About Crystal

tl;dr Version

I am a tech entrepeneur, musician, blogger, farmer and modern day wonder woman.

Who am I?

I probably have enough things I can talk about from my past to write an autobiography or some sort of memoir. So I’ll spare too many specifics for when/if I decide to put one together. You’ll want to read it when I do, right? 🙂

I wear many hats.

Some of those hats include:

• Owner of  a digital agency. Having been a front-end developer and project manager for many years, I decided to thrust myself into entrepreneurship. I build great websites for small businesses, and I make sure they are taken care of.
• Owner of of a local farm I’m a 5th generation farmer with a passion for sustainability, eco-minded farming methods, and making farming easier, not harder.
• Singer and Songwriter. I have a talent for singing. I don’t think I’m the best, but I do think I have something to offer those who want to listen. I enjoy playing various styles of music, and am constantly being told I need to be on one of those tv shows that only want size 4 blonde pop singers. Since I am neither of those things, I settle for the local open mic and maybe eventually more Youtube.
• I am a full caretaker of my disabled father, and have been since I was 23. This is not an easy task, but one I am determined to do.
• I hold board positions for a few non-profits and have provided services from treasurer to secretary to president.
• I am a blogger who recently took a hiatus but as of summer 2017 I am trying to get back into the swing of blogging. I write about topics such as personal finance, farming, cooking, lifehacking, women in business and personal journaling, which is where you are now.
• I am a computer nerd. Beyond my web development history, I also have extensive knowledge in social marketing, software, typography, design, and overall marketing. I also used to play MUDs and met my husband on World of Warcraft. We like to game (mostly DnD right now) when we have the time, but business and ambition first 🙂
• And I’ve never been to college….

I have a few passions:

• 

  Music and supporting anyone who has a passion for music, without judgement

• The environment. I don’t think we should shit where we eat
• A constant state of learning and ambition. Whether it’s chasing Google Algorithms for SEO, learning spanish, or gardening, I am constantly trying to enhance my brain and wanting to try new things to improve myself.
• My health. I’m not a model, but I have spent the last several years improving my health after neglecting it most of my 20’s. It’s given me a passion for cooking whole natural foods, weight-lifting, and making sure everything I am eating or doing is for the benefit of my health. I do slip, and I still have a long ways to go, but I’ve already come a longer way so I’m on the right track.
• Being in a position to help people where I can. From giving someone a temporary place to live, rewriting resumes for friends in need of a new job, paying a bill for a friend who is having a hard time making ends meet, helping someone move, etc. I like being someone my tribe can count on.
• Getting out of debt. I was out of debt a few years ago (aside from my mortgage), but a job loss and an accident deluded that dream into a new reality. I am currently rabidly working on getting back out and teaching others ways to stay out of debt and build a better life for themselves.

There are some things I hate:

• Bigotry in any form is a good way to set me off. Whether it’s racism, sexism, classism, whatever. I think every human being has the right and potential to do anything they can and want to do within the limits of human and ethical rights. No religion or government should be able to trump that.
• Being categorized in a political party due to my views, when my views spread across all political spectrums. I am an issue voter, not a candidate or party voter.
• People who don’t take personal responsibility for their shit. Own up to your mistakes and you’ll earn a lot more respect. If you have a kid, support it. If you made a mistake, fix it or own it and move on.