Kellie has been working in food and agriculture for a long time. She and her husband John were both working at Whole Foods Market in New York when, in 2008, they transferred to the Kāhala store to be closer to John's mom on Oʻahu. Soon after, Kellie joined Herbco International to coordinate the export of fresh herbs from Hawaiʻi. There she became proficient in herb production but was bothered by the fact that these amazing herbs weren't available to locals. In 2017, Kellie and John went out on their own, leased five acres, and began selling certified organic fresh herbs and edible flowers as Waialua Growers.