Title: Founder, Principal Coach
Company: The Cardwell Collective LLC
Education: MS in Organizational Leadership, University of Texas at Dallas (2025); Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership, University of Arkansas, Fort Smith (2016)
Career History: Founder, Principal Coach, The Cardwell Collective LLC (2025-Present); Training and Development Senior Professional, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (2021-2025); Corporate Trainer, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (2018-Present); Customer Service Representative, Farm Bureau Financial Services (2017-2018); Outside Sales Representative, UniFirst Corporation (2016-2017)
Chelsea Cardwell, Founder and Principal Coach at The Cardwell Collective LLC, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leaders for their contributions and achievements in the field of government administration.
Growing up, Ms. Cardwell’s parents deeply valued education and always encouraged her to be academically strong. While studying organizational leadership at the University of Arkansas, tragedy struck the family when her father died in a plane crash. But instead of giving into her grief, she set out to honor his memory by completing her education as he would have wanted. In 2016, she earned her bachelor’s degree, backed by a strong support system along the way, including her mother, husband, and numerous friends and colleagues.
Ms. Cardwell worked as an outside sales representative at UniFirst Corporation, a uniform and flat goods company, from 2016 2017. Excelling in this role, she accrued several recognitions and gained valuable experience in the sales world, which suited her talkative nature. Her career took another significant turn when she received an opportunity to train under Justin Lovett, the top life insurance agent in Arkansas. She subsequently found success as a customer service representative at Farm Bureau Financial Services for a year.
She launched her career at the Choctaw Nation in 2018, which was celebrated by her family, particularly her proud Choctaw grandmother. She first served in a dual role as a drug tech and Human Resources representative and within six months, she was recruited as a new employee orientation trainer. Shortly after that, she advanced to a role focused on professional development training, continued climbing the ranks, and ultimately achieved a position in leadership development, which is where she truly began to thrive. Since 2021, she’s been active within the tribe conducting corporate training and teaching leadership development, facilitating leadership workshops, working one-on-one with clients, and collaborating internally with leaders.
Additionally, Ms. Cardwell felt determined to strengthen leadership and coaching services with the Choctaw, and further her own credentials, when she attended the University of Texas at Dallas. There, she was surrounded by inspiring professors and a group of talented professionals, including a peer named Melissa, whose encouragement helped motivate her more than ever before. Alongside the Master of Science in organizational leadership she attained in 2025, she earned an executive coaching professional certification. Through the program, she became equipped to obtain the International Coach Federation (ICF) certification, a significant accomplishment in the field that she plans to utilize in her coaching services and ultimately make an impact on upper-level leaders and benefiting thousands of associates. She also serves as a longtime member of the National Society of Leadership and Success.
In 2025, Ms. Cardwell launched The Cardwell Collective LLC, a leadership coaching and training consultancy designed to deliver “not your boring leadership training.” Through this venture, she partners with organizations and individuals to close the “Knowing-Doing Gap,” enhance emotional intelligence, and develop agile, future-focused leaders, especially in regard to ambitious women in the industry. Alongside her independent practice, she serves as a national contract facilitator with the Bob Pike Group, delivering interactive corporate training experiences that energize and empower participants, and director of events on the board for the Arkansas-Oklahoma Chapter of the International Coaching Federation
Driven by purpose and authenticity, she blends strategy, empathy, and storytelling to create learning that sticks. She lives in Arkansas with her husband, Brandon, and their young son. She loves traveling, discovering new experiences, and creating a life rooted in growth, joy, and connection.