Meet Kristen
Designer & Founder of k.Michael studio
I didn't set out to become a brand designer. I set out to understand people, and design turned out to be the best way to use it.
I'm a California native, a mom of two, and a designer with an eye for style I use to help others show up as their best selves. Nature is my muse, in life and in design.
My path started with an undergraduate degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and grew into a Master's in Educational Psychology, a decade in education, and the chance to build programs and design learning experiences from the ground up. From there, my path took a few beautifully winding turns. I transformed K.Michael Jewelry from a creative spark into a thriving business, then stepped into the fast paced world of tech recruiting at Google. Each chapter offered something new. How people learn. What makes businesses thrive. How to build genuine relationships even in high pressure environments. Throughout it all, creating, helping others, and doing work that truly matters stayed at the forefront.
Adding coaching into the mix in 2020 deepened my understanding of what motivates people and how to help them break through their own barriers, clocking over 800 hours with a wide range of coaching clients including leaders, executives, and beyond. Suddenly, all those years of studying human behavior, designing experiences, and building businesses started weaving together into something powerful. I realized I had a unique gift: the ability to see what people need, understand how they think, and translate that into visual design that works.
This winding journey has been a constant reminder that life happens in the twists, turns, and loops, a nod to the squiggle line logo you'll find throughout my K.Michael Studio branding. Each career pivot wasn't a detour. It was adding another tool to my creative toolkit.
K.Michael Studio sprouted organically when I noticed amazing coaches and purpose driven entrepreneurs in my network who were brilliant at their work but struggling with their visual presence. They didn't have the time, bandwidth, or design background to create a brand that matched their impact. That's when it hit me. I could bridge that gap. So I did.
I believe that by supporting businesses doing good in the world, leading with kindness, and taking small but mighty actions, we can positively shift the dynamics around us. I'm here to help you build your dream business and have some fun along the way.
Ready to get started?
A FEW of my favorite things:
People
My sweet little family of 2 kids, 1 husband, 1 dog, 5 chickens
Quality friendships & my whole family - cliché but true
Makers, movers & shakers - i.e., fellow artsy-fartsy folks
People who don’t take themselves too seriously, let’s laugh, eh?
“How are you really doing?” people - ie, let’s cut the crap and connect
places
The beach & hiking trails
Local coffee shops & local gems
Makers markets & craft shows
Farmers’ market on a weekend morning
Anywhere there is live music
Snuggled with my kids for family movie night
Take me outside in nature & we’re golden
My vibe
Snail mail & sticky notes
Long coffee walks w/ a friend
A playlist or podcast for every mood
Fish tacos + a fresh kale ceaser - chef’s kiss
Moving my body & lifting weights
Gold minimal jewelry is my love language, but words of affirmation is my actual love language
the season
Prioritizing my health, my family & building my business
Practice being more present
Having more fun
Refining my morning routine
Staying grounded in my values
Gratitude practice
Too many ideas, too little time - constantly trying to rein in my ADHD