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

Crystal , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Going from idea to execution for me looked more like idea to resolution to execution. There’s a common theme across so many areas of my life. That theme is I didn’t always dream of doing it or want to do it when the idea came up.

Around 2016 after having a conversation with a friend I realized strategy consulting and even having my own firm was possibly a “thing”. I wasn’t at all sure when or how that was going to be possible. After all, I have a Bachelor of Science in Excise Science not Business. At the time no MBA insight and getting more student loans to get the MBA was not an option to me. As I was paying down student loans another friend encouraged me to at least look in to the process of getting the education I needed to become a Chief Strategy Officer. This encouragement was given with the goal of acquiring a job with in a consulting firm as the CSO and seeing how everything worked before I launched my own company. After doing the research I had the confirmation I needed as I looked at the classes but not the finances to cover the Masters and certifications. However I began the process of finding a school, taking the GMAT, and hoping for financing. After attempting the GMAT several times I took a break and then the pandemic hit.

Long story short, as my grandmother would say, God always has a ram in the bush. In 2020, I didn’t know what a life coach really was or what they did. I just noticed them popping up all over social media. I’ve never been the type to want to do anything just because it was popular so to me immediately it was a turn off. I explicitly said God I don’t want to be a life coach. Then wouldn’t you know, God started putting it on my heart over and over again. They say if you want to make God laugh tell him your plans. I’m sure he got a good laugh out of that one. Shortly after I reached out to two friend that were life coaches to get more information. Come to find out God had been nudging one of them to take her certification up a notch so she could begin certifying coaches.

In 2021 she certified me and I launched my coaching practice and strategy firm as one. While in her certification program I receive the confirmation I needed to move forward with launching my business and helping the people I am called to. It’s been a journey but I was grateful to not have to go the journey alone.

In order to move beyond the idea phase I had to take action consistently over time. I also had to hold myself accountable for what I said I was going to do and what I believe God was telling me to do.

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?

Yes of course! I’m a trailblazer who has made it my life’s mission not only to pursue but to fulfill purpose in every area and season of life by becoming all that God created me to be while empowering others to the same resolve. This mission has lead me in to the mentoring and coaching industry for the last 10years. I didn’t set out to mentor, teach, or speak let alone coach. Yet, here I am today and I couldn’t be more grateful! I am here today because I said yes to leading the collegiate women’s mentoring program at my church. Let me just mention how I felt super unqualified to do this. Even feeling unsure I believed God had set the whole thing up so I gave a yes not knowing what was on the other side but trusting God not to leave me or lead me astray. God knew then the plans He had for my life and used my obedience to reveal it.

Over the years that yes continued to produce more and more fruit. Fast forward to today, I now serve as the Founder & CEO of Created To Be Consulting, a Christian coaching practice and strategic consulting firm. We exist to educate, empower, and equip women and organizations all over the world in becoming the versions of themselves they were always created to be. In short we help people move from preference to purpose in order to live more significant and fulfilled lives both personally and professionally. At this time we offering 1:1 coaching, group coaching, vision execution coaching, workshops, courses, staff/team building, culture building and events.

I believe what sets me a part from other coaches is that I’m not trying to force a preset rigid model on my clients. Furthermore, I believe what sets me apart is that I meet my clients right where they are and we walk hand in hand toward their transformation as God gives us unique strategies for them and their journey of becoming the version of themselves they were created to be in the first place. As I see my clients take off layers of shrinking/playing small, self sabotage, lack of confidence, or confusion about next steps it makes me so proud to be apart of their progress and to see them recognize the success they are achieving in aligning with their true identity. The way they show up personally and professionally throughout the coaching process shifts majorly and it is truly amazing!

I also have the privilege of serving as the Founder of She Will Not Fail, a christ-centered and community focused ministry for women. We exists to empower and equip women to live fearlessly in the face of adversity through reclaiming their rightful identity and authority as daughters of the Most High God. We hold an annual conference, prayer calls, in person and virtual events. The next being Watch Your Mouth challenge happening July 19th-21. We are going to learn more about the power that we have and why we have to watch the word we speak.

There’s pretty much always something God has me partnering with Him to birth. Every Monday morning I have the opportunity to share with listeners all over the world how one yes can truly change your whole life on my weekly radio show, Let’s Talk Yes on 760TheGospel. When we choose to lay down our plans and allow God to execute His plans in our lives he proves His plans are always greater and so in alignment with who we were created to be.

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

Absolutely! I remember vividly a pivot that set life as I know it today on course. In 2015 I made a pivot from the medical field to a full time position at my church. My mom even asked me, “Are you sure about this? What about benefits and will this be enough income?”. I confidently responded they are offering all the benefits I have now and it’s actually more money.

For much of 2014 I had been carrying this discontent for what I was doing and how it just didn’t feel right. Like literally crying on my way to work most mornings type of discontentment. Now at the time I knew I was helping patients and therapists at my job but I knew there was more for me to do. Truthfully I was ready to move in to whatever that was as long as it felt like significant and purposeful work! I made the leap when a full time position was offered and I have been leaping ever since. I believe this pivot gave me the confidence to make the many pivots that followed. The latest pivot, starting Created To Be Consulting in 2021 and resigning from my full time position at the church.

Making pivots in life, business, or our careers are never easy but the right pivots are always necessary! The amazing thing about God is that he will use the wrong one to our benefit as well.

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

I’ve had to unlearn a few lessons in life but I would say I have and I am unlearning the habit of not showing up in the fullness of who I am because of how it might make someone else feel. For a long time I have played small or made shrinking back a habit all in an effort not to offend someone else. The crazy part is that mindset makes them being offended, when you haven’t done anything offensive, your issue. I now know it’s not my issue at all but it’s the other persons’ issue. We have all experienced things in life that causes trauma or brokenness and while those experiences may not be our fault healing from them is our responsibility.

Contact Info:

• Website: WWW.ABSOLUTELYCRYSTALNICOLE.COM
• Instagram: Instagram.com/AbsolutelyCrystalNicole Instagram.com/CreatedToBeConsulting
• Facebook: Facebook.com/AbsolutelyCrystalNicole Facebook.com/CreatedToBeConsulting
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystal-n-brown

Image Credits
Ryan Hayes Jasmine Meriweather Denise Wells