Founders build companies. Unicorns change the landscape.
Behind both is a deeply human story—one of intention, craft, and voice.
Sincerely Yours – Founders, Leaders & Unicorns, exists to capture that voice.
We create founder-led living memoirs that capture the first spark—of an idea, a calling, a vision—and follow the path it set in motion, revealing what became possible because they chose to begin.
A founder’s story carries uncommon power. It’s personal and precise. It is often the first, and sometimes the only, story that gives an enterprise both roots and wings. Founders are listened to. Their stories shape culture, inspire trust, and set the tone for what follows.
Our work goes beyond the boardroom to uncover the moments that formed a founder’s journey: early influences, defining decisions, pivotal setbacks, and hard-won triumphs. We transform these experiences into a meticulously crafted, emotionally rich digital memoir, integrating photographs, articles, and historical timelines. Engagements can be as focused as a single 20-minute interview, or as expansive as a multi-chapter exploration of a life and career.
But at a deeper level, a founder’s story is human. It allows words to be spoken in a way that would otherwise may remain unsaid.
The Founder’s Dilemma
Research shows that nearly 50% of founders step away from their companies within the first three years (Harvard Business Review, February 2008, Noam Wasserman). Even if your work isn’t founded on traditional corporate structure, this reality underscores a critical truth: the founder’s personal narrative must be captured while it still can be.
For customers, stakeholders, and investors, a leader’s memoir offers an authentic window into the soul of the brand.
For the people whose lives and work you’ve touched, a founder’s memoir offers an authentic window into the spirit behind your journey.
For future generations, it is a living legacy—distinct, enduring, and unmistakably yours.
On Capturing a Life’s Work
Nancy Reynolds, founder and inaugural President of the Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research and former Assistant Deputy Minister of Alberta Children’s Services and Alberta Health, is a 2025 recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, recognizing her outstanding service and community leadership through her work with the Canadian Mental Health Association.
In her words:
“When I was asked to do a documentary of my life, I had no idea what to expect. To say it is the most outstanding and meaningful gift I’ve ever received would be an understatement. The entire process—from interview to viewing—was fantastic. Krista’s production skills, delightful personality, and tenacity to get the details right made it a thoroughly enjoyable and invaluable experience. Priceless.”
But tell me a story, and it will live in my heart forever.”
My Story
My name is Krista Monson and I’m a storyteller.
For more than 30 years, I dedicated my professional life to telling stories in live entertainment and elite human performance. As a concept author, stage director, award-winning choreographer, and producing director, my work has lived at the intersection of imagination, precision, and trust—often in collaboration with artists, leading designers, governmental bodies, and cultural leaders across the public and private sectors.
A significant chapter of that journey included 14 years with Cirque du Soleil, where creative storytelling is the soul of the production. Every gesture, transition, and moment must earn its place. That discipline shaped how I listen, how I ask questions, and how I build narrative with care.
In 2021, something shifted.
While working around the world with extraordinary people and cultures, I came to a quiet but unsettling realization: I had missed the chance to truly explore the lives of some of my closest relatives before they passed away. Their vivid and deeply human stories were gone, simply because the time had slipped by.
That realization changed my focus
In 2022, I founded Sincerely Yours Memoirs, dedicated to creating private living memoirs—personal documentaries that capture and preserve the life stories of older adults told in their own voices and perspective.
Since then, I have curated over 22 digital memoirs. The impact has been profound. Families now hold the voices, reflections, and lived wisdom of their loved ones forever. For me, the work reconnected storytelling with its most essential purpose: meaning.
It wasn’t long before founders began reaching out. Not for full life histories, but for something equally vital: the human story behind their professional journey. The decisions, risks, relationships, failures, and flashes of insight that shaped what they built.
That interest led to Sincerely Yours Memoirs: Founders, Leaders & Unicorns.
I believe deeply that behind every breakthrough and innovation lies a human story of resilience, creativity, uncertainty, and change. These stories are not marketing assets. They are sources of understanding and connection. Without stories, we cannot truly grow. Without them, we cannot learn.
Your chapter may not be complete. There is likely more ahead—more to build, consider, and become. But one truth is undeniable: the time to begin capturing your story is now.
Because one day, it will be too late.
Why Work with Krista?
- 30+ years shaping narratives at the highest level of live performance.
- Trusted by families and founders to handle stories with care.
- Former creative leader with Cirque du Soleil.
- A human-first approach—no scripts, no templates, no spin.
- Every memoir is curated with discretion, precision, and emotional intelligence.
What We Offer
Untold stories come at a cost—in understanding, knowledge and ability to pass on.
Time is finite. True wealth is measured not only in what we build, but in what we pass on—insight, perspective, hard-earned wisdom, and yes, even our mistakes. Stories are how experience becomes inheritance. Stories bridge gaps and help transform the future.
At Sincerely Yours Memoirs, we believe this is the wealth worth spreading.
To make the process clear and accessible, we offer three distinct ways to capture a founder’s story—each designed to meet you where you are.
Every leader has an origin story.
Allow us to help you begin capturing yours
Our Offerings
The Founder’s Five
A focused exploration of five essential questions that uncover a founder’s origin story. This is ideal for those seeking clarity, reflection, and impact in a concise format.
The Founder’s Ten
A deeper conversation that leans further into a founder’s journey, revealing formative influences, pivotal decisions, and defining moments.
The Founder’s Ten
An expansive and immersive exploration of the vivid chapters of a founder’s life, including family history, personal context, and the experiences that shaped both the individual and the enterprise.
“Sometimes reality is too complex. Stories give it form.”
Story, In Motion
Digital storytelling combines the timeless power of oral storytelling with cinematic-quality video and curated visuals—photos, archival materials, and short clips. The human voice conveys depth, trust and truth that written words cannot.
Benefits at a glance:
- Vision Preserved – Told in your own voice, a unicorn’s story becomes a living inheritance for employees, stakeholders, investors, and family.
- Inspiration and Alignment – Stories are tremendously inspiring. They also provide investors and stakeholders with key, profound insights.
- Enduring Legacy – Your origin story remains the foundation of your enterprise, shaping culture and leadership long after your active role ends
- Value Appreciates – A Sincerely Yours memoir grows more rich over time, preserving meaning as memory fades.
Capture your story. Its value grows exponentially.
The Founder’s Five, The Founder’s Ten, The Founder’s Life +
Like a fingerprint, every story is unique. We are unwavering in our commitment to tell your story in the style, tone and setting that captures your origin story best. We offer as a guide the curation of five, ten, or a full-life set of questions from the following possibilities:
Early Life & Background
- Where did you grow up, and what early memories shaped you?
- Who influenced you most as a child?
- Tell us about your first job as a teenager. What lessons did it teach you?
The ‘Aha’ Moment
- What sparked your initial idea or vision?
- What problem were you trying to solve, and why did it matter to you?
The Founding Years
- How much of your journey was planned versus instinct?
- What was your first major challenge, and how did you navigate it?
- Were there happy accidents or unexpected turns that shaped your path?
Key Milestones & Turning Points
- Describe a pivotal achievement or risky decision that altered your trajectory.
- What were the moments that tested your resolve and leadership?
Leadership & Reflection
- How did your leadership style evolve over time?
- Tell us about a specific decision or moment that changed your course —even if it was difficult.
Impact & Legacy
- Looking back, did you imagine yourself where you are today?
- How does it feel (or did it feel) to pass the torch?
- What are you most proud of, and what impact surprises you most?
- How do you wish to be remembered?
Here’s Another Idea!
Involve others. When curating your interview, we can thoughtfully incorporate questions from—and, when appropriate, appearances by—others who have played a meaningful role in your journey.
Whether it’s a partner, an assistant, your kids, or even your very first customer, these voices can enrich your memoir in ways that feel authentic, generous, and deeply human.
How does it work?
Sincerely Yours Memoirs: Founders, Leaders & Unicorns captures the professional chapters of a founder or leader’s life through a curated, semi-structured interview filmed in 4K.
Interviews take place at your home, office, or a private location of your choosing.
From first conversation to final memoir, the journey is thoughtful, personal, and collaborative:
- Discovery & Design – We begin by understanding your priorities and what you hope your story will convey.
- Guided Conversation – Interviews are curated but flexible, allowing spontaneous reflection and candor, alongside meaningful prompts.
- Artful Collaboration – Your photos, archival materials, and other assets are woven seamlessly with your voice to create a vivid, living memoir.
- Premiere & Share – The final memoir is delivered with care as a high-quality digital film (MP4), securely hosted within the private Sincerely Yours platform. End-to-end encrypted and fully controlled by you, it’s ready to be shared—selectively and confidently—with family, colleagues, or stakeholders as an enduring legacy in motion.
Each step is designed for comfort, privacy, and assurance.
The process can be as collaborative as you wish. We curate the questions and guide the conversation; you simply show up as yourself.
Interviews typically last one to three hours, resulting in a finished digital memoir of approximately 30 to 120 minutes.
All work is conducted with the utmost discretion. Your story remains private and confidential unless you explicitly choose otherwise
“Stories create community and enable us to see through the eyes of other people…”.
Privacy & Discretion
No. Your story is yours.
No part of your digital memoir is shared, published, or used for any purpose without your explicit consent. Privacy is foundational to our work.
Your memoir is delivered through a secure, web and mobile-based platform with end-to-end encrypted sharing. You remain fully in control of who has access, and whether your memoir is shared at all.
Storytelling is our obligation to the next generation.
Pricing Structure
Our work is bespoke. We do not offer pre-set packages, because no two stories or circumstances are alike.
Pricing reflects the level of care, creative expertise, and production quality required to honor a life and legacy with intention. Each memoir is crafted to endure, gaining meaning and value over time.
We begin with a private conversation to understand your needs and expectations, and then provide a thoughtful, good-faith proposal aligned with your vision.
Comfort Comes First
Feeling hesitant is entirely natural, especially when reflecting on one’s life with someone new.
Our highest priority is ensuring you feel respected and completely at ease throughout the experience. Our work is guided by clear values: dignity, confidentiality, flexibility, and non-judgment.
In many cases, working with an interviewer who is not known to you can actually feel easier. A neutral presence allows space for genuine curiosity—free from assumptions or expectations—and invites stories to unfold naturally, at the individual’s own pace.
We promise to listen, collaborate, and work with integrity and unwavering care. And we honor each person’s way of remembering and expressing their story.
Above all, authentic comfort is the foundation of our process.
Your story begins here.
Every memoir begins with listening. We invite you to reach out and explore how we might thoughtfully capture your story—or that of someone you love.
You may contact us by completing the form below. All inquiries are handled with care and responded to within 48 hours.
