Meet Our Panelist: Christina Kroeker
Christina W. Kroeker Creative is just one of the many ways Christina likes to express herself.
"I’m a creative turned solopreneur; ten years ago I bought a camera and started a side hustle that slowly evolved into a business, but I’ve been using creative expression as a modality for my healing all of my life. Painting, poetry, photography; regardless of the medium, using creative expression has always been a lifeline for me. While I am lucky enough to have monetized some of my creative endeavors, cobbling together a business with the help of the creative community and a lot of Google searches, my creative work means so much more to me than a paycheck. It is the vehicle that carries my dreams. It is the hope that a better world is possible. It is an invitation to my inner world. And sometimes it helps me financially survive in this capitalist hellscape."
What is the hardest part about what you do?
The hardest part about my work is that it is very heavily client-facing which means that I’m often masking in my day-to-day and as a result, drained emotionally. I’ve discovered that the pressure of being perceived is quite exhausting and simply unavoidable as a business owner. I’ve learned to prioritize my own peace and joy so that I can show up authentically and fully.
What is the all-time dream part of your job? The thing you still pinch yourself that you get to do? And, tell the people how often you actually get to do it.
The satisfaction of producing something from concept to delivery is gratifying, especially when it includes collaborating with others to bring a shared vision to life. I work pretty hard to ensure that this is a priority in my business, even when it’s not possible to achieve in the day-to-day operations. I set aside resources, energy, and time for creative projects that don’t necessarily produce revenue for me, and I can do so because of the things in my business that do produce revenue.
If you could tell your Day 1, starting a biz self one thing what would it be?
It’s been ten years since I started my photography business as a side hustle. Ten years ago, capacity wasn’t even in my vocabulary and now it’s one of the only things I want to talk about.
I would tell Christina from ten years ago to be honest about her capacity, to track the time she was spending creating a business, and to start to build systems that could expand that capacity beyond her physical and mental abilities.
Someone wants to get into entrepreneurship. What advice - from an expert - would have saved you a lot of time, sweat, and tears?
For someone entering entrepreneurship, I would advise them to define their values as a small business and as that business’ owner. Your values will help you to prioritize resources, identify your audience, and strategically scale, market, and operate your business in the long term. Your values can help you niche down in your business which is crucial if your capacity is limited.
Fun fact about you?
I love to surround myself with bright colours and soft animals. I have three cats and two dogs and the theme for their names is charcuterie (Lacy, Miel, Brie, Chianti and Proscuitto).
Fav book? Fav show? Your All-time go-to movie while working?
I have a docket of shows that I put on depending on the tasks that my workday requires of me. For editing, I like to put on a show with a lot of seasons that I can listen to (because of seen it far too many times) like Grey’s Anatomy. When I need to do a lot of writing or administrative tasks I put Taylor Swift on shuffle. However, the show that I can always count on to bring me some joy is Jane the Virgin.
Any closing thoughts for the Camp Rover Community?
I can’t wait for a day full of inspiration and riffing off of one another!
