Julie Smith [00:00:04]:
Welcome to another episode of Empowering Entrepreneurs. It's just Julie today, but I have a fantastic guest here in the studio. She has been one of my best friends since 2007, like, what a wild ride. Right? I didn't have I did not pay Glenn to write my, intro today, so everyone will just have to, you know, give me a little bit of credit here. So Kristen is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a degree in management. She's a licensed insurance agent and is the vice president of Legacy Retirement Group. She has 10 years of experience managing the hotel and restaurant industry and she has been in the financial services for the last 17 years. Kristen's focus is to provide insight and develop plans for families we work with.
Julie Smith [00:00:50]:
She also manages the payroll expenses and bookkeeping for the company. Wow. I don't want your shoes. Kristen and Greg work side by side on the radio show, Winning Retirement Radio, giving families an opportunity to be educated on financial matters. She also is a part time teacher to her youngest son And outside of work, she likes to spend time with her husband and her 3 sons, Christian, Cameron, and Jaden, and also her little puppy. She also enjoys photography, which is where it all started with us. Yeah. And she's always been one of the best dressed females that I've ever been surrounded by.
Julie Smith [00:01:24]:
So this is just gonna be a treat as, you know, I have my list of questions, but just an organic conversation around just this entrepreneurial journey, being a woman, trying to have a career, trying to please everybody.
Kristin Taylor [00:01:39]:
Yep. Right? Yeah. I mean, it's interesting. I almost canceled today. I'm gonna be transparent.
Julie Smith [00:01:46]:
Well, I canceled 2 times before, so transparency is great.
Kristen Taylor [00:01:49]:
Why did we cancel and why did I almost cancel? Because being a mom and being an entrepreneur and doing all the things, sometimes we get overloaded. And I think it's okay to talk about that because so many times we see, you know, social media. Right? We all compare ourselves in some way. Even as entrepreneurs, we see these women that have it together and they're wearing the heels and they're doing it all and they their moms and they have their stuff together. Right? It seems like. They don't post when they have a meltdown.
Julie Smith [00:02:17]:
It's a highlight reel. Right? It is. It is. But I think just to that point of, like, that is that's hard. Right? That's a really hard standard to live up to. 1, being a woman, being a mom, being a wife, being having a career, having all of these things kind of on your resume, it's really hard. But one thing that I've learned going through, you know, what I will call our wild ride together is, like, you need someone in your corner that has zero judgment
Kristen Taylor [00:02:44]:
Mhmm.
Julie Smith [00:02:45]:
Is going to tell you like it is when you need to be told like it is, and there's a sense of respect among the 2 of you that, like, I hear you. Yep. I don't hear a lot of people. Because as a as a female, you have to tune that out. Right? You have to have some sort of thick skin. And and I don't wanna say this industry, but just being an entrepreneur and being like a a power woman. Right? Like, having your own opinion and wanting to do things. And for that, I I will never be able to thank you enough because you've always been in my corner.
Julie Smith [00:03:13]:
Sometimes we don't talk for years.
Kristen Taylor [00:03:16]:
Yeah. There has been long periods of time. Has it been a year? Maybe. I don't know. Months. Feels like years. Right? Before we've seen each other.
Julie Smith [00:03:23]:
Yeah. And, like, we sit down or we pick up the phone and it's just like I didn't we didn't miss a beat. And that's hard to find.
Kristen Taylor [00:03:30]:
It is. And you know what? I will say I reciprocate that feeling with you because I have been in situations where I've talked to you and complained, you know, we have our little complain fest. And then you've told me to get my stuff together. You have told me that. And and not so many words. Yeah. But I appreciate that. And and it's hard.
Kristen Taylor [00:03:49]:
Those type of friends don't come by very often. And when you have them, you hold on to them.
Julie Smith [00:03:54]:
And see, we're already down a path. We haven't even done any of my questions that I have. But I think when you go through life and you go through some of those ups and downs, you figure out real quick who those people are and who the people that maybe never served you in your life and what you were doing. You maybe served them. Yeah. That makes sense? And so I think as we've gone through this roller coaster wild ride of life over I can't even do the math because we don't have Glenn here, and I don't have my solar calculator.
Kristen Taylor [00:04:22]:
Been about 17 years because I remember the first time I met you, I was carrying my son, my first born, into the office. Oh, yeah. And I was on maternity leave still. I hadn't even come back yet. Yeah. That's true. New baby, and he is, goodness gracious, almost 18 years old.
Julie Smith [00:04:38]:
Ain't that crazy that I've known your kids their entire life and you've known mine too? That's so crazy. But okay. Let me let me take a step back here because we have a lot of history. But also, like, you're an entrepreneur. You are a powerhouse of a woman. You're someone I respect. You're a visionary yet an integrator. You have been able to build businesses that from nothing.
Julie Smith [00:05:04]:
And you have a you're surrounded by a great team and great people and, you know, your family is great and your boys are great. But let me take it back to growing up. Did you ever envision yourself as an entrepreneur as this like,
Kristen Taylor [00:05:21]:
this woman that you are today? Actually, you know, it's interesting. I've always struggled with my purpose in life. I from an early age and we don't have time to get into my whole story, but I grew up in a very bad situation, with a mother that was not present. And I knew I wanted more than that. So that's where it starts. I knew I always wanted more. I wanted to never be in that type of situation that she was in. And although I forgave her, I knew what I needed to not do.
Kristen Taylor [00:05:48]:
Right? So she taught me the best lesson in life. And so going from there, I knew I always wanted to work with people. I have a passion for working with people. It it's my driving force. I knew that I wanted to manage people. I always enjoyed that. I always like seeing something built kinda like you do. I think you're on another level than me from that aspect, but I've always liked seeing things being built.
Kristen Taylor [00:06:11]:
And I knew that I didn't want to be in a pigeonhole. I didn't want to just do the same thing all the time. So my first goal in life was actually be a McDonald's franchisee. Oh. That was what my goal was. So I poured myself into that for 10 years. I think a little more than 10 years actually. And my goal was to be a franchisee, and so everything I did was surrounded around that.
Kristen Taylor [00:06:36]:
And then it kinda transitions into into the hotel industry, and then from there it transitioned into the financial industry. But what's important to point out about all three of those industries is they're all people driven. And so I'm able to manage something, I'm able to work with people, and do all the things that are I'm passionate about.
Julie Smith [00:06:54]:
So did you ever, like, sell painted rocks or, you know, have a newspaper rock? Did you ever do anything growing up that, like, tugged at those entrepreneur strings?
Kristen Taylor [00:07:04]:
I did. I did. I I babysat. I I came up with, like, a business model so that I could get more out of babysitting. I helped take care of some special needs children. All along the way, I was working at McDonald's, and then I ran into an entrepreneur who actually invented the rotary device that's in caterpillar trucks and and, machines. And I went and worked on his little farm making the, soldering the microchips for those parts. And he taught me so much.
Kristen Taylor [00:07:37]:
I mean, he was this inconspicuous guy, like, little old guy that worked in a barn and his wife was like a homemaker, his little farm, and in the back they had a airplane hangar, you know. And I just thought that was the coolest thing and so so as I learned from him more than just soldering microchips, I moved on to college. And in college, I I can remember the one thing that stood out. You know, college, we go for 4 years. Right? For undergrad, you went on for your masters, which I just admire tremendously. But as you're in undergrad, there's things that stand out and there's things that don't stand out. To me, the one thing that stood out was I was in a marketing class and, they were talking about innovation. And one of the leaders from DaimlerChrysler organization back then, came in and spoke and talked about how they were the leader in innovation and technology.
Kristen Taylor [00:08:31]:
And and that always stuck with me. Innovation always stuck with me, because I thought, okay, that's the key to success. If you're an innovator, you'll always be on the on the top of the moving spectrum. Right? You're if you're always innovating, you're always coming up with something new, you're always gonna be successful. So that's how I measured success. And I get to do that with what we do with our company at Legacy Retirement Group.
Julie Smith [00:08:53]:
And, you know, I think I have been able to watch you transform into who you are today. I think that, you know, I was able to see this new mom bringing, you know, this baby in and, you know, like, you didn't know what was gonna happen. Right? Just very uncertain times. And now, like, you you have uncertainty in your life, of course, but you very much are this is how I'm doing it. This is what's gonna happen. Speak your mind. You're no longer I don't wanna even say like a meek female because that's not the right word that I wanna use. But you definitely were a lot more timid and hadn't come into yourself yet.
Kristen Taylor [00:09:33]:
I always call myself an a minus, like, a type. You always say that, but
Julie Smith [00:09:37]:
I don't know that that's true.
Kristen Taylor [00:09:39]:
Because I can transform, you know. I think I think that it's it's interesting the people along the way impress on you and change you. And I'm not just saying this because we're doing this show together. Anybody that I would talk to, I would say that you impressed on me. Because sometimes when I want to go backwards and say be that a minus or b is what I like to call it. I don't know if that's a real thing, but that's what I do on my mind to help me. It's like, no, you got this. You can move forward.
Kristen Taylor [00:10:06]:
Like, look what Julie's doing. You every woman in business has to have a Julie. You have to. You have to have someone, and and it would be, you know, very humbling for you to say that about me, and and your wonderful gracious, introduction. Because you need someone that you can look up to. What do we always say to each other? Like, you don't need somebody to, like, knock your crown off. Right? You need somebody to straighten it. Yep.
Kristen Taylor [00:10:30]:
You need somebody that's gonna come alongside of you and be happy when you're succeeding, and be there to uplift you when you're not succeeding. Right? Well, I even think just, you
Julie Smith [00:10:39]:
know, and I have chills thinking about this, but it's like, yeah. We always say, like, don't knock my crown off. Just fix it. Take a moment. But also, it's like to sit in those moments because being an entrepreneur, we're talking about the peaks and the valleys. Right? And it's real life. It's the it's it's everything. But when you're in a valley to have someone to be able to sit in that with you and be like, alright.
Julie Smith [00:11:00]:
You've sat long enough. Like, you gotta get back up there. Like Yeah.
Kristen Taylor [00:11:03]:
And I mean, I think I think being transparent too to the people listening because those valleys look different to everybody and the perception is your reality. Right? I mean, it is whatever you're going through, whether it's really really hard things like I've been through divorce. I'll be trans I'm I'm very open about those things. I've been through divorce. I've been through a death of an ex spouse. My my 2 oldest boys, father died unexpectedly and you were there for me for that. I've been through business challenges, you know, before you grow, sometimes you fail. Sometimes your ideas don't do well.
Kristen Taylor [00:11:35]:
Sometimes financially, you put yourself out there a little more than you should. Right? But ultimately, believing that your innovation and your hard work and the ideas that you have are gonna pay off eventually, but not every idea is gonna be successful. You're gonna have some failures. I think that's called entrepreneurship. Right? Right. But I think so many people quit, especially women because you are doing so many things. You're a wife. You're a mom.
Kristen Taylor [00:12:01]:
Let's face it. And it's not to get a little violin planned for us, but there's so many things that women do, and women are just different than men. We're we're built differently, and it's on purpose.
Julie Smith [00:12:12]:
I just think our whole mental workload as we go through this, you know. And I I laugh because sometimes and the people in this room are, you know, will nod their heads. It's like, we're we're on a podcast. Glenn starts talking and in my head, I'm here physically. And I'm in this podcast, but I'm like, okay, I've gotta pick up candy for the trick or treat street. Okay. My kids need a birthday gift. Oh, did I lay out that? Did I put the laundry in the thing? And then I'm like, yeah.
Julie Smith [00:12:36]:
Back to the podcast. Like, right? Like and I'm like, oh my gosh. Like like, you you can't control that mental load of the female. Especially when you have kids or no kids, like, there's you're in charge of so much and and it's hard. And, you know, I give you a lot of credit because you as we were walking in here, she's like, I had a mental meltdown yesterday. And I'm like, oh my gosh. I had one last week. Right? Like Yep.
Julie Smith [00:13:02]:
There are a dime
Kristen Taylor [00:13:03]:
a dozen around here, but it's like we pick ourselves back up and we just hit the ground running today. Well, here's the key. So I've always allowed myself the grace to say it's okay to have a hard day. It's okay to have a hard week. You can't camp out in that. Right. That's where hard times turn into bitterness, which turns into failure. So the difference between someone that makes it in business and someone who doesn't make it, is the perseverance through
Julie Smith [00:13:37]:
the hard things. And I think, you know, for our listeners today, if if you are sitting in one of those valleys and it is tough, and you find yourself, like, it's tough to get out of bed, it's tough to get out of the house, it's tough to get to the office or or whatever you call that, it's okay, but push through it.
Kristen Taylor [00:13:55]:
Mhmm.
Julie Smith [00:13:55]:
Because tomorrow, you may feel great. You may feel great in a week. You you you just don't know.
Kristen Taylor [00:14:01]:
Right. Right. So, I mean and I know those listening today are probably thinking like, okay. Well, yeah, you have those hard things and, yeah, it's great to say I can push through at some point, but it's a mental game. How many times have you told me that? Like, it's mental.
Julie Smith [00:14:14]:
Like, no. I mean, I I think it is mental, and I think you have to figure out now we're on, like, a whole therapy session here. Right?
Kristen Taylor [00:14:21]:
Like, I I wasn't sure where this was gonna go. We didn't prep for this at all.
Julie Smith [00:14:26]:
Well, I don't I'm not, our listeners should know I'm not the person that usually preps. I have my list of questions and where we were gonna go and I was like, fine. We haven't hit 1 at all.
Kristen Taylor [00:14:35]:
Okay. Go ahead. Hit it. Hit 1.
Julie Smith [00:14:38]:
Well, you know, what is your true passion? I think you've answered that. Right? It's people. But how did you you know, to our listeners, maybe the people that are struggling to figure out what that is every day that that what's their purpose and passion in life, and how do they, you know, navigate to get there? How did you figure that out?
Kristen Taylor [00:14:56]:
Yeah. Your why. Right? Like, we're all supposed to have this elevator speech. I have I have been living in a a state of I don't know for 17 years, and I finally I think I finally found my purpose. And and you said people, and that's like the package of it. Right? But, ultimately, there's a few things that I'm really, really passionate about. One is my children. Mhmm.
Kristen Taylor [00:15:17]:
Another is my faith, another is my husband, and of course, our clients. And how do I how do I get to one thing
Julie Smith [00:15:25]:
I think you're I'm gonna I know. Here I am. Like, yes. I think your top 3 are exactly right. But your clients, I think your team and the people that you've surrounded yourself with are right there with your clients.
Kristen Taylor [00:15:39]:
They are. They are all those things. And so ultimately, my why why do I want to be successful? Right? And I found that recently and I won't go down that road, but there's a project I'm very passionate about. And so for me, I'm like, okay. If I succeed in business, then financially I'll be more successful. Right? And to succeed in business, I have to support my team, because my team is what makes our business successful. Right? Mhmm. And so that will then, in turn, help me to do the things that the project that I'm passionate about to give more to that.
Kristen Taylor [00:16:12]:
And if I'm happy and fulfilled, I can be the mom I need to be to my children, and I can be the wife I need to be to my husband. And so ultimately, I think that finding that one thing that can drive all those other areas is really really important. And that's what I've been missing a lot, I think, in my life.
Julie Smith [00:16:30]:
So do you think and I may or may not be correct in this. Do you think you figured out you?
Kristen Taylor [00:16:37]:
Oh, I don't think I'll ever figure myself out.
Julie Smith [00:16:39]:
What I mean. I think we're all striving to be our best self. And like you said, you felt like something I mean, to the outside world, like, you know, the the highlight reel, the showcase, the, you know, social media, you're doing great. Right? Mhmm. But the fact that you knew something was missing and you're searching for it and you believe you found it, I think that's that missing piece that makes you your best self like you just described.
Kristen Taylor [00:17:07]:
Yeah. I mean, we all have this grind we do every day. How many times have we had conversations where we're like, is this all life's about? Waking up, you work out, which I wanna get there. Working out, going to work, getting home, doing homework, doing all the sports things, tucking kids, cooking dinner, laundry, tucking the beds kids in at at night to bed. So is that all that life's about? And so you have to find a higher purpose to make all that enjoyable. Like, sometimes when I'm feeling down and and I'm like, I gotta do the laundry. I've worked all day. I'm tired.
Kristen Taylor [00:17:41]:
I don't wanna do the laundry. I have to say, you know, I'm thankful I have a washing machine.
Julie Smith [00:17:45]:
And sometimes
Kristen Taylor [00:17:45]:
that heart of gratitude translates and change your whole mindset. It changes the whole mindset because when you're grateful for the things that you have and why you have them, you can move forward and do things with greater purpose.
Julie Smith [00:17:58]:
Well, and I think to that point, I think that's a huge takeaway for our listeners too. And I've really, in the last, let's say, you know, 9 to 12 months, really tried to come from a place of gratitude in our house. And it's, you know, with the kids, and it's like, instead of being like, oh my gosh. I have to put my laundry away. Like, hey. Listen. How about you tell me you're very thankful the fact that you have clothes to put away and they are clean. Right? And trying to, you know, instill that just different thinking into them And, you know, making sure I'm taking a moment to do that.
Julie Smith [00:18:30]:
I try to do that before I get out of bed to, you know, work out every morning is like, what are three things I'm really grateful for today? Because I could say the three things that just are gonna, I know are gonna mess up my day. I know they're coming. Right? But instead, I think it's changing that mindset. I think that's a huge thing as an entrepreneur that you have to stick with in order to get out of those valleys. Absolutely. So I do have some other questions and I know, you know, our listeners are how do you find balance?
Kristen Taylor [00:18:58]:
Oh, I think balance is something that's, like, not even possible.
Julie Smith [00:19:03]:
I I completely agree with you. I think it's usually like this tipping scale of, you know, who needs what in what moment. But again It's
Kristen Taylor [00:19:12]:
a moving target. Like, we think of balance, we think of, like, that old what is that called? I I can't think of the name of it. The scale thing where it's like right in the middle and it just levels out. Well, I don't really think that's how life works. I think the balance changes. Right? Sometimes our family requires more. You know, we need more weight on that side and sometimes it's our business. And we've been through times where staffing is an issue.
Kristen Taylor [00:19:39]:
Right? And you're having to make some changes, and it's hard when you're a small business owner because you you your your staff becomes your family. I see my staff more than I see my own family. Right. And so you become you you get these personal connections and balancing the personal connections with the business is one part of balancing. And then work home, what is that work life balance? Yeah. That's like throw that thing out the window. Because when you're an entrepreneur, right, sometimes you gotta bring work home. There's no balance there.
Kristen Taylor [00:20:11]:
There's no balance there. Sometimes you're in the office on Saturday morning. I know you do that a lot of times. Mhmm. Sometimes I'm up late because I've been doing homeschool, we mentioned earlier in the show, and I'm having to do my actual work at 10 o'clock at night. And it's 2 in the morning, and I'm sending Julie memes because I'm finally settling down for the evening. Right? Yeah. Yeah.
Kristen Taylor [00:20:31]:
And I'm like,
Julie Smith [00:20:31]:
oh gosh, I gotta get up in a couple hours.
Kristen Taylor [00:20:33]:
Yeah. Yeah. So that balance I think is kind of a thing that it's a it's a fallacy. It's something that we feel like we have to strive for but you're not always gonna be balanced. And being okay with that, I think, is important.
Julie Smith [00:20:47]:
How do you become okay with that? Because I think a lot of not just women, but I think a lot of men struggle as well with that.
Kristen Taylor [00:20:53]:
I think there's, like, peeling back the onion that has to take place there. It it has to you need to define success in your life. Mhmm. Almost said something else there. I I get a little I get a little colorful in my language sometimes. But you you have to define success in your own life. What does success look like to you? Is it being financially secure? For some people, they don't care about financial success. They care about what people think about them.
Kristen Taylor [00:21:19]:
Right? And what their peers think about them, what their children think about them. And I think for men, a lot of times it's that peer relationship more than financial even though shows us financial. It's more of that peer to peer like how am I measuring up. Right? Sometimes women as well. And so I think you have to figure that out first before you go down the other road. So for me, I'm not motivated by financial success at all. I could care less. I I enjoy having a good lifestyle and having money to do the things I wanna do, but that's not what that's not what I measure my success with.
Kristen Taylor [00:21:53]:
I measure my success more with how well I'm doing at momming. How well I'm doing at, you know, doing the business. Right? Every business isn't gonna be financial financially successful. From the aspect of, like, what if your business is a non profit? What if your business is, you know, something that just doesn't bring about money? I can't think of an example right now, but it's something that really fulfills you. I think it's okay to allow yourself the space to say, hey. I can be successful in more ways than just the number in my bank account.
Julie Smith [00:22:29]:
Do you think that's evolved over time, though? Do you think, you know, as you go back to college and think about even even going back and thinking about working on the farm and and, you know, hearing about what this person was doing and creating and it's something so much bigger than the life that you could see. Right? And then you go to college and this person talking about innovation and having these ideas that are, you know, bigger than probably at that point you could imagine being a part of. And then, you know, you go into the hospitality industry and then, you know, obviously you find a legacy and, you know, have just built a great business. But do you think that that vision of success has evolved over time?
Kristen Taylor [00:23:05]:
It has. And it changes year to year, I would even say. And we've talked about this personally. You know, when when as women, again, when and I hate to keep bringing up the kids, but our kids we go through all these seasons in life. Right? Yep. And right now, I'm about to go through a really big season with my oldest son graduating and going off to college in another state. And so for me, I I never I actually never pictured myself with children. I was so business minded.
Kristen Taylor [00:23:35]:
I was I was working from the time I was 12 years old. I worked in high I mean, I hate to even admit this, but in high school, I I lied to one job so that I could have hours at the other job because you're only allowed to work so many hours. So I I literally worked full time through high school. I worked full time through college. I've always been business minded. And so for me to actually be sitting here and saying, okay, right now that's all great. I'm I'm so glad we built this big business together, Greg and I. But I kinda am more measuring my my success right now by what my son is gonna do when he goes off to college.
Kristen Taylor [00:24:13]:
You know? It's hard to say that.
Julie Smith [00:24:15]:
Well, I think even though, like, if we could just talk a minute for you were working full time in the office. Mhmm. You had a, you know, I call her a nanny. She's Mhmm. Whatever you wanna call her a nanny. And you had someone helping you to be able to, you know, go after that career, build that business, have this vision. Like, you I watched you be so laser focused in that. And then it was like, this 2 by 4 hits you in the head and you said, you know what? I'm gonna homeschool.
Julie Smith [00:24:48]:
And I've gotta I've gotta figure like, I remember having like, Julie, I've gotta figure this out. This is what I'm gonna do. And I'm I'm like, I
Kristen Taylor [00:24:54]:
You're like, can't you pay someone to do that?
Julie Smith [00:24:56]:
I may have said that at first. Okay? You did. But only because I just don't the 2 of us trying to be teachers just seemed so like, you're you're gonna lose your you know what. Like, I can just see it. Like, are you sure you wanna go down that path? But then I'm like, if that's what you wanna do, like, how do we make how do we make that work? It went from not
Kristen Taylor [00:25:16]:
what I wanted to do, but what I felt like I had to do to what I want to do. Right. And it's because again, right now, what I measure my success as are these 3 humans that I've been responsible for for the last 18, 16, and 11 years. Got their ages right. Right? Yeah. And so for me, as Christians going off to college and I'm gonna do a plug, he wants to be a missionary. I am so proud of that. I'm so proud of what I instilled in him and what I made him think was important in life that that's his career choice.
Kristen Taylor [00:25:47]:
He's not gonna make much money.
Julie Smith [00:25:48]:
He won't. Always had though to speak to that, like, I've always seen, like, you in him, if that makes sense. Like, I have chills talking about it. But, like, I mean, this is someone that I knew at, what, like, 6 weeks old. Yeah. He has always just had this soft, tender heart. And as much as you love people, he has always loved people. And he's always been able to, like he's shy and, you know, sometimes he's but he's always been able to immerse himself into whatever situation he's in.
Julie Smith [00:26:21]:
And that's my limited knowledge of him. Right? But you are the same way. And I find it very like, I'm trying to put some dots together here. The fact that Christian wants to go be a missionary and the fact that you found your purpose in life kind of the same time
Kristen Taylor [00:26:37]:
Mhmm.
Julie Smith [00:26:38]:
Like, does that give you chills?
Kristen Taylor [00:26:40]:
It does. It does. And it and it makes me realize what was important to me all this time I've been instilling in him, and I didn't even see it until he showed it to me. And then my middle son, Cameron, he wants to be in business. He wants to be a doctor, but he's already thinking innovatively. He's thinking, okay, I could just be a doctor and go work at a hospital, or I could do something like really niche and just do something that no one else has done and combine my love for math and science and business altogether, you know. And so for me, I'm just like, okay. All these things that I've had to balance and maybe sometimes not balance, are paying off in these 3 children I have.
Kristen Taylor [00:27:24]:
And you, the same, and your children because they're both very different. We're very different. And I don't know how much you talk about them on the show. I know not often. They've been on this show. I did see that.
Julie Smith [00:27:34]:
Yeah. It's funny because they had a a lot to say on the ride here, and they had a lot to say. And then, you know, someone gives them the finger, like, you can talk, and they were like It was hard. It was
Kristen Taylor [00:27:46]:
so fun. Earphones on? It's hard to hear yourself.
Julie Smith [00:27:48]:
Well, they wanted to have, you know, they wanted the full experience, but it was so cute. But then, you know, if anybody knows Avery and her personality, she went to school and she said, I don't know if you know. I'm like laughing thinking, I don't know if you know, but I'm famous. And her teacher was like, oh, really? Like, what happened? And she's like,
Kristen Taylor [00:28:09]:
I was on a podcast. That does not surprise me.
Julie Smith [00:28:13]:
The teacher's emailing me, like, was Avery on a podcast? You know, and I'm like, oh, it's so low key, like, and I'm laughing. But it to know her is to know that that's her true personality. Like, she wants center stage. She wants all the attention. Girl just needed a moment to get, you know, used to the lighting and things in here, and she would've, you know, taken off. But no. I I think you're absolutely true. And I was gonna say something even before you said that is I think what you went through in your childhood and and growing up, you have instilled a sense of resiliency, but you've also been able to give your kids space room.
Julie Smith [00:28:52]:
You've really sat not with them to let them be them.
Kristen Taylor [00:28:55]:
Well, you have to be kids have to be their own person.
Julie Smith [00:28:57]:
I agree with you, but I think so many weird now we're on the mom entrepreneur show over here. But I think so many moms and so many parents try to make their kids who they wanted to be. Does that make sense? Yep. And instead of just leaning into who your kids are and what they wanna be, like, at the end of the day, our job is just to instill in them the ability to make good decisions. Give them the tools. And they have to go do it themselves. Yep. And I could tell a story and this is, you know, I'm interviewing Kristen, but, Avery, the youngest who's also very famous for being on a podcast.
Julie Smith [00:29:34]:
It was picture day. And you know how I am. I'm like, okay. You have to look somewhat presentable, girl. But I'm gonna lean into it. I'm gonna say something that's, like, not okay. She had, like, hooker hoops on in 2nd grade.
Kristen Taylor [00:29:46]:
They were And you sent me
Julie Smith [00:29:48]:
a picture. They were so big, but she comes down and she's like, okay, mom. I'm ready. You know? And I there, you know, there's that part of you that's like, oh my gosh. I'm gonna send my kid to picture day and document it in the yearbook like this. But you know what? I'm like, that is her. Yep. Like, I have learned so much over the past 2 or 3 years just to lean into that.
Kristen Taylor [00:30:09]:
Yeah. No. It's funny because you sent me that that picture. And I'm looking at it and I'm like, okay. There's a reason she sent me this. She doesn't usually send me the school picture. And, I mean, the first thing my eyes went to were the hoops. And I'm like, oh, she looks so cute.
Kristen Taylor [00:30:23]:
And you're like, yeah, but but look at them.
Julie Smith [00:30:27]:
And I'm like,
Kristen Taylor [00:30:28]:
I think she
Julie Smith [00:30:28]:
looks cute. No. She looks cute, but you know what I mean. It's like my oldest would never come down. Like, picture day was, like, a quarter zip and she brushed her hair that day. Right? Like, that's what you're gonna get.
Kristen Taylor [00:30:42]:
It's deeper than that though, Julie. And I and I don't think it's an accident that we're talking about this to entrepreneurs right now. So I think you I think you need to really listen, those listening today, and say, okay, what does this mean in my life? Because it's important for someone to be comfortable in their own skin. Mhmm. Right? So my son, Jaden, we talk a lot about him. He's I I I don't like to say special needs. He's ADHD, but but even more than that, I won't go into the alphabet of it. And I tell him those are his superpowers.
Kristen Taylor [00:31:12]:
You know what? Sometimes things don't feel good and he comes out looking like a train wreck. You've seen it. Oh, yeah. Mismatching, I don't know, sweater, like beautiful Ralph Lauren sweater with sweatpants and like slides. Right? But here's the thing, that allows him to be comfortable and be the best him he can be that day. Because if he's not comfortable in what he's wearing, he's not gonna perform to his highest level in any other area. That's just how it is. I think we as women and entrepreneurs sometimes need to stop worrying so much about what people think about us.
Kristen Taylor [00:31:46]:
Oh, yeah. And do what is comfortable so that we can be the most successful we can be. And sometimes that means narrowing down what we're doing. I like to oftentimes make analogies with photography because I am so into photography.
Julie Smith [00:32:03]:
We haven't even we haven't even touched on that.
Kristen Taylor [00:32:05]:
Mhmm.
Julie Smith [00:32:06]:
That's so crazy. But okay. So let me go back and preface with her photography because she is an amazing photographer.
Kristen Taylor [00:32:14]:
Thank you.
Julie Smith [00:32:15]:
You taught me what I want to see in photos, which is not what I would say like the app. Like, I want something that's very, like, that's that person's personality and that's what's coming out and that's what really happened instead of this, like, okay. Everybody smile on
Kristen Taylor [00:32:32]:
the screen.
Julie Smith [00:32:33]:
Like, you know, that's not life. And I think we both have been like that. Like, let me know. Like, this is this is our like, our disheveled is our highlight reel
Kristen Taylor [00:32:41]:
Mhmm.
Julie Smith [00:32:42]:
Almost. And so, like you said, I met I met Kristen in in 2007, and I got married in 2009. And, you know, I think anyone that knows me knows that, like, the wedding didn't, like, it wasn't it wasn't something I've always dreamed of. Let me put it that way. Like, my mindset was kinda like Kristen, like, oh, I wanna build a career. I wanna build something that's bigger than myself. Okay. I have to go do this wedding.
Julie Smith [00:33:08]:
Right? And she was like, woah. And anyone that knows my mom would know that my mom is, like, the opposite of me. And, I was like, oh, yeah. I'm just gonna have Kristen do my my photos, you know. Like, I met her. She's amazing. I'm just I'm running with that. And and, you know, there was a lot of back and forth and you were like, no.
Julie Smith [00:33:30]:
Like, I'm so into that. And you did our engagement pictures, and I loved them to this day. Like, we talk about seasons in life
Kristen Taylor [00:33:40]:
Mhmm.
Julie Smith [00:33:40]:
And that season obviously served me for a very particular reason. You know, one, I have 2 beautiful kids. But I think that marriage and, you know, I don't know who know, but, like, I got a divorce. That marriage really taught me who I am Mhmm. And what I want and who I wanna be and who I want my kids to be. And that's tough. Right? Yep. And I think that, you know, I I'm I'm envisioning the pictures right now.
Julie Smith [00:34:10]:
Like, it it was
Kristen Taylor [00:34:11]:
Kicking the field goal. Right?
Julie Smith [00:34:12]:
Kicking the field goal. Yeah. Well, I even just you know, the one I'm envisioning is the one where I'm like, my hair is back and I'm actually laughing. Yeah.
Kristen Taylor [00:34:19]:
Do you
Julie Smith [00:34:19]:
remember that one? I had a I had a pink polo
Kristen Taylor [00:34:21]:
on it, I think. Yep.
Julie Smith [00:34:24]:
Like, I'm not sad about that season in life. And I and I know that we talk about this a lot personally, but I am not because it really did teach me who I am and I There
Kristen Taylor [00:34:33]:
can be beauty from ashes. Absolutely. And I try
Julie Smith [00:34:35]:
to find like we talked about that gratitude portion of it. Like, it really did teach me a lot about myself.
Kristen Taylor [00:34:41]:
Yeah. And and I think it's important to circle back to the whole aspect of, you know, with photography, there's different lenses. Yeah. Right? And usually, you get into photography, you go buy a kit and it's got this lens that I'll I'll just say this to make it easy, you'll see a focal length of 18 to 200. I'm sure you've seen those zoom lenses that say 18 to 200. And that zoom lens is worthless. You know why? Because it's trying to be everything in one lens. It's not it's not any good.
Kristen Taylor [00:35:10]:
It's trying to be everything to everybody. It's trying to do So deep. It's trying to do wide angles. It's trying to get big beautiful nature shots, if you will. It's trying to get zoomed in. It's trying to get pictures of birds and trees. It's trying to do everything. Mhmm.
Kristen Taylor [00:35:26]:
The best lens out there, in my personal opinion, is a prime lens. You know what a prime lens does?
Julie Smith [00:35:31]:
I have no idea.
Kristen Taylor [00:35:32]:
One thing. It has one focal length.
Julie Smith [00:35:35]:
And it's the best at its time.
Kristen Taylor [00:35:36]:
And it but it does that focal length amazing. And if you start getting into technicalities with apertures, it can be really really good. And so as the more you focus in on one thing, the better you'll be. And that's hard to do as an entrepreneur. How do you do that? Right. It's a moving target as an entrepreneur. Sometimes, I might use my 85 millimeter 1.2 lens. I'm gonna nerd
Julie Smith [00:36:01]:
out here.
Kristen Taylor [00:36:01]:
Sometimes I might use it on a portrait. I might get that perfect shot of just someone's personality. There's no background in that image. It's all blurred out. Sometimes, I might stand way way back because I want you to kinda see the background. I want you to see there's cars back there. They might be blurred, but you kinda can see them. And so I can do different things with that lens, but it does one thing really well and that's that 85 millimeter distance.
Kristen Taylor [00:36:28]:
And so I think if you go through business and life realizing that, like you started off asking me, you know, how do you how do you go from focusing on the business so much to focusing on Jaden and homeschooling him? It's because that's what's most beautiful to me right now. That one image of his personality and seeing it change through my help with him in school. And that might switch back in a year from now to the business. We don't know. But I'm not gonna try to get it all in focus at once. I'm not gonna do that.
Julie Smith [00:36:56]:
No. I think that was a really great analogy and that's not even where I was going with your photography, but I think that's so true. And I think as entrepreneurs, we oftentimes are casting a net instead of a line. Yep. And we just there's so many, you know, especially, Kristen, where you are in your career. There's so many, what does Glenn call them? Shiny objects?
Kristen Taylor [00:37:18]:
Yes. Yes. I talk about shiny objects all the time.
Julie Smith [00:37:20]:
There's always these shiny objects and you're like, oh, I could do that. Oh, I could do that. Oh, and I'm the worst at it. I mean, I I admit it, self awareness. But to be able to sit and say, you know what? That doesn't serve me. That is not what I'm trying to do is a lot harder than saying yes to all those shiny objects.
Kristen Taylor [00:37:37]:
Well and I don't claim to be a psychologist, but most most entrepreneurs are are really good at shiny objects. Good good entrepreneurs always see shiny objects. That's why they're that's why they're so good at what they do. It's that casting the line versus net thing that differentiates someone that just has a life of just doing 50 things. What is that? Like, jack of all trades, master of none? Right? That's the difference. And so when you really start doing well as an entrepreneur, it's when you can kind of go from, okay, there's a lot of shiny objects, but that one that one over there is really shiny and that's what I need to focus on right now. Because I think that's gonna be the next big thing. That's gonna be the next innovation for my business.
Julie Smith [00:38:20]:
And so I'm gonna take it back a little bit because this leads into that. So you've been at Legacy Retirement for 17 About 17 18 years. Yeah. And it wasn't always the business that it is today. And I know we're gonna run out of time, so we might have to have part 2. How how were you able to cast a line in that business rather than the net? And how do you think, you know, for our listeners, what are some big takeaways that you had as you've done that? Obviously, you've had this runway of 17 years to make it what it is today, and it wasn't always like that. Right? And people don't see some of those valleys that you've been through. But how were you able to really focus in and make it what it is today?
Kristen Taylor [00:39:06]:
Like, what was the turning point type thing? Yeah.
Julie Smith [00:39:08]:
What was your turning point? Because I've I've been with you through it all. And, like, where it is today is not where it was 17 years ago.
Kristen Taylor [00:39:15]:
No. And you know what? I think I'm gonna give Greg the credit here for really having a vision that was a little more focused and that he always is focused on retirees. So he didn't try to be all things to all people by, you know, doing college planning and doing accumulation planning and doing retirement planning. He always focused on the retirement planning area. But I remember specifically 1 year when we were doing our business planning for the for the following year. And he's You do business planning. Yes.
Julie Smith [00:39:43]:
Listen. Like, that's a that's a mic drop moment too, because not many people do that.
Kristen Taylor [00:39:47]:
Yeah. We were talking about the next year and our goals and how we're gonna get there, and he said, our theme for next year is take it to the next level. And he did he did this poster and it was like, okay. This is our theme saying. And I was like, question, I'm raising my hand for those of you just listening. How are we gonna do that? That's great to have this theme and have, like, logos, people come out with new logos, people come out with new colors, things like that. That's great, but what does that look like? And he really didn't know.
Julie Smith [00:40:21]:
But that's where you come in. That's where you guys are such yin and yang.
Kristen Taylor [00:40:24]:
That's where things change. That's where things started to change because you can't do the same thing and expect a different result. Right? That's like the definition of insanity. Right? Right. So we were doing the same thing and I think 2 years in a row we did that next level thing. And finally, I was like, okay, here's an idea. So understand marketing is everything combined that you do. Greg was looking at marketing as like a mailer.
Kristen Taylor [00:40:49]:
I said, here's an idea, let's actually do some advertising and do different advertising because then that means marketing. Marketing isn't just one thing, it's multiple things, and so we added radio. And that substantially increased our business. Then he wrote a book, which I pushed back on so I will give him credit for that. He wrote a book. Then he went from there and said, okay, radio's great, the book's great, we need a podcast. So we started a podcast. Then he's like, you know what? I love this idea of different ways to bring clients in.
Kristen Taylor [00:41:23]:
Marketing. Right? Not just one way, that's not marketing, that's advertising. And we added TV. And so as we started adding these different ways, because people are all different, they consume media different ways. We went from mailing, an invite to a meeting, to radio, book, podcast, TV, to all the different ways to bring people in, so that folks would have a way to connect with us. And then ultimately, we've just started transitioning even that even more with radio. We've been really open. We we had this conversation before we came on air.
Kristen Taylor [00:42:00]:
We give people a look into what it's like to be in the home of Greg and Kristen Taylor. Like, that's what we do. We love talking about our life. It's maybe 40% financial talk, 60% family, you know? Yeah. And we kinda go from there. And so we've started transitioning our TV to be that same thing. And I think those are the elements that changed our business. Because people people really assume that you know what you're talking about if you're on radio and TV or TV.
Kristen Taylor [00:42:28]:
Right? Like, you're not gonna be just a dummy and be on radio. Right? People see through that immediately. But people want to ultimately in any business. So if you're an entrepreneur in any business, people want to feel like they know you and they trust you. Doesn't matter what it is.
Julie Smith [00:42:45]:
And I wanna tell you that Kristen truly believes in this because it was like 4 weeks ago and we had the conversation before we started of, you know, we've been doing this podcast for what? 2 or 3 years? And, anyone that knows me knows I'm super private. I don't normally talk about anything that is outside of business, and that's always kind of been my mantra. And we were talking about doing this podcast and she was like, Julie, everyone has to relate to you. You're so relatable. Like, why are you not talking about all these things? And I'm like, because that's my personal life and I don't talk about my personal life. And so, thank you.
Kristen Taylor [00:43:17]:
So I'm gonna tell you about Julie and the Rogue. Julie will give the shirt off her back literally to anybody. Well, not anybody.
Julie Smith [00:43:26]:
To the people in my circle.
Kristen Taylor [00:43:27]:
Well, in your circle, but I've seen it to anybody as well. Julie will stop what she's doing no matter what to pick up and help you. When I broke my ankle, falling down one step, one step, which I almost broke my ankle on the way into this baby.
Julie Smith [00:43:43]:
Yeah. You had an audience in a cheering section.
Kristen Taylor [00:43:45]:
Yeah. I danced I danced it off. But, you know, you were there. I sent my kids and my husband to a vacation that had been re planned twice. So it wasn't that they left me. I just didn't want to cancel it again because I'm also a cheapskate. And so Julie's like, you can't be by yourself. She she was there.
Kristen Taylor [00:44:03]:
She took me to my, appointments and brought me smoothies and salads. And Glenn was there, you know, with me too. And Refilled your cooler? Yeah. So I leave you
Julie Smith [00:44:14]:
for a little bit.
Kristen Taylor [00:44:15]:
Yeah. You need friends that you don't mind seeing you ugly. You know, like, I would say that's one of my ugly states I've been in. Right?
Julie Smith [00:44:20]:
But you still looked gorgeous and you still had the best you still had the best dressed.
Kristen Taylor [00:44:25]:
But, like, mentally, I was ugly, if you remember. I was like, woe is me. My life's over. Right?
Julie Smith [00:44:31]:
I know. And I was like, I think we're gonna have to eat this meal at the table and not your bed today because you've got to get up. That's right. Oh, yeah. No. I mean, I I definitely agree with that. But back to the, like, you believe in being so relatable as an entrepreneur and a business owner and a female and a mom and a wife that you have been able to evolve into that. And, you know, maybe someday I will be, but you do great at that, but I think people love you for that.
Julie Smith [00:44:58]:
Aw. And I think that's, you know Thank you. One of my questions here is or coming to me is, like, what is your superpower?
Kristen Taylor [00:45:06]:
Oh, I was not expecting that question.
Julie Smith [00:45:09]:
Let me think. I wrote it down, so I have to ask it.
Kristen Taylor [00:45:12]:
I I don't like complimenting myself. I know. But you have to because So I think that my superpower is being able to overcome hard things even when I don't want to. So for instance, I when I say I had a literal meltdown yesterday, like, if I showed a text right now, I'd be embarrassed to show it, but I basically told my husband, I think I need to see a doctor. And his response was, maybe that's a good idea. I could see him saying that too. And then this morning, I woke up and I was like, I'm okay now. And he was like, I'm sure glad you're okay now.
Julie Smith [00:45:57]:
I'm canceling the doctor.
Kristen Taylor [00:45:59]:
And so I think and I don't think I'm psychotic, you know, I joke about it and that's not a joking matter. Some people have a hard time overcoming
Julie Smith [00:46:07]:
Yeah.
Kristen Taylor [00:46:08]:
Getting out of that and I think that could be my superpower because I can go from literally laying in bed crying over nothing I don't think it's to nothing. To saying, okay, I got this. I can do school. I can help Jane be successful. I can do the things I need to do for work. I can be a support to my team who is absolutely amazing. We have the best team on earth, and they care about our business. So that's another key to a successful business.
Kristen Taylor [00:46:36]:
It's having a team that cares. That's hard.
Julie Smith [00:46:39]:
And that's a whole podcast in itself.
Kristen Taylor [00:46:41]:
It is. It is.
Julie Smith [00:46:42]:
But as an entrepreneur, finding people that believe in your vision and where you're going and what you're doing and your goals and, you know, understand your core values. And to be able to bring someone into that fold and know that you don't have to do it in order for it to get done.
Kristen Taylor [00:46:57]:
And to be confident in that. That be confident in what you're doing with your team. So we've had some doozies. We had some people that left.
Julie Smith [00:47:04]:
You and I have sat in those doozies
Kristen Taylor [00:47:07]:
more
Julie Smith [00:47:07]:
than I care to talk about.
Kristen Taylor [00:47:08]:
But you can look in the mirror and say, you know what? I did the best possible job for where we're at. The only reason why they could have left was because they just don't like our industry. Like, I don't I don't think that it's wrong to step back and say, okay, what could I have done better? Let's find some things I could have done better. But ultimately, it's 2. With relationships, it's not 5050. That's a fallacy.
Julie Smith [00:47:33]:
That's so wrong. I agree.
Kristen Taylor [00:47:34]:
It's a 100, a 100. Both people giving a 100%. And it's okay with a personal relationship for for sometimes, like, I might be giving, you know, 75 and you're and you're giving that extra 25 and your 100 because
Julie Smith [00:47:47]:
you That's what you need.
Kristen Taylor [00:47:48]:
That's what you need. But when you're in a business relationship, your staff should be giving a 100% their best and you should be giving your best to them. Mhmm. And I think that it's okay to say, you know what? I could have done a few things better, but ultimately, they left because they wanted to leave. That's on them. Right? And and I I I forgot where I was ultimately going with that. But but yeah. I mean, I I think those things are important to successful entrepreneurship.
Kristen Taylor [00:48:15]:
And as soon as you think you need to part relationships, it's not personal. You need to do it. Well, it's gotta be no personal. They're holding you back.
Julie Smith [00:48:22]:
That's right. And and no. I agree with that 100%. So I think, you know, because this is personal and I do know Kristen, this is the first time we're gonna do this. Like, I think your superpower is the ability to make a decision in a hard time and not look back.
Kristen Taylor [00:48:43]:
Mhmm.
Julie Smith [00:48:43]:
I think you are so good at, like I mean, I just think about over the last just year. Like, you were like, I'm gonna, you know, stay at home and homeschool. And my first reaction was, can't you hire someone? Like, I totally admit that. But like No.
Kristen Taylor [00:48:55]:
You told me that. I know. I mean, I totally admit that.
Julie Smith [00:48:57]:
Like, I said that out loud and
Kristen Taylor [00:48:59]:
Oh, I see.
Julie Smith [00:48:59]:
Yeah. In real genuine, like, what what do you mean? Why would you you know? But you stuck it out, and I know it has not been easy. I know with Greg in building the business, like, there have been some tough decisions, and you too can go toe to toe. And I I've watched it happen, and I I love to watch that to know that it's not just me who has to go through that. But, you never question yourself. And you have a sense of confidence when it comes to making those decisions that, like, that I think is a superpower.
Kristen Taylor [00:49:33]:
When that's evolved, and I appreciate that, I I'll I like that. I think it goes hand in hand with what I said a little bit, but, and I don't know who to give credit to this, for. But I did read somewhere once that it's important to understand that your success is not built on a bunch of successes, but it's also built on failures as well. And, so it's okay if a decision you make isn't a winning decision. It's okay. You can learn from it, and then it can be a positive. It can be something that adds to your success. Either you know not to do it again or you know to change something.
Julie Smith [00:50:07]:
We call that pivoting here on the
Kristen Taylor [00:50:08]:
podcast. Yes.
Julie Smith [00:50:09]:
Lots of pivoting.
Kristen Taylor [00:50:10]:
Yes. That's a pivot. That's a that's a eloquent way of saying it. We know I'm not the most eloquent all the time. Right? But, but, yeah, I I do think that that is important in in the overall success of any entrepreneur is to be able to pivot.
Julie Smith [00:50:25]:
So I have one last question, and we might have to do a part 2. And after the
Kristen Taylor [00:50:30]:
That'll be fine.
Julie Smith [00:50:30]:
After the cameras turn off, everyone in here is, like, looking at me with wide eyes, like, I have lots of ideas. So my last question is, what is Kristen Taylor's endgame?
Kristen Taylor [00:50:42]:
I don't know by endgame. I can answer that quickly. Because I think my life is just a big conglomerate of changes in morphing and and learning and doing new things. And it's kinda like I do this thing every year, like, what could I have done better this year? What could what do I have the capacity for next year? And I think everyone has some kind of capacity to learn something new. And as I learn new things, I find new things I'm interested in and new things new ways to do things for our business. And so I don't know what my end game is.
Julie Smith [00:51:20]:
So our listeners know if you've listened to a podcast before that she answered it almost perfectly, because you don't have an end game. Someone with your drive and your perseverance and your knowledge and your experience, like, there is no end game because
Kristen Taylor [00:51:33]:
Sky's the limit.
Julie Smith [00:51:34]:
You're not gonna be sitting on the couch eating bonbons when you're like, I'm done. Like, that's just not programmed in you. So you may pivot, but you don't have an end game.
Kristen Taylor [00:51:43]:
Or I might have nights where I sit and eat drumstick ice cream like I did last night.
Julie Smith [00:51:47]:
Oh, my. Good for you. You're allowed to have one of those. Right? You're allowed to have hard days and and eat that ice cream. But you're an awesome guest. It was awesome to have you here in our studio. And just to be transparent and have a talk, like, we didn't hit, you know, some of my questions, and Glenn's gonna probably come back to micromanage us next time. Right?
Kristen Taylor [00:52:05]:
Okay. That's okay.
Julie Smith [00:52:06]:
No. That's funny. So thank you for listening, and this is another episode of Empowering Entrepreneurs. This is Julie Smith.