When Kristen Butler was a child, she says she felt a sense of responsibility to succeed because her family was on welfare and struggling financially. The eldest of four children, she was an ambitious seven-year-old who often took on leadership roles, whether that meant looking after her siblings or selling jewelry to make money. “When I was little I told myself I didn’t want to be poor.”
Her passion for writing started at a young age and she aspired to write a book. When she was in third grade, her teacher told her she would never achieve that goal, motivating Butler even more. Years later, a supportive high school journalism teacher helped spark her passion for writing and that encouraged her to study journalism.
Despite her initial success in college, Butler eventually burned out and decided to drop out. Instead of giving up, she used her passion for writing and her entrepreneurial spirit to start her own business from her apartment. Her first venture was an eBay store, which she built through hard work and determination.
One day she realized that the key to feeling good was a positive mindset and she started her company, Power of Positivity. 14 years and over 30,000 pieces of content later, Butler has a following of over 56 million people on her social channels and her 3 minute positivity diary sold 100,000 copies.
Butler says she’s learned over the years that success isn’t about stepping outside your comfort zone, but rather about being true to yourself and pursuing your passions, which inspired her to write her first book. The comfort zone: create a life you really love with less stress and more flow. Throughout her journey, Butler has learned that success is not about meeting the expectations of others, but about following your own path and pursuing your passions with determination and dedication.
She sat down with Jessica Ab to talk about her new book, how to realize your own potential, and the steps you can take to expand your comfort zone.
