IAM451- Podcast Host Inspires Others to Try Something New

Kristin Kruk is the host of the “I Tried It podcast”. As someone who has always dabbled in health, wellness, beauty, lifestyle, and spirituality, she wanted a platform to inspire others to try something new so we can all live our most optimal lives. Listeners can expect honest stories and first-time experiences from Kristin and her podcast guests. Kristin is based in Chicago but interviews folks across the US (and some international guests as well!).

• CEO Hack: Google products to keep me organized
• CEO Nugget: Just do it then look back and regret not giving it a shot
• CEO Defined: Knowing your purpose and being responsible to carry out that purpose

Website: https://www.itrieditpodcast.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itrieditpodcast

Check out one of our favorite CEO Hack’s Audible. Get your free audiobook and check out more of our favorite CEO Hacks HERE.

Transcription:

The full transcription is only available to CBNation Library Members. Sign up today!

Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO Podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I am CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Kristin Kruk of the “I Tried It podcast”, Kristin, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Kristin Kruk 0:39

Thanks for having me, Gresh! happy to be here.

Gresham Harkless 0:41

No probs, we're super-excited to have you on and happy to have you on. What I wanted to do is just read a little bit more about Kristin so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. Kristin is the host of the “I Tried It podcast” as someone who has always dabbled in health, wellness, beauty, lifestyle, and spirituality. She wanted a platform to inspire others to try something new. So we can all live our most optimal lives. Listeners can expect honest stories and first-time experiences from Kristin and her podcast guests. Kristin is based in Chicago, but interviews folks all across the United States and even some international guests as well. Kristin, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO Community?

[restrict paid=”true”]

Kristin Kruk 1:14

I am

Gresham Harkless 1:16

Awesome, awesome. Let's do it. So I wanted to kick everything off with what I call your CEO story and hear a little bit more about what got you started with your podcast and everything you're doing.

Kristin Kruk 1:23

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks so much again, Gresh for having me on, and hello to the I AM CEO listeners. As Gresh mentioned, my name is Kristin and I am the host and creator of the “I Tried It podcast”. Before I got to where I am today, I think what speaks to me at my core is my creative side. I've never shied away from art projects in school and always loved being thoughtful and details when it came to planning, small parties with friends. So that's always just been like a huge part of my life. Adult life, it just became increasingly important for me to have some creative outlet, especially with a nine-to-five corporate job.

So over the past few years, I've tried all different things like screen printing at art studios. I did improve my lessons at Second City, but I failed hard at voice lessons. I've just sent some basic graphic design classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. So while I've been experimenting with my creativity, I've just had an interest in all the things that could help me live a better life. I love telling my friends all about those stories. So after learning about the world of podcasting, I thought, what better way to bridge my creativity and my interests with podcasting? So I get to try something new, that may be a part of my lifestyle, and I get to create content to be shared with the listeners. It's just been really fulfilling to get the best of both worlds. That's kind of my story behind starting the “I tried it podcast”.

Gresham Harkless 3:09

Nice, I definitely appreciate that. I think as a creative too. It's kind of awesome to have all these kinds of technological, I guess things that we can use platforms, especially podcasting, and being able to kind of explore different concepts, different ideas, try different things. I think, you know, I love the name of your podcast and everything you're doing because I think it to me, it's always exciting to get to try different things and get to try to do everything. So I appreciate you for not only having the podcast but also everybody and everything about it as well.

Kristin Kruk 3:35

Thank you.

Gresham Harkless 3:36

Nice. So I wanted to hear a little bit more. I know I touched on it a little bit when I read your bio, could you tell us a little bit more about what you're doing with your podcast? And where are you expected to see it go?

Kristin Kruk 3:45

Right. So in your intro of myself in the podcast, you really just covered it with an exploration of all different topics, because there are so many ways that we can better our lives. That could just be in health and anything wellness, but also how you go about your day-to-day life and through spirituality, whatever that means for you. There are just so many different topics to explore in those different areas. It's really important for me to have really honest conversations with guests and the guests can range from experts professionals and coaches to my own friends and family.

I really wanted to have a full spectrum of perspectives on these topics. Because, you know, experts and professionals can speak to some of these topics at a really high level. But I think it's also really cool just to talk with my own friends and we can really give our honest review of something that we've tried and I think that the listeners can benefit from hearing you know those first-time stories and know what they may get into if they want to try something as well.

So in each episode, I just want my listeners to feel inspired to try something new, in order to live a more optimal life. I'm not saying to try everything. But you know, if I can just get one listener to get inspired by one little nugget of each episode, that would just make me really happy. I'm just happy in general to share so many different interesting topics as well.

Gresham Harkless 5:24

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I sometimes feel and I don't know, you can definitely let me know if you find this, you know, with your listeners and everything that you've been creating. But sometimes there's a fear or I guess you just kind of get into the, I don't want to know if I want to call it a rep, but you just get used to doing things on a regular everyday basis, you have the same things that you're doing that it's always great to kind of hear. It's always great to try to explore different things. But sometimes there's like a fear that can be associated with so to actually listen to the podcast to hear people that are doing that, as well, too. I think it does create that kind of energy or momentum to inspire somebody to do that.

Kristin Kruk 5:56

Yes, I think that you hit something really important that I've been trying to embody recently, which is kind of breaking out of that day-to-day routine. I personally like a little bit of structure and some routine. It's just how I function fast. But after talking to some intuitive eating coaches, it made me question like, Why do I wait until noon to like, eat lunch? Like, why can't I just acknowledge when I'm actually hungry and can eat? That's just something new that talking with these coaches inspired me to do kind of take a look at my eating schedule, which really shouldn't have a schedule. That's just one of them. I've covered it in my show, which has really opened my own eyes, and I'm trying to bring it into my lifestyle by having those conversations.

Gresham Harkless 6:48

Yeah, I appreciate you for sharing that. Because it's funny because we have a lot of things that we do on a regular basis. I guess we just kind of learned them somewhere down the line, like you should eat around 12. Maybe it's because we did that around school. I don't know exactly where that comes from. But we start to have those habits that we're doing, you know, for the rest of our lives, and you never really question that or you never really try anything new. So you know, that's why I definitely you know, love that you're doing that in so many different categories, so to speak. I think sometimes we don't realize that there may be a better time for us to eat for our own health for our wellness or just for happiness. Sometimes we just don't explore that.

Kristin Kruk 7:23

Yeah, exactly. Like we learned all these things that we quote, should do. I think it's really important just to take a moment and question, well, why am I doing this? Are these things even serving me anymore, and even some of these quotes like health, and wellness things that I have been doing? Sometimes they don't work for me anymore. That's okay, some things that, like we're supposed to evolve and change. That's just something that I really want the listeners to know like, how it's okay. Like, we're not supposed to be the same people. So I think it's just really, you know, amazing to like, learn all the possibilities of what's out there. You can just try something once. If it's not serving you, that's fine. Just, we can all move on. Yeah, I think it's just really important to focus on what really serves you and makes you feel alive every day.

Gresham Harkless 8:18

Yeah, absolutely. I think if we have that filter that we can kind of measure everything through, then we begin to get that permission to try something and see if it works for us, or if it doesn't work for us. It's okay if it doesn't because that's everything won't work for us because we're all kind of unique. We all have our own experiences and stories.

So I appreciate you for definitely touching on that. So I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. You might have already touched on this, but this could be for you or your podcast, but what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Kristin Kruk 8:47

Right, yeah, gosh, I, I think that you, you when you mentioned that I may have already covered it. I think that I have to that I think my secret sauce is that throughout my podcast journey, I've interviewed all different people from my childhood friends and the industry that I've just met through networking. I think that's something that I've always believed it was just confirmed over and over again, throughout this process that everyone, no matter where they are in their life, they have their own story to share and story.

Some listeners, including myself, can be inspired to try something new. I mentioned this and I'll say it again, I know that in each episode, not everyone will walk away with the desire to, let's say, get a human design, read, or train for a marathon. But when my guests have shared their personal stories and journeys of what motivates them, and what gets them excited the first thing in the morning, I think that those stories alone are just as inspiring as whatever topic we're talking about on the podcast.

So it just really gives me such pleasure to not only shine a light on all these unique topics that are out there and health, wellness, beauty, lifestyle, and spirituality but also give my guests a platform and a space, no matter who they are.

Gresham Harkless 10:16

Nice. So I wanted to switch gears a little bit. I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app, a book, or a habit that you have. But what's something that makes you more effective and efficient?

Kristin Kruk 10:25

I think what keeps me super organized is using all the Google products that I can Gresh, as you may know, from running your own podcasts, there are so many moving parts, so many different activities to help them make it successful.

Gresham Harkless 10:45

Definitely makes perfect sense. So you might have already touched on this as well. But I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So this is like a word of wisdom or a piece of advice. Or if you can happen to a time machine. What would you tell your younger business self?

Kristin Kruk 10:56

Yeah, absolutely. I'm really glad that you're asking this question because I would have loved to tell myself this years ago when I really first started thinking about putting something out there like a podcast. What I would tell myself is just do it. Don't ask for permission from your inner circle. Because while some people may encourage you to pursue your passion, some people may give you excuses not to start something like, well, how are you going to make money? What if it fails? Why would you do something like that? There are already enough podcasts out there, this isn't like you. Hearing all of those excuses can be really debilitating from getting started. I think for me, what really works is just diving in, even though I may not have all that information. But if I feel called to something, I just want to learn along the way. I like to say I like to build the plane as I'm flying it because I'm committed. I want to make it work. I know I'll give it all I have.

So just not having all those negative outside voices just can really propel me to get to where I need to go on my own. And then when I'm ready, I can circle back and tell my inner circle, like, Hey, this is what I have going on. Then you'll be surprised to find that people are more supportive than, you know, trying to stop you from getting started. So just to sum that all up, I'd rather fail and say that I tried it on brand with the podcast than look back and regret not giving it a shot at all.

Gresham Harkless 12:38

Absolutely, that's definitely powerful. Then as far as you said, like definitely, like kind of know that your inner circle, I truly feel like when you do try things, when you do go after things, I think you give that energy, and like we talked about before that motivation to others. So a lot of times if they are saying or coming up with those excuses and saying, Oh, don't do this, because this can happen, or don't do this. It's not the best time. I think a lot of times when you do that, you motivate people to do that as well, too. Sometimes they want to do just like you and they kind of get motivated by the fact that you're going out there and trying things.

Kristin Kruk 13:09

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 13:11

Nice. So now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is a definition of what it means to be a CEO. We're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the shelf. So Kristen, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Kristin Kruk 13:22

Being a CEO, to me, it means truly knowing your purpose and mission of why you're doing whatever you're doing. It also means being responsible for carrying out that mission and purpose as your north star and using that as a lens to whatever business decision you have to make. So just speaking for myself, I had no idea how many decisions I could be making with my podcast creation. It's been so much fun to have all this creative freedom, especially since I'm running the podcast on my own. But without having that Northstar of, you know why I'm doing this, and what's the core of the podcast, I think I would have been really drowning and all of the shiny objects and distractions of what I could be doing and what others are doing and get really overwhelmed. So just keeping to that mission and purpose has really helped me stay alive, especially in my workflow.

Gresham Harkless 14:22

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I love that you brought that up kind of going back to your passion, I mean, your purpose and your why of why you're doing everything is kind of that filter to put everything through. I think, you know, anytime, you know, we do have opportunity to kind of walk in our purpose and execute on our why I think it's something that's super exciting. I appreciate you for doing that and also for you know, capturing and talking with so many people that are doing it as well.

Kristin Kruk 14:47

Thank you, thank you.

Gresham Harkless 14:48

You're very, very welcoming. Kristin and I appreciate your time even more. So what I wanted to do is pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you want to let our readers and listeners know and then of course how best they can get ahold of you. Subscribe to your podcast and hear all the awesome things you're doing?

Kristin Kruk 15:02

Yeah, absolutely. Thanks so much, Gresh, and cheer listeners on Thank you for listening to this, I encourage you to tune into the podcast if you are interested in anything health, wellness, lifestyle, or spirituality, there are all different topics that you know might motivate you to live a more optimal life. And if you don't try anything new out of it, I just hope that you enjoy the conversations. They're really honest. And they're just fun.

So you can find the “I tried it podcast” everywhere where you listen to podcasts like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play Stitcher, I Heart Radio, etc. If you just want some fun, inspirational content and your Instagram feed, follow me “I tried it podcast”. If you just want to learn a little bit more in general, you can check out the “I tried it podcast” Calm.

Gresham Harkless 16:03

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, thank you so much again, Kristin, we will make sure to have those links in the show notes, and thank you again for you know, taking some time out and reminding us of why we should always definitely try stuff and not be afraid to do it. Getting the opportunity to hear your podcasts and all the the people you're interviewing that are doing some really awesome things. So again, I appreciate your time and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Outro 16:22

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO Podcast powered by Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes Google Play and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE, and leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co. This has been the I AM CEO Podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

[/restrict]