Ever wonder what it’s like to take your blog and turn it into a business? Wonder no more. That’s exactly what Christina Topacio has done. The Working Wonder has been on a mission to create stories with purpose. “My mission,” she says, “is simple; connect communities and their stories to foundations that amplify them.”
Having been in the storytelling business for over ten years, she helps brands like Nike and Mattel with branding, customer acquisition, and strategy. She’s also the founder of Jig + Saw, which spent two years connecting thousands of women. What can we say? Christina is a bridge. A wonderful working bridge.
Read on to learn more about Christina, her biz, outlook on life, and why she says you need to “maintain the wonder.”
Let's start with the basics. What does the idea of Working Wonder mean to you?
Working wonder feels so grand, feels so other than. But, I’m going to own this moment and say Working Wonder means stepping into my power, she/they are stepping into their power to create action with impact within themselves, their communities, their lives. Not by some magic or spot of luck but rather through the work, the drive.
How has the work you do with businesses and business owners connecting them with their purpose made you feel wonderful?
It creates this really vulnerable experience between the idea and its creator. You become witness to them learning about trust in themselves, understanding their desires to build something of their own. I simply feel honored they allow me into that space, to support and encourage the exploration.
You’ve said that stories are meant to invite, encourage and hit home. How do you go about crafting that perfect story for each brand you work with?
Each brand has a connection point to a particular kind of human. My goal is to find him/her, identify with that person and craft a story that will hit home for them. Like most modern marketers, I focus on a niche rather than targeting the world. You find that there is more of a unison head nod when she/he can relate. I encourage all brands to do some digging, create a story about him/her, give them a name, tell their story, provide their journey. You’ll have an easier time marketing when, for us, Simone (she’s JIG+SAW’s previous marketed human) was in our minds for all our collateral and content.
What is your advice for younger female entrepreneurs struggling to feel their own sense of wonder? Or, those wondering if they're on the right track?
Maintain the wonder. Allow yourself to be on a journey. Try as many things to spark that kind of awe that wonder creates. For me, it came down to people. I needed to be IRL, see their faces, interact, to understand whether or not I was on the right track. DIG IN WOMAN!
"Allow yourself to be on a journey."
How do you aim to empower other women through JIG+SAW?
Women are already in power. We just give you the tools + resources to support that power, help you see it through.
Do you think there is a difference between 'beauty' and feeling 'beautiful?'
There is absolutely a difference and its simply stated in feeling. Beauty is beyond a feeling, it’s a state of mind. It’s this idea that your beauty is exuded through other vessels, not just the physical feeling of beautiful.
What do you hope other women feel about themselves and the concept of "beauty?"
To trust its the truth. If you remove all the influence and say, do what I did and shut down all influences in my internet life to just see myself, you start to see that the beauty reflected is the truth. It’s powerful, it’s hungry, it’s loving and compassionate. I hope women see there’s more to beauty than what you’re looking at. See how beauty shows up in how you love someone, how you care for your pets, how you speak leadership into your jobs, your companies. Find beauty in those moments.
So, speaking of beauty... we all have our own tips and tricks. We recently found out that only 20% of visible skin aging comes from the natural aging process. Mary Kay® TimeWise® Miracle Set 3D™ helps protect your skin against the rest – what else do you incorporate into your beauty and wellness routine to combat the environmental and lifestyle stressors that contribute to premature skin aging?
Getting as much sleep as I can has been a goal since my breakup. I really kind of lost it all and everything fell off. But now, incorporating more care into my daily routine like sleep, like brain dumping, like meditating, I believe all affect premature aging. I’m also a very religious skincare “routinist”. I LOVE my self-care practice of putting on and taking off everything body + face related.
When do you feel the most wonderful?
When I’m loving someone. When I look around and see being loved back. When I’m able to see my purpose showing up. It’s a really great feeling.
Who is a woman you would consider a Working Wonder. Someone you want to give a shoutout to?
So many…
Jess Puccinelli
Kanya Iwana
Chelsea Leifken
Candice Brathwaite
Roshanda Cummings
Elena Hansen
Chrystina Woody Train
Gabriele Almon
Krystal Elaine Scott
Puno Puno
We'll be featuring wonderful women paving the way in their careers as part of our new Working Wonders series with Mary Kay. Check back for more inspiration and wonderful words of wisdom.
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