Krista Kemper pt 4: How to Be the Change You Want to See

Good Life Stories

"Be in the room. Even if you don't think you're qualified, you have an opinion. If you feel strong enough to get involved, that gives you an in."

In this final episode of my conversation with Krista Kemper, we chat about how to be an effective agent of change by showing up and getting involved, even if you don't feel qualified.

Krista Kemper is a mechanical designer and self-proclaimed "bullsh*t meter" who has carved out a unique role for herself on high-stakes engineering committees and industry groups. Despite not having a formal engineering degree, Krista's hands-on experience and willingness to speak up have made her an invaluable voice, helping to improve critical safety standards and policies.

During our conversation, Krista shares how she got involved in these spaces and the impact she's been able to have. She explains that her lack of traditional qualifications was actually an asset, allowing her to ask questions and identify issues that the degreed experts had overlooked. Krista encourages listeners to not be deterred by a perceived lack of expertise - if you care about an issue, show up and make your voice heard, even if you think you don't belong in the room.

I believe this episode is a great episode for anyone who wants to create positive change in their community or industry but isn't sure how to get started. Krista's stories and insights illustrate that simply being present and persistent can be the key to sparking meaningful transformation. Whether it's getting involved in local government, advocating for policy changes, or volunteering for a cause you believe in, Krista reminds us that the most important qualification is a willingness to show up and speak up.

"Dreaming lets you try things in your mind. And it's okay. It's okay to have ridiculous dreams and ridiculous ideas. A dream costs nothing to have."

I think listeners will also appreciate Krista's perspective on the value of "dreaming" - allowing yourself to explore creative ideas without immediately trying to turn them into concrete plans. She emphasizes the importance of maintaining flexibility and not getting too attached to a specific vision, as dreams often evolve in unexpected ways. Krista's engineering background has also influenced her approach to life, as she applies concepts like "tolerance stacks" to build in wiggle room and resilience.

To learn more about Krista Kemper, visit her website at https://kempereng.com/. Thanks again, and I love that you are here to listen to Good Life Stories.

More info: https://www.goodlifestories.com/

About Krista Kemper

I am a self-taught mechanical designer. I know the theories used in engineering, can do the equations and use the software, but I’m still not an engineer. I’m a technician. As president of an engineering company, my job is to wrangle engineers and keep them grounded.

Aside from that, I’m also a combat veteran (Army), mother, and artist. I worked in IT as a QA tech many moons ago, did a year at Cornish College of the Arts, and am on the autism spectrum, late life diagnosis. Born in upstate NY, raised between WA and MA, and now living in LA…the state, not the city. I think one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in life is to differentiate between dreams and goals. While they’re not mutually exclusive, they’re also not always one in the same. Another is that I’m not going to get to the fun part if I wait until I get over my fears. I spend a lot of time utterly terrified while I’m in the middle of doing things I’ve never done before. I’m never quite sure if I’m afraid of failure or success. My husband, Bart, and I often joke that it’s easy when things go horribly wrong, the problem is what to do if everything goes horribly *right*. That, and failure is an opportunity to learn. Data is data.

Last, my husband is also my principal engineer. I not only love him, I have a lot of respect for him. There are meme’s out there that call the relationship of Morticia and Gomez Addams “life goals” but I’m not sure most people really understands what that means, especially those who see Gomez as their version of prince charming. The enthusiasm Never Stops. Bart and I used to have issues because I thought I had to match his energy. That took a lot out of me. What I needed to do was simply be and allow him to worship me! LOL! Really though, to get through the difficulties we were having, we actually sat down to discuss pop culture relationship models, modern archetypes, as something to model our own relationship on. For us, it was Gomez and Morticia, to include the weird old house, fencing, and explosives. And, with both of us being combat vets, dark humor is pretty much a staple in our lives.

Krista’s Links
Website: https://kempereng.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kempereng/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KemperEng

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kemper-engineering-services-llc

About Tracy Crowley

Tracy Crowley has always been an entrepreneur. Whether it was making gowns for fellow Army wives, taking portraits in black and white, or working on her other businesses, she is always learning something new.

That passion for learning something new and giving something back collide nicely in this podcast.

Join Tracy for Good Life Stories, where simple curiosity brings out great stories, every single time.

Website: https://goodlifestories.com/

Check out Tracy’s new book! https://tracycrowley.life/