Krystn Macomber knows winning.
Going back to her days as a D1 basketball player at the University of Richmond, the Founder and CEO of Summit Strategy, a game-changing proposal development and marketing consulting firm, understands what it means to earn wins for her clients no matter the challenge.
“I’ve always been ambitious,” said Krystn. “As a kid growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, I’ve always had big dreams and set lofty goals for myself. This first manifested for me in sports where I became an elite basketball player, but this theme of embracing challenges has played out throughout my professional career.”
While Krystn’s roots are in South Appalachia, her career began when she moved to Washington, D.C. after finishing her undergraduate degree in business. She quickly worked her way through the corporate world, scaling the ranks until she became a prolific proposal manager, and writer, and leader for federal government contracts. As each position transitioned to the next, Krystn realized she had a natural ability to build teams, departments, and processes.
It was during these years that Krystn’s vision for what would become Summit Strategy emerged.
“What I deeply wanted was to captain my own ship,” she said. “I wanted to lead a team of driven, forward-thinking professionals who cared about winning for their clients as much as I do. While the experience in corporate America was invaluable, I didn’t want to spend my career advancing someone else’s financial interests. I wanted my working years spent leaving a dent in my industry and being a difference maker to my team and to my clients.”
Founded on the principles of care, innovation, and commitment, Summit Strategy swiftly established itself as a force in the market. A 100% woman-owned enterprise, Summit has taken on more than just turning a profit. For Krystn, she and her team carry the responsibility of redefining industry norms and fostering real change.
“At Summit Strategy, we believe we’re more than just another small business,” she said. “I want to reach the end of my working years knowing I made a real impact and changed the way my peers, colleagues, and competitors do business.”
On the business side, Krystn’s vision for Summit Strategy is clear – to set the new industry standard for integrated sales + marketing solutions that empower professional service firms with effective growth strategies through game changing strategic planning, proposal support, branding + marketing with purpose, and best practices training. By helping firms tell their stories, fueling their potential, and achieving sustainable competitive advantage, Summit Strategy is shaping a generation of industry leaders who pioneer positive social impact.
For Krystn, pushing Summit Strategy to be both a cultural difference maker and a financial powerhouse are one in the same. Winning for her clients means shifting the industry towards increased equity for everyone involved. This task can feel like scaling a mountain over and over again, Krystn said, but it’s a challenge Krystn is willing to continually take on.
“The challenge has been to navigate running a small business while maintaining my vision of what a proposal development and marketing consulting business could be. It’s at times been lonely, frustrating, and exhausting while at the same time exciting and affirming that it’s exactly what I want to be doing. It’s hard to think beyond the day-to-day operations and expectations to exceed, but I’m embracing the challenge every day to continue focusing on the bigger picture.”
So far, this perspective has paid off for Krystn with Summit seeing more than 800 percent growth in its first year and another 50 percent growth projected in year 2. With the focus on growth, Krystn is spending much of her time traveling to conferences and events promoting the message that incorporating engaging storytelling into your marketing and proposal writing will win more business.
“We aim to be a major player in proposal development, especially in the government contracting (GovCon) sector,” said Krystn. “There’s serious room for growth there, and we believe our GovCon clients can distance themselves from their competitors with the right proposal guidance and strategy.”
However, Krystn and her team also believe in empowering entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed, and it’s why Krystn has taken on the role of mentor and thought leader for many young professionals breaking into the industry. It’s all part of Summit’s core ethos – caring every day.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to care,” she said. “Care about your clients. Care about your team. Care about your industry. If your sole focus is the bottom line and earning money for your shareholders, you’ve missed an incredible opportunity to make the world just a little less crappy. See yourself as an agent for change, as someone who has been put in place for a reason and has a chance to make a real difference.”
The best advice she can give to these young, ambitious pros to start winning for themselves? Don’t settle.
“Don’t settle for the status quo. Most of the time, things are the way they are because people lack imagination and vision. The reality is, though, the status quo exists until someone decides to challenge it. There’s no reason that person can’t be you.”
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