5 Things I've Learned: Kristen Knutson

Kristen (Dussel) Knutson, ’12 BSB, is a finance manager by day and “Boomer Mom” by night. Her social media personality poking fun at Baby Boomer mothers has racked up almost 700,000 followers on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Based in Minneapolis, her pandemic-inspired hobby is now a full-fledged brand.

1. Just start!

Sometimes we let our fears of “not being good enough” prevent us from doing the things we dream about. Everything requires a starting point and you don’t have to be good at it right away to succeed. I look back on the first few videos I posted on my social media pages and cringe a little bit, but without those videos, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

2. Success isn’t linear.

Life is full of failures. Use every failure as an opportunity to learn, pivot if needed, and keep going. My presence online hasn’t always been a “success” and it requires a lot of learning. I’ve been humbled many, many times in my life. It’s OK to laugh at your failures.

3. Don’t let others dull your shine.

This is the most Millennial thing I’ve ever written, but there are going to be people who don’t like you simply for who you are. Don’t ever let those people bring you down and always stay true to yourself. The people who “understand you” will gravitate toward you and will lift you up.

4. Never let go of your curiosity.

Be curious about life and the people around you. You never know when a small, little curiosity could lead to a really special adventure. You don’t need your entire personality to be the career path you’ve chosen.

5. Your family and friends are everything.

At the end of the day, the people in your corner are the people who will make life full. Any success I’ve had in life is because of the support I’ve had from my family and friends. Life is hard and having people to lean on is so important. Take time to nurture and grow your relationships because life is short. Go call your mother or a friend right now and tell them how much you love them.