Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Fowler.
Christina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my journey into the online business world in 2011 when I opened up an online boutique where I sold hand-distressed & trendy denim shorts to women around the world. This started off as a fun project with one of my close girlfriends and quickly exploded into a successful business. After a few years of building the brand, the trend began to fade and we didn’t have the capital to keep pushing forward. I closed up shop with many lessons under my belt about money management practices, online marketing & branding, and a taste for entrepreneurship that wasn’t going away any time soon.
I floated around for a couple of years, found a job in fashion that I enjoyed, but was still trying out endless ideas to get my foot back into the business world again. By 2016, my next big idea hit me. I decided to start a graphic design studio called By Stina Faye, which is really just a mash-up of my nickname and my middle name. I started small by creating custom Snapchat filters for events and invitations, really just seeing the budding business as a creative outlet at the time. Within a couple of months, I was getting noticed simply by posting on social media and was even featured on a local news segment.
I started feeling the calling to go bigger, I didn’t just want to help people have cute filters & invitations, I wanted to help them create real impact — so I decided to dive into learning about branding & website design. I studied books, took courses, and took action by taking on clients who were willing to trust me to brand their businesses. As a brand & web design studio, my business took off pretty quickly. I spent the next couple of years working with women around the country and even overseas to create brands that reflected the heart & soul of their businesses.
Then the calling to go deeper returned. I had a spiritual awakening that gave me an awareness that while doing all the branding work for women-owned businesses was making an impact, it was pretty surface level. And for the women who desired to create impactful businesses of their own, skipping straight to the logo & website phase without truly getting to know THEMSELVES and the root of the ‘why’ behind their business creation was equivalent to a bandaid solution. I realized I couldn’t help women on the deep level my soul was craving by doing all the work for them. I was being called to guide.
So in 2019, I shifted By Stina Faye services to focus on mentorship. I now guide women on journeys of self-discovery & inner-healing so the outer reflection of their businesses & brands can shine with deep-rooted intention. I’ve also found a lot of freedom in embracing my authentic self and realizing that my business model does not need to look like everyone else’s. I have a lot of fun not being confined to one space as strictly a “branding or business coach” but being free to expand in all the ever-evolving areas I feel pulled towards – like plant medicine, spirituality, meditiation, and intuition.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has not been smooth but it has been paved in jewels, so the bumps are definitely worthwhile. 🙂 Here are some of the biggest struggles I faced:
Being shy & introverted and still finding the courage to let myself be seen.
Burning myself out trying to hustle hard instead of letting my business flow.
Changing my business and constantly worrying if people would think I was insane for doing so.
My best advice for women who are just starting their journey is to allow yourself to go with the flow and have FUN in your business. So often, we come from a world of structure & rigidity and feel like our businesses have to be the same, or that we have to be on a one-track path like we’ve been shown by society. Trying to follow the status quo will put you on a fast track toward unfulfillment and burnout. So many people think that you will find freedom simply by starting a business, but that’s not it either. Your business is the gateway but true freedom is a state of mind and a perspective that you have to create and choose to continually hold. Allow yourself to feel FREE to be whoever you feel called to be, to do whatever you feel called to do, and to create whatever your soul pulls you towards within your business — that’s true freedom.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I am an Intuitive Guide that currently focuses on mentorship for women who are experiencing a spiritual awakening and feeling the calling to start a business. I mentor & support women in following the callings of their souls while navigating their awakening journey. I am also known for my recent work with plant medicine via vibrational remedies such as flower essences & herbal blends. I have a podcast called The Feminine Flow where I blend my background in business & branding with spirituality & lifestyle-based content.
I’m most proud of my willingness to break outside of the box and be that “weird, woo-woo” girl even when it scared the crap out of me to do so. My clients tell me they find me inspiring because I simply flow and do what I feel called to in my business and simply witnessing that gives them permission to do the same.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
I find that in our world today, the biggest barriers to leadership are our own feelings of unworthiness. A lot of women carry trauma, grief, and straight-up fear-based emotions in their energy-field every single day. Some of this is from our upbringing and some are things we are carrying from our ancestral lines. I believe that we are in a very conscious era where we have the choice every single day to create awareness around what holds us back from stepping into the leadership roles that have been destined for us. While we are all on our own unique healing journeys, we have the power to break through any barrier the moment we decide to claim our own worthiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bystinafaye.com
- Email: hello@bystinafaye.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bystinafaye
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/bystinafaye
Image Credit:
Visuals By Kelsi, Jenna Johnson Photos, product shots & flat lays taken by me.
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