Meet Kristen Fechtel

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristen Fechtel a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen , thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

Imposter syndrome has followed me at every major step throughout my career journey. I first really felt it when I began my MBA program at Kellogg. It felt like everyone around me had super impressive military backgrounds or ivy league educations. I was constantly impressed by my peers who were smart, accomplished, and socially adept, and it was easy to question whether I truly belonged or if I had just slipped through the admissions process. But over time, as I found my community of people, and started to feel a sense of belonging, I realized that I bring something unique to the table whether it’s my prior professional background or the ability to bring people together.
I felt imposter syndrome again when I joined Bain as a management consultant. Everyone around me was a top tier performer with impressive pedigrees. What helped me overcome imposter syndrome there, was shifting my mindset: I leaned into curiosity, got comfortable with admitting when I didn’t know the answer, committed to continuously learning, and worked hard even if it meant late hours to help me progress up the learning curve.
Now, as an entrepreneur and the founder of Spacers, imposter syndrome shows up in new ways, especially when I compare myself to peers who stayed on a more traditional path, or to founders who’ve had massive exits or raised millions in funding. What I’ve learned and taken comfort in is that my path is supposed to be unique to me, and while I can learn lessons from what others before me have done, it’s also important to keep my blinders on to some extent and focus on my own specific path. This is a journey where I am continuously learning and what matters is knowing the right questions to ask, the right tools to use, and surrounding myself with people I trust and can learn from.
Each of those prior experiences with imposter syndrome has helped prepare me for the entrepreneurial journey I’m now on. I’ve built a level of resilience and self-awareness that allows me to keep going even when the doubt creeps in.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m the founder of Spacers, the first non-alcoholic beverage designed to complement alcohol and help proactively prevent a hangover. It’s flavor-forward and functional, as it’s packed with electrolytes, vitamin B, and prebiotic fiber to help your body process alcohol more efficiently, so you can feel better the next day.
What’s exciting is that we’re creating a new kind of beverage category, one that encourages more mindful drinking, without asking people to give up alcohol entirely. It’s about balance, not restriction.
We just wrapped our first production run, which is a huge milestone, and we’re now launching Spacers on our website at drinkspacers.com. You’ll also see us rolling out on TikTok and Amazon soon @drinkspacers. Beyond DTC, we’re actively working on expanding into retail stores and social bars, especially in Texas, so if you know a spot where you’d love to see Spacers, we’d genuinely love to hear from you!
At its core, Spacers is about helping people feel better while still enjoying the social moments that matter.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Three qualities that have been especially impactful in my journey are curiosity, resilience, and resourcefulness.
Curating a sense of curiosity and pushing the boundaries on what can be done better has been the most important quality on my journey, whether at Kellogg, Bain, or now as a founder. I’ve learned that while you don’t need to know everything, you do need to be curious, ask questions, and stay open to learning. For anyone early in their journey, stay hungry to understand how things work and the why behind your doing them, and don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know.” That humility will open more doors than pretending to have all the answers.
Resilience is also essential, especially as an entrepreneur and is one I have had to work on. Entrepreneurship comes with constant highs and lows. I’ve had many moments of doubt and feeling like I’m failing or not reaching my potential after experiencing disappointment. But being able to bounce back, evaluate the failure, learn from it and grow through those moments helps propel me forward. You can build resilience by getting comfortable with discomfort and learning not to take setbacks personally.
Resourcefulness is a muscle I had to flex in consulting, as I looked to evaluate potential recommendations in areas where available data and research was sometimes limited, and it’s a muscle strengthen constantly. Whether it’s finding creative solutions for Spacers, from can design to social media, figuring out how to launch with a lean team, or tapping into my network for advice, the ability to navigate ambiguity and take initiative has been crucial. Some great advice I got early on was to not to wait for perfect conditions. Just start with what you have, and build from there.
All of these qualities / skills are learnable. You don’t need to be born with them, you just need to keep showing up, asking questions, and pushing yourself a little further than you did the day before.

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?

I’m looking to collaborate with people who are curious and not afraid to challenge the status quo. At Spacers, we’re building a beverage that’s carving out a white space opportunity in the beverage world and shifting the conversation around alcohol and wellness.
I’m especially excited to work with creatives, brand builders, operators, and retail partners who are passionate about changing culture in a thoughtful way and are interested in ways to seek better health and balance in their own lives while staying connected socially with their community.
Most importantly, I’m looking for collaborators who lead with integrity, energy, and a spirit of experimentation. Whether you’re a content creator, a functional beverage nerd, a bartender, a retail buyer, or someone who just loves trying new things and sparking real connection, if Spacers resonates with you, I’d love to hear from you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://drinkspacers.com/
• Instagram: @drinkspacers
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/drinkspacers