Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kristelle Beecher.
It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Kristelle Beecher and I am a people enthusiast who has worked in various HR and Marketing areas in support of full-cycle talent. Although I’ve worked in different industries, I’ve mainly spent time working in tech. I love tech and think that game-changing innovations are created in this space. I’ve worked in talent acquisition for a tech firm, where I recruited for names like Google, IBM, and Technicolor. I grew over time to work in other functions of HR, but found that I have a deep-rooted love for DE&I and employee mental health. I garnered experience from my workplaces but educationally I’ve earned knowledge by attaining a degree in Mass Communications/Journalism, an MBA in HR, and a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.
I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
My definition of success is always changing as I continue to move through life. This is what I’ve had to do as I’ve experienced life shifts. For instance, when I was 19, I had my son and became a single mother. This was so scary to me because I was literally a teenager. Reflecting on this now, I realize I went into fight or flight mode. Thankfully, I decided to fight. One thing to note is that I was raised by parents who were immigrants from Jamaica. Being a first-generation American, and also recognizing as an adult the barriers they had to overcome, highlighted the importance of making the most of the opportunities I was given. My mother came to America with education and experience and couldn’t even land a job at Popeyes. She had to go back to school to basically prove her worth, while my father had to work crazy hours to help support the family, and still make it in time to pick us up from school. My mom pushed past the roadblocks and earned her doctorate and my dad now works in law enforcement which was his dream. Their life experiences taught me there was no choice but to be greater than my circumstances because they’d already proved it was possible. For that, I am forever grateful.
Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
As many of us do, I have dealt with many depleting situations at work with cultures, leadership, and work that didn’t align with who I was, and ultimately these stressors added to the mental health challenges I was already trying to manage. Over time, I recognized more of what I really enjoyed doing, what contributed to my success, and recognized “non-negotiables” for me at work. I’ve learned how to take ownership of my career and in totality, my life. Now, I continue honing what I consider my “life work” through creative mediums. I’ve launched a talent development business named The Creative Corporate, which focuses on the whole person in any workplace, not just the employee mask we sometimes put on from 9-5. The Creative Corporate offers career and mindset coaching for the professional that doesn’t want a cookie-cutter approach to managing their careers. What I do is help people create the confidence and strategies to bridge gaps between who they are innately and the career they want. This is a valuable process to take because during this “Great Resignation,” many people are wondering if the traditional workplace is still for them. I help to guide individuals through what works for them by leveraging the research I conducted in my doctoral program, not just “feel good” talk that sometimes gets repurposed in a busy and saturated market. Above all, I am a proponent of employee and personal mental health, no matter which track of life someone is in.
What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
I made many mistakes in my career by choosing what I thought I should do or doing what I technically could do. Ultimately I ignored what I later learned to be my “Zone of Genius,” which I believe is what I was created to do. I am a creative that wants to help people. All of the things that people said were weird about me or different were actually qualities embedded in me to probably help those very same people! Through my experience, I’ve seen that the happiest and most successful people are those that prioritize their intrinsic capabilities and competencies, and stick to them in their careers. Yes, your interests are important, but I have many interests and side projects that are not my “life work.” People tend to get lost in the minutia of things they could or can do and end up spending a lot of time and years in misalignment. This is why assessing this with a professional and someone who has the tools to get you there is a more effective way to invest your time, saving you years of frustration.
Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
My definition of success is always changing as I continue to move through life. This is what I’ve had to do as I’ve managed life shifts. When I was younger, being an anchor at a network was success to me. As I finished my journalism degree, I realized I didn’t want to report the news and I didn’t want to agenda set for a topic that was misaligned with who I was or what I believed. When I was finishing my MBA program, success was ultimately becoming a CHRO or an executive. Then as I became a more mature professional, I realized I didn’t need to reach that level to make an impact. Now, my version of success is focused on catering to those who have faced challenges in the workplace or in their personal lives, which can spill back into the workplace anyway. Not all of us are born into generational wealth and have the privilege to choose whether or not we’ll take a trip to Bali or Dubai this weekend. Many of us have to work to get to that point, and success to me is helping people do just that. In other words, success to me is making a positive impact on people who are mentally struggling to create systems in their life that can break down barriers to their own versions of success. I know I’ve appreciated the people that have done that for me and want to do the same for others.
What’s next for you?
In this phase of life, I’m focused on pouring into myself and my mental health by staying true to who I am. The Creative Corporate allows me to do that, and the next step is to scale this to not just individuals, but to organizations that prioritize their employees’ wellbeing. My coaching program incorporates what I’ve termed “Mindset Mastery” as healthy mental health and emotional wellbeing continue to be a large-scale challenge for organizations. I also will continue to feed my soul by working on other projects in the media and art spaces, as I will always have a love for television and creative writing.
Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-creative-corporate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecreativecorporate