Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Paulsen
Hi Kristen, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My entrepreneurial journey started at a young age. I would convince my siblings to let me do their Saturday chores in exchange for a % of their allowance. When that wasn’t enough, I started selling rubber watches out of my locker in Jr. High. I guess you could say the entrepreneurial itch is less of an itch and likely embedded into my DNA.
My mom had her own side hustle selling beanie babies and other miscellaneous items on eBay in the 90s. She was the person I watched work incredibly hard, while still prioritizing her family. We worked together until I had my first baby in 2019. It was then that I decided to go head first into scaling my marketing business.
After 2020, I felt loneliness like I had never experienced. That’s what led me to start a community for female entrepreneurs which eventually grew into a group of over 950 members and selling out over 26 events.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is it ever? I would love to speak with someone who claims their journey was effortless. My journey has felt exciting, terrifying, lonely, amazing, hard – pretty much every emotion. The hardest lesson I had to learn was separating myself from my business. I had lived a life of extreme people-pleasing. So when I couldn’t please everyone, it felt like an attack on my character. The first time I got a “not so nice” review, I cried for hours. You pour so much of your soul into a business, that it can feel debilitating to have someone say they don’t like it. Trying to make the separation can feel almost impossible, but it is necessary to continue on.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’d like to think I’m known for creating spaces that make people feel less alone. The power of bringing female entrepreneurs into one space to connect, be vulnerable, and reignite passion is indescribable. It truly can’t be put into words. You have to be there to feel it. But I’m proud to have facilitated so many beautiful connections that became friendships. Life is hard but it’s a lot less hard when you have someone on speed dial who can help you find the answers.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
A lot of businesses are shifting to a community focus and creating real strategies around how to connect with their audience on a deeper level. This is becoming a huge shift all around. Businesses are not only looking at the numbers, they’re incorporating the experience. How someone feels when they interact with the business, how they continue to feel a part of the mission, how they can connect with other people who love the brand, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kristennpaulsen.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kristennpaulsen
