With a Bachelor's degree in Strategic Communications from OSU, Krissi started her career initially as a non-profit event planner. However, in early 2020, Krissi was faced with the perfect storm of life events - she lost her job at the same time her marriage was dissolving. Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The compounding obstacles Krissi faced were difficult, but she was up for the challenge.

 

“All facets of my life were up in the air. Everything was transitioning - it was an overwhelming time,” she admits. “But I had to make it work. I knew I was a caregiver and provider for my two girls. I had to figure out how to provide for them and that motivated me.”

 

Krissi was left to pick up the pieces and find a new career. With COVID-19 shutting down everything, including the events space, her former role didn’t provide her with any real hope. Instead, she turned toward real estate. “Around that time, I met my first mentor, Lindsay Kronk, and we hit it off. She needed help with marketing and social media, and from there, I decided to get my license. It was a leap of faith,” Krissi reflects.

 

Krissi got her business off the ground in a unique fashion, leaning into social media to let others know who she was and how she could help them. Instead of focusing on traditional marketing, Krissi took a more modern approach and focused on creating TikToks and Instagram reels. Creating authentic videos of her everyday life connected her with her community, and eventually helped build the foundation for her real estate business.

 

“I spent a lot of time commuting back and forth, picking my kids up from school and sitting in the school pick up line. I would use that time to do voiceover reels in my car. That became my thing,” Krissi explains. “It was my way of building a community and connecting with people, not only in Cleveland, but around the country. My goal is to organically build my business while being authentic - showcasing my personality by using humor to educate and sharing the things I love about Cleveland.”

 

Over the past two and a half years, Krissi’s business has taken off. She went out on her own in November 2021 and closed 19 transactions for just under $6 million in 2022, her first full year as a solo agent. Krissi continues to leverage her social media following to drive her business. Her 178 reels in 2022 featured everything from real estate tips and top restaurants in Cleveland, to her experiences as a mom.

 

She spent much of 2022 figuring out how to be a solo agent, and while she thrived in that role, she also realized she prefers a collaborative environment. That’s why Krissi just founded a team of her own, The Collective with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. “I wanted to leave my name out of it,” she explains. “I want it to be a group of like-minded individuals that come together to motivate each other because that's what I was missing in my own business. Bringing Briana on as my first team member has been an amazing experience. She’s going to be a great agent and I can’t wait to watch her business thrive!”

 

In addition to being a REALTOR®, Krissi is a mom of two girls, Mia and Gianna. She recently moved to Hudson with her daughters and partner, Jimmy, and is working on renovating their dated colonial into their dream home. Krissi enjoys watching her daughters play softball, staying involved in the community through local cheerleading associations, and exploring Cleveland’s vibrant culture and food scene.

 

Krissi also has a budding passion for giving back. Last year, she hosted her first Sip and Swap event, with Marina Pannell, owner of Harper + Ivory. The event benefited the Cleveland chapter of I Support The Girls, a nonprofit that provides bras and menstrual hygiene products to people experiencing homelessness.

 

Looking ahead, Krissi is eager to grow her team. She’s equally as excited to spend more time with her family and serve her community. “I’d love to scale my business, but I also want to be able to spend time traveling, hosting events benefiting the community, and bringing people together.