Showing up as your full self with Charissa Higgins | Ep. 8 Content Magic with Lindsay Smith

In this episode of Content Magic, my friend Charissa Higgins came for a visit! She is a creative brand strategist obsessed with empowering women entrepreneurs. She's sharing her journey into entrepreneurship, her unique view on content and social media and how she balances her creative spirit with strategy. Tune in to discover what it takes to show up authentically and make your mark in the online business world.


00:00 Unplanned creative journey filled with self-doubt.

06:25 Social media strategy feels draining, restrictive.

09:33 Challenging traditional content approach to encourage experimentation.

12:40 Challenged by McKenna, improved skills, complementary personalities.

14:13 McKenna offers strategy; clients benefit from both.

17:42 Finding actionable strategy is the real challenge.


CONNECT WITH CHARISSA!
Instagram: Charissa Higgins
Free Facebook Group: LearnEarnImpact

Lindsay [00:00:03]:
If you have an online business, you're creating content. And the way you create content is more important than ever. It's really noisy out there, and learning to stand out is the only way.

Lindsay [00:00:14]:
Hey, I'm Lindsay, and I'm the host.

Lindsay [00:00:16]:
Of the Content Magic podcast, all about being an entrepreneur and creating kick ass content to market yourself and your business. I have a not so secret superpower for copywriting, marketing, and content, and I've helped hundreds of folks just like you show up with a ton of confidence in the online space. I've been doing this content thing for 20 years, and I believe the real magic is a combo of intuition, creativity, and strategy. You can create content for your business without losing your mind, I promise. So, tune in every week for tangible content tips, inspiring guests, and some real spicy opinions. Probably mine. Ready to dive in? Let's go.

Lindsay [00:00:59]:
Hi, guys. Welcome back to the podcast. And I have another guest for you. So I'm super excited to welcome my friend Carissa. And we met in a networking group a while ago, and then we just immediately hit it off. We have very similar views on content, on parenting that we just chatted about and how to run a business. So welcome, Carissa. Can you tell us where you are and who you are and what you do and who you.

Charisa [00:01:28]:
Oh, all the things. Well, my name, Carissa Higgins. I am from the Mitten state, so, Michigan. I'm holding my hand up like you guys can see me, but I am from Michigan. I am a creative brand strategist, and my biggest mission on this space is to activate more boldness in the creative businesswoman, especially those rising coaches. Like, I want to activate every ounce of boldness and authenticity that you have so that you can boldly share your message. Because as Lindsay and I have talked about before, that is the secret sauce. Understanding you first and understanding what makes you tick and how you serve others is going to create so much fire around what it is you do.

Charisa [00:02:15]:
And it doesn't matter what strategy you're using. It's just like, I am here. This is what I do. You want to follow me? Let's go.

Lindsay [00:02:23]:
Yes. I love that. And I think that's what we have in common, right? Like, we both kind of believe in this idea of showing up like a badass in the online space. So, can you tell us a little bit about your entrepreneurial journey? How did you get to do what you're doing now? And I know you have a business partner. There's two of you. So what led you to this path?

Charisa [00:02:44]:
This sounds so crazy, but it did fall into my lap. It was not in my trajectory. It was not a plan of mine. The one thing that has been constant through my entire life is, one, I'm super creative and I love all the feelies and the pretty things. And two, I have struggled with worth and self confidence and self esteem my entire life. So knowing those two things, I went through life and I was always struggling to use my creative side, but I couldn't use my creative side because I had no worth and I didn't know who I was and I just couldn't show up the way I wanted to. So there's this constant battle on the outside of me and the inside of me. I had kids and I went down, I went into the hole that I've never been in before when I had kids.

Charisa [00:03:31]:
And I know that sounds awful because it's like, oh, you had kids? It's beautiful thing. I lost myself completely. Like, I struggled through life up to that point. And then I lost myself after I had kids and I felt like I needed an outlet. I needed a creative outlet. I craved a creative outlet and I felt like I was just mom and I couldn't use my creative outlet and I couldn't serve the way I really wanted to serve. I just couldn't use my voice to say that. So anyway, fast forward.

Charisa [00:03:57]:
I actually got into the space through network marketing. Like I said, what the hell? Let me just try this thing. And while network marketing was not for me, that's okay. I found this love for branding and using my voice to help others, and it lit me the fuck up. And I was like, okay, wait a second. I can do this and stay at home, and I can use my creativity and I can serve women and I can keep growing and finding my voice and learning how to just totally change how people see life. It was way bigger than me.

Lindsay [00:04:37]:
That's interesting because I feel like a lot of people end up in this space via network marketing. I know a lot of people listening have ended up here. And what you said about having kids, and it was not like this joyful Hallmark movie moment. There's this weird myth that we've seen in movies, like, you have kids and then you're complete and everything's great. And that was also not my experience 100%. I would run in front of a train for my children, but it's not like this fulfilling moment, right? And especially if you've sort of had some sort of journey before having children. Why does it just stop after you have kids anyways? Yeah, I relate to so much of what you're saying, for sure. So I want to talk a little bit about.

Lindsay [00:05:42]:
So here's what I love about how you show up in the online space. One, you're always in my feed and you always have cute hair and, like, cute boots or dancing. And I'm like, right?

Charisa [00:05:56]:
So.

Lindsay [00:05:59]:
You have this energy of transparency about the way you show up, the way you write. It's like you just don't give a shit. You're like, I'm going to say this thing because this is what needs to be said. That wasn't really a question. It was more of a statement. So could we talk a little bit about that? How did you get to this place where you're just like, I'm going to say the thing.

Charisa [00:06:25]:
So I look at social media a little bit different than people. I know there's strategy to social media, and I know there's so many parts of it that you hear, you have to figure out, you got to figure this out. You got to post this time. There's so many strategies that you could learn about social media, and it drains the fuck out of me. I'm a generator and a rebel spirit and a free spirit and a messy action taker, right? So, you know, to be put in boxes and to say, this is what I need to do in order to do this. If it doesn't light me up to do that, I will not do it. It will not be fun to me, and it will become a chore, and I will not do anything in life that feels like a chore. I say no to a lot because it's like, no, I don't want to do it.

Charisa [00:07:14]:
It doesn't do anything for me. So when I look at social media, it is a story. But it's so much more than just that. It is sharing what makes you tick. It's sharing more about you. And what I've discovered is I am so sick. And I actually just wrote a content piece about this. I'm sick of seeing the same carousel post over and over about how to.

Charisa [00:07:41]:
How I got my client from XYZ to this, how I did this, all these strategies and how to carousels. It is the same in my mind. And I was like, okay, I get it, but I don't want that. I don't want my feed to be that. I want it to be something different and interesting. Wow, interesting. I can't say that word. And I wanted to truly speak from me and my brand and my heart.

Charisa [00:08:07]:
So when I look at social media, like you said, I say what I want to say, when I want to say it, I test it. And I'm willing to test it and see how it goes. I cannot be put in a box. It is maybe something that holds me back and might be a reason why it takes me longer to figure things out. Because I refuse to be put in a box and I refuse to do anything that I don't want to do. Now, obviously, in entrepreneurship, there's things that you have to do that you don't necessarily want to do until you can afford to have someone else doing that, right? Like, no, that doesn't line me up. But as far as social media, it is not caring posting what I want to post. And the best part about it is, I have a brand.

Charisa [00:08:51]:
I know my brand. I know what my brand stands for in the movement. So why I might be multifaceted. All of everything I talk about ties back to this. So everything that I talk about isn't random. It all goes back to this. But it gives me the freedom to use my creativity on social media and create this art piece as you scroll through it, like, oh, I didn't know that about her. Oh, that's so cool.

Charisa [00:09:21]:
Oh, she helped her client do this. Oh, that's interesting. It is an art piece to me, and that's how I use it and I have fun with it, and that's how I pull in those people who are like me.

Lindsay [00:09:33]:
Yeah. And I just was on someone else's podcast yesterday, and that's what I was talking about. I'm like, what if you look at content as art? What if it's just like, another form of self expression? Why does it have to have XYZ start here, do this, do this, do this. Right? Why does it have to follow some sort of formula? And what would happen if you experimented and did something a little bit different than you normally do? Like you said, the same carousel post of, like, five tips to which sometimes serve a purpose. Right? And it's so interesting because the idea of being a rebel, I can totally relate to that because sometimes I feel like I don't do stuff because everybody else is doing it and I want to be different. For example, my sister's a wedding photographer, so the times that she's seen Mason jars full of baby's breath at, like, when she got married, she was like, absolutely not, right. So it's kind of like the same idea. Like, sometimes when you're in it, you see it so much and you're just like, I'm going to go over here and do the complete opposite.

Lindsay [00:10:44]:
So sometimes I'm like, is that really serving me, Lindsay? Or are you just trying so hard to be different from everybody else because you just don't want to be samesies? So sometimes I wonder.

Charisa [00:10:58]:
Thing, do you.

Lindsay [00:10:58]:
Have the same thing?

Charisa [00:11:00]:
Oh, my gosh. There's times, that's why I say, like, the rebel spirit has served me so much in my life, but there is times where I'm like, why do you have to be such a rebel? Yes.

Lindsay [00:11:11]:
Just be like everybody else. I know. And then when I think about it, I think about my experience growing up in school and stuff. Even when I met my husband, he was like, don't take this the wrong way, but you're kind of quirky. My whole life, I was always called weird. And I feel like now being a weirdo kind of serves you because you're willing to take a risk and do things a little bit differently.

Charisa [00:11:35]:
Yeah, well, yeah, I think being weird, I tell my girls all the time, you're weird, and that's a beautiful thing. Never change it.

Lindsay [00:11:45]:
Okay, so let's talk about sort of the combination of, and I've talked about this with other guests, too, sort of the combination of, like, I feel like you're a little bit more like me. You're very creative, a little bit woo woo. Know, the ideas come to you at random times. And then there's McKenna, who's would. I don't know, McKenna, but I'm going to say strategic, maybe. Okay, so tell me about this combination, because I feel like my entrepreneurial journey, I've been very good at winging it. Yes, same. So now, right.

Lindsay [00:12:24]:
I've been aligning myself with other people who are very good at spreadsheets and processes and things because I'm realizing that's sort of been lacking. So tell me more about that relationship and how that works.

Charisa [00:12:40]:
Oh, that relationship. Well, one, like I said, I've challenged myself because I watch how McKenna works, and I've not only challenged myself to become better at the things that I don't want to be better at, but it's good to know. It's good to be able to be able to do the spreadsheets and do the back of the house website creating and all the stuff that I'm just like, oh, my gosh, there's so many steps. Like, my brain closes down, but it's forced me to do it. Just watching her do it, it really has. I've come a long way since I've met McKenna. And another thing that has been a blessing in disguise, is when our clients come know she has her brand and I have my brand, even though we have a brand together. So we pull in, she pulls in more of her personality, I pull in more of my personality.

Charisa [00:13:33]:
And it's so good when these clients come in and one is super perfectionist, step by step, because I know I can see that something's in them. They want to be more like me. They want to be able to take that messy action, and they just don't know how physically cannot do it. Right. There's something that stands in the way of people that they physically cannot do it because of some childhood trauma. Right. So I come in and I give them that fire and confidence to start being more on the fly. Like really listening to your intuition and just doing it and being okay with it not being perfect.

Charisa [00:14:13]:
And McKenna gives them the little steps to work toward that, so it works beautiful and vice versa. People who are like me, who need more strategy and step by step to really make it happen, then they come in and McKenna will help them there while I am nurturing that side of them of, okay, I'm ready to use my voice fully and this is what I really want to say. And I work through that with them. But McKenna is still there to be like, okay, if this overwhelms you, we're going to help have you do these steps. So our clients get both, which is amazing. And sometimes they do vibe more with me or vibe more with her. But having the two personalities, it is magic to watch and hear clients like the takeaways from each of our personalities in creating their brand.

Lindsay [00:15:08]:
That's awesome. Yeah. And I love that. And I was just talking about this with another girlfriend. Right. There's a lot of programs out there that are, and I've done them right. The programs that are manifesting and your mindset and whatever, which are great. And I really believe, like, yes, it has to be part of that.

Lindsay [00:15:28]:
You need all of this woo woo stuff, but without the action, you're not going to get anywhere. So you really need to combine the two. And I say this all the time, especially when it comes to content, really, it is a marriage of creativity and those downloads and those really good ideas and the intention and the energy behind what you want to say out there. But you still need, like, the strategy. It's never going to go anywhere. It's always going to be there. Right. And I feel like that's like you can learn it from a book, kind of.

Lindsay [00:15:58]:
Right. Like it's step 1234-451-2344 step 12344. But the creative part, that is like an eight and cannot necessarily be learned. It's more like you have to learn to tune into it more than you can learn it from a book. Right. And that's kind of my feeling on content. It is always going to be the marriage of the two. But when it comes to various platforms, whatever it is, when you say content, people immediately think instagram.

Lindsay [00:16:36]:
People forget, like, oh, email list, podcast, like other stuff. So there's always going to be these trends and stuff. And I think you and I agree that the trends, they're not sustainable. Right. There's always going to be the person. And to be fair, there was a time where I sold or I had like, a free reels thing. I taught people how to make reels, right. And taught you how to do like a lip sync reel.

Lindsay [00:17:10]:
This was like only three years ago, right? But that's not relevant anymore. So I don't give that freebie out anymore because I'm like, okay, well, it's not relevant anymore. Like, reels have already shifted so much. So, yeah, it's tricky because I don't know where I was going with that. It's totally rambling.

Charisa [00:17:26]:
Well, no, I totally agree with that. I think strategy is the simplest thing to learn. It really is. It's so simple to learn. It's what comes before the strategy that allows you to either go forward with the strategy or you're like, screw it. I'm not doing it.

Lindsay [00:17:42]:
Right.

Charisa [00:17:42]:
But the actual strategy is the easiest part. It is finding something that you will actually take action on that works for you, which is the hard part. And that's why, once again, I was put into a box before. This is what I have to do, and this is how I do it. And it didn't work for me. I was like, no, I don't want to do that. But you have to be willing to search for the strategy, which is, like I said, how do I say this? Every coach strategy is exactly the same. You have to talk to people.

Charisa [00:18:24]:
You build trust and authority. You sell like, that is the strategy and you keep them coming back. It is so simple if you think about it. But what stops us, what stops us from doing this simple ass strategy? What stops us from reaching out to someone to say, I love what you're doing? Like, tell me more. The head gains. It's like insane. So if we can get that and figure out what works for you, then you're going to do it every single day.

Lindsay [00:18:56]:
Yeah. And I feel like you really have to figure out what your gift is and just stay in your lane. Like, the amount of times that you get sucked into these little comparison traps, and you're like, well, this person's doing this and this person's doing this, and, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my. Like, you really have to dial into and remember what you're really good at and just keep going in that little space. Krista, it's always lovely to chat with you.

Charisa [00:19:26]:
I know. It's always lovely chatting with you.

Lindsay [00:19:29]:
Where can the people find you?

Charisa [00:19:32]:
Where can they find me? Well, I am on Instagram at Krista Higgins. I'm also over on Facebook, which is actually my first love and still one of my biggest loves. I love serving my Facebook community, and I know people say it's the dinosaur. No, I love. It's easy. Yeah. And I'm a long form content writer, and it just works for me. And I'm like, I love it.

Charisa [00:19:56]:
So I am over there. And then I also have a private group, learn earn impact on Facebook, where we teach brand strategy and teaching you how to show up authentically as yourself and create a brand that embodies who the fuck you are and learn how to articulate that through your content. So that is where you.

Lindsay [00:20:14]:
Okay, so we'll include all that on the show notes. And thank you again for joining us, and we'll see you next time, guys.

Lindsay [00:20:27]:
Thank you so much for listening. If you loved what you heard, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, or share this episode on social media. And don't forget to tag me on Instagram at Lindsay Smith Creative. And if you do all three, I'll be your best friend forever and invite you to all my birthday parties. That's it for today, and I'll see you next time.