Feature Spotlight #87- Krystel Kaminski

Relationships First, Fear Later... and

Always Buy the Shoes

Some career paths are carefully planned. Others begin because you accidentally interview at what you think is a tile company.

Yes... you read that correctly.

When Krystel Kaminski walked into her very first interview, she had absolutely no idea what title insurance was. In fact, she was convinced she was applying to work for a company that sold flooring. Thankfully, someone looked past one missing letter and gave a 21-year-old receptionist a chance. That happy misunderstanding turned into a career she never could have imagined.

Today, Krystel serves as Vice President of Florida for Truly Title, where she's known as a relationship builder, community leader, mentor, and someone who has never forgotten where she started. Twenty-one

years later, she still approaches each day with the same curiosity she had walking into that very first office.

Looking back, she laughs about it now. "I thought it was a TILE company... not a TITLE company!" Sometimes life has a funny way of putting us exactly where we're meant to be.

People Have Always Been the Point

Ask Krystel what she loves most about this industry, and don't expect her to start talking about title commitments, escrow instructions, or production numbers. . . She'll talk about people.

Whether she's mentoring a teammate, building relationships with clients, connecting professionals who should know one another, or creating opportunities for someone else to succeed, people have always been her greatest passion.

For Krystel, title isn't simply about getting to the closing table.

It's about earning trust.

It's about showing up consistently.

It's about making someone else's day a little easier.

She believes the strongest businesses aren't built on transactions. They're built on relationships. "People do business with people they know, trust, and genuinely enjoy working with."

That simple philosophy has become the foundation of her entire career.

The "Big Girl Job" That Changed Everything

When Krystel was almost twenty-two, she wasn't searching for a lifelong career.

She was searching for what she lovingly calls a "big girl job." A Monday through Friday schedule, benefits, a paycheck, maybe a little stability.

A family friend mentioned an opening for a receptionist, so she applied. She had no idea that accepting that position would eventually lead her to every opportunity she's been blessed with over the last two decades. What started behind the reception desk quickly became an education in every corner of the title business.

She asked questions.

She stayed curious.

She watched.

She learned.

She raised her hand whenever an opportunity appeared.

And little by little, a receptionist became a leader.

It's a reminder that you don't have to know exactly where you're headed.

Sometimes you simply need the courage to take the first step.

The Woman Who Quietly Changed Her Life

Every successful leader can point to someone who quietly influenced the way they lead.

For Krystel, that person was Arlene Brown.

Arlene was the marketing representative at the very first title company where Krystel worked. Watching her wasn't part of any formal training program. It was simply paying attention.

She noticed the way Arlene built relationships naturally. She noticed how she represented the company with professionalism, kindness, and authenticity. She watched someone who understood that every conversation mattered. Those observations became some of the most valuable leadership lessons Krystel ever received. More than twenty years later, they still keep in touch.

That's the beautiful thing about great mentors. Long after the lessons are learned, relationships remain. 

Finding Her Voice

Here's something Krystel admits that many women will immediately relate to. Even today, after more than two decades in leadership, she occasionally walks into a room where she's one of only a few women and still feels intimidated.

Earlier in her career, those feelings often convinced her to stay quiet. She questioned whether she knew enough. Whether she belonged. Whether her opinion mattered as much as everyone else's.

Over time she realized something incredibly freeing. Confidence doesn't come from having every answer. It comes from trusting that your experience, perspective, and voice have value.

Now she still feels nervous sometimes, she just refuses to let nervousness make decisions for her.

Her Why Didn't Stay the Same

One of the things I loved most about Krystel's story is that she admits her "why" has changed over the years. For a long time, her focus was raising her bonus daughter and

supporting her family. She always worked hard, but she didn't necessarily think of herself as someone building a career.

Then her daughter left for college.

Like so many moms, she suddenly found herself asking, "What's next for me?"

Instead of settling into comfort, she chose growth. She invested in herself and stepped outside her comfort zone. She started saying yes to opportunities that once felt intimidating.

And discovered she was capable of so much more than she'd ever imagined.

"Success isn't defined by where you started. It's about showing up, continuing to learn, and believing in yourself."

It's never too late to bet on yourself.

Krystel is living proof.

Collaboration Looks Better Than Competition

Spend five minutes talking with Krystel and one thing becomes abundantly clear. She genuinely wants other women to succeed.

Not because it's the right thing to say. Because she actually believes there's enough opportunity for everyone.

She'll celebrate your promotion.

Introduce you to someone who can help your career.

Share what she's learned.

Open the door instead of guarding it.

She believes those small moments of encouragement shape careers far more than we realize.

"People may forget the details of a transaction, but they'll never forget how you made them feel."

Now that's leadership.

When Life Changes Your Perspective

Some lessons only arrive through heartbreak. After losing her mother to glioblastoma, Krystel's perspective on life changed forever. Tomorrow stopped feeling guaranteed.

Waiting for "someday" stopped making sense.

Instead of allowing grief to define her story, she transformed it into purpose by helping create Hope in Gray, an organization supporting families walking through brain cancer while honoring her mother's memory.

That experience reminds her daily why relationships matter.

Why slowing down matters.

Why making memories matters.

And why every single day is worth living fully.

Her Village Is Everything

Krystel is the first to tell you she didn't build this career alone. Her husband keeps her grounded while cheering on every new adventure.

Her boss, Kerri, continually encouraged her to stretch beyond her comfort zone and see potential she didn't always recognize in herself.

Then there's Melissa. Her work bestie. Her biggest cheerleader. Her sounding board.

They've worked together since 2009 and through three different companies. Their friendship is one of those rare and priceless ones.

Krystel believes every successful woman has people behind the scenes who believed in her before she fully believed in herself. She certainly does.

Eat the Cake. Buy the Shoes.

If you've ever spent time with Krystel, this philosophy won't surprise you one bit.

"Life is short. Eat the cake and buy the shoes."

It may sound like a fun, lighthearted motto, but for Krystel, it's much more than that. Losing her mother to glioblastoma forever changed the way she looks at life. She learned that tomorrow isn't guaranteed and that waiting for the "right time" can mean missing the very moments we're working so hard for.

 So now she chooses to celebrate more, laugh often, make the memories, wear the outfit, order dessert, and yes... buy the shoes. Because life was never meant to be put on hold. It was meant to be lived. 💗

Her Greatest Accomplishment Isn't Her Title

Today, Krystel serves as Vice President of Florida for Truly Title. It's an impressive accomplishment, but ask her what she's most proud of, and she doesn't point to the title but rather the journey.

A young woman who didn't attend college.

Who started as a receptionist.

Who accidentally interviewed at what she thought was a flooring company.

Who learned every part of the business from the ground up.

Who kept saying yes.

Who kept growing.

Who kept believing.

"Where you start doesn't determine where you can go."

That may be one of the greatest lessons her story offers all of us.

A Final Word to the Women of Her.Collective

Krystel's encouragement to the women of Her.Collective reflects the way she has intentionally lived and led throughout her career.

She believes there is more than enough opportunity for every woman to succeed, and that our greatest impact comes when we choose collaboration over competition. She encourages women to celebrate one another's victories, make the introduction that opens a door, freely share their knowledge, and never hesitate to lift someone else along the way. After all, the strongest communities are built by women who genuinely want to see each other win.

And if she could leave us with one final reminder, it would be the philosophy that has become her personal mantra: "Life is short. Eat the cake and buy the shoes."

It may sound playful, but behind those words is a powerful reminder to stop waiting for the perfect moment. Chase the dream. Take the chance. Celebrate the milestone. Invest in the relationships that matter most. Because life isn't measured only by the work we accomplish, but by the memories we create and the lives we touch along the way.

Frankly, we couldn't agree more

Congratulations, Krystel! Thank you for reminding us that careers are built one relationship at a time, courage grows every time we say yes before we're ready, and sometimes the biggest blessings begin with one very tiny typo. We're honored to celebrate you as this week's Her.Collective Spotlight Woman of Title.

*Connect with Krystel here: krystel.kaminski@trulytitle.com  I LinkedIn I Facebook I Instagram