Veteran Speaker Cristie’s Journey & Achievements
Cristie is a U.S. Navy Veteran who served as a Marine FMF Corpsman (Medic) during Desert Shield/Storm. She was attached to Marine Air Wing 39 out of Camp Pendleton, CA, and deployed to Bahrain with MWSS 373.
During her enlistment, she received the Fleet Marine Force Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal with Globe, Anchor, and two stars, and the Kuwait Liberation Medal. After her honorable discharge from the military, Cristie obtained her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and her master’s degree in Fine Art.
She is a mentor, educator, and faculty member with Genius U, an international organization owned by Roger Hamilton. She has been sought out by major corporations as a professional Art Therapy Trainer and Veteran Speaker. She helped develop homeschool curricula while homeschooling her children and was instrumental in developing ghostwriting protocols for the Create A Book Program in California. She is also a ghostwriting author, and her first book, Wealth Within Reach – The Everyday Strategist, became a number-one bestseller on Amazon in 2013.
Her love for giving back to the community led her to raise guide dogs for the blind through Southeastern Guide Dogs in Florida, where she served as a puppy raiser and later as a mentor for new puppy raisers from 2000 to 2007. She is a frequent guest speaker at elementary schools, teaching kids how to manage stress and anxiety through simple methodologies, as well as strategies for achieving high academic performance.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cristie helped the veteran community stay in business by founding the
DFW Veterans Chamber. As her outreach grew, she was instrumental in helping the United Kingdom establish a Veterans Chamber. Recognizing the need for a national and international platform, she played a key role in launching the American Veterans Chamber in August 2021 to create a greater worldwide impact.
Her favorite community outreach efforts include volunteering with the veteran community through The American Legion The Colony (Color Guard/Honor Guard), the VFW Frisco, and the Marine Corps League of McKinney.
Cristie believes that relationships—both professional and personal—are invaluable to individual and company success.
“Creating connections and serving others is what I do.” — Cristie
