Conversations with the Inspiring Kristal Wise

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristal Wise.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Kristal. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born and raised in Miami, Florida. I joined the Army in 2004 as a combat medic. I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and spent two years in South Korea. My career was going great, but my personal life was in shambles. I was already a single mother of a three year old, Rogelio, when I married for the second time (my first husband was killed a few years prior). However, my second husband and I decided to separate when I was 9 weeks pregnant with my second child. I went through the rest of my pregnancy alone with my son Rogelio. I was so depressed and angry. I even felt suicidal on a few occasions.

Already being a single mom of one child while in the Army was hard enough. I knew that I had a rough road ahead of me as a single mother, but evenmore so with a second child. When Rogelio was 15 months, I deployed to Afghanistan for nine months. Leaving my baby behind was one of the most difficult challenges that I had to face in my life. When I returned from Afghanistan, my son was 2 years old. I missed almost a whole year of his life, and I can’t get it back. I didn’t want to put him or my new baby through that again. Even still, I had to leave for a month or so at a time, due to traning events in other regions.

After my daughter, Kandake, was born, I made the tough decision to request an honorable discharge due to family obligations. I served 12 years in the United States Army.

I swear that I had a solid plan for life outside of the Army. Or at least, I thought that I did, because NOTHING went as planned. Jobs that were promised to me were not available, then I began to struggle with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. I felt all alone and insecure of my place in civilian society. I guess you can say I was having an identity crisis. In the Army, I was given a title rank, position, and I belonged to a team. In civilian life, I didn’t even know who I was. I was even unaccustomed to picking out my own outfit everyday. That stressed me out. I was used to wearing the same uniform every day for 12 years.

The Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital had been very supportive in my transition from military life to civilian life. But learning to navigate and maneuver through challenges is solely dependent on one’s mindset. That is a personal responsibility. It took me awhile to stop playing the blame game and take responsibility for the decisions that created my circumstances. I’m forever grateful to my friend that introduced me to personal development lectures on YouTube by speakers such as Jim Rohn, Lisa Nichols, Tony Robbins, and many more. It was hard to miss the emphasis that they all put on starting your day with gratitude and always searching for reasons to be grateful regardless of situation. This was a game changer for me! After three weeks of consistently choosing to remain in grateful state (even when it was hard), I felt like a brand new person. I felt confident and ready for whatever. That eventually led me to Grant Cardone and Gary Vee’s YouTube channel. Principles of work ethic and mental focus resonated with me.

Ever since then, I’ve made it a personal mission to spread the word that actively choosing to always look for reasons to be grateful is like a magic pill that will not only change your life, but your mindset and perspective has shifted for the better. Only then will you have the power and tools to create your reality. If you want to win, remain grateful about EVERYTHING!

I try my best to be transparent on my blog and social media platforms in hopes that others can see that I am not more special or talented that anyone else. I am grateful, and that is why I win.

Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. But I kind of like it that way, LOL! My life has never been boring. Life is always throwing challenges our way, but I’ll go looking for a new challenge in a heartbeat.

My advice to women and young ladies is to:

#1) Write a list of attributes, achievements, or goals that you want to achieve. This will help you build a vision of who you want to show up as.

#2) Once you have completed the first task, begin to look for people (especially women), that have done what you want to do. Build a relationship with a few of them, ask them for mentorship. Study the stories of public figures that you look up to. Use those stories as inspiration and guidance.

#3) A huge lesson for me is to exercise patience. I constantly remind myself that nothing happens overnight. Success requires tremendous focus and hard work. It’s up to me commit to not giving up and trusting God’s timing.

These tips have personally helped me rebuild my confidence.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into your business story. Tell us more about the business.
Well, I’m mostly known as a social media influencer and mixologist. I use my social media platform by sharing my personal development milestones. I communicate with my followers through videos that encourage gratitude, goal setting, mental focus, and hard work.

I’m also known as a bartender. Currently, I work at Drinkhouse Fire and Ice Bar on South Beach. Bartending has been instrumental in achieving quite a few of my milestones. The majority of my projects are funded by bartending tips.

I am most proud of the cleaning company, Need an Extra Hand, Inc., that I started about a year ago. My team and clean and organize any size home, studio apartments to seven bedroom mansions.

Need An Extra Hand, Inc. wants to eliminate domestic responsibilities that may feel overwhelming or like a distraction when you’re laser-focused on your goals. Studies have shown that those who live in clutter are more prone to depressions and feelings of fatigue. Who has time for depression and fatigue, when we’ve got goals to crush?

Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Without a doubt, watching my mother hustle without ever complaining was fundamental on how I perceive challenges and adversity. I witnessed her grow from working hourly pay jobs to earning her Associates Degree and two Bachelor’s Degrees all before I graduated from elementary school. Since then, she has earned a Master’s Degree in Criminal Studies and a Doctoral degree in Psychology.

To this day, I can recant countless conversations (more like lectures lol) during my childhood of my mother telling me not to be a follower, learn to think for myself, do not be afraid to ask questions and to always trust my gut. One of her most famous sayings is “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” These practical principles are my most tools in my daily grind and overall journey to success.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.needanextrahand.com
• Phone: 1-800-729-2603
• Email: needanextrahandinc@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/_la_diosa_negra_

Image Credit:
Jeremiah Stewart

Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.