Kristy Eller DeBoer: Beginning the New Year with a Heart Full of Gratitude

For many, a New Year signifies a fresh start, a clean slate. Some even make New Year’s resolutions or set goals. If you are looking for inspiration to become the best version of yourself, take a look at Kristy Eller DeBoer, Founder of KEDStyled. She will tell you that it’s not easy, but she will also confirm that it’s worth it.

Kristy is on a mission to inspire growth and confidence in women. She understands both because her personal journey of self-discovery has brought about tremendous growth, understanding and self-love. Learn more about what motherhood means to her, why she chooses sobriety, and the work it took to become the person she is today.

TK: Tell us a little about you and your family.

Kristy: I am a third-generation Tulsan. I loved growing up in Tulsa and knew I wanted to raise our family here. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, TV News. I met my husband, Josh, in Norman and we moved to Tulsa in 2005.

My television career was one of the best chapters of my life. I met amazing, talented people at KTUL and KJRH. I worked at the assignment desk in the newsroom and sales. Some of my dearest friends were made from 2006-2012. We worked hard, partied hard and created strong bonds living life as a team to deliver the news before social media took over.

I left TV in 2012 to be a full-time mom to our son, Roman. We welcomed our second son, Perry, in 2014. I am so thankful for my boys. They love to play football, basketball and baseball and enjoy traveling and family vacations. They are everything to me. I would also love to brag on my parents and my amazing family and friends who lift me up, support me and continue to light me up with unconditional love.

TK: Share your perspective on motherhood.

Kristy: I have the most beautiful, selfless, kind, loving mother; I am so blessed to have a mom like Mece. We never stop being a mom from the first cry to the end of our days. Being a mom is the hardest, most rewarding job in the world. I teach my boys to follow the Golden Rule, to treat others the way you want to be treated. We believe that we are all loved and lovable, and being a good person is important. Our character is built on respect, empathy, kindness and gratitude.

My boys often bicker and challenge each other. I am constantly reminding them that comparison is the thief of joy, and I think that is a reminder to myself as well. We keep an open dialogue at home, and I encourage them to ask questions and to use their voice. No topic is off limits. We have tough conversations about real life. I want to raise boys who become men that don’t need their mothers anymore. I want them to know how to help their future partner and live a full, beautiful life with accountability, passion and adventure.

TK: Do you have a life motto/mission statement or favorite quote you’d like to share?

Kristy: Quotes explain, express and remind me how I choose to live my life, and they help me feel confident in my choices. The following quote means that you can’t be in lack if you’re always in gratitude:

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey

TK: In the past several years you have made some major changes that have you on a healthier path. Tell us about those changes.

Kristy: When I looked in the mirror before turning 39, I hated my reflection. My physical appearance and my mental health were not reflections of who I am or where I wanted to be. My best, bright, shiny self had been buried, and I was determined to dig her out. I knew that in order to achieve my highest self I would have to make some big changes.

Part of my plan to level up was to get sober. I have gone to a therapist off and on since 2016 and one session always sticks out in my mind when she suggested, “Why don’t you stop drinking?” I thought that was absurd. I didn’t have a drinking problem. I was a party girl from my sorority days at OU, then into my 20s, where I partied like a journalist and then succumbed to the societal norm of mommy wine culture in my 30s. Post COVID, my poor diet, lack of exercise and high-functioning binge drinking was taking its toll. So, when I decided to quit, it was for me, but also for my family. I do not identify as an alcoholic. I do not believe I am powerless to alcohol, but rather by removing it from my life, I took my power back.

After my second son was born, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression and anxiety. Alcohol is a depressant, which can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) in your brain and affect your feelings, thoughts and behavior, so I knew I had to quit. During my first sober weeks and months, all the reasons why I drank began to flood my mind, heart and spirit. It was overwhelming, lonely and scary.

One way of coping and feeling my feelings was to lean into something I knew to be true: movement was medicine. I know that working out is a huge part of my mental health. I have always loved exercise and looking good, so I made a commitment to move my body every day, and that increased over time. My mental, physical and spiritual health journey became my top priority for the first time in my life.

TK: How do you set yourself up for success? Do you have a daily routine?

Kristy: Yes. I thrive on discipline, consistency and routine. I wake up early five days a week, usually 4:45 a.m., and work out. I take two days off to rest. I practice gratitude daily through prayer and affirmations. I write down my goals, go to therapy, manifest my dreams. I talk to my mom and my best friends on the phone. We try to have family dinner at the table three nights a week. I make time for my boys and try to show up for them and be present to make them feel seen and heard.

TK: You went from a career in journalism/TV to becoming a personal stylist. How did you decide to pursue styling?

Kristy: I have always loved style and fashion, and I started sharing my outfits on social media in 2016. Over time, I was seen as fashionable and somewhat of an “influencer.” I was in the mommy blogging community until it quickly became oversaturated.  I no longer knew what my place was in the social media world.

During my first year of sobriety, I did a lot of soul searching, praying and reflection. What lights me up inside? It goes back to my childhood. I always knew what I liked. My mom tells the story that I always wanted to wear dresses with black patent shoes, never pants. I loved drawing, fashion plates, playing dress up, watching Madonna, Britney Spears and Beyonce on TV and then going on to study journalism, storytelling and television.

It all came back to: How do I want to be seen? What you wear tells a story and so I did that unknowingly through my fashion choices. This has always been me, so I decided to create a business, KEDStyled, around that.

TK: You seem so happy and confident. Have you always had confidence? If not, how did you build it up?

Kristy: Confidence is a practice. I am not confident every day. I choose to show the confident parts. It takes work to feel creative, inspired and cultivate the messages I want to share. Not everyone gets access to my life and so I am careful about what I share online. I have done it both ways, sharing the good, the bad and the ugly on my former blog, “Just Happy Mommy,” where I unapologetically shared my early experiences as a mother. I have shared way too much of my life, my family and my boys on social media. Now I look back and think I grew up and learned to have more self-awareness and caution about what I share, understanding the online dangers and the detrimental outcomes social media has on so many of us.

TK: What does the way a person dress say about themselves? I’ve heard that it is referred to as an extension of their personal brand.

Kristy: Another one of my favorite quotes is, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” – Rachel Zoe

When I am working with a client, we talk about how they want to show up in the world. We talk about words and what describes their style. My words are cool, classic and fun. I think about these words when I am getting dressed. My outfit will translate who I am by showcasing those words through my choices. Style is personal. It is individual, and it is NOT copy and paste. I love helping people feel good and shine from the inside out. That means wearing clothes that they love, feel good wearing, and look good in so they can do good.

Never underestimate the power of personal style. Some may say I am in the outfit business, but I say I am in the confidence business. What I do is personal and, by sharing my eye for style, I help my clients dare to be their best selves and shine bright.

TK: What have you seen as a result of working with men/women on their wardrobe?

Kristy: People want to be seen and have permission to love themselves. I help them cut open the box and not feel like there is one look, trend, aesthetic, choice. We are an amalgamation of things and so our style can reflect that. People want to be told what to wear. I help them decide what they like while teaching them what looks good on their body and how to incorporate basics with “wow” pieces and the power of accessories.

TK: Share your top three trends/styling tips for 2025.

Kristy: These are my forever tips:

• If you don’t love it and feel good in it, you won’t wear it, so don’t waste your money on trends unless it translates to your life.
• Trends come and go, but style is forever. Not to mention it is impossible to keep up and what was once old will be new again, just in a more current version.
• Dare to be yourself and create a wardrobe you are excited to wear.

TK: Tell us about what you offer in your business.

Kristy: When I lost over 30 pounds, I needed a new wardrobe. I learned and created a system that worked for me and turned my passion for style and fashion into a business. When you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, it is overwhelming and frustrating. I was determined to help other people and share my gifts with others.

KEDStyled offers a three-step approach to personal styling with my styling packages. The classic package includes three of my most popular services: Closet Edit, Shopping and Wardrobe Styling. A Closet Edit is where I come to your home and we edit your current wardrobe by removing items that no longer serve you, fit you or are stained, etc. I take notes to help determine the holes or gaps in your wardrobe that are preventing you from creating looks you love with the pieces you already have. Then Shopping with the intention to find new items that complement and challenge your personal style. Finally, Wardrobe Styling blends the new items with those in your closet to create a wardrobe that you love, outfits that you are excited to wear and that fit your lifestyle.

Photoshoot Styling is a service for head shots, branding and family photos. I create outfits from head to toe so you (your family) are camera ready and actually happy to smile because I took the headache out of what to wear so you can focus on looking your best.

Trip Packing: I create a capsule wardrobe so that you are packed and ready to enjoy your trip, vacation, work conference and everywhere in between.

Special Events: Styling/shopping for weddings, black tie events, homecoming, etc.

TK: In wrapping up, what else would you like to mention?

Kristy: I have carved a path that some people do not understand. I believe that we can’t fit in if we want to stand out. It is important for me to stand up for my values and show my boys that hard work, discipline, commitment and living in gratitude is the way. I know how far I have come and will continue to strive to walk the walk and become comfortable with uncertainty because that is the pathway to growth, creative expression and clarity. We have to be willing to have faith, take action and that results in confidence. Always remember to enjoy the journey, the peaks and valleys and how we want to write our life story because this is not a dress rehearsal.

Look for Kristy online: KEDStyled.com; Instagram and Facebook: @kristyellerdeboer & @kedstyled

To find out what Kristy is letting go of in 2025, check out the Sharing Passion and Purpose Podcast on Tuesday, January 20 on your favorite podcasting platform or directly at SharingPassionandPurpose.com.

Nancy A. Moore is a Public Relations Coordinator at Montreau, Adjunct Professor at Tulsa Community College, and has been writing for TulsaKids for almost 20 years.