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

my flight got cancelled Saturday on my way home from Austin. as the airport shuttle drove up to the hotel... instead of b*tching i chose to ball.


when i was a kid i had MANY obsessions (ADHD, go figure)

drawing 
keychains
Tae Kwon Do 
skateboarding

then, around 10 or 11, Mr. Black saw that i was tall and taught me how to do a layup in his driveway.

from that moment on there was only one obsession... basketball.

i slept with a ball. 
practiced in the driveway rain or shine. 
spent hours on my bed perfecting my rotation. 
Michael Jordan + Chamique Holdsclaw SLAM covers on my wall. 
don't even ask me to play on Saturdays until after NBA Inside Stuff.

the first girl in my high school to play University Basketball. hell, i worked in the NBA for 6 years.

it was my life. 

then something happened.
slowly, without even noticing, i just stopped.

the monthly tournaments, over. 
the weeknight pickup, deprioritized. 
the ball buried, out of sight and mind.

kiddos. 
fear of injuries. 
building companies.

i told myself those were the reasons.

but honestly? i think i stopped because it felt irresponsible. like i hadn't EARNED the joy it yet.

sound familiar?

—

so, with hotel voucher in hand i asked the woman behind the desk,

"do you have a ball for the court out there?" 
"sure do" she said.

and i flew up to my room to get changed before the sun went down.

i played for over an hour. 
it's wild how much it's like riding a bike.

laughing to an Amy Poehler podcast episode in my ear. 
getting lost. feeling true, unquestionable, joy.

joy that i hadn't "earned". and didn't need to earn. joy i chose to take. 

my heart rate was up. 
i was sweating and out of breath. 
and i was smiling. so f*cking much.

sure i wanted to be home with my wife and kiddos. but that was out of my control.

so while others behind me in line bitched and moaned (totally understandably)...

i looked for the silver lining.

and found it on a court. 
near the Austin airport. 
at a Hampton Inn.


real talk 💬 what’s one thing you were obsessed with as a kiddo?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' - helping overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories and wild careers 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.19)


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


• i wish i knew how to skat
• do animals get alopecia and vitiligo?
• cheese strings are low-key so much fun
• i don’t care what you say…i love the Biebs
• i don't want to look good "for X". i just want to look good
• is it necessary to produce both a cherry and a grape tomatoe?
• mini eggs don’t taste as good when they’re available all year-round
• was it just me or did everyone who grew up in the 90s fear abduction, daily?
• if you’re questioning whether or not you’re an overthinking high-achiever...you're not
• 🎵a-way in a manger / no food or a bed / the li-title lord je-sus / laid down his sweet head🎵


real talk 💬: i need some laughs...what you overthinking today?!


—

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

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people)
follow me here: kristina flynn

"if you used your brain as much as your mouth, maybe your grades would be better."



i was 10 when our librarian yelled this at me, in front of our whole class.

i didn't cry.
i didn't defend myself.
i just nodded.

then marched straight to my older sister's classroom to tell her what happened.

she was my protector.
my voice when i was overwhelmed.

i had a speech impediment. and i didn't talk much.
this wasn't the first time i'd heard the story that i was a "dumb kid".

—

and stories like this, really shaped how i showed up in the world (and continue to do so today).

moments like this taught me:

if i wanted a different kind of attention - good grades, top basketball player vs. "dumb kid" - i needed a different formula. 

for me that formula was:

all nighters. 
complete obsession. 
working harder than most. 
(just to get As + Bs)

for decades i believed my worth was in my work. my outputs.
and if i didn't show people how smart i was, they'd see me as dumb.

it was a story that served me really f*cking well, until it didn't.

—

recently i signed a significant advisory retainer with a CEO i deeply admire.
and 3 weeks into it i caught myself being fuelled by a similar story.

complete overfunctioning spirals.
deep desires to show her allll my work.
hours figuring out the "perfect" presentation of my ideas.

every thread i pulled. every rabbit hole i went down. every thought i had along the way. i wanted her to know. 

like a 3rd grader handing in her math test hoping the teacher sees how hard she tried.

it's toxic. AND, that's not at all what the client needs, wants or has time for. 

she's paying me because she already knows my worth.
she needs insights she can digest.
not a full paper proving she picked the right person.

but that 10-year-old?

she's still in there. 
still trying to prove she's not the dumb kid.
and her stories were running the show without me even realizing it.

—

after working at this for a couple years i still get caught up in it sometimes. 

what's most important though?  

1) this time it only took me a few weeks to notice i was doing it. 
(when it used to takes me months!)

2) now i can name it for what it is: decades of conditioning to prove my worth through external validation. 

—

so keep this top of mind this fine Monday:

you can be the highest achiever that you know. but if you're feeling stuck - it's likely there are some old stories and beliefs running your world. 

it's not a character flaw. it's neuroscience. old stories filtering how you move through the world.

maybe it's time you let yourself see them.

real talk 💬 what f*cked up things did people say to you as a kid?


—

hey hey, i'm kristina with a 'k' and i help overthinking high-achievers turn their personal stories and wild careers into profitable personal brands (that actually feel like them).

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

she asked if she should hire me. i told her no. 



i've been broke. like, really broke. so this wasn't an easy call.

we'd met IRL. immediate connection. 
we'd had a couple calls. 

she loved StoryEQ™ and could see how it would help her. 

but she'd been drowning in debt for a long time.

so, before committing she asked for one final call. 

i had a feeling i knew what she wanted. and i was right.


"if you were me - with the debt i have - would you make this investment?"

my answer: no.


not b/c i didn't think i could help her.
but b/c i could tell she was looking to be rescued.

the only reason i could see this?
because i've been her. 

crushed with debt.
things are NOT okay.
looking for that ONE THING to make everything better.

and wow did i learn the hard way
it's never one thing. 


i couldn't be her magic pill. no one could. she’d have to rescue herself.

—

we didn't end the call though. 
i turned it into a free strategy session. 

led by one question: 

what's one thing - that doesn’t need $$$ - that you could do TODAY to start rebuilding your self-trust?

i asked questions.
i didn't tell her what to do.
i reflected back what i heard.

because sometimes, in a safe enough space, what we say out loud is 

less filtered. 
less performative. 
more real.

—

here's what i can guess about you.

deep down, part of you IS looking for that one thing. 

the coach 
the course
the strategy 

that'll finally make it click.

remember, i know because i've been there. 
(still go there sometimes tbh).

but it’s bullsh*t. 

call it cheesy but the one thing you desperately need isn’t out there. 

it’s in you. 

buried under years of being told 

your instincts were wrong
your path was too messy
your ideas too weird.

you don't need someone to GIVE you the answers.

you need help TAKING back what's already yours.

what’s always been yours. 


real talk 💬 you looking for the magic pill?


—

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

No alternative text description for this image

my therapist says i need "consistency." so here are my 12,000 thoughts from this morning (pt.18)


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


• remember Rescue 911?
• “noise cancelling” requires noise 
• flea markets are just thrifting at scale
• was the puzzle invented because of form or function?
• choose your own adventure is the unsung hero of childhood 
• is Shazam’s tech really that good that NO ONE can replicate it?
• say what you want but it’s tough out here for pear-shaped men
• do airplane puke bags mask the smell as well as catch the product?
• the world needs a lot of things right now - smoothie bowls are not one of them 
• getting kids to eat veggies is a positioning problem. broccoli in our house? trees. green beans? grass. all of us? dinos. works every time. 


real talk💬 : admit it, smoothie bowls are unnecessary


—

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

if you liked this (and don't hate Queer people)
follow me here: kristina flynn

what was Nicole Gibson’s advice to a young student fearing his degree is now irrelevant?

literally everyone needs to read this…

A philosophy student in the UK DM'd me this morning.

He's co-founded the first student-run VC at his UK university. Sharp. Driven. And he asked me: "How do I navigate the next 4 months of a degree that feels increasingly irrelevant?" after watching a couple of IG videos I did that went semi-viral. They sparked a big debate about what the next few years in the job market will actually look like...

I love that my content is reaching students - because whilst everyone is opposing each other and trying t claim some moral high-ground - an entire generation is recognising that the playbook they were handed doesn't match the game being played - and looking for guidance from people who are building, not just reacting.

Here's what I told him:

The degrees aren't irrelevant. The old application of them is.

Philosophy teaches you to think. VC teaches you to assess risk and opportunity. The combination? That's exactly what this moment requires - people who can hold complexity, make decisions under uncertainty, and stay grounded while everything shifts.

The real opportunity right now isn't technical. It's human.

While everyone argues about what AI will replace, the things it can't replace are becoming more valuable:

→ Emotional regulation under pressure
→ The ability to hold vision when others are reactive
→ Genuine human connection and trust

3 practices I've found essential:

1. Regulate before you strategise. Your nervous system sets the ceiling on your thinking. If you're dysregulated, your "strategy" is just anxiety with a plan. Before big decisions, check in: Am I responding or reacting?

2. Protect your attention like capital. The hate, the division, the outrage - it's designed to capture you. Every hour spent in reactivity is an hour not spent building. Curate ruthlessly. Your instincts are everything.

3. Lead with vision, not opposition. It's easy to know what you're against. The harder work is articulating what you're for — and organising your energy around that.

I built emotion-measurement technology because I believe the bridge to what's next isn't more information. It's more integration. More capacity to stay human while everything accelerates.

Technologies implication on the workforce shouldn't be a debate anymore. Early adopters know, it's already irrelevant. That's why you have these industry leaders redirecting the conversation when that comes up in interviews. It's already done. 

So... what actually matters? 

Vision.

We have an unprecidented opportunity to reimagine what being human means. To ask ourselves who we really are. To give up the hamster wheel and the box ticking and actually LIVE. This will require solidarity. The biggest risk in this equation is deeply concentrated, centralised power.

The way through it? Ironically, it's very simple. Love thy neighbour. Have dinners and talk about un-work related things. Philosophy, art, the future. Reclaiming our consciousness is the way through these times.

Artuitive Group

•	Capital Project Leadership
•	Project & Construction Management
•	Market Research & Feasibility 
•	Budgeting & Economic Modelling

President

Savira Capital & Cultural Projects

Vice President Strategy & Partnerships

Devon Group

Associate

Shih'k Concepts Inc.

Managing Partner

Cirque du Soleil

Artist- Alegria

Athletes CAN

Vice Chair

Here's what I know about complex capital projects: traditional approaches often fail to deliver on their promise because they start with design before understanding the full picture.

I've watched countless organizations struggle with incomplete visions, misaligned stakeholders, and critical gaps that could have been identified and solved before they became expensive problems.

I flip this process on its head.

Through my integrated planning methodology, I help C-suite leaders and cultural organizations identify systemic challenges and create alignment before design begins.

This isn't about producing more reports or holding more meetings—it's about seeing the patterns others miss and deeply understanding the interconnected needs of your stakeholders, market realities, and operational requirements to build genuine consensus and drive sustainable outcomes.

My approach has transformed how major institutions bring complex visions to life, from cultural venues like The Boston Symphony Orchestra to corporate headquarters like The Globe and Mail.

By embedding directly with leadership teams, I serve as the translator between competing interests, bringing a unique combination of intuitive understanding and analytical rigor that helps you:

•  See connections and opportunities others miss
•  Prevent competing priorities from derailing your vision
•  Transform complex challenges into achievable outcomes
•  Create sustainable value that bridges operational realities with design excellence

Currently leading transformative project with Northcrest Development, I focus on organizations that value thoughtful execution and genuine community impact over quick wins.

My methodology comes from years of pioneering new approaches in environments where traditional frameworks fell short—from elite sport to complex capital projects to cultural entrepreneurship.

If you're tired of watching great visions get compromised by competing interests and siloed teams, let's talk about how integrated planning can transform your capital project.

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