Editorial Director & Journalist, Kristina Etter is one of those passionate human beings who do not bow down to pressing endeavours. From corporate America to homelessness, she has emerged victorious from the wrath of all trials and tribulations. Her journey is certainly an inspiration to all those women who fight countless battles in the silence of life.
Kristina likes to introduce herself as ‘a middle-aged woman who understands the value of truth and honesty, believes that stories bring value to others, and strives to uncover the beauty in the chaos of life’. She is the Editorial Content Director of Cannabis Tech, a freelance health & wellness writer and Airbnb super-host. She even writes her own content at Seed & STEM on Medium which is intended for the mature, sophisticated female cannabis consumers. In this blog and podcast she covers the topics, products, and technology that matter to her as a professional in the niche.
Kristina grew up as the youngest of 8 siblings and learned early on in life to be independent. Even though she was from an affluent household and had everything she would need, she lacked support. She was taught not to add to the drama as a part of a huge household. In the process, much of her emotional needs as a child were neglected. She learned quickly that if she wanted something done, she would likely have to do it herself. If she had a problem, she would have to find the solution to it all by herself. She was often belittled and chastised for asking for help.
When for most, this could have stopped them from growing as confident individuals, Kristina turned her misery into her strength. No wonder how she stood up victorious from the farm to corporate America to homelessness and finally to success! “It’s a tale of divine intervention, coupled with sheer determination not to fail,” says Kristina.
It won’t be a folly to say that she has the capability to make the best out of all pressing endeavours. When her mother passed away due to lung cancer in 2014, Kristina’s family turned against her over inheritance battles and she lost it. She had a nervous breakdown and eventually ran away from her toxic past and vowed to recreate something better. This was the turning point of her life and her career for the better.
Today, she has several ventures that she’s working on. Additionally, she runs a small Airbnb operation in the mountains of Colorado, where she encourages people to disconnect from technology, breathe, and remember how to be human. Her venture has grown significantly with more than 85k pageviews a month and has a subscriber list of 22k that’s growing every day. Kristina says, “I have sort of developed a kind of ‘watchdog’ reputation in the industry – which is great because I believe in truth and honesty over profits any day”.
Albeit Kristina is confident in her ability to survive more than anything, getting established as a freelancer took time. She reveals, “Building a reputation as a quality writer in your niche doesn’t happen overnight”. “There were a lot of PB&J sandwiches the first year. Now, I work full time for Cannabis Tech, but we are expanding so quickly in our niche that it can be difficult to manage the growth factor in my other business, and a husband who can’t work due to chronic pain and neck injury – it’s all on my shoulders. The pressure is immense.”
With all her endeavours, she has made a 180 degree difference in her life today versus life 6-7 years ago. From health, wellness, lifestyle, work to hobbies, she has left no stone unturned to spread the light of growth. She is proudly a completely different person because of her conscious choices in the last few years.
It is with her journey that Kristina shares with all you readers, “Fortune sides with she who dares”. “You have to follow your heart and if you don’t know what you heart wants – listen to the angels on your path, they won’t steer you wrong.”