Come join us for our monthly coffee connection at Smith Mountain Lake Coffee House featuring speaker Crystal Knuttgen with The Conner Group. Coffee will be sponsored by Laurie Andrews founder of LAT Wellness.
Empowered Business Planning with Crystal Knuttgen
Crystal will guide participants through an interactive session on creating a solid foundation for their business and personal success. This session will empower entrepreneurs to take charge of their future with clarity, purpose, and actionable strategies.
About Crystal: Crystal’s dad died unexpectedly. After witnessing the turmoil her mom faced because she knew nothing about family finances or investing or budgeting, Crystal became determined to help others avoid that angst. She joined The Conner Group in 2016 and has been focused on providing individuals and businesses with insight to help protect and grow their financial wealth ever since. While she specializes in helping women get educated and wise about financial planning decisions, she’s equally appreciated by her male clients and the company managers she supports. All appreciate Crystal’s relatable, ethical, caring and dedicated nature. She’s determined to help all she meets, no matter how little they’ve saved so far, with smart strategies for leaving a legacy. This includes deep knowledge about 401Ks, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and holistic approaches to preserving wealth.
Education and relevant work experience Crystal brings her vast human resources and employee benefits background to the mix for unique perspectives as a Financial Advisor. She studied Business Administration at the University of Alaska, Anchorage, prior to beginning a 15-year career helping companies create better solutions to address their people needs. During this time, she realized no one was providing adequate information to help employees with retirement planning. Today, she’s a sought-after presenter for her knowledge of ESOPs, 401ks, and other retirement opportunities and issues. She holds a Life and Health license as well as Series 7, 66, 6 and 63 certifications for security investments. Awards & Community engagement Each year since Crystal joined The Conner Group, she’s made the New York Life Executive Council (2018-2024). That puts her in the top 20%. In addition to excelling among her peers, she’s also been celebrated by those in the Roanoke Community. This includes human resource leaders and employees at some well-known Roanoke companies, where she offers monthly Lunch & Learn sessions designed to help attendees understand retirement investing options as a complementary community service. Other local companies have sought her out for her extensive knowledge of ESOP corporate plans and associated documentation. She also serves on the Board of Directors of FemCity as the Roanoke Membership Chair. Crystal is an Ambassador for the Smith Mountain Lake/Franklin County Chamber. Personal Crystal and her husband, Dustin, live and play in the Smith Mountain Lake area. They enjoy activities outdoors. This includes boating at Smith Mountain Lake and kayaking the James & Roanoke Rivers. When they’re not on the water, they’re motorcycling to see the beauty different Virginia areas provide.
About Laurie Andrews and LAT Wellness- Laurie is a clinically certified exercise physiologist and the owner of LAT Wellness Studio. My passion for fitness is the culmination of years of back pain that progressed significantly throughout my teen years. I was prescribed large dosages of anti-inflammatory medications and worked with various spine manipulators. None of it worked.
The source of my pain was only discovered when I started working with a physical therapist and a team of physiatrists. I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in the neck and mid-back. Through a combination of dry needling and therapeutic exercises, my pain became manageable and, ultimately, rare. From that point on, I was determined to obtain an exercise degree in hopes of helping others to see and feel the benefits of exercise.
In college, I obtained a basic trainer certification and worked in a corporate gym as a personal trainer. I applied these studies in my job and in my own fitness journey. Dedicated to a new mindset of achieving optimal health, I dropped more than 45 pounds.
I’m often asked how long that took. My answer is always, simply, “today.” There is no time frame for a fitness journey. Instead, I embrace each day, and I have created a healthy lifestyle that I love.
While I was dropping weight, I was gaining in many other areas: in mental and physical strength, confidence and a desire to dedicate my life to health. Now, my vision is to help others find their strength and desire to be healthy as well.
