Unleashing Your Potential: Lessons from Krystal Parker’s Incredible Journey
Krystal’s story begins in the tiny town of Moscow, Kansas, with only seven people in her high school class. Growing up, she faced doubts and challenges, including a pivotal moment when her father told her she wasn’t as smart as her siblings and would have to “get lucky” to succeed.
But Krystal didn’t let those words define her. Instead, she used them as fuel to prove everyone wrong. She shares, “Everything I did at that point forward was to prove my dad wrong. I would sit at the kitchen table for hours and study, well past when my super smart brother and sister were sleeping.”
Rising Through the Ranks
Krystal’s determination paid off in spectacular fashion. By age 34, she had become the youngest Vice President at a Fortune 200 oil and gas company, and one of only five women in executive roles. Her journey included:
• Starting as a temp stocking shelves
• Moving up to a secretarial position
• Taking on accounting and payroll responsibilities
• Becoming a supervisor in the call center
• Skipping several levels to become a director
• Being promoted to VP overseeing all of West Texas
Krystal attributes much of her success to her people skills: “85% of job success is well-developed people skills. Truly, it’s proven. It’s not just a, this is a statistical fact about business, is people skills drive results.”
The Burn Rate: When Success Comes at a Cost
Despite her meteoric rise, Krystal experienced what she calls the “burn rate” – the toll that relentless ambition and overwork can take on your personal life and well-being. She candidly shares a heartbreaking moment when she missed her young daughter’s Christmas program because of a mandatory work meeting:
“I am hearing these kids sing and I’m weeping, weeping because at that point, at that moment in my life, I realized that I sold my soul for this company. All it had to do is say no, and the beat would still go on and I would have been sitting there for that little girl that day, but I wasn’t.”
This moment became a turning point for Krystal, prompting her to reevaluate her priorities and eventually leading her on a new path.
Finding True Fulfillment
After leaving the corporate world, Krystal experienced a profound spiritual transformation. She realized that worldly success alone left her feeling empty:
“When you’re stuffing in money and power and things of the world that the world tells you is success, it is the most empty hole. It’s like a hole that never gets filled.”
Krystal found true fulfillment in her faith and a new calling to serve others through the U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce. She explains, “Once I experienced the living water of Jesus Christ. It was a washing that filled me every crack, every crevice, every hurt, every pain, everything I ever did to others. Like it was gone, guilt, shame. I was free from the bondage that I was living under and the system of the world.”
The U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce: A New Mission
Today, Krystal leads the U.S. Christian Chamber of Commerce, an organization that provides a space for Christian business owners to connect, collaborate, and impact their communities. She shares:
“We’ve created a space for Christians to do business, have access to experts, resources, collaborations, impact their cities. And we do it through a membership model, just like a chamber of commerce. But this is for people that say, I believe in Jesus Christ, the birth, death and resurrection. And I wanna do business with people that look and act and feel like me. High ethics, hello ethics, excellence, serving like Jesus, city set on the hill, that’s who we are.”
Lessons for Aspiring Leaders
Throughout our conversation, Krystal shared several powerful insights for business leaders:
1. Embrace your unique strengths: “Who God made you is your greatest strength. Trying to be the comparison trap, when you compare yourself to something else, that’s how you kill something special.”
2. Build relationships: Krystal’s success often came from her willingness to reach out and connect with others, like when she cold-called a prominent businesswoman for lunch.
3. Serve others: “If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.”
4. Set boundaries: Learn to say no and protect your time to avoid burnout.
5. Align your priorities: “If the values are clear, decisions are easy.” Put God and family before career ambitions.
6. Take action on opportunities: “When God drops those people in your spirit, it’s not by mistake or accident. Those are opportunities… There’s a reason they’re in your spirit and it’s up to us to make that step.”
7. Focus on obedience, not outcomes: “You’re not responsible for the harvest. What you’re supposed to do, water, fertilize, trench, water, fertilize, trench, God’s the God of the harvest. And it will come as long as you stay obedient and don’t quit.”
Connect with Krysta
If you’re inspired by Krystal’s story and want to learn more:
• Visit https://uschristianchamber.com/ to explore membership opportunities
• Check out her book “The Best Robot Wins” on Amazon
• Read her chapter in “Threads of Wisdom” by Caroline Mendez
• Learn about her consulting services at Intent and Impact
Krystal’s journey from a small-town girl to a powerhouse business leader and faith-driven entrepreneur is truly inspiring. Her story reminds us that with determination, faith, and a willingness to learn and grow, we can overcome any obstacle and achieve remarkable success – all while staying true to our values and making a positive impact on the world.
So, what steps will you take today to unleash your own potential and make your mark on the business world? Remember, you are uniquely and wonderfully made, with gifts and talents that only you can bring to the table. Now go out there and get biz done!This image features a confident woman delivering a passionate speech on stage, flanked by academic figures and surrounded by symbolic growth elements like greenery. It visually represents the act of stepping into your potential by embracing leadership, communication, and presence. Ideal for themes of motivation, self-development, and business empowerment.