make your personal story a profitable brand | i help high-potential women understand & share their stories to effortlessly sell themselves & their work | +15 years building brands for NBA All-Stars, founders, VCs | ADHD

i was broke for 8 years. had my card declined buying medicine for my toddler. lost $80K when my tech startup failed. now...


i help overthinking high-achievers turn their "mess" into money.

because after 11 jobs in 8 industries, i discovered something nobody talks about

your weird career path? 
your brain that won't shut off?
that thing everyone says makes you "too much"?

that's not your weakness. that's your f*cking edge.

listen, most "personal brand experts" want you to pick a lane. follow a formula. sound like everyone else.

meanwhile... 


you can't explain what you do in one sentence.
"just be authentic" makes you think, "but how??"
and you've got 47 drafts in your notes app that you'll never publish.

i get it. because that was me. 

which is my i turned the way i think and work into a methodology that could help more people than just me. 

through StoryEQ™, i help you:
• turn your overthinking into strategic advantage
• build a brand that actually feels like you AND makes money
• stop "performing professionalism" and start being profitable
• decode your story to find what actually makes you different (hint: it's in the mess)

my clients? NBA All-Stars. Olympians. VCs. Artists.

Founders who've raised $30 million.
Artists who sold $300K of art in 72 hours. 
Creators who went from "I can't monetize" to 
"it's hard to express how much opportunity is crossing my desk these days"

they don't hire me because they need confidence.
they hire me because they're sick of being overlooked despite knowing deep down that they have more to offer. 

fair warning(s): 

i swear. a lot.
i'll call out your bullsh*t (lovingly).
i don't do "mindset work" without strategy.
and if you're afraid of Queer people? we're not a fit.

—

don't believe me, believe them:

"I built a multi-million dollar company in 18 months. If i'd had StoryEQ™ early on, we could have done it in 9. It's so powerful I license the methodology." 
— Amanda Northcutt, Founder + CEO @ Level Up Creators

"StoryEQ™ is better than DISC or StrengthsFinder. What kristina's doing is so impactful — it's a gift, and it's going to save lives." 
— Jon Giganti, USA Today Bestselling Author

—

follow me for how to 

- turn your weird into wealth
- finally put words to why your valuable + different

kristina flynn

last year someone said to me, "oh, you're a teacher!" my response: ummm, not even f*cking close. 


here’s why:


in my first week of high school i was overwhelmed by students coming up to me saying:

"YOU'RE Mrs. Flynn's daughter?!" 
"omg, your Mom was my favourite teacher" 
"i don't think you get it…your Mom changed my life"

she taught kindie for over 20 years. her second career. and she was "THAT TEACHER" for so many of my friends and peers.

you know that teacher. 

the one who saw you like no one else could 
the one who knew exactly what you needed 
the one that made you a better student AND person
(mine were Ms. Martin and Ms. Vanderkoy)

teaching wasn't  job, it was her calling.

those kids were HER kids. and she treated all of them the same she treated us 3 girls at home.

she doted over kiddos having tough times 
she cried for the ones not getting what they needed at home 
she agonized over her classroom - every step, every turn, was intentional

as a kid i had sleeping problems

no matter what time i woke, i knew i would find my Mom up - in between loads of laundry - prepping her lessons for the next day

THAT is a teacher in my mind

—

so when that person used "teacher", i had a visceral reaction

but you educate people? 
you teach people what you know? 
you run workshops for f*cks sake?!

it's true. so why was i so anti?

i reflected, 
then realized something...

these titles. the associations we have with them. are holding us back.

Artist.
Writer.
Coach.
Creator.
Teacher.

i've fought claiming these titles.

because to me they are EARNED, not given.

the artist grinding for 20 years 
the writer with books on shelves 
the coach with accreditations on every wall 

and the teacher painstakingly creating lesson plans at 1 am

but my obsession with needing to have the education, credentials, and years of commitment to embrace these titles?

it’s hurting me. and it’s hurting you.

times have changed. 
what was, isn't what is.

we're making money on the internet, damnit

so, if you're doing work to help people

own the thing that helps those people find you - the thing that helps them understand what you do. 

here, i'll go first:

i'm an artist who never went to art school 
i'm a writer owning #overthinkinginpublic
i'm a coach helping overthinking high-achievers
i'm a creator building a business AND becoming someone

and i'm a TEACHER hosting my first workshop of 2026 next Tuesday, January 13th at 10 am et.

(it’s for Ask A Chief Of Staff - a paid community run by the unreal Clara Ma…but  25 of you can attend for free using KRISTINA100. link to in the comments!)


real talk 💬 do you struggle to claim titles without credentials?

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their wild careers and stories into personal brands (that feel like them and make sh*ttons of money).

if you dig this (and aren't afraid of Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

you can’t see your value. i fix that | 18 yrs w/ NBA All-Stars, Olympians + VCs | founder, StoryEQ™ - helping overthinkers turn wild careers + stories into brands that feel like you + make sh*t-tons of money | ADHD

my therapist says i need "consistency." so here are my 12,000 thoughts from this morning (pt.10)

(welcome to #overthinkinginpublic your weekly dose of sh*t few care about and literally no one asked for)


• is it time to forgive Ellen yet?

• “keep the change…ya filthy animal”

• moms be like…i can’t stand filth. then use a 7 year old mascara

• how is there no dishwasher option between “express” and 7 hours

• having children means never taking for granted a roll of paper towel 

• pretty proud of myself for never saying “patience is a virtue” to my kids 

• i’m not sure if this trend toward “fancy” laundry rooms is something we need to embrace

• 20 yo me: my back hurts | 42 yo me: i’m experiencing chronic pain in the mid-thoracic. around C5-C-7

• sure, you can call “Kris” instead of kristina…as long as you’re cool with me never speaking to you again

• if i stopped any TedX speaker randomly and asked them to recite their talk - could they do it word for word?


real talk 💬 well...IS IT TIME TO FORGIVE ELLEN??

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their wild careers and stories into personal brands (that feel like them and make sh*ttons of money).

if you dig this (and aren't afraid of Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

your content doesn't "feel" like you because you don't know who the f*ck "you" are.


why is that?

because you've been "performing professionalism" for so long, you forgot who you were (before corporate told you who to be).

the talk. the dress. the acronyms.

all of it is calculated, 
and on purpose.

because business runs best in a culture of sameness. 

so they strip you of your individuality
to make sure you stay in line. 

and after doing that for decades, 
of course you don't know who you are anymore. 

the good news? it's not your fault.

but it is your choice on what step you wanna take next. 

—

last week i met with a badass woman.

her resume was 1000x more impressive than mine.
decades at some of the world's biggest tech companies.

she explained what she did in her previous roles and when i asked, "what makes you great at that work?"

i got a typical corporate response.

politely, i interrupted: "can you try that again but this time just talk to me simply... no corporate talk."

her response stopped being robotic.
and became human.

THAT person - the one underneath the professional performance - is who her audience needs to meet.

—

and you're no different. 

you're on LinkedIn
trying to "build a brand" like they said
(silently dying inside from the ick of it all)

and no matter what you do, writing content feels impossible. 

because you've seen too much to 
buy into that corporate bullsh*t anymore.

but you don't know how to be anyone other than that person they trained you to be. 

the "professional" you.
the palatable you.
the polished you.

the one who fit.

—

i spent decades in this trap.

NBA. tech startups. $100M projects.
always performing the "professional" version of me.

how i finally figured out who tf i was?

i stopped looking for the right framework.
and started looking for the person i'd buried.

the weird one.
the "too much" one.
the one they tried to fix.

that's who my audience needed. 
and that's who your audience needs too. 

okay?


real talk 💬 what's your most hated corporate word? mine is ASAP. if you tell me to do something ASAP, i immediately want to do it never. 

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their wild careers and stories into a personal brand (that feels like them and makes sh*ittons of money).

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

undefined undefined

my business coach asked me what i actually wanted. i couldn't answer.



she's not the first one to ask either.

9 years as an entrepreneur. tons of coaches and mentors along the way.

inevitably, this question always comes up.

and until the end of 2025?
i never had an answer.

because i wasn't choosing anything. i was just reacting.

react to the kids.
react to the news.
react to the clients.

i called it "busy,"“grinding", “livin the dream”

but it all meant the same sh*t

i was letting old stories run my life.

the ones that said i wasn't enough.
the ones that said i needed to prove something.
the ones that said if i just worked harder, i'd finally feel okay.

when you’re in that space you’re not thinking about what you want. 

you’re surviving. 

reacting to everything.
controlling nothing that actually mattered.
wondering why i felt so fucking exhausted all the time.

hot tip: control is a lie we tell ourselves.

you can't control outcomes, other people, what happens next.

but you CAN choose.

choose how you respond instead of react.
choose whether old stories keep running your life - or you start writing new ones.
choose what you actually f*cking want, 
and build the life and business that supports it.

my word for 2026? CHOOSE.

not control. choose.

because i have that right and it’s about time i owned it. actually. 

real talk 💬 you got a 2026 word? 

(I know some people find it cheese but for an ADHD brain I think it’s the easiest 2026 planning you could do!)


—


hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories into personal brands (that feel like them and make shittons of money).

if you dig this (and aren't afraid of Queer people)

follow me here: kristina flynn

my therapist says i need "consistency." so here are my 12,000 thoughts from this morning (pt.11)


(welcome to #overthinkinginpublic - your weekly dose of sh*t few people care about and literally no one asked for)

• how is high-noon different than noon?
• i miss simpler times…when i didn’t worry about my carbon footprint
• i’m 42 and sometimes still drink a redbull…without vodka. come at me
• the ballet movie, Center Stage is theatrical genius…i will die on this hill
• 🎵 iiiiiiiiiii / want to sing from the chande-lier / from the chande-lier-ier🎵
• i spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about the Age of Adeline movie
• i’m consistently in awe of people who wake immediately to the sound of their alarm
• whatever happened to Neighbourhood Watch? did the Karen’s orchestrate a formal coup?
• why don’t more creators do brand deals for everyday shit? like toilet paper or electrical companies
• you’re not asking “what do you do?” because you’re interested. we both know it’s a veiled attempt to status check me

real talk 💬 what’s a bevie you still consume with quiet shame?

—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their wild careers and stories into personal brands (that feel like them and make sh*ttons of money).

if you dig this (and aren't afraid of Queer people):
follow me here: kristina flynn

disappeared.



i'd built what i thought was "the dream":

+16K followers
big name clients
a respected agency
event + speaking invites
daily growth, impressions, engagement tracking

i finally did what i'd tried to do so many times before.

i assumed, "it's only up from here."

and then, what felt literally overnight, it all went away.

• Elon buys Twitter - none of those followers are seeing my posts
• Web3 market crashes (personal and professional assets worthless)
• client budgets dry up, one even stiffs me $20K

one of the biggest f*ck ups?

i hadn't built an email list.

this "personal brand" was zero bit personal.

i'd built on a platform i didn't control, around a market i didn't control.

hell, i barely even showed my face. rocked a "PFP" (avatar) instead.

—

when i stopped being fetal position, fulling clothed in the shower, i reflected on how i'd do it differently.

for one, i'd stop tracking vanity metrics and start tracking value metrics:

instead of impressions → real comments (are they engaging?)
instead of follower count → DM connections (any direct conversations?)
instead of engagement rate → cross-platform follows (do they follow you elsewhere?)
instead of reach → newsletter subscribers (did they opt in?)
instead of likes → purchases + feedback (are they buying? what do they say?)

—

since making that shift:

started my first solo company
had my first 6-figure year
gave my first keynote to 100 people
started licensing my StoryEQ process
quieted my horrendously mean inner voice

and began to create a new character trait: self-trust.

—

the signals that matter won't show up in your analytics tab. i promise. 

they show up in the comments that say "i feel seen."
the DMs thanking you for sharing what others won't.
the connection requests from people who want to learn from you.

so what if, this year, you think about this thing a little differently. 

you're not just building something. 
you're becoming someone.

and that someone is who the world desperately needs right now. 


real talk 💬 did you ever buy an NFT? if so, what was your first?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their wild careers and stories into personal brands that feel like them and make sh*ttons of money.

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people):

follow me here: kristina flynn

No alternative text description for this image

Mental Wealth Strategist | Speaker | Author | Researcher

I’m Anthony, and I’m the person people call when they’re overwhelmed by AI, ambitious about their business, and not willing to burn out or betray their values to grow.

For the past 25+ years I’ve had a very “non-linear on paper, perfectly coherent in real life” career:
* teaching yoga and writing a 400-page training manual,
* brokering commercial real estate deals,
* advising on employer branding and company culture,
* running global mental wealth programs for entrepreneurs and employees,
* leading a global web3 public goods working group
* facilitating workshops and cohorts for ERGs across the US, UK, and Australia.

The common thread? I help smart, values-driven people make better decisions under pressure about their work, their energy, and now, their use of AI.

I’m less interested in hype and more interested in:
* AI possibilities ↔ real-world constraints*
 Risk &amp; governance ↔ human energy &amp; values
* Big-theory ethics ↔ “What do we actually do on Monday?”
* Climate reality ↔ sustainable, profitable decisions

If you’re leader of a SME or someone who wants to use AI without frying your nervous system or crossing your own ethical lines, we’ll probably get along. 

If you read this far and felt a little exhale, we should talk.

For inquiries: hello@theanthonyware.com

Anthony Ware

Here's a quick recap of my first live session for business owners using AI who care about privacy, risk, and real-world application. 

I shared a new AI device, recent work and training that helped me leveled, and lessons from building safer AI workflows for small businesses.

A few key highlights:
- Most business owners don’t need more AI, they need safer, clearer ways to use
what they already have.
- Responsible AI use is a leadership skill now, not just a technical one.
- I shared a tool/process people who want structure, not noise.

If you're not sure if you're using AI or AI using you, then I've got you!

👉🏾 Registration opens TODAY for The AI Clarity Reset, a 5-day guided AI diagnostic designed for busy leaders. 

- Kick-off call: Wednesday, Jan. 21st
- Time: 15-20 minutes each day
- The Work: Map your "Shadow AI," plug the leaks, and give you a clear "Go/No-Go" AI framework for your business.
- Price: $99

Links to the full YouTube video and The AI Clarity Reset in the comments.

Helping solopreneurs + SMEs make human-centered decisions about AI governance, safety & strategy | Practical, non-technical guidance | Advisor, Speaker & Trainer

Can you hear me now?

I’ve always been a fan of audio (radio stations, voice recorder with the cassette tape, and even podcasts). 

Now, audio is back in the mix as GenAI works to capture even more data and provide more options. 

I’m thankful to Heather Murray  the AI for Non-Techies team for gifting me this Plaud Note. I won it during AIFNT’s end-of-year live event 🎉

Before I use it, I’ll run it through my personal and business AI policy checks. It’s a process for me, friends & family, and potential clients and partners.

It’s about tech, transparency, and trust. Plus it actually helps my mental health. 

While big enterprises have teams for this (IT, legal, risk management, etc), I am all of those for my business. 

More to come including a quick video of my process (policy checks before using AI). 

Until then, tech is still a tool even if it’s being embedded in many infrastructures. 

What’s the latest AI tool you’ve added or removed from your processes? 👇🏾

Who is one person who has impacted you in a constructive and uplifting way over the past 3-6 months?

I’ll go first….

Andy Ayim MBE 

I met Andy what seems like forever ago. Recently, he has inspired me with the flourishing of his multitudes. 

There’s always been more to Andy than a single business service or even whatls listed on his CV. 

I love that he is. Or better yet…

Ayim is showing his “I am” in his fullest expression. 

He has reminded me of all my layers and how I need to share more of them. 

OK, you’re next, who has impacted you? 

👇🏾 Give them their 💐 in the comments.

Yesterday, I started a 12-week AI technical training programme. 

Do I want to be a full-time coder or technical researcher? no.

Do I want to learn the languages and systems to support the AI Training and 
Governance work I do with clients? YES!!

I'm looking at this as learning a new language.

Also, it's giving me flashbacks of summer engineering and computer camps from my elementary and junior high school days.

Uncomfortable and fun at the same time...just like junior high :)

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end”

These lyrics, from the Semisonic song, Closing Time, hold a special place in my heart. Originally, they were linked to my time working at a bar in college. We’d play it at the end of the night. 

Over time, the lyrics are a reminder that I’m never starting from zero. Each time I start a new phase of life, I bring with me all of my previous experiences. 

Right now, that looks like completing an AGI Strategy training over Christmas week. Instead of waiting, I know myself enough that I needed to do it while the spark was hot. Plus it was a great way to close out my 3QAW2025. 

It also looks like weaving my lived experiences and observations into my next business services, even though the status quo is telling me to choose and particular lane. 

It’s not falling for the hype of new tech like I did in the past. 

This new beginning, my new beginning, is  just that a beginning. I’ll share some things along the way including research, case studies, thoughts on helping society, tech, and the planet. 

It will be messy and productive. My intention this time is to be a calm and grounding force. Especially so because there’s way too much push to use AI for everything. 

And because evil will always do evil no matter the tech. Now, it’s AI, but you know back in the day, when the movable-type printing press was created, scammers and authoritarians were licking their chops to do evil. 

The tools are out there and aren’t going away (capitalism and greed). I’m fully on the side of using AI and any tech tools for good and in safe ways. 

✨ How do you determine which AI tools to use or not, and when to use AI and when not to use it?

Until I share more, I’ll leave you with this lyric from the same song:

“Closing time, you don't have to go home, But you can't stay here”

My former life is over. I can’t go back. Time to move forward. 

🎥 me / Helsinki / a moment capturing a new beginning

As I continue to increase my knowledge and experience with AI governance, ethics, and safety, I remind myself that these are tools.

Even though the tools are powerful, they follow the training of the 1s and 0s.

The 1s and 0s are programmed by humans with a particular perspective on humanity.

Mis-alignment for one group could be defined as alignment by others.

For me, the current realities of harm and possibilities for good of AI will shape anything that may happen in the future.

At the end of last year, I intentionally chose to dive deeper into Responsible AI, AI Governance, and AI Safety. The work that HumaneIntelligence was doing stood out to me. So I volunteered to contribute and learn close up. 

The topic of this blog post was of deep interest to me, UN SDGs and how GenAI could actually be useful. Please read and reach out to HumaneIntelligence to chat in more detail.

Interim ED @Humane Intelligence | Global leader in tech / AI for social good | ex-GitHub, ex-UN

Back in September at our HumaneIntelligence UNGA side-event, Honest Discussions at the Intersection of AI and the SDGs, I hosted a panel about whether AI is really helping the SDGs. The opinions were mixed, but one thing we all agreed was that generative AI could have a transformative effect on how we view, define and measure human development in the future. 

One question I asked during the panel was what comes after the SDGs? Especially with massive funding shortfalls in international aid and geopolitical tides that are changing by the hour, that topic has been on my mind a lot lately. Along with Annie Brown, Anthony Ware and Lizzette Soria, we wrote a blog post exploring the idea of generative AI helping to create a human development ontology as the next iteration of the SDGs. We discuss the concept, the opportunities and challenges, and what needs to happen for this to go from an academic thought exercise to a practical, implementable reality. Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/e-jmxENG

Please reach out if you'd like to chat about the idea further. This is something we are keen to more formally explore at Humane Intelligence.

Lastly, for those in the US, there is currently a Senate funding bill on the floor that affects DHS, including ICE. Call your Senators and voice your opinion.

Open article: Ontologies, generative AI and the SDGs - Humane Intelligence by humane-intelligence.org

Ontologies, generative AI and the SDGs - Humane Intelligence

Many of you are learning that OpenAI have launched a healthcare version of their tool. Before you use it, don't forget a few key things...

First off, it's currently a hard pass for me.

Your personal health data is some of the most valuable data you have.

Generative AI companies are thirsty for novel data.

Once you give it away, you really have no clue how the data will be used or who they will share the data with. 

For example, the current federal administration in the USA is using many backdoor methods to get data on people. Data that was once considered sacred and highly private.

This isn't a hate on AI post. I believe the multiple forms of AI (gen, ML, etc.) can and have had positive upsides.

I hope it helps you think critically before falling into the hype cycle. 

Agency over your data. And, on the real, they should be paying you for your data.

Hope this gives you a moment of pause.

One thing in the AI governance, ethics, and safety report and research that I'm noticing is a focus on enterprise and large businesses.

I get it. They are the ones who can fund the studies, events, etc. 

At the same time, there are more SMEs and solopreneurs in the world.

With my previous business experiences and life experiences, I'm choosing to focus mostly on SMEs and soloprenuers.

It's a similar path I used to help business owners and employees with company culture and mental health.

Of course, I'll leverage learnings and limited work I do with large companies. I'm not turning down paid engagements them.

More to come.

What we consume matters.

Who we consume from matters too. 

One of the features that I dig with LinkedIn is the “Translate” feature. 

This morning, I used it for a post written in Swedish. 

The upside is gaining perspectives from people living in another country.

The caveat is that translation can and will lose the cultural nuances of language. 

I chose to take the extra steps, in order to get out of the echo chambers of my home country. And, it’s 100% worth it. 

Who are you choosing to learn from?

Things that make you go hmmm...

Hallucinations: There was someone (or group) who intentionally named a computer error a hallucination. 

I catch myself when I say it, but really let's call it what it is: computer error or glitch. The code created an incorrect output. 

The code was created by humans. They made the error that needs correcting.

The AI "hallucination" reminds me of the "dog ate my homework".

Don't shift responsibility away from the human.

Language matters. 

Intentional use of language matters more.

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