This lady has been on our short list for the Boss Lady features since the beginning, and we FINALLY got her! I first met Krisanna 5 years ago, the day after my husband proposed. (AWWWW.) It was my first coffee meeting with a wedding planner, and while I was a bundle of nerves, I just knew something amazing was going to happen. That first coffee date was much like every other date we have had since then over the years. Sharing our hearts and dreaming about the future, all the while shamelessly snapping photos for our Instas.

Krisanna has built her business from the ground up, shifting throughout the years, growing into a multifaceted force in the wedding industry. If you are in the Seattle area, needing a planner or some gorgeous calligraphy, look no further!

Krisanna Elizabeth

Wedding planning was my first love - it encompasses all of my natural strengths and, most importantly, gives me my "people fix". Calligraphy design (my creative release) was a form of serendipity and slowly finagled its way in a few years ago, resulting in the rebranding to Krisanna Elizabeth [Events]. Together, they allow me to pursue my greatest passion - serving people - in two completely different forms. It's the most rewarding roller coaster in the world!

I would love to have you chat a little about transitioning your business to suit you as you grew!

Transition + change are actually very scary to me and that fear used to be something that got in the way of my company's growth. When calligraphy began sneaking its way into a company I had imagined as being wedding planning-only, I was stubborn and fought the change for quite awhile. My best advice is to trust your intuition and accept that sometimes the BEST thing that can happen to you is something you never had "in the plan".

How do you balance being a #bosslady with having a family/life?

Oh gosh, this is tough. Finding a balance has been one of my biggest struggles (and probably always will be)! Honestly, 90% of the time, my work doesn't feel like work... so it's easy for me to get so wrapped up in it that, suddenly, there's no time left and my personal life tank is on empty. That said, I'm learning to be better at saying "no" so that I am able to be social + also get enough down time (I'm a self-titled introverted social butterfly, so I need both to stay charged!)... it also helps having a certain amazing guy in my life who is so supportive of my work, but also just inherently makes me want to balance better so that I have ample quality time to spend with him ;)

What is a hardship or challenge you have had to overcome and how did you handle that?

I think the social media comparison game was super detrimental to not only my emotional health, but also my creative abilities a couple years back. There are so many unreal talented people out there that, instead of being inspired, I was feeling small and like my work was very, very inferior and/or unimportant. It literally made me feel paralyzed on a near daily basis and the result was that I wasn't able to give 110% like I normally did. I ended up taking a break from social media for a few weeks to reset + revamp and I've created some boundaries for myself if I find myself feeling those ways now (unfollowing anyone making me feel small/less than, spending way less time mindlessly scrolling, etc.).

“Social media is an amazing way to connect, but my experience has been that it can also be the most isolating thing if you let it. ”

What is one moment you were really proud of in this Boss Lady journey?

I don't know if it's necessarily one definable moment - more a myriad of little moments (#littlethingstheory!) : overcoming an obstacle, persevering when I wanted to give up, seeing the relaxed/genuine smiles on my couples' faces when I'm handling the tornado of logistics on their wedding day, watching other boss ladies kick ass, knowing there are people out there who want *my* art included in their celebrations, etc. I'm proud to be an entrepreneur who runs a successful business that helps people + challenges me to be a better person every day.

If you could give someone starting their own business any advice what would it be?

(1) It's cliche, but so ridiculously important: be yourself. Create a brand that represents your company/talent, but also represents YOU in the most real, genuine way (even if sometimes it's not the same as those other brands you idolize). There are people out there who will relate to you + your uniqueness and those are the people you want to work with. (2) Chaos is frequent as a small business owner and it's totally fine to over-think, cry it out, take a rest, and/or throw some pieces away and start over.

“There’s always beauty in the chaos if you want to look for it.”

(3) Always take the leap with anything that makes you scared out of your mind. Like, literally your mind is telling you "you are dumb for even thinking you could do this". Those are the best ideas. And if it doesn't work, you've inevitably learned something very valuable that you can apply in the future. If it does work, it's going to be the best feeling in the world. Win-Win. (4) Your attitude will make or break you and only you can control it.

If you could grab coffee with ANY #BossLady, alive or dead, who would it be?

It's a tie between Joanna Gaines, Meryl Streep, and Brene Brown.

Thank you to Lisa of Meraki Photography for the gorgeous photos! Lisa has done some pretty amazing work for this blog, including one of our all time favorite shoots!