Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Waters. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)?

When I was working on my MPH degree, I was an intern at an organization called Someone Cares Inc. This organization is a clinic that provides holistic, health, and wellness services in the battle against HIV/AIDS:

In the four short months that I was there I learned so much including sensitivity training for people living with HIV, how to conduct informational interviews to collect data to link people to care, working with local partners and stakeholders, and HIV testing practices. The highlight of the internship was collaborating with the team on the coordination and execution of the 1st Transgender Conference in Atlanta, Ga. I secured renowned surgeon Dr. Marci Bowers as the keynote speakers. That was a very proud moment for my because I knew how much the conference meant to the organization and its founder, Dr. Ronnie Bass. The experiences and connections I made at that internship was a key factor in me landing the Public Health Analyst detail in the Office of Infectious Disease and Prevention that I currently serve in.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I consider myself the Queen of many trades. In my 9-5, I’m a Research Officer (Chemist) in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corp. In addition to that, I’m an Author, Resume Writer, STEM Career Coach, and most recently AirBnB host. All of these fall under the umbrella of my business, MyTris Consulting. I’m most proud of the fact that I turned my passions and hobbies into a business that help change lives. I’m most proud of being able to use my talents, trails, and strengths to help others. For example, a client once told me that, “her resume looked so good, she thought it was someone else’s”. I find so much joy in helping my clients stand out on paper and truly display their strengths and impact. I’m equally proud of the STEM advocacy work that I do with the youth. I do FREE resume tips webinars with local colleges, science fair judge duties with local high schools and middle schools, mentorship for young STEM professionals and my STEM children’s book is currently available for rental in libraries across Georgia. You can also get signed copies of my book for your little ones on my website. I’m currently working on an activity book to go alongside the hard copy book.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my business has been through client referrals. I offer discounts to previous clients who send me referrals. In the high-tech world that we live in, it’s nice to know that the good ole “word of mouth” method still works.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson that I had to unlearn is not charging my worth for services. I usually work with entry to mid-level clients and I was determining my prices on what I “THOUGHT” they could afford as opposed to the value and level of service I provide. I’ve made improvement in this area, however, I’m still struggling with it, lol To unlearn this lesson, I joined industry related groups and organization who teach on this very topic. I also hired a resume mentor coach who helped a lot with mindset, strategy, and technique.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mytrisconsultingllc.com
• Instagram: mytrisconsultingllc
• Facebook: MyTris Consulting LLC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-waters-mph-mytrisconsultingllc

Image Credits
Image Credit: Nisha Williams @fromnishaview on Instagram.