Recently I spoke with Christie Kerner, whose 30-year entrepreneurial journey has spanned multiple successful start-ups, defining roles inside StartupAZ, and a tenure as the Executive Director of Student Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University. With a wealth of experience and a passion for community-building, Christie has focused much of her entrepreneurial journey on empowering others to find personal fulfillment. This is exemplified by her most recent venture as the founder of the Startup COO Club. Christie Kerner speaks to the importance of finding your tribe, the merits of emotional intelligence in entrepreneurship, and the invaluable role of hands-on experience.
The Interview
Griffin Connolly: So let’s dive right in. Can you share a bit about your background and how you ventured into the entrepreneurial world?
Christie Kerner: Sure, I’d be happy to. I had a bit of a test run in my early years. My parents were entrepreneurs, and they had a very successful business in the 70s. However, it fell apart in the 80s, and we lost everything. I quickly learned that entrepreneurship involves both building a lot and risking a lot, but life goes on.
When I was about 15, I had an opportunity to be the primary on-site person for a new dental practice in town. So dental practice management was my first real taste of business. It was a time when gas was $0.87 a gallon, so it was quite a while ago and in a different environment. We were able to build that business up to about $4 million a year within the first couple of years, and I was right at the center of it, learning the ropes of business building.
I had an advisor who made the big decisions while I delivered everything, which taught me a lot about building a company. Interestingly, the people who owned that company were afraid of computers, so I didn’t use one for the first two years. Doing payroll for 30 people meant manually typing for 10 hours with a calculator. This experience helped me understand how every part of a business works together, because I had to manually make everything happen and keep the humans from messing it up along the way.
So I had a bit of a different introduction to entrepreneurship but it definitely informed some of the first steps I took in building my own companies.
Griffin Connolly: You have a really interesting background and a motivation for community building and doing business for good. I have been really focused lately on building an entrepreneurial community through storytelling. Can you expand on that sense of community in entrepreneurship and why it’s so important to you?
Christie Kerner: Absolutely. Initially, it was intuitive for me to want to build and be part of a community. If a community didn’t exist, I would create it. Recently, I realized why it was so important to me. I took a LinkedIn course on emotional intelligence taught by a psychologist who emphasized resilience. She highlighted that community is a key factor in building resilience. Spending time with people who share your interests and passions can significantly enhance your resilience.
Being a company builder is tough. You’ll face challenges from all directions, but it’s also full of joy because you get to create new things and offer something unique to the world. Resilience is crucial in this journey, and having a supportive community makes it possible to navigate the roller coaster of entrepreneurship. It helps you maintain your sense of self and gain the strength to keep going.
Griffin Connolly: I can definitely hear your passion for community. You mentioned the challenges of starting your own business. Can you speak to some of the struggles you faced and how you overcame them?
Christie Kerner: Let me tell you about a business I built around 15 years ago. I owned it for seven years before selling it. The journey actually began 10 or 12 years before I started the business. In my early 20s living in LA, I discovered I had a non-cancerous tumor on my pituitary gland, which messed up my endocrine system. This condition caused weight gain that couldn’t be managed through normal diet or exercise. It was quite depressing, especially as a young woman wanting to feel attractive.
To cope, I started taking dance classes, beginning with tap and eventually exploring many other styles. Dancing helped me make friends, build a skill, and feel good about myself. When I moved to Phoenix, I noticed a lack of opportunities for adults to take dance classes. So, I created a 6,000-square-foot space, which a newsletter dubbed a “playground for women,” filled with fun ways for women to stay active, primarily through dance. It fostered a sense of community where we supported and uplifted each other while staying active.
Regarding challenges, I have quite a story. Leadership is now one of my passions, but I learned it the hard way. In that company, I made several mistakes in leadership. One of the biggest mistakes stemmed from my subconscious need to be seen as a good person, influenced by mixed messages I received growing up. This desire led me to spoil my team by paying above market rates, taking them on trips, and creating a fun work environment. I was really concerned about the company culture being a place where people love to work. While this sounds good, it resulted in creating a team of spoiled employees.
Around the two-year mark, when a company typically shifts from creative building to operational stability, my team struggled with the transition. I had to put some organization and rules in place in order to take the company into the next phase and the team did not like that at all. One day, 80% of my team quit, and my right-hand employee posted a song on YouTube about how much she hated me. It was a very tough lesson, but my business and I survived it and I learned to become a better leader, understanding the importance of clear communication and managing expectations.
Griffin Connolly: That’ definitely sounds like a challenging time. It’s interesting to see through these interviews how people’s entrepreneurial journeys often stem from personal experiences. Besides leadership challenges, is there anything else you would have done differently if you could restart the process?
Christie Kerner: There are definitely things I would have done differently with the knowledge I have now. When I ran the Center for Entrepreneurship at ASU, I stepped back from building companies to analyze the sport of entrepreneurship. I realized that understanding the distinct facets of entrepreneurship could have significantly impacted how I built companies.
There are two main facets: small to medium businesses (SMBs) and startups. SMBs, which are often service-oriented and people-dependent, focus on steady growth and profitability from the start. Startups, especially in technology, aim for rapid growth and scalability, often operating at a loss initially to achieve a significant revenue spike later.
In my first 20 years of building companies, I operated in the SMB mindset, focusing on steady growth and managing risks conservatively. In the last 10 years, I’ve worked more in the technology and startup space, embracing a mindset of experimentation and taking bigger risks for potential high rewards. I wish I had understood this duality earlier and applied some of the startup mindset to my SMBs. It would have helped me take calculated risks and think bigger.
Both sides can learn from each other. Startups should understand the importance of profitability and managing expenses, while SMBs can benefit from a more experimental and growth-oriented approach. Understanding these paradigms and being flexible in decision-making is something I wish I had known during those years.
Griffin Connolly: I recently interviewed a filmmaker from New Zealand who shared some profound advice. He emphasized the importance of staying confident and sensitive in your vulnerable areas as you grow older, as these are where your true talents lie. He urged believing in oneself to find your unique path. You’ve touched on this theme before, especially with your emphasis on living authentically within the community you’re building. Could you expand on that and how it resonates with you?
Christie Kerner: Absolutely, Griffin. I’m 100% certain—more than just believing, I “mega-believe”—that each of us has a unique kaleidoscope of qualities that make us who we are and the gifts we can offer the world. When we discover and express this uniqueness, we find a deep sense of fulfillment that we can’t achieve by trying to fit into roles others expect of us or roles we think we should play. Often, it’s our own expectations that trap us.
One major obstacle to this self-expression is overthinking—getting caught up in what we should do based on others’ opinions. If I were to give advice to my younger self, it would be to spend as much time as possible doing things you love with people you enjoy. This isn’t about escaping life’s pressures, like how some people might use video games to avoid dealing with reality. It’s about finding activities that truly fulfill you and spending time with like-minded people. For example, my husband plays video games with our stepsons daily. It’s not about the games themselves but the quality time they spend together.
I knew a young woman starting her career who shifted her approach from looking for any job to seeking one that aligned with her passion for fashion. Instead of applying to the restaurant with a help wanted sign in the window, she asked her favorite boutique if they needed help, even though they weren’t hiring. Her enthusiasm landed her the job, which led to opportunities and connections in a field she loved. It’s about finding what you love and immersing yourself in it, not as an escape but in a productive, energizing way.
Secondly, building emotional intelligence is crucial. Self-awareness and understanding your emotions can help you navigate life more effectively. Learning to communicate assertively and set boundaries can keep you out of unhealthy situations. Many of us don’t learn these skills from our families, leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms. For me, overworking seemed positive but was still a survival technique. Understanding how your mind and emotions work allows you to create a better experience for yourself and improve your relationships.
Griffin Connolly: That’s interesting. Other entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed have also talked about immersing yourself in a part of society that you love in order to find your path and personal fulfillment.
I understand you’re involved with Startup AZ. With the entrepreneurial buzz in Phoenix, could you talk about how things have changed since you embarked on your entrepreneurial journey and any trends you see today?
Christie Kerner: Phoenix has a unique entrepreneurial spirit. Unlike some cities known for their exclusive “old boys’ clubs,” Phoenix is welcoming and collaborative. People here are ambitious yet value relationships, work-life balance, and community.
In places like LA, the high cost of living creates a survival mindset, making people more competitive. In contrast, Phoenix offers a supportive environment where incredible people are accessible and willing to help. This culture, characterized by generosity and a belief that we win together, is a defining feature of Phoenix’s startup ecosystem.
The startup scene here has seen ebbs and flows. There was significant momentum between 2013 and 2017, a dip during COVID, and now a resurgence. Regardless of these cycles, the core culture of accessibility, warmth, and mutual support remains strong.
For instance, Matt Sherman, cofounder of Seed Scout, whom I met almost 10 years ago when I was at ASU, exemplifies this spirit. I presented on the hashtag #yesPHX, discussing the value of networking despite its initial discomfort. He embraced the #yesPHX community and significantly advanced his career by engaging with seasoned business owners. This collaborative ethos is something special about Phoenix, and it’s worth leaning into.
Griffin Connolly: That sense of community and mutual support definitely came through in my interview with Brandon Clark as well. It’s fantastic to hear about how everyone wants to help each other and see each other succeed.
So if we take your specific industry out of the equation for a moment, what do you find most fulfilling in your pursuit of entrepreneurship?
Christie Kerner: That’s a great question. For me, the most fulfilling aspect of entrepreneurship is the opportunity to make a difference in other people’s journeys. It’s just who I am—helping others gives me a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Entrepreneurship allows me to apply my creativity in ways that are fun and meaningful, rather than just doing things for a paycheck. That’s what makes it so rewarding for me.
Griffin Connolly: I remember a past interview where someone mentioned that the challenges of entrepreneurship are outweighed by the challenges of not being an entrepreneur, mainly due to the lack of personal freedom. It ties into what you were saying about finding fulfillment.
For my final question, I run a Student Launch Club at school. You obviously were the Executive Director for Student Entrepreneurship at ASU at one point in your career. Could you share some insights on the benefits of studying entrepreneurship and business in college?
Christie Kerner: Sure. In my experience, I didn’t fully understand who I was until I was around 27. From a business perspective, this means it’s crucial to try a lot of things to discover what you enjoy. It’s tough to decide on a major or career path without experiencing different roles. For instance, you can’t know if you’d like being an accountant or a data analyst without trying it.
Imagine there are ten brands of coffee. If you could taste each one, you’d develop preferences. But if someone just asks if you prefer French roast or Nicaraguan coffee, it’s hard to answer without tasting them. Similarly, studying entrepreneurship is valuable because it exposes you to various aspects of business—accounting, marketing, product development, experimentation, etc. This broad knowledge base is crucial for creating and managing resources effectively.
Entrepreneurship courses teach you to experiment and test ideas, which is vital because many initial ideas have flaws. Business management degrees offer similar exposure but may lack the emphasis on experimentation and idea testing that entrepreneurship courses provide. However, hands-on experience is equally important. Now I have a master’s degree in leadership but when I started at ASU, I was hired solely for my practical experience. The Dean at the time believed in hiring real-world practitioners for areas like entrepreneurship and real estate, where that experience is invaluable.
Th other thing is to get involved. If you don’t have your own idea, join someone else’s team. You’ll learn a lot and be better prepared when your idea comes. The key is to get involved, experience different things, and see what resonates with you. College is a great place for that, but there are other avenues too.
Griffin Connolly: That’s interesting because many of the entrepreneurs I speak with say true learning comes from experience. Getting out there, finding what you love, and just starting seems to be a common theme. The product or idea can come later; the important part is to start.
Christie Kerner: Exactly. You need to experience various things to discover what you like, and college is a great place for that exploration.
Griffin Connolly: Thank you so much for your time, Ms. Kerner. This has been a fantastic conversation.
Christie Kerner: It was a pleasure to meet you, Griffin. Good luck with everything in the future.