Founder and chief executive, Fearless Ambition and Crystal Ball Publishing, West Des Moines
Job description: I own and operate an education-centered business. I designed and created www.FearlessAmbition.com as an online success magazine with a focus on entrepreneurs, educators and parents. I founded and organize www.TheKidpreneurClub.com to teach kids business skills and expose them to business owners. I have also developed programs for entrepreneurs, at www.CrystalOConnor.com, so they can start or grow a profitable business online.
Background: I grew up in Decatur, Ill., and moved to Des Moines in 1989. I graduated from Upper Iowa University with a degree in education and taught for a short time before taking an opportunity to work for a publishing company out of Washington. I later worked in the marketing and financial industries with a short experience in real estate before starting my company.
Notable achievements: I managed to be a stay-at-home mother of three children all born within 2.5 years of each other. Having no family around the Des Moines area to lend a helping hand, I'd have to say that I graduated from mommy boot camp with flying colors. On a more professional note, after heading back into the career world, I managed to break every sales goal set in every industry I immersed myself in.
Why I do what I do: I am passionate about building a better future for my children and all children. What we teach them about business, money management, success, entrepreneurship and work ethic is vital for the upturn of our economy. I also enjoy teaching businesses how to use the Internet for lead generation and sales conversions through action-based workshops.
What I do to get away from work: I enjoy traveling with my kids and taking them on adventure trips they can cherish for a lifetime. We plan on visiting every state by the time they are out of high school. Last year we went to Texas, Oklahoma and Florida.
How I give back to my community: I teach a couple of classes at the Beacon of Life, a shelter for women. I most recently began hosting a group called the Momtrepreneur Exchange, which can be found on Meetup.com here in the Des Moines area. It's for entrepreneurial moms looking to start and run a more profitable business from their homes. I also teach a class through Junior Achievement.
Best business book I've read lately: I'll have to name two because I rarely stick with just one at a time: "The Girls' Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business" by Susan Wilson Solovic and "Crush It!" by Gary Vaynerchuk.
What Iowa can do to attract more people like me: Significant and aggressive actions need to take place to bring more jobs to Iowa. We need more Fortune 500 companies here. We also need to make necessary changes in our education system.
My mentor: I have several. One particular mentor comes to mind because she came to me at a turning point in my life that helped me create a paradigm shift. Her name is Kim Kiyosaki, author of "Rich Woman." She is married to Robert Kiyosaki, author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad."
My leadership philosophy: I believe we can all be mentors to one another, and I encourage the mentoring of a young professional starting out in a similar business, or even a child through a program like Mentor Iowa or Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa. We change lives one at a time.
If I could do something else, I would: I would be doing the same thing but on a much larger scale. I would like to hold workshops and youth leadership tours across the country, spreading my message about entrepreneurship and making significant changes in what and how we are teaching our students in school.
If you want to contact me: Try me at crystal@crystalballgroup. com or (515) 249-9700.
Are you someone we should get to know? E-mail Kayla Craig at kcraig@dmreg.com.
7/19/2010
You should get to know ... Crystal O'Connor | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register
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