Black and white photo of a family laughing and playing outdoors. The father is sitting on a log with two children on his lap, and a woman stands behind them. The children are wearing plaid and denim, and the woman is wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
Designer & Founder of k.Michael studio

Meet Kristen

A mom of two with an eye for creative style that she harnesses for good to lift up others. Kristen is a California native who brings good vibes alongside her work, with nature as her muse in both life and design.

What began with an undergraduate degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 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, her path took a beautifully winding turn. She transformed K.Michael Jewelry from a creative spark into a thriving business, then stepped into the fast-paced world of tech recruiting at Google. Along the way, each chapter offered something new—how people learn, what makes businesses thrive, and how to build genuine relationships even in high-pressure environments. Throughout these chapters, creating, helping others’ and doing work that truly matters was always at the forefront.

Adding coaching into the mix in 2020 deepened her understanding of what motivates people and how to help them break through their own barriers- clocking over 800 hours (and counting) with a wide range of coaching clients. Suddenly, all those years of studying human behavior, designing experiences, and building businesses started weaving together into something powerful. She realized she 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 you'll find throughout her K.Michael Studio branding. Each career pivot wasn't a detour; it was adding another tool to her creative toolkit.

K.Michael Studio sprouted organically when she noticed amazing coaches and purpose-driven entrepreneurs in her 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 her- she could bridge that gap. So she did.

Kristen believes 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. She's here to help you build your dream business and have some fun along the way!


A FEW of my favorite things:

People

  • My sweet little family - 2 amazing kids, my husband, our boxer Reggie & 5 chickens

  • Quality friendships & my whole family - cliche but true

  • Makers, movers & shakers - ie. fellow artisty-farsty 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

  • Coaches & self-development junkies

places

  • The beach

  • Hiking trails w/ my boxer

  • Local coffee shops (Hi Rooted!)

  • Makers markets & craft shows

  • Farmers market on a weekend morning

  • Anywhere there is live music

  • A local brewery with good company

  • The central coast (SLO)

  • Snuggled with my kids on the couch for family movie night

  • Paddleboarding anywhere I can

My vibe

  • Snail mail

  • Sticky notes w/ to-dos

  • Long coffee walks w/ a friend

  • A playlist for every mood

  • Podcasts & audiobooks (always learning)

  • Fish tacos + a good kale ceaser

  • Moving my body & lifting weights

  • Gold staple jewelry is my love language

  • Words of affirmation is my actual love language

  • House plants + mid-century modern zen

  • Quality goods & shopping local

  • A good brainstorm session

the season

  • Looks like a focus on prioritizing my health, my kids/husband & building my business

  • Practice being more present

  • Having more fun!

  • Refining my morning routine

  • Staying grounded in my values

  • Less is more

  • Home by 8 pm club

  • Gratitude practice

  • A constant work in progress + trying to be nicer to myself

  • Too many ideas, too little time - constantly trying to rein in my ADHD