An Accidental Entrepreneur
Mentee Spotlight - Kristyn Snell
At the helm of two dynamic enterprises, Kristyn Snell epitomizes the modern entrepreneur— a dynamic CEO, a dedicated single mother, and a proactive two-time Founder. Learn about Kristyn’s story below.
Introducing Kristyn
Her ventures include MODERNSPEAK, a Digital PR and Influencer Management Agency, and Digitote, a cutting-edge project management software designed specifically for the Talent Management Industry. The latter draws its inspiration from the concept of a digital tote bag, meticulously crafted to cater to the needs of influencer managers and creators, offering a centralized repository for all campaign data. In our conversation with Kristyn, we explore her remarkable journey as a founder and leader, shedding light on the pivotal role her VMSA Mentor team played in expediting business decisions, providing invaluable insights, and fostering clarity throughout her entrepreneurial endeavors.
As a self-proclaimed “accidental entrepreneur”, Kristyn's journey took an unexpected turn that would redefine her career trajectory. What began as a side hustle selling charming letter boards online, soon evolved into the birth of her influencer management agency, MODERNSPEAK. The catalyst for this transformation emerged from Kristyn's outreach to creators and bloggers to promote her letter board business. However, as she engaged with these influencers, she noticed a glaring gap.
“Creators, specifically the women I engaged with, didn't realize they were running small businesses. When they all offered to promote my business for nothing in return it didn't sit well with me. I knew I needed to help them see the monetary value and potential of their channels.”
Recognizing the need for support and empowerment within this space, Kristyn stepped in to help in 2018. She started assisting a handful of creators with their brand deals, and within a month, word of mouth catapulted her into collaboration with 15 creators.
“At this time, I was learning as I went. I did not know the first thing about starting a successful business -- accounting, finance, tools, website design, it was all new to me. I was sending emails from my personal Gmail account. Then all of a sudden, I was working with some of the biggest brands in the world. I had to figure out pretty quickly how to fake it til I made it.”
And make it she did. This groundswell of success prompted Kristyn to make a life-changing decision – she bid farewell to her full-time job and steered her company away from letter boards. In 2019, armed with a newfound passion and expertise, she officially launched MODERNSPEAK as a dedicated influencer management agency.
Kristyn was a solo founder until January 2020, when she started hiring team members, and then the pandemic hit.
“We had to figure out and fight our way through that, but ended up surviving with the full team intact.”
From MODERNSPEAK’s inception in 2019 to 2022, the agency scaled from $500k Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) to $3 Million ARR by 2022, Kristyn had hired a whole team and was actively growing MODERNSPEAK, from an off-the-desk side hustle to a thriving business. In 2022 she had a realization,
“I realized [MODERNSPEAK] was a proper business, and I needed to figure out how to move into a CEO role to help the company scale”
Kristyn also recognized the need for a project management tool for talent management agencies, and she created her own solution for this, Digitote, while building her agency. Ever the continuous learner, Kristyn set out to build out her technology solution and level up her leadership skills.
‘There are so many things [to learn] for someone who didn’t go to business school or run a business before.”
To do that, she needed support. Kristyn was accepted into Alberta Catalyzer to support her development and launch of her technology solution. Following Catalyzer, she joined VMSA to develop herself as a leader.
*Note
Alberta Catalyzer is a merit-based, pre-accelerator offering free programs, coaching, and resources to early-stage entrepreneurs launching and growing scalable tech-enabled companies in Alberta.
VMSA is an entrepreneur mentorship program that supports founders at the scale-up stage by surrounding them with a team of business leaders. We provide ongoing guidance and mentorship through coaching sessions, focussed on building effective leaders.
Kristyn’s Growth
As a solo founder, Kristyn felt the full weight of leadership and the success of her business resting on her shoulders. Being a founder and CEO can be a lonely road, so she sought out VMSA to have an unbiased sounding board for decision-making and to foster her development.
“The thing that I love about VMSA is that all the things we work on are about me as a leader/business owner; they are not specific challenges with my businesses: MODERNSPEAK or Digitote. It is me getting out of my own way, me getting out of my own head, so that I can bring my best self to those businesses and really help them flourish”
A Sounding Board
A pivotal moment came when Kristyn made the strategic decision to hire a Managing Director for MODERNSPEAK. This move allowed her to shift her focus towards the expansion and scaling of Digitote. The guidance she received from her Mentors played a crucial role in expediting this decision, providing clarity on the specific qualities required for this pivotal role.
“The Mentors I was connected with really understood me and really understood my struggles and challenges and I was able to make that business decision[hiring a Managing Director] within three months of joining VMSA versus the eighteen months it probably would have taken me. Every business decision I have made has been expedited two to three times just by having that Mentor team and sounding board.”
Leveling Up Leadership
Kristyn candidly shared the challenges she faced in her leadership journey. Deeply involved in the day-to-day operations, she struggled with the delegation. The reflection with her Mentors that she was taking on too many roles within the organization prompted a necessary step back.
“At the time, I was wearing the hat of CMO, CFO, CEO, every role within the organization. Taking a step back and being honest about what I was and wasn’t capable of, and how the business was suffering because I was trying to take on too much.”
Kristyn's journey to leveling up her leadership and her business involved hiring the right people for the right positions and acknowledging where she wasn't contributing effectively. This strategic shift allowed her to contribute more meaningfully to the areas that truly needed her expertise and leadership.
“A big part of my entrepreneurial journey has been around a lack of confidence and what I am capable of.”
In interactions with her Mentors, Kristyn openly discusses the challenges she grapples with, including a tendency to overthink and a lack of confidence as a female founder.
“It will take me 10 times longer to act on an idea or decision because I will overthink it. I will talk myself out of it. That has been a really interesting discovery to unpack with my Mentors. Like where does that stem from? Why don’t I have that confidence? It starts with calling myself an accidental entrepreneur - maybe I am, but here I am, running a multimillion-dollar business. Why am I introducing myself that way?”
She candidly admits that it takes her longer to act on ideas due to overthinking and has discovered that building confidence is an integral part of her entrepreneurial journey.
“A big one is following and listening to your gut. One of my homework assignments was every time I don’t follow my gut, I have to make a tally mark on a piece of paper. At the end of the week, I have to look back and see how many times I didn’t follow it and what the outcome was."
Transformation through VMSA:
Participating in VMSA has been a transformative experience for Kristyn. She has accepted that she is capable, dispelling the notion that her success was merely a stroke of luck. The program facilitates self-reflection, leading to more thoughtful decision-making and a shift from reactive to proactive leadership.
“Now, I go about my day with my three Mentors in my mind and ask myself, ‘What would Laura think?’, ‘What would Belinda think?’, ‘What would Brian think?’, ‘How would they encourage me to act in these situations?’ Being thoughtful, aware, and mindful about how I show up in my business is one of the biggest tools I have gained from this program.”
The impact of her Mentors has been profound, instilling confidence and a more thoughtful approach to decision-making. Kristyn's newfound mindset allows her to navigate challenges with resilience and a strategic mindset.
“Even though it's only been about nine months now, I feel like I have transformed from what I was before to where I am now, and it's still a work in progress.”
Kristyn’s Recommendations for Entrepreneurs Considering VMSA
1. Vulnerability is necessary for success
“For me, I am very vulnerable and open as a person, and that has been a huge advantage. My ability to be open and honest with my mentors has helped me make progress faster in the program because of the fact that I am self-aware and open in sharing all the stuff I am going through without sugar coating or hiding it.”
2. Show Up
“You get what you put into this, and if you want to get a lot out of this, you need to show up with that vulnerability to say I am struggling with X,Y, and Z in my business and with myself.”
3. Put your ego aside
“A lot of the things I have done have felt a lot less intimidating and scary because I feel like I have a supportive team behind me.”
