Today we’d like to introduce you to Khristy Santee.
Khristy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
“I must survive”. This was the mantra that drove all of my career and life decisions after graduating with my bachelor’s degree in 2009. At the top of the recession of 2008-2009, the economic prospect was grim. Struggling to land a job in my field of study, I was stuck taking the only opportunity I was given… processing bankruptcy claims. Knowing job positions were scarce and the competition was high, I needed to give myself a better advantage to secure the job I wanted. So, doing the practical thing, I decided to go back to school, where I would earn a master’s degree and have enough credits to sit for the CPA exam. Great! I now had a plan and could not only survive through the recession but soon be happy… so I thought.
Fast forward two years, I graduated as planned, passed the CPA exam, and landed the perfect job. I was excited, motivated, and proud of myself. Every morning I looked forward to going to work, but then one day, everything changed. I started to feel this intense discomfort and insufficiency floating around me. As days morphed into nights and nights into days, clarity soon set in, giving way to my dilemma – I was completely unfulfilled. The road I was on seemed bleak and completely uninspired. I knew this story wasn’t anything new, but I was still perplexed. What did I really want to do with my life?
This question ignited my new journey of rediscovering and perhaps requestioning who I am and what I wanted to actualize in this life. Led by my father’s entrepreneurial spirit and my self-determination to find answers, I sought out opportunities (side-hustles) and invested heavily in myself to expand my mind and skillsets. It took an intense eight years of failures and struggles, plus A LOT of personal and spiritual growth, before the answers started arriving. As a result, I emerged stronger than ever. Respectful of human diversity and empathetic with my perceptions, I gathered that we were created for so much more than what we’re conditioned to believe. Moreover, I found that my truest self is expressed through inspiring and manifesting the growth and fulfillment of human potential.
Today, I am co-founder and president of a telecom construction company and co-founder of an international software development company. As each of these businesses seeks to empower those they serve, I’m reminded each day of the significant impact our success will have on the world. For this, “I’m changing lives” has now become my (and my co-founders) new mantra, as I work to push boundaries and be a stepping stone for future generations.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not. At. All. I jumped into many business opportunities headfirst, either knowing I lacked the skills or it didn’t align with my true purpose. I made a lot of mistakes and felt shame because of them. In addition, I didn’t take care of my physical and spiritual health and neglected a lot of relationships in my personal life. Sadly, my happiness was tethered so much to me, achieving my goals that it took a mental breakdown for me to realize that something wasn’t right. I’m now grateful for that experience because of what it taught me — to have big dreams but to also be happy NOW. Looking back, I would have sought help and mentoring in those earlier days as a sounding board for a lot of the struggles I faced. However, once I learned and took action on establishing a stronger foundation within and around me, everything else started falling into place.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the TNT Communications and Analog Africa story. Tell us more about the business.
TNT Communications is a woman and minority-owned and operated telecom construction company with a wide range of experience and capabilities in communication construction. Services in the business line include tower construction, radio harvesting, system upgrades, civil works, and development projects. TNT was created with the sole purpose of reshaping the way telecommunication installation services are delivered. We are embarking on a less traveled approach to building a construction company – combining unparalleled craftsmanship with the intentional development and care of our people. We believe this way creates a culture of empowerment and sustainability that, as a result, provides value for everyone involved.
Analog Africa is a user-centric software development company that focuses on helping growth-stage companies through product development. Analog is known for becoming a replacement Chief Product Officer for companies, guiding them through the entire product lifecycle. What sets Analog apart is our unique ability to create remote teams. Our emphasis on collaboration and team-building ensures that products get built on time and less risk.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
For the telecom industry, the biggest change will definitely be 5G. Although 5G is still considered to be in the building phase, there will be a number of opportunities to capitalize on the many trends coming down the pipeline. For example, smart cities, smart homes, the Internet of Things (IoT), and autonomous cars will all require faster speeds and greater capacity that 5G technology will provide. As it relates to the world of wireless infrastructure, there will be a greater need than ever before to make sure that new site builds and upgrades for 5G technology are built with the highest quality and craftsmanship. That is why TNT believes in a well trained workforce and are committed to developing our technicians by keeping training, safety, continuing education, and research as our top priorities.
Software development has become a significant player in shaping the way we live our lives. One trend that will affect the industry will also be the above mentioned 5G deployment. With this technology, developers will have access to create more robust application developments that use sophisticated technologies, for example, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI).
The future is bright for both the telecom and software development industries. As such, plans to increase our visibility and economic value is not only promising but also pretty damn exciting.
Contact Info:
- Website: tnt-comm.net, analogteams.com
- Email: khristysantee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/analog.teams?igshid=y8cqe4ypf2ho
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tnt-communications, https://www.linkedin.com/company/analogteams/
Image Credit:
Daniele Cunningham, Carlos Luna, Joe Bleach
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