Who's That Gal: Kristina Tsipouras of Boston Business Women
Kristina doesn't consider herself the ultimate "busy girl" for nothing. Diving right in...!
Name: Kristina Tsipouras
Age: 31
Occupation: Founder of Boston Business Women & Moroccan Magic lip balms
Hometown: Newton, Mass
Current ‘hood: Milton, Mass
What is one of the major lessons of success you have held onto from your start in wedding and event planning?
Your network is your network. Never burn bridges and treat everyone with kindness and respect. Your reputation is everything in business.
You started a company at the age of 27, how did you curate the idea and brand (the first of three!)? How has this processed changed with the progressive evolution of each brand?
I had a notebook filled with ideas starting in college. I think by 27 I had enough confidence and experience in corporate behind me to feel confident enough to move forward. I weigh out options, who do I know in my network who may be able to open some doors for me? Is it a low cost start up, etc.
You took part in MassChallenge! Tell us what that experience was like.
I was a top fifteen finalist in Mass Challenge. It was a great experience because of the mentorship I gained going through the experience. I grew a lot as an Entrepreneur and young business woman in that program.
What would you recommend to a gal as she works on fine-tuning her strengths, weaknesses, and skill sets to be her best, marketable self?
You need to work on yourself. If you want to stand out from the rest, do the hard work. Look really closely at your weaknesses and make sure you have people on your team who can make up for them. You have to know yourself really well and have a lot of confidence to be successful.
Boston Business Women (BBW) has nearly 7,500 active members, quite a feat in a short few years! How did you go about founding this group and growing so quickly?
We are growing very quickly and now have over 7,700 active members! I created it because I didn’t feel that any other networking groups in town gave me the experience that I was looking for. I believe it grew so quickly because we don’t have many rules, we just focus on being positive, supportive and having fun.
Two of us attended your innovation conference last spring, and you had some fantastic speakers! What is your pitch like for such inspirational women to be a part of this motivational day?
I share my personal story with them and why Boston has needed a conference like this for quite some time. I think of creative ways to get their story and brand across to not only the audience attendees but our quickly growing group throughout the year. I like to focus on long term partnerships and big picture and brands and speakers can see the opportunity more clearly speaking in these terms. LinkedIn premium and instagram have been my secret weapons for asking really high level women to join us.
"Your reputation is everything in business."
As a business owner, which motto (or multiple) do you try to live by?
Go with the flow. I have off days, we all do. I don’t push against the grain. If something isn’t feeling right and flowing easily, then it probably isn’t meant to be. I remain really open to all possibilities that come my way.
You’re a strong believer in work-life balance. What do you recommend to your clients for attaining and consistently having this in their lives?
Work on your business and in strategy/big picture mode on the weekends and work in your business during the weeks. This way your organization and goals will be clear and concise. It is all about working smarter not harder. My to-do list will never be complete so I time out my days and schedule downtime and date night just as I would an important meeting.
What makes Boston the best place to call your home base? How do you think networking is here compared to other cities (in general, and/or for women)?
It is truly a privilege to live in such an amazing city with so many programs and funding for Entrepreneurs. The innovation in this city is unlike any other.
Being the ultimate “Busy Girl,” what else are you looking to conquer in the years ahead?
I am looking to hire and scale both of my businesses. I would love to move into an office downtown and I am trying to keep my other ideas on the back burner and focus on the two growing and successful business at hand. Moroccan Magic is entering select CVS stores next month nation wide, so being successful in CVS and having an amazing 2017 BE BOLD conference in May are my top 2 priorities at the moment!
Quick-fire!
Currently Reading: Big Magic
Best place to find girlboss inspiration: The Boston Business Women’s facebook group
Go-to place to unwind: Mykonos, Greece (heading there this Summer!)
Best business advice you’ve received: The amount of uncomfortable conversations you are willing to have, often translates into how successful you will become.
Role model: Currently, Suzy Batiz, Founder of Poo-Pourri. She is such a badass and inspiration. She is also speaking at our conference this year!
Come meet Kristina at tomorrow's Ladies Lounge, and find Kristina on social media!
