We were lucky to catch up with Christina McDonough Hunt recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Christina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.

Special Olympics Missouri (SOMO) serves children and adults with intellectual disabilities through sports training and competitions. Many people, whether they mean to or not, put people with intellectual disabilities into a box. They don’t see their capabilities, their amazing skills. SOMO programs help the athletes to live a more fulfilled life by allowing them to stay fit while developing life skills such as leadership skills, independence, and confidence.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am the Kansas City Metro Development Director for Special Olympics Missouri. This means that I am responsible for raising all of the funds needed to host the array of programs that are offered in the KC metro. I love every aspect of fundraising!

I fell into the fundraising world when my oldest son was in kindergarten. I wanted to volunteer my time to the school, so I asked the President of the school board if she had any ideas. She informed me that the auction committee was looking for someone else to help, I said yes! I had never been to an auction before, but I quickly found that my God-given talents were perfect for the fundraising and non-profit world. I organized the fundraising efforts at the school for seven years when I was hired by Special Olympics Missouri.

What I love most about working for a nonprofit is being able to physically SEE the impact my efforts are making in others’ lives. I love the relationships that I’ve developed with our athletes, coaches, and their families. The SOMO community is close and strong and provides so much value to so many. I am proud to be a part of the SOMO family.

Being a part of the KC nonprofit community has been a joy. I enjoy learning from my peers, and I enjoy the opportunities to be a coach or mentor for others in the industry, helping them to be successful nonprofits.

Two years ago, I transitioned my Mary Kay business from full-time to part-time.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I am naturally an entrepreneurial minded person. I have discovered that I see the world very differently than many people that I have met. I see things as they can be, not necessarily as they are. This entrepreneurial mindset allows me to have an open mind and because of that, I have read many books in my quest to discovering the best version of myself! (Still working on that, of course!)

One of my favorite books is “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy. The Compound Effect discusses how all of the little things that you do and decisions that you make on a daily basis compound over time to define the big things. And how having control over yourself helps you to create the life that you truly desire. For example, creating smart daily eating habits will keep you healthier long term. Sometimes you need to be mentally strong enough to maintain the life you want. For me, being conscious of my daily decisions is a constant challenge, but one worth facing every day.

The “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod is another great book. Having a routine in the morning that includes exercise, reading, quiet time, journaling, visualization, and affirmations can transform your life and give you structure so you can slay whatever dragons you need to slay that day!

These books along with my desire to learn more, strive for excellence, and to make a significant impact in others’ lives gave me the courage I needed to make a career change from owning my own business to the nonprofit world full-time with Special Olympics Missouri.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have learned to pivot throughout my entire life and even today in my career, especially with every event that I execute! I was full time with my own Mary Kay business for 12 years when I decided that I wanted to give up my freedom of having that flexible schedule and go to work for Special Olympics Missouri. It was a very hard decision because I had really made a name for myself in the Mary Kay world. I had earned hundreds of prizes over the years and had moved up the career path. I was very successful with this business. And even today, I receive residual income because of the work I did for so many years. But, even more than that, I was walking away from my MK sisters who are literally like family. However, I really felt that making the career change was exactly what I was supposed to do. And I’m glad that I had the courage to make the change.

Pivoting in life is inevitable. It’s not always easy, but typically the hardest decisions are the ones that are most rewarding.   

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marykay.com/christinamcdonough
• Other: www.somo.org/kcmetro