Meet Kristina Burgoon | Hospitality Manager & Social Media Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristina Burgoon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristina, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
People often give the advice: “Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

I do not agree with this. I believe this piece of advice will leave young entrepreneurs endlessly searching for a role or business in which they feel completely self-actualized and experience no feelings of discomfort or struggle.

One could argue that if you have a job you love then you will have a more fulfilling life overall. However, you are still going to work. Hard. And it is definitely going to feel like work. Especially if you own your own business. There will be frustrations, long nights, an unending task list, and (everyone’s favorite) imposter syndrome.

However, the feeling of watching your business evolve, experiencing personal growth, and overcoming challenges is completely worth the work it will take. There will be work, but the rewards that follow are incomparable.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own Studio Kyanite, a social media consulting business. Kyanite is a beautiful naturally occurring mineral. Its metaphysical properties include opening the throat chakra, encouraging communication and self expression. That is what I aim to do with my business. I assist my clients in expressing their brand’s story and communicating with their community.

My path to this business was really just a series of small building blocks from my “main job” as the Manager of The Niwot Inn & Spa in Niwot, CO.

I was hired as an Innkeeper back in 2020 and I also began managing the inn’s social media accounts. This led to a meeting with a prominent real estate agent in town to discuss a collaborative social media effort with the inn. From there, I also began managing her social accounts. Under advisement to create an LLC to manage this “side business” I created Studio Kyanite. My business grew and I now have clients in Colorado and both the West & East coasts.

The path to owning this business felt easy – it naturally grew through networking connections and I’ve maintained excellent relationships with my clients. There are challenging aspects to this work, however. It is a constantly evolving industry that requires vigilant self-education and self-discipline.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned along the way is: GO WITH THE FLOW. I’ve always been a pretty high-strung person with a penchant for stressing myself out. But in owning my own business I’ve learned to take things as they come and just keep working and flowing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Fun!

We would start with a tour of Niwot, CO of course! This town has given me so much and I love to show off the inn and the town itself. We would have fabulous meal at either Farow or 1914 House and do some shopping at some of the town’s great shops. Plus there is an awesome historic walking tour that highlights the Native American roots of the Boulder Front Range. I find the history of the Native Arapaho people very important and fascinating to learn about.

We would definitely do some hiking in Boulder and then head downtown for brunch at Tangerine or Snooze.

I like to take my friends and family into the mountains for a little day trip, Estes Park or Breckenridge if there’s time. I love the energy of mountain towns – as this is what I used to picture when I thought “Colorado.”

We could definitely pop down to Denver where I’d bring them to an elegant afternoon tea at the historic Brown Palace Hotel. We might also walk through the Molly Brown house museum, an off-the-beaten path gem that pays tribute to an important historic figure in regards to women’s suffrage and women in business.

To be honest, in the two years I’ve lived in Colorado – I haven’t done much exploring myself. I’m sure I’ll have more to add to this list after I do some adventuring!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout is undoubtedly dedicated to my incredible partner, Ian.

I can say with certainty that I would never have considered starting my own business if it wasn’t for Ian. Riddled with self-doubt and fear of the unknown, the idea of owning a business was absolutely terrifying. I believed it to be downright impossible.

Ian’s support is bottomless. He helped me incorporate, he built me a home office so I have a dedicated workspace, he lends and ear for every concern and will always helps me find a solution.

An entrepreneur himself, I’m incredulous everyday of the feats he has accomplished in his own industry. He always inspires me.

Thank you, Ian!

Website: http://niwotinn.com/

Email: kristinamburgoon@gmail.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/niwotinnandspa

Instagram: http://instagram.com/niwotinnandspa