Meet Krista Bayer-Toth | Brand & Partnerships Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Krista Bayer-Toth and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Krista, how do you think about risk?
Risk – what a loaded word. Its definition is “a situation involving exposure to danger,” but what is life without a little bit of danger, really? If you don’t take risks in life, you don’t get put in situations where you grow, either by choice or by force, and if you don’t grow, you don’t blossom.

I’ve honestly always taken risks. In college I decided to take the risk and switch my major to graphic design after spending 2.5 years in the exercise science program because I just wasn’t happy, knowing that the careers looked vastly different and having been told for years that “artists make no money.” I didn’t care – I knew that art would make me happy and that was the goal in life. My parents weren’t very happy with my major change, especially since they were the ones footing the bill for school. But it’s my life – my career – my happiness that was on the line and I refused to be in a job where I wasn’t excited to go to work every day.

After college I took so many risks in my life/career. My first job out of college wasn’t a good fit so I quit that job without a backup and moved with my boyfriend of less than a year to Denver, after never even visiting before. The mountains were calling and the universe rewarded me for taking that risk, because I got offered a job the night before we moved here!

Then, when I decided corporate wasn’t for me, I took the risk of quitting my 9-5 and starting my own LLC, knowing how stressful it would probably be. But, if I hadn’t taken that risk I definitely wouldn’t be in the career I am now! Working for myself and so many amazing clients over the course of 9 months allowed me to grow as not only a person, but also a designer and marketer. I taught myself new skills and programs, and life taught me some very valuable lessons about who I am as a person and how much I can accomplish when I’m put to the test.

Now, I take some risks every day as the Brand and Partnerships Manager at OYA Femtech Apparel – a Femtech start-up based out of Los Angeles focused on the physical and mental health of people with vaginas. Some people will say that I took a risk joining a start-up, but I truly believe in this company and all of the amazing things we will achieve in the Femtech space and in setting the new standard for Femtech Apparel going forward.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ll start this out by saying that if anyone had asked me back in college where I would be in my career today, I don’t think I would have believed them.

I majored in Graphic Design in college and immediately got a job out of college at an alcohol distribution center as a graphic designer. I worked 8-5 in a small, windowless room and used a wine crate as a standing desk. I was barely making ends meet working 40 hours a week living in Nashville, and because of that I also cleaned houses on the weekends and drove for Uber & Lyft 1-2x/week. After 1.5 years of working my tail off at that job, and not being able to find a new job in Nashville no matter how hard I tried, I decided I had had enough and moved across the country, without a job offer, with my boyfriend (now husband) in search of a better life. And boy, did it work out.

The day before we moved, I got a job offer at a real estate company in Denver (talk about a sign); but after a year and a half at that company and then 8 months at a law firm in downtown Denver, I decided that I wanted to be my own boss and took the leap of faith into getting my own LLC for my design and marketing work. 6 months into freelance work, I picked up a client that I had never heard of at the time – OYA Femtech Apparel.

When I first heard about OYA, I knew that this was a company that I wanted to be involved with. OYA Femtech Apparel creates patent-pending athleisure for people with vaginas, and they are defining the standard of Femtech Apparel in the athleisure industry. After a few months of freelancing with them, I wound up getting a job offer from a commercial real estate firm in downtown Denver, and upon telling the CEO of OYA about said job offer, she asked to be able to make an offer as well; and let me tell you, this woman FOUGHT for me. I was elated to be able to take on a full-time position with a company that was actually making a real difference in the world, one that I could be a part of.

Fast forward 7 months and I can honestly say I have never been more excited to go to work everyday. As a type A personality, I thrive at being able to constantly learn and achieve new things, and working at a start-up has definitely given me that. As the Brand and Partnerships Manager at OYA Femtech Apparel, I oversee our brand implementation across all platforms, and I develop relationships with other companies for collaborations, partnerships, pop-ups and more. Every day is a new challenge where I get to figure out a new skill, speak with amazingly talented people, and collaborate with businesses that I never would have dreamed of. I have also had the amazing ability to be a part of the Techstars Sports Accelerator in Indianapolis, PluginLA, and now the REI Path Ahead Ventures accelerator, all of which have helped me grow so, so much in my career.

All of that to say – all of the long hours of work and the tears shed over the course of the last decade in design and marketing has 100000% been worth it.

One HUGE lesson I’ve had to learn over the course of my career, though, is that you physically cannot give 100% every day, it’s just impossible. You have to learn how to prioritize, and create boundaries to make sure that you take care of yourself, too. It’s something I’m still working on everyday.

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.
A week long trip…

Day 1 – We pick up Bonchon Wings on way out to Estes Park to experience the magic of the Rockies in one of my absolute favorite towns. You can’t hike late in the day, though, so we stay at the Historic Stanley hotel in order to prep for my favorite hike the next morning – Sky Pond

Day 2 – We get up early in the morning to beat some of the traffic out to Sky Pond, spend the day exploring the rockies, and then get a bite to eat and a beer at Estes Park brewery before heading back to Denver. After getting back, we head to the Alamo for dinner and a movie to end the evening out!

Day 3 – We grab coffee and breakfast at Bean Foster’s in Golden before heading over to get our fitness on at Red Rocks! Since we worked out in the morning, the rest of the day calls for brewery hopping, which means The Golden Mill, New Terrain, Locust Cider, & Jagged Mountain. End the day with the best ramen at Sukiya Ramen on Broadway.

Day 4 – We start the day at Syrup in Downtown before heading to Meow Wolf for the afternoon for the most amazing immersive art experience you will ever see! Afterwards, we head to lunch at 5280, and then head to Wash Park for some afternoon volleyball and soak up some rays. For dinner, Jose O’Shea’s in Lakewood is the way to go!

Day 5 – On the last day of the trip we grab breakfast again at Bean Fosters, do some rock climbing at Movement Golden, and then make sure to stop by Stanley Marketplace in Stapleton on the way back to the airport for lunch!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Huge shoutout to my boss, the CEO + Founder of OYA Femtech Apparel. She doesn’t give herself enough credit for all the hard work she puts in on a daily basis and she should! This woman works 80 hours a week and never accepts defeat. She strives to be the best version of herself and also create a very welcoming environment for everyone on our team, everyday.

Also, a shout-out to my husband who has been there through every part of my career and always seems to have the right guidance to keep me going (including bringing me donuts or fruit snacks when I’ve had a rough day). Our journey hasn’t been easy (missing plans and events because sometimes life just happens like that and you roll with the punches), but he is the most supportive and understanding person I could have ever dreamed to live this life with, and for that I’ll be forever thankful.

Website: www.wearoya.com

Instagram: @wearoya

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearoya/

Twitter: @wearoya

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WearOYA

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHrHU8VyXhchBiYO-1WZwiQ

Other: Tikok: wearoya Pinterest: wearoya

Image Credits
Brian O’Connell