Kristin is a proud daughter of Tallahassee. She was born and raised in Tallahassee. Kristin has lived here all her life, aside from one brief year away. As a child, she developed a keen interest in the news and became active in the community at a young age. Kristin attended Concord & Hartsfield Elementary Schools, Fairview Middle School, and SAIL High School. She went on to study at Tallahassee Community College and Florida State University.

As a young woman, Kristin joined her family's business, Mad Dog Construction. She worked throughout Florida and North Carolina on multiple building sites, culminating as the on-site superintendent for a $4.5 million student housing complex in Tallahassee. This experience in the construction industry was eye opening for her in many ways. She studied how to facilitate development in ways that fit the character of the community and were sensitive to the environment and to quality of life.