Before the pink boxes and corporate orders came the pre-dawn grind and very real sacrifice. In this Before 9AM conversation, Kristy Valentine traces the arc of Dr Dough—from lonely founder days and 4AM starts, to a pandemic pivot that reframed donuts as gifting, to the emotions and lessons of selling her “baby” and moving into a portfolio of new ventures.
You’ll hear:
The calm morning routine Kristy uses now vs. the grind years
Early-day trade-offs, self-doubt, and the mental game of competition
The gifting insight that unlocked scale (and kept the lights on)
How she knew it was time to sell, what was hardest, and what she’d do differently
Life post-exit: choosing projects, guardrails, and energy management
A grounded message for founders still in the messy middle