Meet Kristen Hartnagel | Leadership and Personal Coach, Speaker, Trainer & Personal Brand Strategist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristen Hartnagel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, why did you pursue a creative career?
When I was a little girl, nothing thrilled me more than creating. I was singing and writing songs as far back as I can remember. I had 8 years of dance training, acted in plays and musicals, loved painting and drawing. So it is only natural that I’m most in the zone when I speak and perform. And nothing is more rewarding than helping others get out of their own way through coaching, so they can live more fully into the next greatest version of themselves.

What should our readers know about your business?
Having coached hundreds of clients for nearly a decade, whether for leadership development, personal branding, or sales performance, the most exciting part of my job is when individuals tell me about their spiritual breakthrough experiences. Everything we do stems from the thoughts we think. When our work together removes limiting beliefs, transforms worn out thought patterns, or shifts perspectives, clients are able to take responsibility for the experiences they create. And when they see their part in it, something magical takes place; they recognize that everything that happens, happens FOR them. I call that a Holy Shift! The ability to see everything that happens as a mirror to what you hold in your mind can be extremely liberating because you see your role in it. I hear from my clients that our work has helped them see events in their lives as mirrors reflecting back parts in them in need of healing. It’s like, if something is pushing your buttons, let’s look at why you have a button that’s pushable, and work on that. Observing and allowing and learning how to take inspired action from a deep sense of peace, that’s transformative stuff! Of course there is no finish line. We don’t wake up one day ‘enlightened’. Instead, we get to see each day as a new adventure bringing us more to make our way through, continuing to evolve and grow as a result of this awareness and the choices we make. Many times, the lessons in our lives feel familiar. This is usually an indicator that there is a layer of forgiveness or healing that we haven’t successfully navigated yet – so it will keep showing up in clever (and sometimes, not so clever) disguises, giving us opportunities to get it right so we can move on …to the next lesson. I think the biggest challenge I still get to work on is this understanding that learning takes place in layers. Sometimes we’re too close to a situation to be able to see how we’re contributing to it. …Even coaches need coaches!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
People are always surprised by how many inland lakes there are in Michigan if they’ve never been here before. When friends visit I want to give them experiences with “The Big Lake”, (Lake Michigan) and a few hiking trails with amazing lush evergreens and serene lake views. We’d bike the White Pine Trail and walk the paths of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. There’s a great music scene here so we’d visit Mojo’s Dueling Piano Bar & Restaurant and Bostwick Lake Inn for some live music. I’d have to take them to Anna’s House because I’ve NEVER had a better breakfast anywhere! Voted Beer City USA in national polls and named Best Beer Town and Best Beer Scene by USA TODAY readers, we’d hit Perrin Brewing Company, Founders, and New Holland – The Knickerbocker. Michigan also has some fabulous wine! So I’d take them to St. Julian Winery & Distillery Tasting Room. Any friend of mine knows how much I love to dance – so they’d be dragged to The B.O.B. because there’s several levels of fun in that “Big Old Building” including a comedy club. But I’d say what people tell me they enjoy most about a visit is idling around the small lake where we live just relaxing in the sunshine!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
One constant source that feeds me is a book called A Course in Miracles (ACIM) and the powerful way it retrains your brain. When I think about my journey, the successes and the setbacks, it’s been conversations with my sister, mom, dad, friends, all students of ACIM that have shaped my experience and made my life richer and more meaningful. Especially my sister. If you’ve ever had that person in your life that can feel your joy and lift you even higher celebrating together, or who can listen intently without feeling the need to fix or rescue when your story is all about something negative, that was Lauren. A master of non-judgement, Lauren was a wonderful mirror, helping me see what I was focusing on and helping me shift my attention to better feeling thoughts. Not only did she foster more harmony in my life through our heart to heart daily phone calls, she literally harmonized with me. We’re both singers and songwriters. There is nothing like sister harmony! When a song comes to me, it’s like getting a download; the melody and the lyrics come at the same time and I need to capture it immediately or, like a butterfly, it flits away. However, I don’t read or write music so I would sing to her and she would arrange my songs so people who accompany me would have what they needed to play. What a gift. We often co-wrote songs as well and performed together whenever we could make it happen! After her transition in January of 2019, the way we communicate has certainly changed, but I assure you, it’s still daily! She has her hands in everything I do. I can feel her as she continues bringing people and players together who help me thrive. I’m forever grateful for her love, support, collaboration and influence.

Website: https://kristenhartnagel.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenhartnagel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KristenHartnage

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvolveNowwithKristen

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjolwIFHseOiV2x293ynqKg

Other: https://brandbuildersgroup.com/

Image Credits
shots 1-5: Lisa Shaw with Your Influencer Image