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Life and Work with Kari Knutson

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Knutson.

Kari, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m originally from Broomfield, Colorado and owe so much of my success to the enriching opportunities that my parents gave me and the stability that growing up in a great community like Broomfield provided me. I’ve been able to experience so many diverse activities in my life: participating in band, orchestra, choir, dance, and theater; being a drum major; singing in the Boston Pops; going to a Deaf university as a hearing student, and traveling solo all over the world.

I went to college to study psychology, then after that received a master’s degree in higher education administration, and still later a second master’s degree in counseling. While this was happening, there were moves all over the US, different job opportunities, trips to other countries, and of course, people. So many incredible people to meet, to learn from, and share experiences with. My life has been enriched by amazing people from all over the world.

Throughout all my experiences and various job titles, the one thing that keeps coming up for me is how important it is to connect with people in authentic ways. Listening to people, helping them to find their own path, supporting their dreams, simply being with them and sharing in their life story. My passion for connecting with people became even more elevated when I became a professional speaker.

I don’t think anyone wakes up one day and says, “I’m going to be a professional speaker and start a coaching business, and do a one-woman storytelling show”; at least I didn’t. What happened to me happened over time. What I finally realized is that all my seemingly random experiences have helped me to craft a business perfectly suited to my talents and big enough to help me stretch in all sorts of ways.

I started speaking during professional development trainings at the school where I work as a school counselor, and then for adult education classes at churches, as well as lunch and learns, and then conferences. Now I travel all over the country speaking on issues related to psychology, especially Emotional Intelligence. I’ve also started to coach people in two areas: 1) utilizing and developing their Emotional Intelligence and 2) improving their public speaking skills. Coaching has provided me with so many incredible one-on-one experiences with people! I love the feeling of connection, confidence, and growth that comes from coaching.

My one-woman show came about after 13 years of storytelling in the staff lunch room and someone literally saying to me, “this should be a one-woman show!” to which I said, “How do you even do a one-woman show!?” Now, three years and numerous performances later, my one-woman storytelling show, “Ain’t Never Made a Stranger: Stories from the Passenger Seat” is a reality.

The show is all about our human connections, how we relate to each other, and the funny, ridiculous, and heart-breaking moments in life. It is autobiographical and touches on so many experiences that we all share. I’ve been telling these stories forever; now I’m just doing it on a stage and there are tickets and drinks involved. It is so much fun!

Has it been a smooth road?
There is no direct route to success! It takes as long as it takes and your journey is the only one that matters. What I know for sure is that many of us spend too much time comparing ourselves to others and feeling like we’ve missed out before we’ve even begun to really shine. One of my favorite sayings is “you can’t be late to your own party.” I say that to myself when I’m struggling with impatience.

Fear is also a hurdle we all have to jump at some point. Fear of missing out, fear of not being enough, or being too late (too old, too inexperienced, too _______), fear that others will judge you, that your idea won’t work, that you didn’t make the right decision.

Fear along with playing small, underestimating yourself, and perfectionism are all real struggles. It is important to intentionally look at where you struggle and instead of judging yourself, look for ways to have empathy for yourself. Connect with others and be real about what you are fearful of or struggling with so that you can get support.

One of my biggest struggles was around my professional identity and recognizing that I had to make a shift in how I identified myself. It was easy to tell people that I am a counselor because I have a degree and certifications that go with it. People understand what that job is and it has societal validity. There is no degree for professional speaking, let alone storytelling, and I felt like if I told people what I was doing that someone would point out that in fact, that is not an actual “job.”

As I evolved with my professional identity, I would introduce myself as a counselor who did some speaking on the side about issues related to psychology and also liked to tell stories. But once I got clear about my new identity as an entrepreneur, it became easier and easier to say – I’m a professional speaker and a counselor. I take psychology off the couch and bring it to the people. I do this through speaking, coaching, and a one-woman storytelling show. And you know what?! Not one person has said, “that is NOT a job!” in fact, it has lead to amazing conversations and validation that I am doing an actual job – even if it is one that I made up!

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am most proud of the fact that I create fun and interesting experiences for people to engage in personal and professional growth through my company Knutson Speaks. I specialize in humor-forward speaking using practical, tangible, and applicable ideas from psychology to help change people’s lives. It is my mission to create dynamic presentations that help people engage with content that is truly useful, to provide coaching that is top notch and helps people get to their desired goals in the most direct way, and to tell entertaining stories that remind people that we all share in the human experience, and especially to have fun!

No matter what I’m doing – speaking, coaching, or performing – I’m helping people connect with the best parts of themselves, giving them inspiration, tools, hope, laughter, time to reflect, and a place to show up as they are.

The most gratifying feedback I get is when people tell me that I was so relatable that they feel like they know me, or feel like we could be friends. I love it when participants tell me that the stories and struggles I share are their stories and struggles too!

I also love it when people come up to talk to me after an event and we end up hugging. I once told a friend that my favorite part of speaking were the hugs people gave me at the end of a talk, to which she replied, “did you say HUGS? No one hugs a speaker after a talk! There is no hugging in public speaking!” To which I said, “Well, they do in my talks!” I am very proud that hugging is a common occurrence at a Knutson Speaks event!

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
In my opinion, women are pros at making things happen! They are good at working alone and in groups, multi-tasking, as well as giving and getting support. Women are resourceful and tenacious! I feel like this is a great time to be a woman in business. There are so many networking groups in Denver alone that want to help women not only connect with each other but also provide professional development opportunities and resources.

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Deanna Hurt Photography https://www.deannahurt.com/
Beyoutiful Portraits  http://www.beyoutifulportraits.com/

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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