Meet Crystal Strong-Wilson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Crystal Strong-Wilson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Crystal, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from a number of things. I’m a wife, a mother of 3, and an educator. Need I say more? Lol. Well, if I had to dig deep and really think about when I first realized that I had resilience it was a childhood experience that was the worst/best thing to ever happen to me. We had just moved from the eastside of Albany, Ga. to the westside of Albany, Ga. It was the start of my 2nd grade school year, and I was a bit nervous to leave my beloved school, Isabella Elementary. As a very timid, humble little girl, I was not talkative but always had a competitiveness to win. West Town Elementary was new to me, but my focus on exceeding in education wasn’t. From the first day, I made A’s, which was my normal. To me, being “smart’ depended on how well you competed, and I have always been a competitor. During this time, my teacher seemed to have a different emotion from what I was used to teachers having when students excel in class. Every time I would make a 100 on an assignment, she would frown and force me to redo the assignment. I would and score the same score as the first attempt. No matter how often this happen, I still remain humble and was willing to score the highest I could score. The unusual treatment continued during lunch, with the teacher forcing me to eat my entire lunch meal whether I wanted it or not. I would cry and force myself to eat it. Somedays, my peers would sneak and eat the leftover food for me while the teacher wasn’t looking, so I wouldn’t get in trouble. I never knew why I was the “kid” that had to eat their entire lunch. One day, I held the food in my jaws and when we went to the restroom after lunch, I spit it out and flushed it in the toilet. As soon as I exited the restroom, the teacher was standing there with another lunch tray. Her exact words were, ” Since you want to flush food down the toilet, you are going to eat your lunch standing in front of the restroom.” As I stood in front of the restrooms full of stench, trying to keep the food from coming back up while her and my peers watched, I didn’t fold. My competitive nature allowed me to overcome that humiliating moment and I finished the lunch. I never told my parents. I’m not sure why. All I did was ask my mom can she allow me to bring a Lunchable to school for lunch. While the lunch situation was solved by bringing home lunch, the classroom situation remained until one magical day. We were taking a major district test, and I happened to score a “perfect score.” The teacher called me to her desk later on that day after the “Scantrons” were graded. With a stern, mean stare she said, “Crystal, who gave you the answers to this test.” In shock I replied, “No one! I did my test on my own.” She screamed, “Someone HAD to because you got the last two questions right and those are extremely challenging.” I replied with tears in my eyes, “I don’t know. I just know it.” “Come on let’s go to the principal’s office because I don’t condone in cheating.” Needless to say, my parents were called to the school and that situation did not work in her favor. Everything came out from lunch situations to redoing of assignments. The next day, I was back enrolled to Isabella Elementary, where I continued to excel in life through sports, clubs, and academics. I was working towards being a Physician, but Education “chose” me. I truly believe that I am an Educator today because God knew that it would be a child that would need an Educator that “my 2nd grade self” needed in that moment. Resilience is “in you” not “on you.” It is something that you possess and don’t realize that you have it until you are put in situations where it shines through. Recently, I was blessed with a son having ASD, while battling post-partum depression for the first time in my life. Talk about resilience! It is definitely embedded in me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

My name is Crystal Strong-Wilson, and I am an Event decorator. My business name is Crystal Crea8tions LLC. We specialize in providing pleasing aesthetics and creating an unforgettable experience for any event. We provide services from balloon art to full party setup. As an Elementary Educator, creativity is what drives me to prepare my students for productive lives and contributions to society. So, it was only right that I use creativity to contribute to society by providing expressive and enjoyable decor to celebratory events/parties. It started out as a hobby and blossomed into a fun, loving business. The special thing about Crystal Crea8tions when successfully booking an event, the customer will receive one free decor choice for their next event. This is one of the many purposes of the “8” (figure eight) within the business name. We strive to keep an everlasting, endless connection with our customers. As a business owner, I also represent everlasting love, abundance, leadership, and balance.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three qualities that were most impactful in my business owner journey are flexibility, innovation, and competitiveness. Flexibility helped me adapt to changing circumstances, whether it was shifting priorities, unexpected challenges, or evolving goals. It allowed me to stay resilient and open-minded, which was crucial in navigating uncertainty and seizing new opportunities.

Innovation pushed me to think creatively and look beyond conventional solutions. It encouraged a mindset of continuous improvement and exploration, which not only helped solve problems but also opened doors to new ideas and possibilities that moved things forward.

Finally, competitiveness gave me the drive to push myself and aim higher. It wasn’t just about outperforming other in the same business as me, it was about holding myself to a high standard and striving to grow, improve, and deliver my best work, even in challenging environments.

Together, these three qualities shaped how I approached my work and made a lasting impact on both my growth and the outcomes I was and will be able to achieve.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Absolutely! I’m always open to collaborating with organizations that are passionate about creating impactful, engaging experiences. While I am available for anyone that want to elevate their events on any level, I’m actively looking to collaborate with major companies that host events and are looking to elevate their spaces through thoughtful, creative, and impactful event decorations.

I’m especially interested in partnering with brands and organizations that value design, atmosphere, and creating memorable guest experiences. Whether it’s corporate galas, product launches, conferences, or large-scale activations, I bring a strong eye for detail, trend-forward styling, and a passion for transforming spaces into something unforgettable.

If you’re planning an event and want to explore how we can work together to bring your vision to life, I’d love to connect. You can reach me directly at crystal.wilson0709@gmail.com, or feel free to message me on Facebook/TikTok. Let’s create something amazing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: CrystalCre8tions
• Facebook: Crystal Creations
• Other: TikTok: @crystalcre8tions