Hi! I'm Kristin Quackenbush
— and yes, I married into that name.
Many people call me Quack. I own it fully. My maiden name was McCarthy, which suits me perfectly — I'm Irish, I love a good beer, and I have perfected the Irish Goodbye. After about three hours I will slip out the back without a word. Just gone. My people understand.
I grew up with a sense of adventure.
I studied Women's Studies and Psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder, then packed my bags and served in the Peace Corps as a teacher in Thailand. That spirit never left me.
I'm a mom of three beautiful humans — two in college, one still at home. I love my family to the moon and back and am so proud of the good humans we have raised. But let me be real — motherhood was beautiful and exhausting and overwhelming all at once. Finding time for me? Nearly impossible. I didn't love every second. I loved them every second. There's a difference.
When my kids started leaving for college, I fell apart a little. I felt lost, lonely, disconnected — and shocked. I hadn't realized how much of my identity had become wrapped up in being their mom. I had to ask myself a question I hadn't asked in a very long time:
Who am I — and what do I actually want?
That uncomfortable, lonely space? That's exactly where Me First Club was born.
For over 20 years I was a Corporate Hustler — and I was really good at it.
But something wasn't right. It paid the bills beautifully and fed my soul not at all. I felt out of alignment in a way I couldn't keep ignoring. Leaving that chapter wasn't easy. But it was necessary. Now I'm pouring everything I learned into work that actually lights me up: building and lifting women up.
I've been married for 25 years to a beautiful man who has been by my side through all of it.
He is my partner and my best friend. We are complete opposites — I am A, he is Z — and we make it work. We have Finley our pittie mix, Krumpet our spicy rescue cat, and Rosie — a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy arriving end of May, his 55th birthday gift from me. I did not want a puppy. That's love.
Off the court — I've competed at Nationals on the single court twice with my 40-over league, completed the Camino de Santiago all 500 miles, and dive in the most remote corners of the ocean whenever I possibly can. Under the sea is my happiest place. I also lift four times a week in my basement gym — Mommy's Playground, according to my kids. I came to weightlifting three years ago when menopause hit hard. I believe in strong over skinny. My long game is being an absolute badass grandmother someday.
Giving back is not something I do
— it's part of who I am.
Girls on the Run coach for 10 years, girls soccer coach, art classes at a women's shelter, and three plus years mentoring a young woman through Big Brothers Big Sisters. We mentor each other.
I spent the last year getting certified as an ICF (International Coaching Federation) Life Coach through Optimus and studying in the School of Becoming with the brilliant Tracy Litt. I coached women for free to prepare for this — and what I discovered stopped me in my tracks. So many women share the same story. The same loss of self. The same quiet wondering of who am I now? The magic happens in community. That is Me First Club.
I am not a guru. I don't have all the answers. I am a work in progress just like you. I am here to shine a light and hold a safe space for you to do your own work — because you already have the answers.
I see you, Beautiful. I believe in you. You've got this. Let's go.
You can reach me at hello@mefirst-club.com