BADASS BOSS: KRISTEN CANO
MEET KRISTEN
Kristen Cano is the owner and founder of Cano Collaborations-Digital Solutions. She a wife, mother, digital solutions rockstar, virtual assistant, die-hard Sons of Anarchy fan, and addicted to office supplies and sarcasm. She is an overall badass. She believes that all problems have solutions and loves the challenge of finding those solutions.
We sat down with Kristen and asked her questions about being a badass and found out she’s not only great at finding solutions, she is fun as hell, too.
Badassery Magazine: Tell us a little more about you and your story?
Kristen Cano: It all started when my mom and dad… well… you know. LOL! Ok for real… I was raised by a single mom (who is even more badass than I am). My dad took off when I was 12 and that relationship has never been repaired. You can only take so many false promises until you give up. Anyway, my mom did her absolute best raising my brother and I but I know we struggled and she stressed about money. I swore to myself growing up that I would never have to experience that. I would build a biz of my own. I was in control of my destiny. I was the first in my family to graduate college. I graduated with a Bachelors in Business Management and always knew deep down my place was in business… I just hadn’t quite figured out what that biz would be. So fast forward to 2 years ago when I decided to sell sex toys…. And here we are.
BM: How did your business come about? What made you start it?
KC: I’d have to say the start of my journey would be the day I decided to sell sex toys. Crazy, I know right?!?! LOL! I wanted to make some extra cash on the side to ease the budget a bit… so I joined a direct sales company. The company was great and I learned so much about myself. Growing up I always knew I wanted to have my own business but never could put my finger on what that biz would be. My DS biz was a giant step in the right direction of owning something of my own. I did many in-home parties which were a blast… but it took me away from my family too much. Instead of quitting I thought why not try to build my DS biz online? I’d be able to work from home and I saw other ladies posting about their products constantly on social media so it much work right? Easy peasy? Well… not so fast. I tried that technique and got zero results. So… again, I am not one to give up or quit. All problems have solutions right? Well, my problem was zero sales. My solution was to skill up. I took every online marketing course I could find. I downloaded every freebie and devoured all things online marketing. In the process, I absolutely fell in love with it. I no longer wanted to just sell products… I wanted to build my own biz and offer digital marketing services to others. So… my virtual assistant biz was born. And that has morphed countless times. Through each client I have helped, I have learned more about what lights my soul on fire and where I see my biz going.
BM: What is your business’s mission or purpose?
KC: “If you have a problem, yo, I’ll solve it!” (Vanilla Ice anyone?) Seriously though, my mission is to provide solutions to online business owners whether that be mindset related or tech/systems related.
BM: What sets you apart from other businesses like yours?
KC: Me, of course!! LOL! In all seriousness… I am pretty down to earth and not afraid to admit that I can be a hot mess. We all can sometimes. There are people everywhere on the internet that could help you solve your problems but… do they truly understand what you are going through to build your biz? Do they understand the feeling of being called to something higher but also having self-doubt? Do they understand what it is like building a biz while raising 3 boys and working a fulltime 9–5 job? I do
The path of entrepreneurship hasn’t been easy and I understand the challenges that come with taking that path.
BM: What is your definition of badassery?
KC: Being yourself and living life for you. Not for anyone else but yourself.
BM: What is your definition of success?
KC: Success to me means being able to say yes more. Yes to my kids, yes to myself, yes to time with my family, yes to vacations, yes to a shopping spree. Yes to fun.
BM: What is one piece of advice you can give to other entrepreneurs?
KC: Do what lights your soul are fire. If you are spending your time building something that you don’t love, then what is the fucking point?
BM: Is there anything coming up for your business you’d like to tell our readers about?
KC: Up next is course offerings. Haven’t hashed it all out yet but I have a ton of knowledge that I feel it is my responsibility to share with others. Both on business systems and mindset issues. Which if you ask me… mindset is 99% of the battle. Also, I have a book in the works. Shooting to have it out early 2019.
BM: What is next for your business? What does the future hold?
KC: Next for Cano Collaborations is world domination. No, just kidding. Up next is staying the line. Keeping in the same direction with consistency and with more focus on my blog. I never saw myself as a writer but there is something amazing that happens when I sit down to write. The words just pour out. I love when someone tells me how much they related to something I’ve written or how much it motivated or helped them. It is what makes all the struggles and chaos worth it. Bottom line… helping others, solving problems and kicking ass!!!
Connect with Kristen at her website, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated Badassery Magazine via a payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Badassery Magazine only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. We disclose this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
