It’s nice to meet you. In case you’re interested, here are some interesting facts about me.
Have you ever had a moment that completely changed your life?
Of course, you have. It’s called being human.
That happened to me back in 2019. My life changed forever changed when Dave, my father-in-law, passed away. Losing him made me take a step back from life and question e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g.
When Dave passed, he left a few dreams unfulfilled. This made me realize I had dreams I wasn’t pursuing. What would happen if I didn’t pursue my dreams?
How would your life be different if you actively pursued your dreams?
By asking myself some serious questions, things became obvious. It meant I would (practically) throw away my 10-year career as a dietitian.
The change. I started Bring About Happy. Now, more than ever, positivity is needed in our lives. My hope for you is my products bring about smiles.
Thank you for being here today! I look forward to being (internet?) friends.
Get to Know Me
Nutrition Roots
As a dietitian for over ten years, I’ve held several nutrition-related jobs. Most recently, an online nutrition practice Effectual Nutrition (KC Nutrition, LLC). I worked with clients all over the state of Oregon to add more foods to their daily lives. Emphasis on adding foods because there is enough restriction in the world. This was before COVID made telehealth the ‘cool’ thing to do. But it just wasn’t for me.
Passions
I’ve enjoyed being creative my whole life. It has been always been therapeutic and has served as an outlet to cope with life’s struggles. More recently, writing has become a regular practice. It’s crazy to think about because I didn’t like language arts growing up — I excelled in MATH!
Nevertheless, writing and tapping into my creative side helps me work through and process life. Today, I’m happy to share these things with you.
This path has led me to write this right now. And this is where I was truly meant to be. I have been writing the stories shared on my blog my entire life.
Well, I’ve been mentally drafting them, but you get the point! I’m so excited to be able to share these lessons with you in hopes of offering support, wisdom, and help to you and others. Oh, and making the products to go along with all that is pretty cool too.
Love at First Sight
When I was younger, I thought it was weird when people said, “it was love at first sight.”
On Halloween night in the early 2000s, I walked into a party. This guy, Brandon, walked past me in the kitchen. Suddenly the saying had a new meaning— we’re still together twenty years later.
(RIGHT) Yes. My Halloween outfit was inspired by Britney Spears’ … Baby One More Time music video! Brandon was (and still is) too cool for Halloween costumes. Also, he still owns that shirt. 😝
Dave, My Father-in-Law
This is one of my favorite photos of Dave. It was taken on Thanksgiving day in 2010, as he prepared to carve the turkey.
Dave decided my apron would best suit the occasion and his outfit. Talk about a funny guy!!
When he passed away in early 2019, I questioned whether I was pursuing my true dreams. I wasn’t. The silver lining resulted in me dissolving my private practice and starting Bring About Happy.
How Did We Get Here?
For the past decade, I have worked as a dietitian. I held several different jobs over the years — from a clinical dietitian and college instructor to a school nutrition supervisor and private practice owner. Younger me thought anyone of these would be my dream career path. Nope. Nada. No way. They weren’t my style.
Younger Kristi Dreams
If you had asked high school Kristi what she wanted to be, she would have given you one of three answers: an artist/interior designer, a public speaker, or a psychologist.
Here’s the thing, I ruled out all of those potential career paths for the wrong reasons. It started with letting go of my artist/interior designer dream. When I wasn’t offered a seat in the advanced art class in high school, I figured that meant I wasn’t good enough.
Damn, there might be some shit to unpack about the artist thing. But it just solidifies why creating products means so much to me!
So, I shifted my dreams to interior design… until I did a report in English class and learned the average wage of an interior designer. At the time, it was ~ $50,000/year. With a scarcity (and ungrateful) mentality, I immediately ruled out that option.
That decision was based solely on the average wage earned. Um, not everyone makes that…keep reading for the plot twist!
College Age Kristi
I pursued a degree in Psychology (see the Fun Fact blurb above!). But, after butting heads with my Intro to Psych college instructor, I decided to drop the major and enroll in a community college instead.
While in community college, I declared hotel & restaurant management as my major.
The first hotel & restaurant-related class I took was a food safety (ServSafe) course. It was the logical choice, I was working as a supervisor at an unconventional seafood house, and they were considering moving me into the management program.
However, the Universe had others plans.
Destiny took over from there. One day after my ServSafe class ended, the professor stopped me on the way out the door. I will never forget her words. She asked me,
“Kristi, have you ever thought about being a dietitian?”
My initial thought was, “WTF is a dietitian?” But I didn’t quite verbalize it that way.
After she explained it was a nutrition major, I took a chance and enrolled in her nutrition class the following semester. When people say the information just ‘clicked’ — well, that was me.
Nutrition was the major I was meant to pursue. I was meant to be a dietitian. Well, at least for a while.
PLOT TWIST
A dietitian’s average wage at the time was practically the same as an interior designer’s!!
Moral of the Story
Had I not let external factors influence me and stayed true to my dreams, who knows where I’d be today? At the same time, we cannot live a life of “what ifs.”
I choose to believe that I took exactly the path I was intended to take — It’s been full of ups and downs, but I wouldn’t change any of it.
Phew, that took a little longer than I expected, but now you know how we ended up here today.
Thanks for sticking with me. I look forward to getting to know you!