Today we’d like to introduce you to Krissy Corazon.
Hi Krissy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My favorite joke to tell is how I am living a life I never wanted. As a first-generation Filipino-American, I spent my youth rebelling against the idea of being a Nurse but I’m a Vocational Nurse with 17 years of healthcare experience. I grew up with both of my parents serving in the military and they got divorced when I was 13. Naturally, I never wanted to get married, and I absolutely never wanted marry someone in the military. My husband and I have been ridiculously in love for 11 years and he is currently active duty. On our first date, he said he hates dogs and believes long distance never works but 11 years later, we have 3 dogs, and our relationship is imperfectly flourishing.
It’s funny because all the good things in my life were at one point undesired and uncertain. When we are sold the notion that if things do not happen exactly how we expect and how we plan then it is considered a failure. The foundation of my business is built from every successful failure, every time I have had to raise from the ash of my burnouts and wisdom from the depths of my rock bottom.
I got to where I am today because of an overachieving 16-year-old high school graduate who thrived in chaos and did it with an artistic flare; very early 2000’s main character energy. From age 16 to present, has been a 20-year adventure of self-artistry, self-destruction, and many trips to Windansea. I share my story on my live radio show, social media (TikTok and Instagram), and on my podcast. I aim to inspire and create comfort in the imperfect paths and progress life can take us on.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, the road I’ve travelled on is bumpy, poorly maintained but has a great scenic view of Pacific Beach.
As a teenager, the chaos was part self-created and part enduring my parents’ divorce. On top of the stereotypical teenage angst and milestones, I graduated high school early at 16 years old, I was in 11 clubs, 3 varsity sports, I had over 100 hours of volunteer service, and attended night and summer school. I always had this big and vague dream that I was meant to make a difference and help people, but I figured being 16 that it gave me enough time to figure out how.
My first ideas were Child Advocate Attorney or Child Psychologist, but my mom would say that law school is expensive, it would take too long to achieve, and that psychologist do not make any money; she was always steering the conversation towards me becoming a nurse. Encouraging me to think about how I would support myself and my brother; financial stability and familial obligation over personal fulfillment. Struggling between wanting to gain the approval of my mother and wanting to live my life as I desired. A balancing act, I tried to keep from 16- to 31-year-olds; sustaining the wholesome with the wild.
I began my college adventure majoring in Health Education and Health Promotion with a minor in Psychology. However, as much as I rebelled and resisted, I started my career in healthcare as a hemodialysis technician when I was 17, I became a CNA at 20 and I graduated from Vocational Nursing School at 22. I often worked multiple jobs, my adult job and my fun, age-appropriate jobs like retail and food. One fun job I had was getting paid to dance in a flash mob. One of the most fulfilling jobs was working in dialysis. From age 16 to 22, I was burned out. I was not interested in going for the RN because I was already making good money and I naively thought nursing was not going anywhere. I did not think about the increase competition of nursing programs and the increased tuition. I felt entitled to having more fun because of the 6 years I have spent trying to prove and establish myself.
I did not pursue my RN until I was 25, because my grandmother who was like a mother figure to me passed away and I was living the thrilling but vapid PB lifestyle; DUI included. That brought me into a season of redemption and reevaluation, I made the decision to move back home to LA county to be with my family during this loss.
I was enduring intense grief and shame, the DUI put into jeopardy everything I worked so hard for and put longer pause on Nursing School. I was able to pursue my prerequisites, but the DUI needed to be expunged until I could go further into the program. I was in such a rush, I graduated early only to put myself behind. I had lost sight of the teenage dream to make a difference and I had felt like I let myself down.
On my last week living in San Diego, when I had to quit my job at a dialysis clinic, and I had to say my goodbyes to my fellow staff and patients. I had many patients that day tell me how much I have meant to them. One patient told me they noticed how I never missed an opportunity to smile and chat with anyone; it was their highlight of their treatment was just those moments. Even if it was a simple ” hello and how are you doin’ today?”. The treatment floor was open concept so you can hear me and see pretty easily. I have always had a big and bright personality; it is what gets me hired and it wasn’t until that moment that I realized it was what makes a difference. I am not just great at enduring chaos, but I am great at being a healing and humorous presence in the midst of it all. I felt a lot of shame that I was not making a difference in the way that I planned but I was doing it all along unexpectedly.
In that same week, I had told my dysfunctional on and off again ex-partner of about 7 years an epiphany about out how we have always been just good friends and how I finally feel romantically unattached. They responded about how people can’t be friends when they still love each other. I was drunk and frustrated because I had just thoroughly explained how I don’t love them, and they exclaimed they would not have shown up to speak to me in person if they did not still love me. Which blew my mind because at this point in time we have had minimal contact and they were exclusively dating someone else for some time. I exclaimed back that loving me is their problem and not mine. We have parted ways since. I was stunned that I had managed to say those words because of the length of time I had latched on to this person. I left many voice mails that night trying to brag about my massive victory in breaking a toxic cycle.
Funny enough, two days after that conversation with my ex-partner; I met my now husband on the rooftop at Firehouse in PB on a Friday night and we have been together ever since. Navigating the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, we were both at the start of new chapters in our lives and figuring out how we would be able to integrate each other in the midst of my grief and weariness of new love. After some time, we decided that if we see ourselves getting married that we couldn’t base our marriage on frequent texting and we’ve only see other if there was free time between the demand of Nursing School and his work schedule.
When I had to pause my progression in the Nursing program until my DUI was expunged, I moved back to San Diego. We wanted to see how I would be able to handle his lifestyle and if our relationship was strong enough to withstand a deployment. We’ve been together going on 11 years now. When my DUI was expunged, and I was accepted it back into the Nursing Program; I would commute 123 miles one way (246 miles round trip) to LA from SD to go Nursing School because of how competitive and difficult it is to get into a program. I would drive back and forth or stay at my mom’s house in LA county. I had missed many holidays to focus on school, I was dedicated, getting good grades, letters of recommendations and had dreams of getting my Doctorate in Nursing Practice. I had that similar drive and ambition as 16-year-old me, I was doing that for 3 years. In 2018, 10 weeks before graduation, I failed out of the program (a failing grade in nursing school is less than a C+, I had gotten a C-). I had suffered another burn out but this time enduring my husband’s unmanaged PTSD. It was a new low for me because all my other low points it was just me that factored into my demise. It was difficult to be approaching my rock bottom while trying to be a rock for my husband during his challenging and troubling times.
I was devastated. One funny thing that happened the week I found out my school. was not going to let me continue in their program, my mom told me that she was proud of me for all my hard work in Nursing school. She had no idea that I had recently failed out of the program, and I did not have the heart to correct her. Which was the first time she had ever told me that. After all my other achievements, I have been chasing for that statement for years, but I got it at the age of 31 and I had failed the thing she is proud of me for.
Remember when my mom said law school would take too long and was too expensive? I had been chasing Nursing for 15 years and accumulating $100k in student debt. The irony still gives me the giggles. When I think about if there is a deity that has my story all written out for me, I think they had carefully crafted that twist.
I included a photo of a vision board I would stare at during my study marathons in nursing school to keep me motivated. The vision board included GPA goals, my plans of going to University of San Diego for my doctorate, I wanted to do yoga teacher training, I wanted to have my own holistic practice and other personal goals like having children. Two months after failing out of the Nursing program, I started yoga teacher training, became a Holistic Health and Wellness Coach and got accepted to Arizona State University (ASU), majoring in Health Education and Health Promotion with a minor in Psychology; while balancing my Vocational Nurse job working in elementary schools. I was doing that from 2018 until 2021.
January 2021, I had to quit my Vocational Nursing job and dropped out of ASU because I was struggling with COVID and was unable to work. I battled COVID for three months, I barely had the strength to eat one meal a day and at some point, I had suffered a heart attack in my sleep. I had been suffering nonstop fevers for months and mistook symptoms of a heart for a fever. I was also given my infertility and PCOS diagnosis. I spent 2021 focusing on my health and starting my Health and Wellness Coaching business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I jokingly refer myself as being a health and wellness Swiss army knife. I am a 200 hr registered yoga teacher (trauma informed, vinyasa and yin), Reiki Healer, Mindfulness coach, health and wellness coach, 17 years of healthcare experience and soon graduating with a degree in Health Education and Health Promotion with a minor in Psychology. I think what sets me apart from others in my industry is that I have experience and understanding in both conventional healthcare and alternative health.
I would categorize what I do in Health and Wellness but specifically in embracing imperfect and authentic progress with the mindset of an artist. What I do is coaching but I refer to myself as a Holistic Lifestyle Artist. I collaborate with individuals in creation of their sustainable lifestyle goals and habits. I am a Health professional, but you are the expert of your wants and your lifestyle. The only standard you should be living for is the one you create yourself, nobody else’s. I think resilience requires creativity and transforming undesirable circumstances to craft beauty and wisdom.
I host a live Wellness show on AMP called Chaos and Thrive, Monday-Wednesday- Fridays from 5 am to 5 pm PST. Along with playing music, I incorporate meditation, yoga asana, storytelling, and lifestyle coaching into my show. My audience is able to interact and contribute to the flow of the show.
On TikTok, I vlog about my fertility journey and how I am holistically managing my PCOS. A large part of the conversation about PCOS revolves around food and weight but I expand the conversation further because PCOS affects more than just my weight and dieting will not solve all the issues involved with PCOS. The word holistic has taken on a whole new meaning but I use it referring to the 8 dimensions of health and wellness (Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Social, Occupational, Financial, Intellectual, and Environmental Health). For example, with PCOS only addressing food and weight is only one component of wellness when PCOS affects women on all 8 dimensions. One-way PCOS affects me intellectually, is navigating through the bullshit of the internet when seeking accurate and safe ways to manage symptoms and seeking credible education for treatment. My experience in healthcare and health education
On Instagram, I talk about my marriage, infertility, and how we navigate through tough times. I discuss my dysfunctional family dynamics, how I am healing and breaking that toxic cycle, so I do not perpetuate that when I have my own children. I talk about how I am spending the time I have while I am childless and how I think I am being gifted this time.
In April, I will be teaching yoga (yin, vinyasa, and pre-post-natal) at The Root SD. Originally based in Sacramento, The Root is a fitness center, yoga studio, childbirth education center, and peer community for pregnant individuals and new parents. I look forward in creating and facilitating a peer group for folks with PCOS and infertility integrating both my experience in holistic health and health education.
I created a podcast called Krissy Is (…), A podcast that houses everything I have mentioned above, with just a wild format of casual wellness through storytelling. My favorite thing to do is to take movie or tv characters and how I would coach them if they were my client. Another way to just nerd out on pop culture and wellness.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
What has worked for me is being mindful of where my intentions come from, avoiding motivations that are rooted in desperation and fear.
My advice for finding a mentor and finding a community of individuals who are excelling and experiencing a similar journey to mine as an entrepreneur; is both research and soul searching. Research is important because you want to make sure you’re aligned and affiliated with a mentor and community that has integrity in personally and professionally. Being a part of community that is rooting for you and is rooted with you. I have found that in Drea Guinto and The Alchemy Room. Drea is a Spiritual Business Coach, she created the Alchemy Room; a business program with more spice, integrity, and a lot more soul than other programs that are available. The Alchemy Room, there are self-paced modules that teaches all aspects of business, as well as energetics and mindset. There are also weekly coaching and the availability of a community anytime I need to soundboard ideas or need support.
The soul searching, I needed to admit that it was more than money that I wanted to make but create a legacy of healing and humor; who would be capable of going this journey with me?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chaosandthrive.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaosandthrive/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/z3ObGJXZiVs
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@chaosandthrive?lang=en
