Have you ever sat through endless video calls, climbed the corporate ladder, and still felt something was missing? Krista Luna did. As a Product Manager in tech, she had the title and the paycheck, but lacked real connection. Her days were filled with remote meetings while her desire for community grew stronger.

This growing disconnect pushed Luna to question her priorities. While tech offered stability, it kept her from her family and community. So she made a bold move – stepping away from her established career to build something new. She combined her tech expertise with her desire for local connection to create Studio Willow, a business that brings Silicon Valley methods to small local businesses.

Luna’s story shows how your existing skills can lead to an unexpected business opportunity. If you’ve been thinking about starting your own business but haven’t taken the leap, Luna’s path demonstrates that sometimes the best business ideas come from solving problems you’ve personally experienced. By applying what you already know in new ways, you might discover a business that not only supports you but also builds the community you want to be part of.

The Wake-Up Call

After years of climbing the corporate ladder, Luna reached a turning point. Her tech job had brought success, but left her feeling disconnected. The endless video calls with distant colleagues couldn’t replace real community connection.

What truly changed everything was a moment with her son. “The turning point came when I found a crumpled flyer in my son’s backpack inviting parents to his kindergarten Halloween parade. When I asked him why he hadn’t told me, he said, ‘Because you’re always in a meeting.'”

That comment hit Luna hard. She realized she was showing her son that work came before everything else, even though the work didn’t fulfill her. Something had to change.

Starting New

Luna started experimenting. She found a few test clients and applied her product management skills to their small business challenges. The results were promising.

“I found a few test clients and it worked,” Luna explains. Her background gave her unique insights into how small businesses could benefit from big company thinking.

She brings valuable tools from her tech background, especially Agile and Lean practices. “The Double Diamond model of Discovery and Framing to clearly identify problem, solution, and the ideal customer” helps small businesses move quickly without wasting resources.

Challenges

The transition wasn’t easy. For Luna, one of the biggest challenges was psychological, letting go of her previous identity and building credibility in a new field.

“People would laugh at me. Seriously, it was hard to let go of this idea that I was so successful as a product manager, and now I have to start over building my credibility,” Luna shares.

Many new business owners face similar doubts. Luna tackled hers by focusing on connections rather than credentials.

“I went to small business mixers locally and just got curious about people. I kept a lot of small relationships growing through IG,” she says.

Finding Focus

Luna’s business idea changed with experience. She started with one-on-one consulting, drawing directly from her background. But something wasn’t clicking.

“I started with consulting because I thought it was just what I should do since it’s in my background. I’ve since realized I don’t love working 1:1, I love the community part of it,” Luna explains.

This realization led to her current focus: monthly “Ladies that Launch” workshops where she teaches skills, highlights local businesses, and creates networking opportunities.

Luna didn’t wait long to test this new direction. “I launched my first workshop about two months in. I kept telling my partner how I wished there were more local spaces for entrepreneurs to learn and connect, and he finally said, ‘Why don’t you just start one?’ So I did!”

Success Redefined

Luna keeps her business part-time while growing gradually.

What does Studio Willow offer? Luna teaches small businesses “how to start small and scrappy, find your ideal client and iterate on ideas.” These are concepts familiar in tech startups but often missing in small business training.

Her view of success has completely changed since leaving tech. “In tech, success was all numbers, user growth, feature usage, and technical stats. Now, it’s so much more human. I measure success by the women I’ve helped, the businesses that feel more aligned and empowered, and the genuine connections I’ve made.”

Luna adds something that shows how much her priorities have shifted: “I wouldn’t have said this in tech, but many of those people feel like friends now. That’s how I know I’m on the right path.”

Her most powerful advice comes from her own experience: “Get clear on what I want.”

This clarity helped Luna recognize that her passion wasn’t just in applying tech processes to small businesses, but in building community around that knowledge.

Your First Steps

Luna’s experience offers practical wisdom for anyone hesitant to start a business. Her approach of “start small and scrappy” removes the pressure of perfection. Test your ideas with a few clients before going all-in. Pay attention to what parts of the work actually make you happy – Luna discovered she preferred group settings over one-on-one work.

Most importantly, define what success means to you personally. “Get clear on what I want,” as Luna puts it, became her guiding principle. This clarity helped her build a business that fits her life rather than consuming it.

Remember that your existing skills and background aren’t baggage – they’re your unique advantage. Luna didn’t abandon her tech knowledge; she applied it in a new context that better matched her values.

To learn more about Studio Willow’s workshops and resources, visit StudioWillow.com.