Meet Trystin Kier Francis

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Trystin Kier Francis . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Trystin below.

Trystin , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
It’s interesting because success oftentimes leads people to believe it will be consistent. Success has not been consistent for me but I was able to make it look that way. I found myself struggling to deal with the demands of being a successful designer and I became afraid of my success. So much to the point where I was often never present in most situations where I had to interact and engage with people. I found it hard to present my most authentic self to the world so I sent a well-dressed representative often a characterization of who I thought people wanted me to be. I was afraid that if I was myself folks wouldn’t like the real me. I lived in pain as an imposter for years. I felt trapped like a caged bird yearning to fly. I remember reading Dr. Maya Angelou’s novel “I know why the Caged Bird Sings” in High School and realizing as an adult that caged bird was me. Animals in captivity are forced to be something other than themselves ultimately living in tremendous despair like a caged bird. They will never find the happiness they deserve unless they’re truly free. I was able to overcome imposter syndrome by loving myself and not seeking validation from others. I found myself seeking the approval of others because I genuinely wanted folks to like me. I wanted people to see me which is all the known forms of seeking validation. I spent some time in therapy and realized my imposter syndrome stemmed from my childhood. My family never saw me, my mother never saw me and the list goes on. They weren’t interested in seeing me and I had to adjust to that reality. While the same issues from my childhood apply today, the difference is I see myself. Dorothy Dandridge said “Have you ever caught sight of yourself in the mirror? That’s who you really are” I never realized what that meant until I did the work to heal the pain in my heart.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m Trystin Kier Francis an Architectural and Interior Designer and an emerging Motion Picture Producer and Screenwriter. For the past 15+ years, I’ve worked in the Architecture and Interior Design space and developed and nurtured a growing design and lifestyle brand called “House of Kier” (houseofkier.com). After starting this brand I created several subsidiary brands in development in the coffee, retail, and real estate development arenas. I was born in Brooklyn, NY in the 1980s and grew up in the South Bronx. One of the poems that best describes my life is Langston Hughes’s “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”. I came from humble beginnings with the determination and fortitude to not only succeed but overcome my circumstances. I was an early lover of the arts and jazz music. I immersed myself in the culture of Harlem and the museums in the city of New York. I remember visiting the Whitney Museum in High School and seeing Faith Ringold’s story quilts and simply being captivated by her artistry. I loved visiting the Hayden Planetarium and the Museum of Natural History. And the highlight of growing up in NYC was the music and downtown scene. I was truly a village kid who loved the culture.

Today I find myself running a successful design and lifestyle brand and turning lifestyles into luxury. What’s exciting about my life is my growth, living in my truth, and my personal elevation. I am living out my dreams day by day by developing my subsidiary brands, envisioning a bigger and more effective brand, and finally stepping out on faith producing my first Bone China collection of plates, illustrating the six children’s books I’ve written over the years, and shopping a television show I wrote more than ten years ago. And the cherry on top of this awesome sundae is I get to share it with my wonderful partner of almost three years. I believe life is about an authentic story whatever that may be and presenting your most authentic self to the world.

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

I learned this term from my business coach the divine Ginna Christensen which she calls “radical honesty”. That’s my anthem for 2023 and beyond. I wasn’t honest with myself therefore I couldn’t tell the truth to others. I realized I no longer had space for others’ expectations of me. I needed to be clear in my personal expectations for my life before I could ever entertain what others expect from me. I finally realized I no longer need to be validated by other people. As long as I was self-aware and believed in what I was doing that was all the validation I ever needed. I finally know my worth therefore I can see myself.

If I could leave you with some advice I would simply say to find the love that lives within you and love yourself unconditionally. Sit with yourself and reflect on the goodness that is all of you not just part of you. All of us should be critical of ourselves as a means to generate a self-induced boost, not self-inflicted harm. Nothing we do in life happens overnight so it’s important for us to give ourselves amazing grace. We often hear our elders say “Patience is virtuous”. It’s so true, try it and you will recognize that patience equates to clarity. The final piece of knowledge I can give is a personal word I live by and it’s simple: keep loving, dreaming, and giving, you can take that however you thought I meant it.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
There were so many opportunities I either missed or wasn’t mentally prepared to accept. I feel like I spent so many years not seeing myself that I missed out on what could have been back then. When I truly reflect on what I’ve been through I haven’t really missed anything, I’m right on time. At this defining moment in my life it’s all about elevation. I am looking to work and grow with creatives in the Architecture and Interior Design world on exciting projects and I am ready to get a deal with a major television/film studio as I’ve created what I believe are several incredible television and film projects that are innovative and groundbreaking. I’ve written several children’s books that align with my personal story told through the innocence of a child’s perspective. I am very interested in getting published and telling these stories via the “Trystin Kier Reading Workshop”. I am open to opportunities, collaborations, and connections. I can be reached at [email protected]

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