LAS VEGAS — Krista Whitley posed for a recent photo shoot with her family. The beautiful, serene scene of an underwater shoot was juxtaposed against the harsh reality Whitley must face on a daily basis as a woman in business. 

Whitley has heard it all from a mostly all white, male-centered industry. And, it always comes when she must stand firm or tell someone no. 

“Are you really this stupid,” one man said to her. 

“Clearly, you don’t know how this works,” another replied.

However, the cherry on top recently came from a man in the business world who decided to insult her figure and tell her to EAT MORE CAKE when she demanded he simply comply with the terms of their contract.

Krista Whitley is used to taking her time and explaining to men how the data doesn’t back up their assertions. She is used to standing tall when others would have her take up less space and make herself smaller in a competitive, male-dominated, mostly-white industry. 

“Men feel most comfortable surrounded by their friends and ‘bros’ who look like them, sound like them and have similar life experiences like them. ” Whitley said. “I’ve experienced the wage-gap of a man being paid double my salary. He came in promising the world and delivered nothing.”

The mother of two daughters, Whitley says the time for this behavior is over. And, now she works to dismantle the good ole’ boy system from within to diversify and promote female, minority and LGBTQI+ opportunities. By being the change she hopes to see in this world, Whitley hopes her daughters continue her fight as leaders of the next generation. 

Whitley says her entire life, she was told to play it safe. She says she was underestimated and taken advantage of. Instead, Whitley flipped things around. She overcame the odds. She set healthy boundaries and led fearlessly. 

“When I say I am living my dream, I really am,” Whitley said.