We recently connected with Chris Beaucher and have shared our conversation below.

Chris , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Kristins Bugs was named after my daughter Kristin who passed away back in 2009 from brain cancer. Our mission behind KristinsBugs.com was to share Kristin’s story and struggles during her lifelong battle with cancer and help others who are in need.

The products we sell are feeders and supplies for reptiles, but the purpose was much larger than the sales. Using Kristin’s story and battles, along with our own, to help people who have been through and/or who might be dealing with very difficult things going on in their lives.

To give them Kristins story and my story as her father, to try and help, encourage, build up, and to let them know there are people who care and want to help. To explain that while we might not be able to fully understand what they have been through or are going through, they are not alone and to never give up! Galations 6:9

To build relationships and help however we can, sharing in the hurt and pain, to help them find the joy and peace that can only come from the healing process. This is where the Lord has called us, to use our business to help those in need, whatever that may look like.

Chris , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Chris Beaucher and I am Co-Owner of a company called Kristinsbugs.com. Our company provides quality feeders for reptiles and various supplies. My partner and I have been in the reptile industry since 2014 providing the consumers with a high quality feeder option for their pets to help keep them healthy and growing. We are an internet based business. Some of our most popular products are Dubia ( All sizes and counts ), super worms, mealworms, silkworms, hornworms, waxworks, and calci grubs.

My daughter Kristin loved every kind of insect and animal, so it is completely understandable as to why this would be right up her alley. I on the other hand was not quite as excited about the whole bug thing. But over the years I have been able to overcome that uneasy feeling and handle things much more confidently, for sure :)
After Kristin had passed away back in 2009, I was working as the Senior Electronic Technician at a large chemical company in town. After being there almost 10 years, I heard the Lord speak to me for the first time, that I was able to recognize anyways. He woke me up in the middle of the night and told me to quit my job and start depending on Him for a living. Not having a relationship with Jesus I was unsure of what that looked like from my own personal experience. I did however have the best example to go by though, Kristin while she was very young, had a relationship with the Lord like none I had ever seen up to that point.
After getting over the fear of giving up everything I had known to that point, I was able to take that leap of faith. Walking out into a field I knew nothing about ( The Reptile Industry ), with no income to come in to pay the bills, and no clear plan of where we were going or how we were going to get there. Thus the leap began and our faith while being tested was starting to grow. Several weeks later we were selling bugs on the internet and doing things I never thought possible.

Like I said earlier we started Kristinsbugs.com to help and share Kristins story, struggles and trials. To try and use our testimonies to help people who might need someone to share with or talk to. Kristins Bugs is not just here to sell bugs, But to help those people who might be dealing with something in their life that might be hard or difficult. To let them know they dont have to deal with those tragedies all by themselves. These are some of the things that sets us apart in what we do.

What am I most proud of? I am most proud of a 9 year old little girl who had more love in her heart than I had ever seen in my entire life. Who sacrificed everything she had, to help those around her while she was the one suffering and in pain. Who gave everything she had to see the smile on someone else’s face. Who no matter how difficult things were for her, she never showed anything but joy and happiness. I had never met or seen a stronger person with my own eyes, yet I had the pleasure and honor of calling her my daughter. Even though I was her dad, I am pretty sure I learned so much more from her than she ever learned from me. I thank the Lord for the nine years He gave her to us, Kristins life was now over, and mine was just beginning!

How’d you meet your business partner?

As you know my daughter Kristin passed away, on December 6th 2009. I can’t even begin to explain what was going through my mind or what I was processing at the time. What I do know is that was by far the darkest and most difficult time of my entire life.

Even though there were still people around me in my life, I was completely numb and helpless. I was at a point where life didn’t matter that much anymore. I was on the verge of checking out, mentally and physically. I was looking for someone to convince me that there was still more to this life, and being able to overcome the image of putting our daughter in the ground.

I went to the church my daughter was going to before she passed away. I was not regularly going, but I got to know a lot of the people there through Kristins decline because of all the support and help from them. I went up there to see the pastor. To tell him that I needed to hear something from him or God to help me and give me reason to continue on. For what, I did not know. But I was looking for a sign one way or the other.

I got there around 4:30 in the afternoon after work one day no to long after her funeral. There was only one lady there that day as it was late and most of the people I had assumed already left for the day. She asked me what I needed and I said I was here to see the pastor. She walked me over to his office door and told me to have seat in the chair outside the office. She said he was in there with someone, but when they finished talking he would come out and see me there. So I sat there, until almost 11 o’clock that night. I never moved, I didn’t want to miss the chance of getting to see him. If I did I don’t know what might have happened. So I just sat and waited.

So when the door opened, the pastor was surprised to see me sitting there. The man that walked out of his office with him I had never seen before. As the pastor locked his door he said walk with us Chris, as he didn’t know why I was there or the severity of reason behind it. It was very late and I understood that. So I followed them both down the hall and outside as he shut and locked the door.

The man with him said I am going to have me a cigarette, and since I was still smoking at the time and having sat there for that long without moving, that was were I was drawn to go. He introduced himself to me and shared one of his smokes. He allowed me to sit in his truck and talk. I don’t even remember what we talked about. But that man sat with me until 3 o’clock in the morning.

I don’t know if that man could ever understand the magnitude of his role that he played that night. Or if he even new at the time that The Lord had him there to help someone who was on the fence with life and death. Or the bond that was sealed for eternity that evening. He may not have understood then, but he does now. His name is Justin Hudgins and he is forever a brother to me and my family. He was the one that was given to me on an evening that could have been my last. What an honor and blessing that was for me. This is my business partner and my brother!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

One of the main things I have learned from my spiritual walk and from watching Kristin as she battled day in and day out were the things that made the most difference in peoples lives.

The best and most important thing about our business is the relationships we are able to establish and grow. Being able to relate to our customers on a personal level and showing them that we care about them. We have found that the relationship is far more important than the sale. And when your customers realize that and they feel that, it will take your business to a whole different level.

Most people want to know they are important. They may not be the huge volume client, but they are still just as important. We do our very best to try and let each customer know how important they are. Establishing a relationship and being a part of their family and life goes a long way in showing them how much you care and appreciate their support and business.

When that relationship is built, it opens the door to much more personal conversations. About family and things they might be dealing with. Sometimes people just need someone to talk to or someone to listen. If you don’t show people you are more concerned with what is going on with them more than the sale, they will never trust you enough to open up to share anything. And that is more of a tragedy than loosing a sale in our book.

When you are able to build a reputation on your character and concern for those you are working with, your name will travel fast. Being sincere in your actions and truthful in your speech. Building a solid foundation for you to be able to build on, for many years to come!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kristinsbugs.com
• Facebook: Kristinsbugs.com
• Other: You can email us at: [email protected] Or Call or Text at: 770-317-5997