Boss Ladies | Christin Armstrong talks Fearlessness, Redirecting her Business and What She’s Teaching Her Daughters

Christin Armstrong started as a photographer, branding her business as Christin Shoots People and used it as an opportunity to fuel what she really wanted to do. After videos and photos of her daughter Riley Elle were circulating in huge publications like Vibe, Huffington Post, and Ebony Magazine, she created Mocha Kid Magazine where she focuses on empowering, unleashing and glorifying the many physical shades of African American children.​

Photography seems to be a much more common hobby and profession than it was just a few years ago based off of what I see on Instagram and VSCO cam. What made you want to give photography a try and did you know you would be as awesome as you are?

I never thought of being a photographer. I didn’t go to school for it and I never even considered it as a viable source of income. My bachelors degree is in Marketing, so naturally, I figured I needed to find a “marketing” career. I searched and searched for that exact title after I graduated. It wasn’t what I’d expected. More and more, sales seemed like the closest thing to “marketing” so that’s what I did. I sold mattresses. I sold cameras. I was willing to (legally) sale anything and I made great money doing it. Somewhere along the way, I got married and had a couple babies (but not necessarily in that order). Most photographers start off as a “mommy with a camera” and I was no different. I started out photographing my own children and when it was time for me to go back to my job selling cameras, I just said “no”. There was no major thinking involved. I never expected to come as far as I’ve come, but I also never expected to fail. Failure never ever crossed my mind.

Natural hair must hold a big place in your household, when did you realize that natural hair would also play a big part in your business?

My daughter Riley kinda accidentally threw me into the world of natural hair. I loved myself with straight hair, too, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to show my daughter that her kinks were beautiful if I didn’t have any. My hair was extremely tangled one day and I cut it all off out of frustration. That’s where my journey began. I wish I could say that I had a monumental epiphany, but I didn’t. It was just an accident that I happened to like.

What is the most important message that Mocha Kid Magazine represents and why did you feel it necessary to share it with others?

Mocha Kid Magazine aims to instill and boost confidence in kids that look like mine. Every single time I hear the pride that my children have in how they are made, I know that my goal has been fulfilled. Each other child that embraces their hair/skin/confidence is just extra gravy!

How do you balance having a business, a husband and three kids and how important is it to have support from your spouse?

Balance? What’s that? I can say that it’s definitely not my “b-word”. If I have to be honest, I struggle with balance. I have tunnel vision. When I want to make something happen with my photography business, I zone in on it and I make that shit happen. Same with Mocha Kid. Same with my household. Being “great” with all of that simultaneously has never happened. I’m learning more each day what it takes to be disciplined, though. It takes work. Some things are priority. Most things are not. When I have in my head “don’t sweat the small shit”, things always work out so much better for me.

Name what you think 3 must-have characteristics are for any woman who wants to follow her passion and tell us why.

If you want to follow your passion, you absolutely NEED to be fearless. You can’t have reservations about what you want to be. You have to believe in yourself if you expect anyone else to. The second great characteristic you MUST possess  to follow your passion is fearlessness. Yea. FEAR-LESS-NESS. I’ll admit, I’ve doubted myself a few times. That got me nowhere…but when I believed in myself, I got shit done. Period. Number 3: You guessed it: FEARLESS. I can’t say this enough. If you’re scared of failing, don’t follow your passion. If you care what everyone thinks, you’re not totally fearless. If you’re not ready to be told “no” SEVERAL times, you’re not fearless. Forget about everything else and truly think about where you’d be if you didn’t fear anything.

What do you feel the most rewarding part of working for yourself is? What is the most challenging?

I have to say that I have so much respect for ANY woman that is getting it (by “it”, I mean whatever it is that she wants…not necessarily money). My “it’s” are my family. Keon, Baby Keon, Riley and Emory. Those are my rewards. Being able to have my baby climbing on my head every single day while I try to get work done. Being able to drop my kids off at school and pick them up everyday. Being able to decide whether I want to work today or not. Those are my “it’s”. Those are my rewards.

A Believer is the first thing you use to describe yourself in your Instagram bio. Do you feel as though you’re walking in your God-given purpose?

I can honestly say that God has given me a gift that I plan to maximize. This is what I was created for. That’s a good feeling. To know that I was given a gift that I use every. single. day. I have so much work to do, but I try to make Him proud with what He has given me every day.

As a Black woman with two little girls, what values are you teaching them now? What do you hope to instill in them as children that they’ll hold onto for a lifetime?

My daughters are absolutely fearless. They were born with it, and I nurture it. They take what they want. If they fail, they try again. If they get a no, they ask again. Sometimes I shut it down, but most times I realize that it’ll be a great quality for them to have later in life. All of my children are kind-hearted. They all realize how their emotions work and while they know they can’t control other people’s emotions, they know that they can be someone’s light.

In a perfect world, if things were to go exactly how you’d want them to, what would the next 5 years of your life look like?

Listen…I’ve gotta make my life perfect, because I’m the only one that can do that. With that being said, the following is an affirmation: In 5 years, I will have sold my house and bought a Winnebago. I’ll be traveling the country with my family in tow SHOWING them the things they can’t see while sitting in a classroom.

What’s your B Werd and why?

My B Werd is Brave. I’m not the bravest, but my brave-o-meter goes up by the minute. Every day I try to do something I wouldn’t have done the day before and I want to challenge everyone to do the same. I refuse to live a life of regrets.