Founder

just an entrepreneur. full stop.

i left 17 years in corporate and hit $1M in year one. i'll tell you exactly what that looks like — including the parts everyone else skips.

Read The First Chapter Book Krystn

Story

the woman who left.

17 years in corporate. AEC industry. Executive leadership. The suits, the badass shoes, the calendar packed with meetings that felt important.

i was good at the game. i just didn't want to play it anymore.

in april 2021, i quit. no champagne moment. no polished linkedin announcement. my previous employer responded with legal threats. i responded by building anyway.

today, summit strategy serves 200+ clients with a team of 30+. inc. 5000. 87.5 net promoter score. it's a company worth buying — which is exactly the point.

because i'm not just building a business. i'm building toward retirement at 50. europe. it's a plan, not a vision board.

The Book

burn the ladder: a real story.

written while still in it. still building. still doubting. still waking up at 2am wondering if i'm fucking it all up. this isn't a highlight reel — it's the actual story of what it looks like to walk away from the steady paycheck and build something real.

Speaking

the real version. no inspiration porn.

krystn speaks at conferences, corporate events, and podcasts on entrepreneurship, women in business, BD strategy, and what it actually takes to build something worth buying. she's spoken at APMP, Deltek, SBA, EO, and more.

Track 01 — Entrepreneurship

the honest leap: what no one tells you about leaving corporate

the parts everyone skips — the legal threats, the loneliness, the months you wonder if you made a catastrophic mistake. real story, no filter.

Track 02 — Women in Business

just an entrepreneur: on building without a modifier

the exhaustion of "women entrepreneur" months, rooms built for other people, and what it looks like to compete — and win — without waiting for anyone to make space for you.

Track 03 — GovCon + BD Strategy

stop reacting. start winning.

20+ years in BD, capture, and proposals. what separates companies that win consistently from companies that chase everything and close nothing.

Book Krystn

KM Real Talk

things i actually believe.

on the label

i am not a category. i'm an entrepreneur.

on leaving corporate

even when you're good at it, that doesn't mean it's good for you.

on competition

i will do almost anything not to lose. quietly. without making it a personality.

on being an introvert who leads

i'm the quietest person in the room. also usually the most prepared.

on the highlight reel

i wrote the book while still in it. still building. still doubting. that's the point.

on the plan

sell the company. retire at 50. europe. it's not a dream. it's a spreadsheet.

KRYSTN.

Connect

let's talk about whatever you're building.

speaking inquiries, book questions, or just want to follow along on the journey.

no pitch decks. no "picking your brain" requests. real conversations only.