Today we’d like to introduce you to Krystal Tyree.
Hi Krystal, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
So I believe the last time I was in front of readers, I spoke on RyLand & Co (RLC) which is an online apparel company. That business is still up and running with my main storefront on Etsy (www.etsy.com/shop/rylandandco). From RLC, I also have Athletic Training Merch & Apparel (www.atmerchandapparel.com), which is an online store for all things Athletic Training (t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, drinkware, stickers, etc.) and the Athletic Training profession. My day job is an Athletic Trainer. For those who do not know what is an Athletic Trainer, an Athletic Trainer is a licensed and certified healthcare professional who works in the field of Sports Medicine. As I was designing shirts for RLC and looking for inspiration, I noticed the lack of merchandise that was out there that promoted and supported the Athletic Training profession. I had done a few custom designs early on for colleagues, so I decided why not create a storefront specifically for Athletic Trainers and the Athletic Training profession. That is basically how AT Merch & Apparel got started. Now even though I have a storefront, I still do custom design & apparel for individuals and/or groups. So if you are an Athletic Trainer and you are looking for something specific, reach out.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not smooth. More like striated (some will get that later). Challenges included managing my time or figuring out what project was the most important to work on next. I am a one-woman show but needed to be able to operate like there were five of me. When RLC first started out, I was thinking big (“you got to be thinking big”), so RLC had its own website, packaging, inserts, etc. The whole 9 yards. That’s not always smart when starting off as a small business. Especially, if you are not having a lot of sales in the beginning. I quickly had to change that up. I transitioned RLC to a marketplace so that I could focus more on getting my message and business out to my target audience. Another challenge is social media. I am not a social media person but you can pretty much add social media manager to my resume. My social media pages can do some work and I would much rather hand that job off to someone else but right now, my business is not in a position to do that. Hopefully, one day I can outsource. Right now, I just manage with content planning and scheduling posts.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So in addition to RLC, I also own ACTIVATED LLC which is an emergency management consulting business. I started ACTIVATED a few months after RLC. This business journey has been a slow and steady process but I have made some strides in the past couple of months. One of those strides includes the formation of Activated Sports Medicine (www.activatedsportsmedicine.com). I’ve always wanted to start and have an athletic training business but there was one huge hurdle I had to get over. After finally conquering that hurdle, I took the steps to create Activated Sports Medicine (ASM). ASM is a Houston, TX-based sports medicine company that offers both online and in-person athletic training services to meet the athletic healthcare needs of everyone, not just athletes. I recognized the need in my community for direct access to orthopedic healthcare for physically active individuals and continued athletic healthcare for my student-athletes.
As I mentioned before, a certified Athletic Trainer is a licensed healthcare provider who practices in the field of Sports Medicine. We are highly trained and skilled in preventing athletic injuries, recognizing and diagnosing injuries and treating and rehabilitating active patients from their injuries. We help restore function after an injury so that you can return to doing things you love such as sports, school/work and other daily activities.
I am one of a few athletic trainers who has received their advanced degree in athletic training. Not only do I have a wealth of advanced knowledge and skill set, I also bring personal experience from being both a high school and collegiate patient-athlete. I serve as an expert clinician in the field of athletic training, analyzing, developing and implementing solutions to improve the delivery of athletic healthcare and the health outcomes of my patients.
Whether you are an active gym member, fitness professional, weekend warrior, avid runner, and/or athlete, there will always be a risk of injury with physical activity. Having direct access to an orthopedic healthcare professional is crucial to your recovery and I provide just that! From injury prevention to injury evaluation & rehab plans, there is something that is beneficial to everyone!
One of my basic service offering is an ASM monthly membership. This gets you to access to athletic healthcare 24/7!
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I’m not sure if it’s a lesson but definitely a discovering that most jobs or service offerings can be done remotely or virtually. They hold the same value. If an employee cannot come to work due to sickness, family emergency, lack of childcare, etc., there should be an option for that employee to work from home if possible without being docked for pay or having to take a personal day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.activatedsportsmedicine.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/drkrystaltyree
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/drkrystaltyree
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/capital_kt
- Other: https://motivated-founder-2461.ck.page/0555326115
