We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristel Brinshot. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristel below.

Kristel, appreciate you joining us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?

Jumping from working a 9-5 or even freelancing for others straight into your own business can be really intimidating. Corporate culture does not reward those who question the system nor does it teach us , Queer & BIPOC people especially, how to embrace our unique life experiences and marry them with our work life. One of the hardest lessons for me was realizing that just because I was no longer in toxic workplaces didn’t mean I was free from the toxic values and mindset that was hurting me. When they say hurt people hurt people it applies to workplace trauma too. Being a biz owner made me realize If I wanted to be a REAL leader I had to redefine success and leadership in a new and healthy way. I went straight to therapy, I began to decolonize my understanding of labor, do a complete reset on my value systems and created tools to uphold them. The process was oftentimes painful and embarrassing, but I’ve never felt more proud to be someone people are dreaming to work with because I make them feel safe and seen.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m an artist, multi-hyphy creative director, creativepreneur and very Latine, proudly Indigenous. And in my 20+ years of creating art, Big World NRG coaching has to be my proudest moment thus far. It happened one year, just as I was about to launch my 3rd business, an educational company with gorgeous marketing graphics, a sponsorship, and even money backing me (finally), I lost everything. The night before our launch I ended up in a hospital bed. I had suffered hardcore burnout. After months of no sleep, terrible diet, and non-stop everything my body threw in the towel—I couldn’t even open my eyes. I began to question my work life- is Sacrificing so much of yourself, your identity, your joy so much so that you don’t know who you really are anymore- worth it? The way we work doesn’t just affect the way we get a paycheck, it affects our relationships, our environment, and our mental health. And so as I recovered and reflected on this, Big World NRG Coaching was born.

I think what sets Big World NRG apart from other coaching programs is the laser focus on building a sustainable creative lifestyle that supports the most authentic version of yourself.
And that’s easier said than done especially for us from immigrant households who code switch like life depends on it. One of the biggest lessons I teach is that we are more than just production, or DEI hires, or any title a company gives us these days, we are beautifully complex beings who sometimes need permission to DO less, and invest in our JOY. Your ancestors (and your mental health) will thank you.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting has become second nature to me, but when I was forced to pivot last year after attempting to launch Big World NRG’s first swag drop after months of covid-related shipping delays, I was reminded that when life sends lemons you gotta make the best lemonade possible! The delay got me thinking deeply about overconsumption, fast fashion, and what sustainability is to me as the daughter of indigenous immigrants? Immigrants who taught me to love the land. So instead of letting perfectionism and anxiety set in, I made the conscious choice to launch Big World NRG Tienda, as a sustainable fashion drop created by local BIPOC. The redirection felt so right.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I 100% believe BIPOC people are the fabric of innovation. Some of us have immigrated from other countries, survived poverty, microaggressions, war of every kind, and we still find a way to find beauty in the middle of it all. Our stories always inspire the world to do BETTER. Creatives are people who are gifted with a vision for the world, and our mission is to bring that vision to life. It won’t happen if we deny ourselves our fullest expression. So that’s what I hope to do- to help my community find the courage to do just that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bigworldnrg.life/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigworldnrg/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/bigworldnrg.tienda/ tienda.bigworldnrg.com

Image Credits
All images copyright Big World NRG