Episode 014
Kristy Comstock
Do you ever feel like you’re running a grueling marathon toward a goal, only to ask “what’s next” once you arrive? In this episode of Women’s Million Dollar Conversations, Alice Tang sits down with Kristy Comstock, a 20-year veteran of consumer products wholesale and distribution.
Kristy shares her raw journey of grappling with the personal bias of “not being enough” and how a powerful “aha moment” ten years ago changed her leadership style forever. She discusses why it’s vital for women to stay in the workforce and demonstrate leadership to inspire the next generation, rather than quitting when the current gets strong.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
-Why “I am enough” is the foundation for making better business decisions.
-The strategy of “relaxing” into your journey and trusting that success will come in its own time.
-Why managing larger accounts can actually be easier than managing small teams.
-Kristy’s method for processing high-stakes decisions by walking away to gain perspective.
"Know that your best now is going to be different than your best 20 years ago or your best 20 years from now, so just focus on doing your best in this moment."
[00:00:20] Alice Tang: Everyone, we are very happy to have Christy Comstock today with us. She is a very wonderful to me young friend. She is coming to join us on Women’s Million Dollar Conversation. So welcome Kristy.
[00:00:35] Kristy Comstock: Thank you so much, Alice. My name is Kristy Comstock and I’ve been in consumer products wholesale, resale tell distribution for the last 20 years.
[00:00:47] Alice Tang: Welcome, welcome. So the first question I have for you is an easy question. We are here to talk about money. What’s the value of money for you Kristy? Would you tell us and also tell us why?
[00:00:58] Kristy Comstock: Thank you, Alice. [00:01:00] The value of money to me is in freedom and security. The freedom to be able to make the choices I would like to make, to give back to my community, to the world, and to myself.
[00:01:14] Alice Tang: Wow. Wow. So you’re thinking about, your family yourself and also beyond that ripple off to the community.
[00:01:21] Kristy Comstock: Yeah. Yes, definitely.
[00:01:22] Alice Tang: Wow. Yeah. That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful. Before we push the record button, we talk about which area you would like to go regarding your million dollars. So we concluded that is the million dollar revenue when you brought that in 20 years ago when you first begin your career. So we are curious and wanna know more about that. Would you share?
[00:01:43] Kristy Comstock: Sure, absolutely. So I worked in a major department store when I was going to college and I was going to college locally and double majored in business marketing and psychology. And at that time I was a salesperson and I worked [00:02:00] for a couple amazing mentors and I was able to watch how to be a great manager and areas to improve.
So after I graduated college, I thought the next best thing would be to get into management. And I realized at that point that I was a good salesperson, but I was a better manager cuz I was able to have diverse teams come in and as I grew in the progression of the company, I was able to make my million dollars and hit some marks for the first time ever and win several awards in the company as a manager.
[00:02:33] Alice Tang: Wow. May we ask or get to know about what age was that?
[00:02:37] Kristy Comstock: Yeah, I was about 28.
[00:02:39] Alice Tang: Oh my goodness. That’s such a great milestone. Great job, Kristy. Thank you for sharing with our audience. So we want to go deep a little bit with you. How does it make you feel when you get to that million? Of course, it’s the first milestone of many.
[00:02:53] Kristy Comstock: It’s funny, I’ve run several marathons and climbed many mountains, and once you get to the top, it’s just so [00:03:00] grueling.
And then you say, okay, what do I wanna do next? How do I make it better, faster? More profitable the next time. So it wasn’t that I was satisfied with that first million, I wanted to keep on doing more.
[00:03:13] Alice Tang: The first million dollars actually has given you motivation to open up what else is possible?
What are the dreams beyond this? Now that I’m here?
[00:03:24] Kristy Comstock: Exactly, yes.
[00:03:25] Alice Tang: Is sky the limit? So it looks like Skye is not the limit. Knowing a little bit about my good friend Kristy here, she’s gonna continue to share.
In your last 20 years, I’m sure that there is a lot of success that you have made in your journey to today. What is the one biggest bias that you have faced and you have overcome?
[00:03:46] Kristy Comstock: I think it’s the personal bias of not being enough, and I raffled with that a lot and wanting things faster than they were coming. So I wondered what was wrong with me? How can I do more? How can I [00:04:00] be more, how can I push?
And in the last 10 years or so, I realized that many people, especially women, are dealing with this. So taking a step back and being like, I can just do the best that I can in every moment. And that is enough.
[00:04:17] Alice Tang: Wow, so, I am enough, is the discovery that you had. That light bulb of aha moment about 10 years ago.
Let’s go a little bit deeper. Now with the phrase, I am enough. What is possible in your head when you feel that I’m enough?
[00:04:34] Kristy Comstock: Mm.
[00:04:34] Alice Tang: Can you expand a little bit about, you know, what really is the internal emotions?
[00:04:39] Kristy Comstock: So feelings will come up that I will be nervous or afraid. And then I take a step back to say, what is this feeling? And then I realize it’s that old trigger of, I’m not enough, I’m not doing enough, I’m not being enough. So the emotion to step back and to realize, oh, this is what it is, and [00:05:00] simply keep on going forward and doing the best that I can with what I know at the moment and the resources that I have.
[00:05:09] Alice Tang: So being aware of that emotion and know that it may be a familiar territory in the past that you have came out of and then be able to recognize it and say, okay, look, I can do this , I’ve made the decision. I’m enough. I’m just, continue to trip forward.
[00:05:28] Kristy Comstock: I recently uncovered some boxes at my dad’s had all of these old resumes and all of these diaries, and I saw myself writing down all these things and being so nervous and afraid of the future. And I’m sitting here looking at my younger self, I’m like, look, you’re fine. You’re gonna be okay and you are enough. And that just carries through. And until later a life for me.
[00:05:55] Alice Tang: What I’ve gotten goosebumps just now when you said is tell your [00:06:00] younger self that you are enough.
[00:06:02] Kristy Comstock: Yes. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:06:04] Alice Tang: So pretend to be older self when we felt that we are scary or fearful.
[00:06:08] Kristy Comstock: Yes.
[00:06:09] Alice Tang: Let’s say I’m in 2033. I’m looking back here 11 years ago. Alice, you are enough.
[00:06:18] Kristy Comstock: Yeah.
[00:06:19] Alice Tang: Just do it.
[00:06:20] Kristy Comstock: Just do it. Just do it, and you’ll fumble through it and you’ll learn and you’ll grow and then you’ll do it again.
[00:06:27] Alice Tang: Beautiful.
What is the number one piece of advice that you will give to another woman who’s looking at you and say, I can relate to Kristy. I want to be her, and I want to be enough.
[00:06:40] Kristy Comstock: Yeah, relax and know that it will come. I have a little she shed yoga studio and literally in it I have this little plaque that says, relax, , and just relax.
It will come in its own time. Some things come faster, some things come slower, and some things don’t [00:07:00] come at all, and that’s okay. It’s all about the journey and have fun and just relax.
[00:07:06] Alice Tang: It’s funny that I was assigned to go through the Confucius quotes. There were many and one of the quotes is like is about the journey, not about the destination.
[00:07:18] Kristy Comstock: Yes.
[00:07:19] Alice Tang: So because all the experience that we have is not at the destination, is going to the destination.
[00:07:27] Kristy Comstock: Correct! Yes. I agree with you. And it takes a long time for many people, especially myself, to, to realize that’s true. Cuz once you’re at the destination, it’s what’s next? What are we gonna do next?
[00:07:41] Alice Tang: That’s right. That’s right. Just like when you hit your first million and you know it open up many opportunities. What am I gonna do?
[00:07:48] Kristy Comstock: Yeah, and it’s also funny, as I progress in my career, it’s easier to actually manage bigger accounts with more millions than it was those little, [00:08:00] tiny, less than a million dollar teams.
[00:08:03] Alice Tang: Very funny. Alright additional question. How do you process and get to a big decision, especially when the stakes are very high?
[00:08:13] Kristy Comstock: I walk away and run or clean my house or do the dishes. Walk away and relax.
[00:08:23] Alice Tang: Well, You know what our common friend, you’re and my friend Nina Bird.
[00:08:28] Kristy Comstock: Yes.
[00:08:28] Alice Tang: Yeah. She need to take a shower.
[00:08:31] Kristy Comstock: I think about her when I’m running sometimes and in her shower and writing things.
[00:08:38] Alice Tang: So whatever we can do to quiet our mind, to take the mind as far away as the spinning.
[00:08:46] Kristy Comstock: Yes, yes, absolutely. It’s so true and it does spin, and yoga doesn’t help me. It’s really literally walking, and that’s probably why I do so many physical activities, is getting away from the desk.
I love my desk. I will sit here for hours and hours, but [00:09:00] I’ve gotta get away to have perspective on life.
[00:09:03] Alice Tang: Get away to have perspective of life. Well, When you want to quit, think about a situation when you say, you know what? Oh, this is too hard. Everything is against me. I’m against the current.
What makes you keep going?
[00:09:18] Kristy Comstock: Yes, thank you. That is a deep question. So if it’s a little obstacle, sometimes just spent sleeping on it and then, okay, I’ve got more energy the next day. Or maybe I didn’t feel good one day. But what really gets me, and we see this a lot in folks leaving the workforce, especially women.
If everybody leaves, then we won’t have great leaders left. So I need to stay because I want to inspire other young leaders and I have been inspired by so many leaders, much like you to stay and do the best I can and the work that I am I want to do while I’m here on this earth. [00:10:00]
[00:10:01] Alice Tang: You are amazing.
And actually one of our guests also, Jenna, is her first name. She said, every time when I want to quit, I understand my small business. It’s not my 20 plus employees. Cuz one day she counted all the contractors she gave business to it’s 200 families. Yeah. He said, I can’t quit. I can’t quit if I quit all of these people need to find new resource of income. That kept her going. It’s really aligned with what you just said. You need to demonstrate leadership by staying there. So if everybody quit, there’s no leadership.
[00:10:37] Kristy Comstock: Yeah. Yeah. And in me, and it’s really strong, and I want to help other people as best I can and definitely the impact of financially too. That’s a huge part.
[00:10:49] Alice Tang: If there is one thing you can do differently taking yourself back to 20 years ago to your young self, what will be that one thing you wanna do differently?
[00:10:59] Kristy Comstock: The [00:11:00] relaxing and knowing it’s gonna be okay. For sure. That’s.
[00:11:07] Alice Tang: More relaxed.
[00:11:08] Kristy Comstock: More relaxing.
[00:11:09] Alice Tang: More relaxed.
Okay. In your last 20 years of successful career professional journey, what is one piece of very bad advice or very good advice? You said, I always remember this.
[00:11:23] Kristy Comstock: Is to do your best. My mom gave me the four agreements in 1999, and she also had it signed by Don Miguel Ruiz, and it’s been a top seller for many years.
And one of the four agreements is to do your best. And if I would know that back then my best, 20 years ago was different than my best now, and my best now is gonna be different than my 20 years forward. So, Relax. Doing your best. Yeah.
[00:11:55] Alice Tang: Do your best. And I happen to have that book and I remember all the four agreements.
I [00:12:00] just need to confess. A lot of times I think even I have tried my best and did my best. I second guess myself. I haven’t done the best. That’s one of the craziness about going back to what you just said. I’m enough. Yeah. So instead of little less trust about the fact that I’ve given it all.
[00:12:21] Kristy Comstock: Yeah. Yeah, that is true.
We second guess ourselves all the time and it’s so ridiculous. I’ll get off this interview and I’ll think, gosh, I could have said this, or I could have done that, and this is the best. I’m giving you the best I have in this moment, and I’m hoping that folks will enjoy our conversation, but my best will be different tomorrow.
[00:12:44] Alice Tang: Exactly.
Exactly. I’ll remember that. That’s a very good education moment from my Kristy, good friend. The last question I would like to close this conversation with is what are you grateful for?
[00:12:55] Kristy Comstock: I am grateful for [00:13:00] my network of women. I’ve had some challenges just like all of us, these last couple of years, and it was so great to reach out when I just wanted to talk about something and have a group of strong women to just listen and give some input and not even, it didn’t have to be long, just like very quick conversations.
So having, just like with you, just a nice conversation on the phone to reset and to go forward, that’s huge. And sometimes we lose contact with our friends, especially if we’re really busy and work and life and sports and all these things. But knowing that our network is here when we need it, it’s so powerful.
[00:13:53] Alice Tang: The best relationship is the relationship when we haven’t met each other for an extensive time. Let’s say couple [00:14:00] years or maybe beyond, when we finally come together, oh wow. You and I had high energy. I know what we would do. Hug and yell and everybody know these two crazy women now doing something here.
But then you just pick up from there.
[00:14:13] Kristy Comstock: Yeah.
[00:14:13] Alice Tang: Just like yesterday, there is no time lapsed.
[00:14:16] Kristy Comstock: Yeah. A Hundred percent.
[00:14:18] Alice Tang: So this is so beautiful. Thank you so much for joining us. Your experience and your knowledge is invaluable to our audience. Thank you, Kristy, for granting us the time.
[00:14:30] Kristy Comstock: Thank you, Alice. It was a joy to be here. I appreciate you, your team.
[00:14:34] Alice Tang: Thank you so much.
[00:14:35] Kristy Comstock: Thank you.
Play What would you do differently
Kristy Comstock is a Senior Business Operations professional with over 15 years of experience building, developing and leading high-performance teams in operations, sales, retail, wholesale, and marketing. Kristy has worked in Fashion, Outdoor, Toy, and Manufacturing industries in company sizes ranging from startups to Fortune 500. Kristy enjoys learning from mentors and mentoring people in their career journeys. She is an avid marathoner, outdoor enthusiastic, and enjoys spending time with her friends, family, and German Shorthaired puppy!