Episode 111 · September 12, 2023
Kristy Eller DeBoer: Shining from the Inside Out
with Kristy Eller DeBoer, Founder, KED Styled (personal stylist)
31 min
Kristy Eller DeBoer: Shining from the Inside Out
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In this episode
In this episode I sit down with Kristy Eller DeBoer, founder of KED Styled, and honestly, this one filled my cup. Kristy spent years working behind the scenes in Tulsa television — the "air traffic controller of the newsroom," as she puts it — before her life took a turn she never saw coming. As she approached her 40th birthday, she looked in the mirror and realized she wasn't where she wanted to be. So she did the work.
We talk openly and vulnerably about her decision to get sober, to invest in her own health, and to stop letting alcohol dim her shine. Along the way she shed the old Kristy (and about thirty pounds), and she found the clear mind and confidence to step out in faith and start her own personal styling business. I love that she frames all of this not as loss, but as coming home to who she always wanted to be.
And here's the part I keep coming back to: for Kristy, this was never just about clothes. It's about helping people feel good in their own skin, shine from the inside out, and live as their best self. We get into the company you keep, mixing friendship with business, daily affirmations and vision boards, and how her God-given gifts and talents finally found their purpose. If you're carrying a quiet nudge that there's something more for you, keep going — this conversation is for you.
Key takeaways
- A monumental birthday can be the wake-up call — Kristy looked in the mirror at almost 40 and made a promise to become the best version of herself, one honest choice at a time.
- "Doing the work" looks different for everyone. For Kristy it meant self-love, allowing herself to rest, disciplined exercise and diet, and choosing sobriety so she could pour from a full cup.
- Getting sober wasn't about deprivation — she reframed it as a happy, empowering choice, not a sad one. As she says, alcohol wasn't hindering her life so much as her soul.
- The company you keep matters. Take inventory of who fills your cup and who drains you, and surround yourself with people who love and encourage the authentic you.
- You don't always have to ask permission. When someone asked how she became a stylist, Kristy simply said, "I just did" — she talked the talk, walked the walk, and started.
- Confidence isn't an everyday given — it's part of the journey. Kristy builds hers with affirmations, positive music, movement in the morning, gratitude, and writing down three goals a day.
- Our clothes can either help us shine or become a place to hide. Kristy helps clients edit their closets, dress for the person they're becoming, and stop letting old clothes hold them back.
“When we recover loudly, we keep others from dying quietly.”
“It wasn't hindering my life. It was hindering my soul. It was holding me back. It was dimming my shine.”
“It's not just clothes. It's helping them shine bright. It's helping them feel good about themselves.”
“If we don't love ourselves, we can't love others.”
Resources mentioned
- WebsiteKED Styled
About Kristy
Founder, KED Styled (personal stylist)
A born-and-raised, third-generation Tulsan and University of Oklahoma graduate, Kristy spent years working behind the scenes in Tulsa television at Channel 8 and seven years at KJRH Channel 2. A mom of two boys and former motherhood blogger, she later founded KED Styled, a personal styling business offering closet edits, shopping, trip packing, special-event and family styling — virtually and in person.
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