions, climb the corporate ladder, land a role at PepsiCo or P&G. I hit every goal — and still felt empty. I’d built a life that looked impressive but felt meaningless.
During COVID, remote work gave me space to explore. After four years of travel and building community, success now means doing meaningful work, cultivating deep relationships, and growing into the most generous, fulfilled version of myself — in both life and business.
What rituals, objects, or spaces help you feel grounded when everything around you is shifting?
I don’t wake up to alarms anymore — that was my post-corporate promise to myself. My mornings are slow: journaling, incense, matcha with collagen, and meditation.
I’ve also embraced more spiritual practices. When I feel stuck, I’ll consult our family’s monk, Buddhist divination, my Balinese shaman, or a tarot reading. That balance between structure and spirituality keeps me grounded when life feels in flux.
Success now means doing meaningful work, cultivating deep relationships, and growing into the most generous, fulfilled version of myself.
Who or what has deeply inspired you creatively, and are there any women whose path helped you feel less alone on your own?
Nomad Home was completely inspired by women building in food, events, and community. Early on, I reached out to a few table stylists and chefs I admired, and many generously took my call.
Pearl B of Her Name is Nala was my earliest mentor. Jackie from Atlas Culinary inspired me through business chats, and Luca of TEN Women is always full of ideas. These women built lives on their terms — and made the entrepreneurial path feel less lonely for me.
What personal experiences led you to create Nomad Home, and how does it reflect your story?
I’ve always been driven by food and travel. At 15, I made a list of every restaurant in Vancouver. Once I completed it, I left. That curiosity took me to 50+ countries, working remotely in 26 of them.
But it got lonely. I wanted deeper connections with people who inspired me, who were building things, and who saw travel as a lifestyle. Those adventurous souls who rejected the classic 9–5 and live life on their own terms. I created Nomad Home to find those people, while curating the best food and travel experiences in the world. In doing so, I built the community I was missing.
What does home mean to you today, especially as someone who has lived or moved across places?
Home used to be wherever I landed — but now, it’s more intentional. After a decade of travel, I have a partner, a home base, and friends across continents.
I revisit places slowly: renting villas, cooking, and reconnecting with people. My twenties were about collecting places. Now I’m creating orbits — spaces I return to where I feel rooted. Eventually, home will likely be two places: Europe in the summer, Asia in the winter, and anywhere I throw a long-table dinner party for my friends or the Nomad Home community.
What’s something about building a creative business that’s rarely talked about, but that you’ve lived firsthand?
Passion is important, but so is planning for sustainable growth. I come from business school, yet even I underestimated how difficult it is to build a creative, experience-driven business that’s scalable without outside capital.
You have to balance funding your life and funding the business. That kind of strategic foresight is often missing in conversations around female entrepreneurship, but it’s essential if you want to grow on your own terms.
The women who inspire me built their lives on their own terms — and made the entrepreneurial path feel far less lonely.
What would you tell other women walking their own path in the creative world, especially those trying to do things differently?
Momentum is everything. Make decisions fast, pivot fast, and hire people better than you so you can focus on the vision.
You’ll pivot weekly. That’s normal. The worst days are often followed by your biggest wins. But through it all, you’ll become the woman who kept her word to herself and built something real. That self-respect is the most valuable thing you’ll earn.
About Nomad Home
Founded by Kella Chan in 2022, Nomad Home curates intimate, design-forward travel experiences for creatives, entrepreneurs, and thoughtful wanderers. From long-table dinners to immersive retreats, each gathering is rooted in connection, culture, and a deep sense of place.