Chelsea Savanna Phillips:
The Publicist, Powerhouse, and
Protector Carrying a Legacy Forward
Written By: Lauren Taylor Sawyer
In every generation, there is someone who doesn’t just follow a path, but forges one. For Chelsea Savanna Phillips, that journey began long before she became a trusted sports publicist, a top-producing life insurance agent, and the quiet force behind athletes, families, and brands. Her story is one of faith, discipline, identity, and the kind of determination that turns potential into legacy.
Early Years: The Making of “The Son Her Dad Never Had”
Chelsea’s story begins in Rockdale County, Georgia, where she grew up as one of four girls, but with a twist.
“Growing up in a house full of girls but being called ‘the son my father never had’ made our dynamic different,” she said.
While she loved all things feminine — hair, makeup, a bodysuit on a night out — she also bonded with her father through cars, sports, and sideline conversations that some daughters never get to have. One of her favorite memories was riding with him to Kentucky on a work trip just so the two of them could test-drive cars after he audited one of their offices.
She laughs, remembering how her sisters and mother teased her later in life, calling her “Little Keith” after her father passed, because she naturally stepped into his role of making sure everyone was good, on time, and taken care of.
Those early years of her childhood also connected her to a community she continues to serve today — a full-circle moment, considering her family business is now headquartered right back where her story began.
Discovering Her Voice: School, Leadership and Multifaceted Talent
By the time she reached middle and high school, Chelsea wasn’t just involved; she was everywhere. Student body president. Varsity cheerleader. Writer for the school newspaper. Member of the Thespian Society.
Chelsea also said that teachers advocated for and poured into her from the moment they realized her gifts. “Teachers realized my leadership skills, and I stepped into them. I always tell people we’re multifaceted human beings.”
From being placed in the gifted program in fifth grade to teachers like her 7th-grade math teacher calling out her potential, Chelsea was a leader long before she recognized it in herself.
Her ability to connect, to be liked, trusted, and respected, became her superpower long before she knew she’d turn that skill into a career. But perhaps the most defining lesson? She never allowed the world to place her in a box.
“We’re not either/or,” Chelsea said. “We’re both/and.”
She could wear heels one day and Jordans the next. She could be delicate and disciplined, girly and gritty, soft and assertive. And she embraced all of it. Even her mother eventually laughed at her unpredictable style, joking, “Let me guess, you’re wearing sneakers,” whenever Chelsea had a long day ahead of her. That mindset would guide her into the next chapter of her story.
Choosing Auburn: Where Purpose Began Taking Shape
Chelsea had several options for college, including the University of Alabama and the University of Mississippi, among others. But Auburn felt like destiny. A bus tour of one campus and a walking tour of another was all she needed.
“My parents had already paid the $300 housing deposit for Bama, but Auburn just felt like home,” she said.
It was there that her love of sports collided with PR for the first time. She launched Auburn Football’s first Instagram page before the concept of athlete branding was even a thing. Her biggest lesson? If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.
She asked players to share posts, help grow the page, and support the content even before social media clout mattered. The initiative paid off.
“Hey, I just started this page. Can you follow it?” she said. “And because follower counts didn’t matter yet, they willingly did.”
What she didn’t know then was that this boldness would open doors she didn’t even know she was knocking on.
The Push Into PR: A Calling She Never Saw Coming
Chelsea never planned to run her own PR firm; it found her. When Jonathan Jones, an NFL cornerback and two-time Super Bowl champion known for his speed, sharp instincts, and dependable play, asked her to run his football camp, she initially resisted. “I don’t have any experience,” she said. “Well, I trust you,” Jonathan told her.
That trust turned into a flawless event, which ultimately led to another athlete, Trey Flowers, a defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion, reaching out for help in building his foundation. Suddenly, she found herself planning events, managing media, shaping brands, and discovering she loved it.
“It didn’t feel like work. I realized I had joy doing it,” Chelsea said.
Six years later, Chelsea’s client list includes Olympians, NFL veterans, NBA players, and athletes who trust her with their voices, brands, and stories. But the key to her longevity? Reputation.
“Your personal brand matters,” she said. “Your ethics matter. People do business with people they know, like, and trust.”
Chelsea had a recent meeting with a legendary Auburn alum and Hall of Fame nominee who told her, “I already know who you are in this space. Your reputation is clean, keep doing what you’re doing.” She said that moments like these remind her why integrity has always been non-negotiable.
And Chelsea has built an unshakeable reputation in an industry that constantly tests character. Yet even as CPR, her firm’s symbolic breath of life, rose, another calling kept her anchored.
Returning Home: Stepping Into the Family Legacy
When Chelsea didn’t land a PR job straight out of college, she didn’t panic. She pivoted right into her parents’ life-changing financial services firm. Looking back, she knows it wasn’t random.
“God was intentional,” she said. “I never would’ve learned the fundamentals of business without joining the family business.”
Under the mentorship of her father, Keith Phillips, she learned discipline, strategy, leadership, and the importance of creating a lasting impact. Her father and mother were already making six figures in the 1980s and had built the company before she was born. Watching their work ethic, even after achieving financial freedom, sparked the fire within her.
Today, she is a top-producing life insurance agent, helping families secure their futures, while also scaling her PR empire simultaneously.
“I can’t say this enough. People think it must be either/or. For me, it’s always been AND,” Chelsea said. The duality that defined her as a child became the engine that drives her now.
The Power of Financial Impact: Why She Refuses to Choose Between Industries
In the financial world, Chelsea isn’t just licensed; she is deeply mission-driven. “People can die too soon or live too long. Either way, their family needs a plan,” she said.
She breaks it down simply:
Life insurance: protects debt, income, mortgages, and college tuition.
Investments: ensure you don’t outlive your money.
Her office alone has:
• $3 billion in life insurance in force
• $330 million placed in the last 12 months
• $162 million paid out in death claims
• $186 million managed in investments
She is licensed in GA, AL, TN, SC, NC, TX, ND, and MI, and works with agents in MS, FL, NY, OK, and additional states.
“There are people who need me and this license,” Chelsea said. “I will always do both.”
And with over 100 million Americans still underinsured or uninsured, she sees her work as a calling, not a career choice. Chelsea’s work in both industries is legacy-building. It is purpose, not preference.
Navigating Loss: Faith as Her Compass
The sudden passing of her father changed everything and nothing. Everything, because she lost her closest earthly guide. Nothing, because her faith never wavered.
“I don’t need the understanding. I need the peace that surpasses understanding,” Chelsea said.
Grief taught her vulnerability, and that strength sometimes looks like tears. It taught her to let God and her father guide her in ways she can feel but not see. She remembers the night before the anniversary of his passing, crying uncontrollably until she turned the moment into worship — something she never imagined sharing publicly, yet now does because it helps others.
And in Chelsea’s personal life, she even sees divine orchestration in the way she met her now-partner. “Our paths never would have crossed. But God uses people,” she said.
Her faith is her fuel, and her father’s legacy is the wind beneath her wings.
On Mentorship, Women, and Believing You’re Enough
When young women ask how to start, Chelsea doesn’t sugarcoat it: “It’s going to feel strange because it’s new, not because you’re incapable.” She quotes a phrase she loves: “Don’t let the process punk you out of the promise.”
Chelsea’s advice is straightforward:
• Trust your journey.
• Trust God’s timing.
• Give yourself permission to begin.
• And remember the mind is the real battleground.
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right,” she said.
Redefining Success
Today, success looks different for Chelsea. Not cars. Not metrics. Not the next big client.
“Success is doing what I love, with the people I love, surrounded by love,” she said.
She pours into athletes, families, mentees, and the women who watch her and believe they can build something too. Into the legacy her father left her to steward, and she does it all without losing herself. As Chelsea looks at the woman she’s become, she returns to the girl who started it all.
If the Little Girl From Conyers Could See Her Now
Chelsea smiles at the thought.
“She’d say it all worked out. We spend so much time trying to make everything perfect, and it still ends up working out anyway,” she said.
Her path wasn’t linear. Her timeline wasn’t predictable. Her journey wasn’t traditional. But it was divine. And today, she stands as a woman who didn’t wait for doors to open; she built them, walked through them, and now holds them open for others.
Explore PR services, event management, and brand storytelling at www.chelseasphillips.com/. For life insurance guidance, personal inspiration, and her work within the world of sports, stay connected with Chelsea on Instagram @ chelsea.s.phillips.
