Today we’d like to introduce you to Katrina (Kat) Hyder.
Hi Katrina (Kat) , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Bay City, Michigan, and from a young age I naturally gravitated toward people, teams, sports, and environments that brought energy and positivity. Looking back, I think high school was really where I first learned the value of volunteering and community service, but also that giving back didn’t have to feel boring or forced. Honestly, if you want people to volunteer, you have to make it enjoyable. Some of my favorite memories came from projects like Paint-4- Pride, where hundreds of people would come together over a single weekend and completely transform parts of the community. Seeing that kind of impact at a young age stuck with me.
After high school, I attended Delta College where I played softball before transferring to SVSU to complete my degree in Health Science. While there, I was introduced to AmeriCorps, which allowed students to volunteer in exchange for scholarship support. As a college student, that opportunity opened my eyes in a huge way. I worked closely with Habitat for Humanity projects and even traveled across the country staying in church basements while helping build wheelchair ramps and home structures for people who needed it most. Those experiences taught me what “service beyond self” truly looked and felt like. There was a happiness and fulfillment in helping others that I couldn’t ignore.
After graduating, I went through a difficult breakup from a long-term relationship and honestly felt a little lost. I knew I needed a fresh start and a better environment, even if I didn’t fully know what that looked like yet. That’s what eventually brought me to Grand Rapids. Moving there felt like a huge turning point in my life. I remember feeling like I had been living under a rock before that. Grand Rapids taught me how much your environment, and especially the people you surround yourself with, can influence your growth, mindset, and confidence.
Like many people after college, I still wasn’t fully sure what direction I wanted to take professionally. I knew I loved helping people, I knew I had a strong work ethic, and somehow sales naturally fell into my lap. Living in Grand Rapids while working in sales exposed me to networking, innovation, communication, and personal development very quickly. I learned a lot during those years, but I also felt like I was still trying to figure out who I really was. At times it felt like I had to act, dress, or present myself a certain way to fit into professional environments.
Then one random swipe on Bumble completely changed my life.
I met an incredible man from Muskegon who started as a first date, became my best friend, and eventually became my soulmate. I moved to Muskegon in April of 2020, which looking back sounds absolutely crazy considering the timing of the pandemic. Somehow, living and working together 24/7 in the middle of the world shutting down actually worked for us. We’ve continued helping each other become the best versions of ourselves ever since.
During the pandemic, after spending so much time working from home and feeling disconnected, I found myself really craving genuine community and human connection. I wanted to better understand Muskegon and the people who made it what it is. That eventually led me to start a group called Happy Hikers of West Michigan. What started as simply getting outside and meeting new people quickly snowballed into so much more.
Through hiking, I met people who invited me to join a local beach volleyball league, which somehow led to coaching volleyball at a local school, then coaching softball, and eventually being introduced to JCI Greater Muskegon. Through JCI, I became involved in organizing events, fundraisers, and community projects throughout Muskegon, which then connected me to organizations like Muskegon Rotary, Muskegon Chamber of Commerce Ambassador, Strong Towns, and so many other incredible leaders, organizations, and people who genuinely care about making the community better.
The list honestly just keeps going.
What I found in Muskegon was a community filled with movers, shakers, builders, leaders, and genuinely caring people who inspired me to become a better version of myself. For the first time, I felt like I could fully be myself, dress how I wanted, think differently, bring ideas to the table, and still be respected for who I was. I’ve realized I might not fit neatly into everyone’s box, but honestly, that’s kind of the point. Sometimes you have to create your own trail if you want to discover places that haven’t been explored yet.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not, but I think the difficult roads are usually the ones that shape us the most. Some of the biggest struggles in my life came during moments where I felt uncomfortable, uncertain, heartbroken, burned out, or completely unsure of what direction I was supposed to go next. At the time, those seasons felt overwhelming, but looking back, they were also the moments that forced me to grow.
One of the hardest things for me was learning how to stop living only for expectations, achievements, or other people’s definitions of success. I spent years working in technology sales and constantly pushing myself professionally, but eventually I realized I felt disconnected from myself. I had to step back and really ask who I was outside of work, titles, productivity, and constantly chasing the next thing.
I also struggled with fear of failure and not feeling like I fully fit into certain spaces. I’m naturally energetic, community-driven, and a little unconventional, and for a while I thought I needed to tone parts of myself down to be taken seriously. Over time, I realized the opposite was true. The more authentic I became, the more aligned my life started to feel.
Another challenge was learning balance. I care deeply about people and community, which sometimes led to burnout because I wanted to help everyone and say yes to everything. Learning boundaries, slowing down, and protecting my peace has been a huge lesson for me.
At the same time, life continued throwing unexpected moments our way. My husband and I experienced a miscarriage before later finding out we were expecting again, and that experience completely shifted my perspective on life, gratitude, and what truly matters. It reminded me how fragile and beautiful life can be at the same time.
But through all of those struggles, I’ve learned something really important: growth rarely happens when everything feels comfortable. The moments that changed me the most were usually the moments where I was scared, uncertain, or doubting myself. Because of stepping outside my comfort zone, I’ve climbed mountains, spoken in front of hundreds of people, organized community events and fundraisers, traveled across the country volunteering, been interviewed on the radio and local news, and built relationships with people who completely changed my life for the better.
I think one of the most important things I could tell someone reading this is that you do not have to have your entire life figured out to move forward. Sometimes the next step is enough. Sometimes growth simply starts with saying yes to something that scares you, introducing yourself to new people, trying again after failure, or allowing yourself to change directions.
The people, environments, and energy you surround yourself with truly matter. If you continue surrounding yourself with people who inspire you, challenge you, support you, and encourage you to grow, your life will naturally begin changing in ways you never expected. Sometimes the best version of yourself is waiting on the other side of the things you’re most afraid to try.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What I really do is help people feel connected. Whether that’s understanding who they are personally, what they’re passionate about, the direction they want to go in life, or who they’re hoping to connect with professionally, I genuinely enjoy getting to know people beyond surface-level conversations.
For the last ten years, I’ve really been centered around business development, relationship building, networking, and helping people or organizations grow in ways that actually align with their goals and values. The last seven years happened to be within technology sales, where I spent a lot of time helping businesses improve communication, become more effective, remove waste within their processes, and find solutions that truly made sense for where they wanted to go. But honestly, no matter what role or industry I was in, the part I always cared about most was the people. I loved hearing people’s ideas, understanding what challenges they were facing, brainstorming solutions together, and helping create opportunities and connections that could positively impact their future.
When I sit down with someone, I tend to ask intentional questions because I really want to understand their story, their past, what they’re experiencing in the present, and what they visualize for themselves in the future. It doesn’t mean every conversation has to go 1,000 feet deep immediately, but I really do think people are craving more genuine connection and spaces where they feel truly heard.
I also love figuring out how I can help. Sometimes that means connecting someone to the right business, organization, opportunity, or person. Sometimes the answer isn’t immediate at all. A lot of times it happens months or even years later after I meet another person where the connection finally makes sense. Relationships take time, and I think that was honestly one of the hardest things for me within sales culture. Sales often focuses heavily on immediate results and measurable transactions right away, but I’ve learned that some of the most meaningful opportunities, relationships, and connections grow slowly over time. Success looks very different on my scale now than it did years ago. For me, success is less about numbers and more about impact, relationships, trust, community, and helping people feel genuinely connected and supported.
After stepping away from my career in technology sales, my husband and I found out I was pregnant shortly afterward, which made this season of life feel even more intentional. What originally started as time to reconnect with myself and reevaluate what I truly wanted out of life became a chapter focused on health, personal growth, community, and preparing for motherhood.
Right now, I serve as VP of Management for JCI Greater Muskegon, I’m involved with Muskegon Rotary, I’m a ambassador for Muskegon Chamber and 52 Connections, I hosted Muskegon’s 40th Annual Snowfest, and will also be hosting a Parties in the Park event this August. I’m also involved with Aurora Renovations & Contracting where we are helping bring more sustainable ideas and future-focused building concepts like hempcrete into West Michigan, although I’ll save more of that story for my husband’s future interview someday.
What I’m most proud of honestly isn’t a title or award. I’m most proud of the relationships, trust, and community that have been built along the way. Seeing people collaborate instead of compete, watching others step into leadership positions they didn’t think they were capable of, helping someone feel welcomed, connected, or inspired, those are the moments that mean the most to me.
I think what sets me apart is that I genuinely care about people without immediately expecting something in return. I love seeing good people connect with other good people and watching what can happen when collaboration replaces competition. Some of the best moments in my life came from people believing in me, encouraging me, or introducing me to the right opportunities, and I try to give that same energy back into the world whenever I can.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love most about Muskegon is the people and the sense of community that exists here once you become involved. There are so many genuinely good people here who care deeply about the future of the city and are willing to step up, volunteer, collaborate, and help make things happen. I’ve met some of the most inspiring movers, shakers, creators, leaders, and community advocates since moving here, and many of them welcomed me with open arms long before I felt like I had fully “earned” a seat at the table.
I also love how much opportunity there is here. Muskegon still feels like a place where one person with passion and initiative can truly make an impact. There’s room for creativity, growth, collaboration, entrepreneurship, sustainability, community events, and new ideas. I think people sometimes underestimate how special that is. We have beautiful lakeshore access, incredible small businesses, local organizations doing meaningful work, and people who genuinely want to see the community succeed.
What I probably like least is that sometimes people don’t fully realize the potential that exists here because they’re so used to hearing outdated narratives about Muskegon. I think the city is still overcoming old perceptions, divisions, and limiting mindsets in some areas. Sometimes there can also be a disconnect between organizations, groups, or generations when in reality we could accomplish so much more by collaborating and communicating better together.
I’d also love to continue seeing more opportunities that help young professionals, families, creatives, tradespeople, and entrepreneurs feel like they can build a future here long term without feeling like they need to leave West Michigan to grow. I think Muskegon is evolving in a really positive direction, and I’m excited to see what happens as more people continue investing their time, energy, and passion back into the community.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/positiveimpact2gether
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kat.c.hyder
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinahyder/
