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

Up Designs, LLC

Strategic, professional, and inspiring websites for health and wellness businesses.

Founder/CEO (Website Strategy & Design)

Uproxx Studios

An entertainment media group recently bought by Warner Music Group due to exceptional success at engaging Millennial men at mass, appealing to big name advertisers like FX, Toyota and Pepsi.

- Led and developed all marketing and sales presentations/materials (e.g. sizzle reel scripts, research, case studies, ad products)
- Developed proactive marketing strategy and initiatives (e.g. Oscars, Comic-Con, movie screenings) to elevate Uproxx and provide sponsorship opportunities for top advertisers
- Liaised with the Sales team to customize opportunities for RPFs/proposals for advertisers
- Overhauled and re-constructed a brand new corporate website

Director, Marketing

SpinMedia Group, Inc.

(Formerly Spinmedia) - An entertainment media company with premiere music, celebrity and news brands (SPIN, VIBE, Buzznet, Stereogum, JustJared, Celebuzz, Socialite Life, The Frisky and more) appealing to over 20MM Millennials and GenXers.

- Created, activated and produced some of the largest branded marketing programs in SpinMedia history (8+ years).
- Developed the company pitch presentation and oversaw all sales materials and proactive programs around key tentpoles.
- Created disruptive multimedia branded programs, in response to RFP requests and proactively, for Fortune 500 advertisers with projected spending of $500K+.
- Built and led a superior marketing team of (6) RFP, content and production specialists responsible for all phases of the marketing and content process, from pitch to activation.
- Led meetings with key stakeholders to improve cross-team communication and efficiency in our revenue processes.

Sr. Director, Integrated Marketing

Sr. Manager, Integrated Marketing

TIME

Manager, Integrated Marketing

PEOPLE Magazine | PEOPLE.com

Associate, Integrated Marketing

Your work transforms people's lives - your website should reflect that.

I help small business owners who are gamechangers in the health & wellness industry - by creating strategic, inspiring, and impressive websites that help them grow.

Working with the right health professional changed my life. Now, I use my website expertise to help small businesses, entrepreneurs & practitioners in Health, Medical, Integrative Health, Wellness, and Travel to increase their impact. 

I've helped:
- Medical Organizations & Laboratories
- Healthcare Revenue Consultants
- Health Copywriters
- Doctors & Health Coaches
- Immunity & Cancer Biotherapy scientists
- And gamechangers in travel, affordable housing, art programs for kids, real estate, and law

Unlike other web designers, I bring 20+ years of experience in strategy and marketing to your business. Your website is the front door to that business.

When I'm not working, you can find me hiking beautiful snow-capped mountains in Washington, traveling the world, or sweating at a hot sculpt class.

Need a spectacular website? 

Book a consult: www.up-designs.co/book-a-consult

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