Inspiring Conversations with Kristen Mashburn of KPMashburn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Mashburn.

Hi Kristen, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
It took me years to realize that I‘m a leader. I simply did not have a choice. I was bred into it. I was the eldest daughter, summer activities planner, and de facto name taker when my teacher left the room. I love supporting and creating. Some of my proudest moments have been:

-Created my own college internship program because I couldn’t find one that suited my needs.

-Growing a small, one-woman marketing department into a national award-winning marketing team.

-Leading a service culture that reached a net promoter score that far exceeds industry standards.

-Defining and building a new retail model for our credit union that met or exceeded every established goal.

-Leading the organization of the first TEDx event in my community.

For ten years, I was with Listerhill Credit Union, most recently as Chief of Staff – Retail. My focus there was to create an environment that allowed my team to do their best work, but I wasn’t a banker.

In 2019, I created a company culture consultancy. I work with CEOs to strengthen their work culture. I focus on the systematic and statistically valid approach to creating better workplaces. I believe our greatest power as leaders comes from treating everyone the way we’d like to be treated.

I’m committed to offering my full self in my work, so here’s a little bit about me.

-I light up when I see people growing.

-I think meetings should be fun. And brief. And productive.

-I’ve been a yogi and meditator for 20 years. I use the mindfulness that I’ve gained through these practices to support my work.

-I use emojis and gifs when texting business professionals.

-I will be the person’s advisor/mentor/cheerleader forever. Even past directly working with them.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges in my life has been my health. A few years ago, I found myself experiencing some unexplainable health symptoms. What started out as simple heart palpitations became stroke-like symptoms that were all-consuming.

After loads of research, tests, and a world-class health facility, my illness had a name. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). A type of Dysautonomia. In simple terms, my autonomic nervous system, the system that does everything for you automatically, is bad OR Dys. Breathing, heartbeat, and digestion are compromised.

On the outside, my illness is almost imperceptible, but having an invisible illness, particularly one that isn’t even taught about in most medical schools is complicated. Adjusting to the illness, was an incredible reminder of my mortality.

And ultimately, it led to me quitting my job to focus on making the world a more kind and thoughtful place through company culture consulting.

There is no treatment or cure for POTS, but I’m in a space now where It’s well managed. Experiencing this challenge just makes me more aware of how important to use my time on this earth well.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I’m the Founder and Company Culture Consultant at KPMashburn.

I believe that most leaders have good intentions, but struggle to create a healthy work environment because they lack the systems necessary. In the same way that we put out our athletic clothes and shoes the night before when we want to go for a bike ride in the morning, we need the same types of strategies around communication, appreciation, and strength utilization.

My flagship product is the Nurture Culture Project. It is a combination of consulting, training, and coaching that creates sustainable, long-lasting culture change. It includes understanding your culture, creating culture expectations, utilizing strengths, creating an abundance of appreciation, and optimizing communication.

For individual and small teamwork, I offer a self-paced online course – Healthy Boundaries at Work: From Burnout to Energized. It helps leaders:
– Set realistic limits and expectations
– Negotiate the awkward situations that boundary-setting could lead to
– Release the guilt that may be associated with saying no
– Capitalize on the value of boundary setting

I also enjoy inspiring associations and organizations through keynote speaking. I speak on company culture in a practical and relatable way, that will motivate companies and employees to be their best to each other.

Contact Info:

• Email: kristen@kpmashburn.com
• Website: KPMashburn.com