Kristi McBee may be best known to Bravo fans as the matriarch of the family featured on “The McBee Dynasty: Real American Cowboys,” but she has also built a successful career of her own.
Kristi is the president of Lan-Tel Communications, a communications, underground construction and concrete company that she acquired after her divorce from Steve McBee Sr. She has since grown the business to three times its previous size.
Her role in the McBee family has also become more important during season 3. With her ex-husband serving a two-year prison sentence, Kristi has stepped in to help her four sons and their growing families while continuing to run her own company.
Kristi McBee Turned a Struggling Company Into a Thriving Business
Kristi acquired Lan-Tel Communications following the end of her 28-year marriage to Steve. During season 2 of “The McBee Dynasty,” she revealed that her ex-husband did not expect her to succeed.
“Steve definitely said that I was going to run it into the ground within six months,” Kristi said. “And we’ve been able to grow the business three times the size that it was. Little sweet revenge.”
Her son Steven McBee Jr. also spoke about the scale of his mother’s success.
“Her company blows away any of our businesses,” he said. “She makes money hand over fist. Has a Lamborghini. Has all of these nice vehicles. It’s insane.”
However, Kristi did not inherit a company that was already in strong financial shape. She told Bravo Insider that the business faced major problems when she took control.
“The business was maxed out in its line of credit, we were getting shut off from vendors, our reputation was horrible, so I brought on a partner I trust completely, and who has the same work ethic and kinda the same goal as I do, and we basically spent the first 12 to 15 months digging ourself out,” she said.
Kristi and her business partner eventually turned the company around.
“We’ve grown the business three times the size it was now,” she added.
Kristi McBee’s Sons Say She Has Been Their ‘Rock’
Kristi does not have an official title at McBee Farm & Cattle Co., but she remains heavily involved in her family’s life.
She shares four sons with Steve: Steven Jr., Jesse McBee, Cole McBee and Brayden McBee. She is also a grandmother to Blair McBee and Summer McBee. Her family will soon grow again, as Cole and Kacie Adkison are expecting their second child.
Cole told Bravo Insider that his mother has helped the family through the difficult changes surrounding his father’s legal situation.
“She’s obviously just awesome,” Cole said. “She’s been our rock through all of this.”
“She’s helped everyone, all me and my brothers, get through this situation with my dad,” he continued. “She’s been there for my dad. She’s been there for all of us. She’s just awesome.”
The McBee brothers also celebrated their mother in a May tribute published on the family’s website.
“On the days we felt defeated, she was the first to remind us who we were. On the days we celebrated wins, she was always the loudest cheerleader – and still is to this day,” they wrote.
“And no matter how chaotic life got — whether we were chasing cows, chasing dreams, or chasing each other — Mom was steady, supportive, and full of faith — something that hasn’t changed over the years.”
The family said Kristi’s role has continued to grow as the next generation of McBees arrives.
“Jesse, Cole, Alli [McBee], and Kacie [Adkison] all have a newfound level of respect (even deeper than before) seeing how mom has stepped up to help in so many ways with the new grand babies,” they wrote.
Steven McBee Jr. Revealed Why His Mom Was Hesitant to Join the Show
Unlike her sons, Kristi keeps a relatively low profile. She does not have a public Instagram account and did not appear on “The McBee Dynasty” until season 2.
Steven Jr. explained in a July 2025 Instagram post that filming did not come naturally to his mother because of her private personality.
“Mom’s always been such a pivotal influence in all of our lives — giving great support, advice, and love…and finally we get to show off this incredible woman to the world,” he wrote.
Steven Jr. said Kristi has always tried to keep her four sons out of trouble.
“She does her best to keep us boys on the straight and narrow (a tough task to say the least),” he continued.
He also acknowledged that joining the family’s reality show pushed his mother outside her comfort zone.
“She’s a very private, introverted person – so filming for the show was without a doubt uncomfortable for her, but we’re all so proud of how she did,” he wrote. “She comes across exactly who she shows up as in our everyday lives – a loving (and maybe slightly overprotective) momma bear.”
Fans can catch Kristi try to tame the chaos when new episodes of “The McBee Dynasty” air Monday nights on Bravo.
