Kristine Irwin is a wife, mother, an advocate for ending sexual violence, and bringing change to our culture. During the day, she is a Senior Recruiter at a Technology company and heads up their internship program. She is also the founder of Voices of Hope. Their mission is to change our culture one voice at a time about trauma including sexual and domestic violence. Voices of Hope allows her to educate audiences on ways to prevent sexual violence, healing, and how to destigmatize trauma.. She is a popular speaker at universities, organizations, and corporations globally.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is Voices of Hope all about?
Voices of Hope is all about changing the stigma around all trauma but has a focus on rape, domestic violence and abuse. We do this in a variety of ways through presentations, helping survivors of trauma share their stories whether it is by writing it out, speaking publicly, or just by providing them words of encouragement when they need it most.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
When I was a freshman in college, I was raped by an acquaintance in my home town, and was left on the side of the road. This traumatic experience continues to affect me today, and I have learned that healing is a lifelong journey. During my years at college, I never realized what path my healing would take and honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I would finish my bachelor’s due to mental health after the rape. But I did. I received my Bachelors in Hospitality Management from Penn State University and obtained my MBA from the University of Phoenix. I started my career in the hospitality industry and managed a restaurant for about 4 years out of school. I knew I always wanted to go into some aspect of Human Resources, and after 4 years in the restaurant industry, I made the decision to take a step back and got a role in a small recruitment firm.
Since then I have recruited in the finance, healthcare, manufacturing and most recently, the IT industry. While my career as a recruiter grew, I was still working on healing from rape. When my husband and I started our small family, I knew I needed to be more of advocate for ending sexual violence for my children and started Voices of Hope in 2015.
My life experiences helped me establish Voices, but my family did as well. Growing up my dad, mom, uncle, and aunt were all entrepreneurs. I saw that drive and passion for their dreams, and had the same drive to make a change and grow my passions. This drive has continued to push me forward with Voices of Hope.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
One of the biggest mistakes I made was doing an advertisement and not reading the fine print. I was humiliated when I realized my mistake which cost me about $2K of my own money. This truly made me realize that I need to read ALL of the details. It is something I will always do.
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
One thing that I do daily is to take time for myself. Working with individuals that have experienced trauma can be difficult, and I have learned that I need to protect my own mental health and well being. Two things that helped me with my mental health and well being is moving my body and meditating. I try to ensure that I move my body for at least 30 minutes and meditate for 5. This helps me focus on things that I need, and also keeps my energy up.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
I wish I knew that it was going to be difficult. I knew it wasn’t going to be the easiest thing, but some of the ups and downs that I have had, I never thought I would have. Although even with lows that I have had, I wouldn’t change for the world because turning my pain into purpose has been one of the most rewarding experiences.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Making connections and networking. This has not only helped me excel in the Human Resource field but also has helped me grow Voices of Hope. I know the world we live in, is more virtual than ever but you still can connect and network with individuals and now even globally!
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I would use it specifically for products or what I was working to sell. In the beginning, I was looking for a lot of help and guidance, how my brand and how to showcase it. There are so many free tools that one can utilize to help you create your brand especially on social media. While business cards were something I thought I needed in the very beginning, I could have waited and got them further down the line when we raised more money. So with that said, you can truly kick start your business for $1,000 just make sure you don’t put the cart before the horse.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Don’t be afraid to reinvent yourself. Obviously in the last year, we had to reinvent ourselves in many different ways and life will throw curveballs that you could never imagine. You can reinvent yourself while still holding true to dream, or goal.
What is your favorite quote?
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
– Genesis 50:20
How can we get in touch with you?
You can reach me at Kristine@voices-of-hope.org
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