Born out of an experiment to see if they could turn their passions into a living, Mike and Nikki Dunn founded their passions-turned-business enterprise, NC Coastal Life in 2012. Merging indoor and outdoor yoga, scuba instruction, escorted dive travel and beach vacation rental management, NC Coastal Life operates with a goal to bring joyful experiences to those living in and visiting the Crystal Coast.

“We combined our favorite things,” said Nikki of NC Coastal Life. “We are both scuba instructors and yoga teachers—so we put it together, left our jobs in the corporate world and moved to Beaufort.” While Mike unexpectedly passed away last year at 61 years old, Nikki has continued the business they both began as a tribute to his legacy.

“I am keeping things successful. Mike has left a legacy for me to live on and enjoy,” she said. One of those things is a massive customer base of residents and tourists alike, many of whom have transitioned from customers into friends.

For her part, Nikki smiles when she considers how fast Beaufort is growing—because it means people are visiting. “I’m happy to be part of that,” she said. “I’m aware there’s lots of places people can go. [Tourism] brings in business. It’s the foundation… we thrive on tourism.”

Similar to NC Coastal Life’s logo of a yogi mermaid, with hair that spells ‘ohm’, Nikki enjoys the peace and tranquility of being surrounded by water, seeing the coastal sunsets and enjoying the Crystal Coast’s array of nature-focused activities. “Diving and yoga are so similar,” said Nikki. “They both bring peace and calm.”