Chelsea Matthews hasn’t worked for anyone for eight-and-a-half years. She’s the founder of Matte Black, an LA-based creative studio; creator of Shape Shift Report and Candid Network; and partner at the eatery Highly Likely cafe.

It’s an impressive list—even more impressive when you get a peek behind what it takes to build such successful projects. We talked to Chelsea about her career path, creating where you see the gaps, and above all, how tapping into your creative community makes all the difference.