Highlights from the episode:
The power of connection to help growth
The way that fears can linger even after success
How colors and jewelry can help women feel special
What happened when Chrissy started believing
Why work ethic matters the most in the end
Podcast show notes:
Some friendships just stay with you. My guest today, Chrissy Scarsella Harrison, was my big sister in our sorority at James Madison University, and even back then, she had this incredible ability to make everyone feel welcome.
Today, Chrissy is the founder of Elsie Frieda, a colorful jewelry brand that began in her guest room and made its way onto Netflix's Outer Banks and into a Richmond, Virginia storefront. But what I love most about Chrissy's story is how the people in her life helped her build something she didn't always believe she could build.
Chrissy shares how friendships opened doors, how she learned the business by asking questions, and why the hard work only intensified after her brand took off. She also opens up about motherhood, the responsibility she feels toward the people who've supported her, and the confidence she's still learning to embrace.
What You'll Discover:
Why friendship is the foundation of Elsie Frieda (07:58)
How Outer Banks changed Chrissy’s business (13:54)
Why kindness and hustle go hand in hand (20:39)
The fear of letting down the people she loves (25:03)
Finally learning to believe in herself (36:59)
Chrissy reminds us that building something meaningful doesn't happen alone. Sometimes our greatest strength comes from the people who've been cheering us on all along.
If this conversation resonates, subscribe to Things No One Tells You and consider leaving a rating or review. It helps us keep sharing stories like this one.
Connect with CHRISSY SCARSELLA HARRISON
Check out more from Chrissy Scarsella Harrison on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elsiefrieda/
Check out the Elsie Frieda site: https://elsiefrieda.com/
Be sure to subscribe to Things No One Tells You—Lindsay’s podcast all about the real, unfiltered conversations we don’t always have but should. From big names to everyday voices, each episode dives into the moments that shape us. Listen wherever you get your podcasts!
Follow along with Lindsay below!
Full Transcript
[00:00:00] Chrissy: I realize that some things you might not be an expert on, but with that hustle and with that community, you can do it. And I have an eye. I can curate anything, and I can make people feel better than they did when they walked into the store or before they put my jewelry on, or I will make them feel the hottest they've ever felt in their own skin.
[00:00:25] Lindsay: That's the headline. Make you feel the hottest you've ever felt in your own skin. I love it. It's one of those things that you want for everybody.
[00:00:32] Chrissy: You do.
[00:00:34] Lindsay: Welcome, everybody, to a fresh episode of Things No One Tells You. I'm really excited you're here, and I have been waiting a while to share this story, because recently I went to one of my milestone high school reunions.
[00:00:48] And I don't know if you guys have gone to yours, but going into it, I mean, this was a significant milestone. Like, I can't believe I graduated from high school that many years ago. But it was down in northern Virginia, Centreville High School, home of the Wildcats. And I was really pumped to go back.
[00:01:06] I was sort of apprehensive about, okay, how many people are gonna be there? Who am I gonna remember? Is it gonna feel weird? What I have to say is, one of my favorite parts of this whole weekend event was the tour of our high school, because it has been so long since I set foot in my high school. And I know this sounds so cheesy, but the moment we walked inside, I just felt like all this nostalgia, like, came pouring back, and it was wild.
[00:01:32] And it looks kind of different, but kind of the same. And, we're walking by our lockers and remembering the classrooms, and we saw our class mural that we painted. And one thing that struck me was just how, of probably the 30 to 40 people that showed up for that part of the weekend, the tour, everyone sort of had the same level of, like, impact of nostalgia.
[00:01:56] And so it was funny because some of our group, it was like people that you didn't necessarily hang out with every day in high school, but you were still just, like, bonded by this one experience. And what I thought about was, the one thing I wanted to share with my kids after the fact was it is just one other example of why the people that you are with, whether it's in high school, in your workplace, in your day-to-day, at the mailbox, whatever it is, it's the people that really make the difference, The jobs, the things we get to do, the extracurriculars, they're great, but really it is these people, how you treat people, how you interact with people, taking the time to get to know them. I'm just such a believer in that right now. I think it's really important, and it was so cool to reconnect with so many people that I hadn't seen in decades, to hear their stories, but also to just kind of switch right back to that one thread that we have in common that was the shared experience of crazy, amazing, dramatic years of high school.
[00:03:00] So I'm still on a high, and that was that. But so that was high school, and now for this episode, I wanna focus on college. Okay, I went to James Madison University in lovely Harrisonburg, Virginia. I loved my time there at JMU. Go Dukes. They have an amazing football program now. It was sort of like climbing when I was there.
[00:03:20] So anyway, I often think about that. But- here's the story I can't wait for you to hear today. This is really an episode and a conversation that is about friendship. It's about really learning yourself and feeling comfortable in who you are, and it's also about ambition. So one of my friends that I met in college, her name is Chrissy Scarsella.
.[00:03:42] True story, I did a sorority. I rushed to a sorority in my sophomore year, and Chrissy was my big sister. And I'm just gonna be honest, y'all. I am an extroverted introvert. I don't know if you've thought about yourself and what type of personality you have, but I have realized that about myself. I actually am shy, and I had a friend who pointed this out to me and was like, "You know,w that's probably what it is."
[00:04:06] And I realize that I am someone who really enjoys being around people, being outgoing, talking, and doing what I do for a living. But at the end of the day, I think I'm much more, like, just kinda chill. And anyway, I say this because in that setting in college, sometimes I found myself feeling, like, intimidated or kinda quiet in a weird way, and Chrissy was the polar opposite.
[00:04:32] Chrissy Scarsella is such a ball of energy. She is bubbly. Like, in the dictionary, it's a picture of her face. She is always making friends. She would just be talking to everybody, just so kind and wanting to help everyone. Anyway, she really also taught me so much about friendship and about, like, keeping in touch with people, just helping everyone that you can.
[00:04:53] So after college, Chrissy decided that she wanted to sort of dabble in jewelry, and so she started making her own jewelry, and she's got this incredible story about what she named the company, why, about what she started to do, and why she created what she created. And then there was basically a little drop of pixie dust that just happened for Chrissy, and I just wanted to share her story because I think this is such an example of if you have a dream, if you have a passion, if there's something that you just think, "I would really love to try this. It's worth doing the thing.
[00:05:30] And sometimes it is super cool when you just see how the puzzle pieces start to fall into place. So here now is my episode with Chrissy Scarsella Harrison, because she's now married. And I just couldn't wait to get time with her again. This episode really is based on selfishness on my part, because I just wanted to have more time with Chrissy and to introduce all of you in this TNOTY space to one of my friends, Chrissy Scarsella.
[00:05:57] Chrissy, you look amazing, first of all.
[00:05:58] Chrissy: Aw, thank you. So do you.
[00:06:00] Lindsay: Oh, my gosh.
[00:06:00] Chrissy: You look the same as JMU, you.
[00:06:02] Lindsay: You look the same too. It's amazing how we don't change at all. It's great.
[00:06:06] Chrissy: At least not in our eyes, right?
[00:06:08] Lindsay: Not at all. I, but I was really interested after recently talking to Dr. Sue Varma, who is this relationship expert, and she was talking about friendship.
[00:06:18] And it was reminding me of how you helped me, like, navigate through kind of that theme of friendship when I had to do a talk that was for our sorority, Sigma Kappa- James Madison University recently. And it made me just think about, like, how we connect with people, keeping in touch, and how it feels like it's been forever sometimes since I've talked to you.
[00:06:38] But you're just, you're such an energetic light. And ever since you and I connected, I knew. I was like, "I just want people to know your story about who you are, but also what you've done with your business," because it is amazing. And she's wearing her business, right? Can you explain?
[00:06:56] Chrissy: Yeah. Yes. Yeah, Lindsay and I met at JMU, and gosh, we graduated back in 2000, and I also remember that conversation we had.
[00:07:08] And, it was funny because you knew Lindsay back then when I told you when we spoke last, you knew exactly wh- who you wanted to be- Sunny... what you wanted to be. You had said, "Oh, I know what, I w- Katie Couric, I look up to her." And I was like- Yeah ... "Oh gosh, I'm in computer information systems." "I'm in business school.
[00:07:25] I have no clue." And so it took time. It's taken a long time. I'm 49 years old, but I finally believe, like, I- I'm doing what I love, and so that's kind of where I'm at now. I know this is what I'm good at. I did learn a lot of things about business school, but you know, I believe in myself, I believe in business, and I know it's a great thing, and that the foundation is the friendships that I have met along the way.
[00:07:54] I talk to everyone, as I, Yes ... am still the same way. It's true.
[00:07:58] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:07:58] Chrissy: And I'm still friends with my friends from high school, my friends from middle school, my friends from college. Like, these people are the foundation and the community of Elsie Frieda. Every person along the way has helped me.
[00:08:11] Lindsay: Oh, wait.
[00:08:12] Okay. She- I'm laughing because Chrissy's a crier- and I didn't realize that about her, but anyway, that's... So back up for one moment. I- how do you do that? Like, what have... Yes, so here's my observation: ever since I've known you, you are just the person that makes everyone feel so welcome, and you are, like you said, talk to everybody, just so much energy, so fun to be around.
[00:08:40] Bubbly is a word I would use to describe you. But when it comes to all those different groups, how do- this is sort of a pivot for a moment- but I'm just interested in this. How do you make sure to nurture all those different relationships? Are you sending texts to group- no... chats? Are you, what do you do?
[00:08:58] Chrissy: I don't do that, and my friends know. They don't expect that from me. But every maybe 10 texts, I'll respond, and they'll call me, but they'll come see me, and they know I'm there for them as much as they've probably been more for me. I just, you know- I feel like the gift that you can give people is your time, and looking and making them feel, like, you-- they're important to you, which all of my friends are really important to me, even new friends that I make.
[00:09:31] Yeah. And part of Elsie Frieda, the color, everything, it's making people feel confident in their own skin, and shining, not just wearing that black and hiding behind it. But feeling happy, that vibrancy, that bubbly. That's why I started with these colors. Because when the very first people, the very first thing people say about our jewelry is, "Oh, it makes me happy."
[00:09:53] Everyone says, "Where did you get that necklace? It's so bright," and that's how I try to make people feel in my friendships and relationships.
[00:10:01] Lindsay: Oh.
[00:10:02] Chrissy: And that is how Elsie Frieda became who it is. I started making jewelry in my guest room, and a high-end store here found it, and we b- got picked up by the Outerbank Show before it launched.
[00:10:15] And that, we'll get into that, but really, the honest-to-God truth is that I met these three women that found me online, and one was, like, a COO of Nordstrom Jewelry, and she was like, "I love this, but your plating is off. Your packaging is off." She gave me all of her contacts. She did everything just to help me because of that bubbly, personable feeling I guess I gave her.
[00:10:40] I, because I- Wow ... I'm not, I didn't know enough. I wanted to learn. I was a sponge. I don't expect people to think just because I have a sense of style and fashion that I'm a jewelry expert.
[00:10:53] Lindsay: Yeah. But she found you. I mean, that's- yes... that is incredible.
[00:10:58] So wait, so you were creating this jewelry in your, you said, your back room.
[00:11:04] Chrissy: Guest room, yes.
[00:11:05] Lindsay: Start there. Guest room. What happened?
[00:11:06] Chrissy: Okay.
[00:11:07] Lindsay: What.
[00:11:07] Chrissy: So.
[00:11:07] Lindsay: What was going on?
[00:11:08] Chrissy: Well, first, when I graduated from JMU, everyone used to call me Johnny Cash 'cause all I would wear was black. And so I started wearing jewelry. Really? That was- yes. Also Oscar Meyer Wiener 'cause I would make hot dogs at 9:00 in the morning, but that's another story.
[00:11:24] No, but they-
[00:11:25] Lindsay: We'll put that in the show notes.
[00:11:26] Chrissy: We'll put that in the show notes. But anyway, they would call me Johnny Cash because all I would wear was black. And so I decided one day, "Well, you know what? I'm gonna start wearing colorful jewelry." And then I discovered, well, I can make this. I felt like I could make it better, and I did.
[00:11:41] And people started asking and putting orders in. Well, I had a real job and other things, and it became too much. So I put it all away and bundled it up and had two kids, and my husband said one day to me, "Are you ever gonna get back into making that jewelry? You were so good at it." And I said, "No." Well, I went down in the middle of the night once in the basement and pulled all of the beads out, and I stayed up all night making jewelry in my guest room.
[00:12:04] And it became a... It was like beads were everywhere.
[00:12:07] Lindsay: And then I went- What do you think made you do it that night? Do you know?
[00:12:12] Chrissy: I think I needed something for myself besides my family and keeping; I had quit my job, and it was just so, I didn't have any space for myself anymore.
[00:12:28] Lindsay: It was like you had to refi- you had to find that again.
[00:12:31] Chrissy: I'm still finding myself, girl.
[00:12:33] Lindsay: I think we all are.
[00:12:34] Chrissy: Every day I evolve. Right? And I want my boys to see that I have a senior in high school; he's not expected to know the answers.
[00:12:46] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:12:48] Chrissy: He doesn't need to know who he is. I just need him to be a hard worker, a nice person, a good citizen, a good father, a good dad, all the things.
[00:12:56] Those are my goals for him. Not to make a bazillion dollars, but to be successful. That defines me: that I've been successful as a mom and a dad. So I started in the guest room, and I was like, "Oh my gosh, these are cool." So I put them on. I went down to the high-end boutique, and the owner said, "I'll carry your jewelry."
[00:13:16] At the time, it was just Lindsay Fortunato, Marla Aaron, and Elsie Frieda. Yep.
[00:13:24] Lindsay: Oh my God.
[00:13:25] Chrissy: And so, yeah. And then I was like, "Gosh, I don't know how to plate things." And so I just started researching and looking and finding, and I started an Instagram post, and that's how I was discovered by that lady. And then she put me in touch with someone else, and then a big designer for Roxanne Assouline came in and helped me.
[00:13:47] Like, I'm just telling you, this all happened within four or five months. What? And then my... Yes.
[00:13:52] Lindsay: And four or five months?
[00:13:54] Chrissy: And then my sister posted on Facebook, and the costume designer for Dawson's Creek, who ends up being the costume designer of Outer Banks, contacted me and said, "This is the profile for the actress we haven't landed on.
[00:14:08] Send me a stack of bracelets and necklaces." And then the day before they launched, they bought 20 of them. The day before they launched, they said, "You might want to follow Madison Bailey." And that was that. What? I went from one order- crazy... to 150 a day.
[00:14:23] Lindsay: Oh my God. Okay, so-
[00:14:24] Chrissy: And it was during COVID.
[00:14:27] Lindsay: And that was because your sister posted on Instagram?
[00:14:31] So what are the odds that person followed your sister? How did she find-
[00:14:36] Chrissy: She went to high school with my sister. Whoa. My sister hadn't spoken to her in 20 years, but again, that community
.[00:14:43] Lindsay: Oh my gosh, I did not know that part of the story.
[00:14:45] Chrissy: Yes, and- and so it- And- ... like my sister has the same personality, I think.
[00:14:50] I think she has a better one. She's so funny and- But she just,t like, everyone, like, so she's- she sent me a DM, and she's like, "I'm sure you don't remember me, but..."
[00:15:01] Lindsay: So wait a minute. Okay, and then so when that happens- your sister hears from her, and they say, "Send the stack." So what are you feeling at that time?
[00:15:10] What was that emotion like?
[00:15:11] Chrissy: I'm thinking, I'm not even nervous, because I'm so oblivious to the pressure that this was. It was still in my guest room with two of my best friends. I would put it on a clipboard, and I would say, "Six beads here, three beads here," and I would tie 'em up in the end 'cause they couldn't do that part.
[00:15:31] And then I just, it was a bad- a good girl that hung out with the bad boys that loved Rastafarian. That's all I got. That was how I designed the two necklaces. That was all I was told, and they have our signature color in there, and it has a little Rastafarian. She didn't end up being a Rastafarian lover, but they didn't really even have her profile settled either.
[00:15:55] Lindsay: Wow, so they gave you that detail and said, "What would," "create what you think?"
[00:15:59] Chrissy: Yes.
[00:16:01] Lindsay: So then
[00:16:03] Chrissy: She- so then it launched
[00:16:04] Lindsay: Yep ...
[00:16:05] Chrissy: And that became her signature look. We were in Pop Sugar, US Weekly, all sorts of stuff, and I actually DM'd her, and I said, "Hey, do you wanna do a photo shoot?" And she said, "Hey, sure."
[00:16:18] So I went down there randomly, just to Charleston. I just went, and I rented a Vrbo, again, oblivious to anything, and it worked out, and it was great. And then, just that's how the story has gone. Every person at every step has helped me, but it's all the fiber of the community. So-
[00:16:41] Lindsay: And- And it's, okay, it's the fiber of the community, and it's also the way that you navigate it all, and the- Yes
[00:16:49] And it's your authenticity. But, I think that's a really important part, and I'm curious what you would say. Like, what is a thing no one tells you about navigating and leaning into that community when it starts to help raise you up?
[00:17:05] Chrissy: The pressure. Because you asked me earlier, how do you maintain friendships with everyone?
[00:17:14] And the more friends I make, and the more, it's just that more people have helped me. It's not that they have helped me any less, newer friends. And I wanna make sure that I still make everyone else feel as important. It's part of our ethos at Elsie Frieda that, when I first started helping people, I don't know if you remember, Lindsay, I would always like, I would help people with their outfits or-
[00:17:40] Lindsay: Yes
[00:17:40] Chrissy: Their daughters. I- that's just always been my thing. But I used to take people's outfits and try to make them mine. But now what I do is I try to make them their best selves. So that's part of that community and the stress and the evolution of owning your own business and trying to make sure that everyone that you have helped along the way is rising as quickly as you.
[00:18:06] That's why I was m- made sure to bring up Lorena, because she has done a lot
[00:18:14] Lindsay: Tell me, okay, who's Lorena?
[00:18:16] Chrissy: Lorena's my maker, a sample maker, and she makes everything for us, and she's a single mom, and she's so talented, and she's so loyal and wonderful.
[00:18:27] Lindsay: How did you find her?
[00:18:29] Chrissy: I just heard my husband laugh at me.
[00:18:32] Lindsay: 'Cause he sees you crying. He's like- Yes ... Here we go again."
[00:18:37] Chrissy: Cut that out.
[00:18:38] Lindsay: It doesn't take much to get me there with you, so I'm- but I'm glad that one of us is not in the moment. Wait, so how did you find her?
[00:18:48] Chrissy: From the same ladies. The original- Really? The designer- Wow ... from Roxanne; that was her sample maker.
[00:18:57] Lindsay: That's fueling you.
[00:18:58] Okay, so this also reminds me of a conversation with Aliett Buttelman, who created Phase It- the fr- the glitter freckles. And she shared with us that they caught wind of the fact that there was a picture that Taylor Swift was possibly going to be wearing the Phases to a football game, where they knew that she was gonna be photographed.
[00:19:19] And she talked about how she and her small team, literally, like one or two other people, were like, "We need to make the most of this moment. What do we need to do?" So they literally were there with laptops and just, like, the sh- her point was the importance of that level of hustle after the magical moment hits, and needing to be prepped and do the right thing.
[00:19:42] What was your journey with that in your story?
[00:19:46] Chrissy: My journey is I'm still hustling, and I, and, that's-
[00:19:50] Lindsay: It never ends ...
[00:19:51] Chrissy: It never ends. I stay up half the night researching trends, sources, ways to expand the business. Now I have this flagship store, which was a necessity for us because we do drop ship with Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf, and when I see orders coming out of Richmond and they don't know we're here, I've done, I've failed.
[00:20:14] So that's an area where I've needed more hustle. So what, we're in the best part of Richmond now. This, the store- storefront... that was... Yeah, storefront. Yeah. It was here for 47 years, and so when people walk in the door, I want them to feel that Elsie Frieda bubbly magic, but I also have to not only grow the ba- brand and design more; I also have to make sure the store is looking awesome.
[00:20:39] So, the hustle is real, but the way I look at it is, one of the best things you can teach your children, I believe, besides kindness, is hustle.
[00:20:52] Because I don't care what they study, what college they go to; if they're a hustler and they're a kind w- kind person, they've got the magic.
[00:21:01] That's it. That's all you have to do is be nice and hustle. You don't have to be the smartest person in the room, because people will help you. It's those two things. You grind. I mean, it's hard being a mom- yeah... and finding space and making sure that the balls don't drop for your kids. These are little people.
[00:21:21] This is their life.
[00:21:22] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:21:23] Chrissy: And y- they're watching us.
[00:21:26] Lindsay: You forget that sometimes; you do. Like, I forget. I'm like, "Oh, right, they observe," and they observe so much more than sometimes I think.
[00:21:35] Okay, so h- what does, how do you define hustle? Like, what does hustle look like for you?
[00:21:42] Chrissy: Hustle means I'm looking to the next thing.
[00:21:45] Lindsay: I'm trying to stay one step ahead.
[00:21:47] Chrissy: Yes...
[00:21:48] Lindsay: Type deal?
[00:21:49] Chrissy: And, working the hardest I can. Some days I work harder than others, but lazy- my grandmother Elsie Freda told me the worst thing someone can tell you is that you're unkind, but very close behind is laziness.
[00:22:10] If you tell me my son is lazy, I will be very upset, 'cause I want them to be hard workers. They don't have to be straight A students. They just need- yeah... to do their best. And I don't want them to feel pressure, but I want them to hustle. And what hustle means to me here is to do so much that, in the end, when I'm standing in front of Elsie Freda, and we're done, the people that have grown this are successful.
[00:22:38] Lindsay: Hey.
[00:22:39] Chrissy: There- not just me
[00:22:41] Lindsay: What have ... Oh, God, five million questions. Tell me about the name. W- so why did you choose to name the brand after your grandma, and how did that come to you?
[00:22:48] Chrissy: My mom is an only child. My sister and I are her only grandchildren. Elsie Frieda, her parents were immigrants from Germany. They started a chocolate factory in Philadelphia.
[00:22:57] They were chocolatiers, and she and her brother worked there their entire childhood. It was family first, hard work, and kindness. And then she became very successful in her own right. She has a monument on a golf course. She was one of the first women to graduate from Temple. Whoa. She looked like Katharine Hepburn and was very cutting-edge in her thoughts, like Katharine Hepburn as well.
[00:23:20] One of the funny things that a lot of people know is one of the things she used to always tell me is, "You need to go south." You know what that meant?
[00:23:29] Lindsay: Nope.
[00:23:29] Chrissy: You have your separate bank account for yourself in case you ever have to go south. Like get rid of your husband. It's just like back then, though, in the '60s, you know how advanced that thinking was?
[00:23:41] Lindsay: Yeah, well, like my grandma always used to say she would always keep some mad money. Same. And her mad money, it was just money that she had that she would- yeah... sometimes she'd pull it out and give it to us and some- but we knew, and that was her way of saying I knew that she had that stored away to have some fun.
[00:23:56] Chrissy: Yes.
[00:23:56] Lindsay: I, ugh, that's awesome.
[00:23:58] Chrissy: Yeah.
[00:23:59] Lindsay: That.
[00:23:59] Chrissy: And she was very stylish, too. So it was just the whole thing. Very intelligent.
[00:24:05] Lindsay: That's where you get your moxie.
[00:24:07] Chrissy: Yeah, hopefully. Yeah. And your hustle. My mom's kinda the same way, but…
[00:24:11] Lindsay: Wait, what is, have your kids, what have they said to you about what they see you doing that has meant something to you?
[00:24:19] Chrissy: Sometimes it's positive, and sometimes it's negative. They're boys, and they're extremely supportive and proud of me. I think at times, especially with the younger one, when he was in third and fourth grade, I think he was a little jealous of it sometimes, but he's so proud. I found out he had talked about who his mom was, and he got offended that someone else in his little school said that their mom was a jewelry designer.
[00:24:46] So they're very proud. And I think having your own business and creating and designing and hustling and doing all those things is just the best lesson you can teach your children.
[00:25:01] Lindsay: That's awesome.
[00:25:02] Chrissy: One of the best.
[00:25:03] Lindsay: You mentioned fear being something that you kind of deal with.
[00:25:09] How so?
[00:25:15] Chrissy: It's part of the hustle, but it's also that I live in fear that I have all these people that have helped me, and I wanna return the favor, so I don't wanna ever disappoint my two boys, my husband, my parents, the two girls that have worked here from the guest room. They're still here in the office.
[00:25:35] One's now in Norfolk. She's a third.
[00:25:37] Lindsay: Are they employees, or friends? Or who are they?
[00:25:39] Chrissy: They're all friends.
[00:25:41] Lindsay: And they're not employees. They're all my friends. Are they employees?
[00:25:43] Chrissy: Yeah, they're employees. Oh. And they're the only ones that work here. They run this business like it's theirs. See what I mean?
[00:25:52] It's real.
[00:25:54] Lindsay: It's awesome.
[00:25:55] Chrissy: It's a community here. Like, I have elderly people who walk into the store that just come in just to say hi now.
[00:26:02] Lindsay: I love it.
[00:26:03] Chrissy: Yes. So that's it.
[00:26:04] Lindsay: I really, I, have, my eyes have been so open to that, and I don't know if it's age, or if it's experiences, or when I started my new b- gig that I've been doing with CBS Sports HQ, what I see now- Congrats.
[00:26:19] Thank you. And I'm just saying that because it was, I kinda felt like it was me going back for a 2.0 situation because- I am much more; I want to feel the community, and I wanna- enjoy the people. Like, really, the people I work with are so... Truly, when people are like, "Hey, how's it going?"
[00:26:41] It's like the first thing I lead with is that they are just amazing people to work with. Like they're- happy. They're- I mean, I've- everybody has a bad day some days, but like, they're just, they're happy, they're excited, they're great at what they do, and they're learning. And it's like, there's so much in that.
[00:26:56] And I think a thing no one tells you early on in your career for me is like, you, I was hustling so much and on this, like, conveyor belt of you've gotta move every two years in this industry, or you're not succeeding. You've gotta get to the next thing. What's this? What's that? No, I have to work. I can't do anything else.
[00:27:15] That, like, truly that was the priority. And so isn't it special when it's like you kind of have the release of still driving towards something but realizing that it's, that's really not what it's about at all?
[00:27:28] Chrissy: Right.
[00:27:29] Lindsay: Right? Or is that just really,
[00:27:31] Chrissy: No ... right. But I think that you don't realize the impact that you've had on other people as well, because what I said back in college, like, if anybody ever asks me about you, which, I mean, if, for some reason, they know, it's just you're very genuine.
[00:27:49] Aw. And, like- thank you ... genuine people, people trust them, and I'm very careful, and one thing that I tried when I've built this business: everyone believed in me, and I didn't believe in myself. And now I believe in myself, but my mom always told me, "Never be a taker, be a giver."
[00:28:15] And at times I wish I had maybe taken some opportunities in the earlier days that people wanted to give me, but I was so paranoid that they would think that I wasn't being genuine like you are.
[00:28:31] Lindsay: Really? Like what kinds of things?
[00:28:33] Chrissy: Just, how can I help you? I had, I don't know if you know the influencer Shop Dot with Caroline.
[00:28:42] Lindsay: Okay.
[00:28:43] Chrissy: Yeah. She was... She went... She- she's a good example, like, of a genuine person. Like, I met her when she only had 100,000 followers, and she still will reach out to me. She still goes on the website and buys things. She knows I'd send them to her for free. She has a million followers. Yeah. As soon as she posts, it's like our website goes crazy.
[00:29:05] So, but she didn't forget who she was, and nor have you, and nor do I ever wanna forget who I am. And so that's part of the fear as well. Don't forget the people that got you here. Don't forget who you are, and you have to keep, but you do need to take opportunities. When friends wanna help you, let them help you.
[00:29:26] Lindsay: Yeah. And sometimes I think a hard part with that is, like, if you don't know exactly the avenue that they- "I don't know what to tell you about how to help me," but yes, maybe it's just asking the question. I actually just came last night. I was with my husband, who got an award in Columbia, South Carolina, where he's from.
[00:29:43] And the award was, it's a new inaugural year for this award. It's called the Ripple Award. So they- they're giving it to a handful of people that they feel are from that area, have achieved a level of success, but that continue to give back and also just, like, share recognition of where they're from.
[00:30:01] Which is really sort of also what you're saying. It's both, like, in friends, but also geographically. Like, thinking, like, your hometown's your hometown. Those are also the people that helped shape and mold you, and I think that's a real- it's made me think a lot about that.
[00:30:15] Which is-
[00:30:16] Chrissy: And you know how you always do the relationship back to sports
[00:30:21] Lindsay: Yes
[00:30:22] Chrissy: My husband always- love it... says to Max or David, who are my sons, "When you score or when someone else scores, the first thing I notice isn't who scored, but the positive touches." So if someone scores at a crucial moment and your whole team isn't swarming them, they're not really that part of that community.
[00:30:43] There's a, there's-
[00:30:45] Lindsay: Right
[00:30:45] Chrissy: And so it goes across everything,
[00:30:49] Lindsay: Yeah, it really does. It really does. I mean, it's why teams that don't have any business making it all the way to the World Series might, if they have a certain level of chemistry that hits at the right time. Yes, I freely believe in that.
[00:31:04] These, so I'm just gonna show them off 'cause I love them. These are Elsie Friede. What are they called?
[00:31:09] Chrissy: The Anguilla hoops, yes. So we buy all of our beads from two women in Ghana, and they're made in the markets of Mali and Nigeria, but we buy them in Ghana. And so I go on in the middle of the night and I pick, on WhatsApp, and I pick, I go with a woman or another woman and we, source and I look at the beads.
[00:31:27] But I only use the beads that are available in the market. So the color, the magic is where I move the color or if I add other sources or other substances in the necklaces or the earrings or the bracelets. And so, again, color makes you happy, and I also like to use beads that already exist.
[00:31:49] So we don't get those made, like, for us. I just buy what's existing in the market.
[00:31:55] Lindsay: And so, and the woman that you have been working with is the one that puts them together and does the beading?
[00:32:00] Chrissy: No. So I just source those from Africa, and then the woman that puts them together is in Connecticut.
[00:32:08] Lindsay: That's amazing.
[00:32:09] So what was it like when you saw your jewelry on Outer Banks for the first time?
[00:32:17] Chrissy: Lindsay, this is really crazy you're asking this, because my husband always says, "When are you going to realize that these things are cool?" like- ... they've been on, we've had them on Lindsay Vaughn, they've been in a Gucci ad, they were on Viola Davis for her big Oprah, like, we've had tons of celebrities wear them, and he's like, "Why don't you post about that? Why isn't this..." I don't know. I, I don't. I just am always thinking to myself, "Is this real? Is this really real?" And it is. And so, being in Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf's, that's cool too. We've... It's just, I don't know.
[00:32:59] I'm always trying to improve and do better, and part of that, I'm doing the fine collection because, if you know me well enough, you know about fashion, but it's the same with a house for me. If you asked me, "Help me find a chandelier for your hallway," I'm gonna search high and low and curate something that's old. It might be from the '70s or '80s, but I don't...
[00:33:27] I want pieces to be special. And everything should have history when you buy it. It, you shouldn't; I, that's what I believe. And the craftsmanship, and then I just like, whatever your favorite thing is, then we build your collection around that, and then you add the color to it. The high and the low.
[00:33:48] That's your outfit. So you could have all black on, all- I wear all jeans all the time, always have-, and then that's your pop. And people should wear more color and make... I mean, if you wear a blue cashmere sweater, you're gonna get way more compliments than if you had a black one, sweater on, 'cause you have blue eyes.
[00:34:06] It brings out your face.
[00:34:08] Lindsay: Thank you. Just a little tutorial for me. Do you, wait, do you do jean on jean all the time?
[00:34:13] Chrissy: I mean.
[00:34:13] Lindsay: Is that what you're saying?
[00:34:13] Chrissy: 24/7.
[00:34:15] Lindsay: Blue on blue?
[00:34:17] Chrissy: Yes. I've been do-
[00:34:18] Lindsay: Tell me-
[00:34:19] Chrissy: I've been doing this for years, though ... What's acceptable? For, w- I, in college, I would wear jean jackets, and nobody would.
[00:34:26] Lindsay: And you also always popped your collar.
[00:34:29] Chrissy: I still do.
[00:34:29] Lindsay: And I know. It is, it- It's my thing ... yes. So wait. So what, tell, what is with your eye, like for real? 'Cause I try to stack denim on denim- and I look like I came out of a crayon box. Like, it's not good. What do you do, how do you do it?
[00:34:45] Chrissy: You just do either different colors, different washes, put a belt on to separate if they're too close, put a long necklace on.
[00:34:53] I mean, you gotta rock it, though. You gotta believe it.
[00:34:57] Lindsay: Right.
[00:34:58] Chrissy: I would love to come to you. Okay. Do your little outfits.
[00:35:02] Lindsay: I would love that. I would love that. Yeah. And we'll go visit your jewelry maker. Yes. And, yes. No, for sure. Yes. This is ama- I'm so excited too for the Fine, for that line, because I love resurrecting the old and incorporating the new.
[00:35:16] I think that's amazing. I love interior design, but also for jewelry. Yes. I think that's amazing.
[00:35:22] Chrissy: I like special things. Special takes time.
[00:35:24] Lindsay: Things with a story.
[00:35:25] Chrissy: Things with a story. Yeah. I mean, my jewelry takes time to make. My fringe necklace takes an hour and a half to make. It's special.
[00:35:34] I mean, we didn't just put it in a factory and whip it out. It actually is handcrafted with the beads somewhere hidden in there, the record beads from Africa. And then you put on your special fine piece. Maybe it was your grandmother's; she loved acorns, and I found you a vinaigrette acorn, and you wear it around your neck 'cause your grandmother loved...
[00:35:54] Whatever. But that is how you feel special and tell a story about yourself, and that's what you pass down to your children, not jewelry that you bought in a magazine or on Instagram or at Neiman Marcus or wherever. I mean, you want something that has history. That's what I feel like.
[00:36:14] Lindsay: I love that.
[00:36:15] When you think back about just where you started, like, what goes through your mind?
[00:36:21] Chrissy: I'm happy.
[00:36:26] Lindsay: I love it.
[00:36:27] Chrissy: Happy.
[00:36:27] Lindsay: What
[00:36:32] What makes you the happiest?
[00:36:34] Chrissy: Well, I spoke to Kelly Draglin yesterday,y and she said time- ohh ... she said-
[00:36:39] Lindsay: Kelly is an old friend ...
[00:36:41] Chrissy: She said-
[00:36:41] Lindsay: What'd she say?
[00:36:42] Chrissy: She said, "I'm just..." She calls me mate, like a roommate. She's like, "Mate, I've just..." In all the years, she's like, "I've just, I've admired your fashion and everything.
[00:36:50] Anything you tell me, I've always done, but now you actually believe it, and you sound so happy."
[00:36:59] Lindsay: What took it, what, what took you getting there? What did you do, how did you do it? How did you get to finally believing?
[00:37:07] Chrissy: I don't know, because everyone, I feel like, that's been in my corner, which is a lot of people, have believed in me.
[00:37:13] I don't know. I've realized that some things you might not be an expert on, but with that hustle and with that community, you can do it. And I have an eye. I can curate anything, and I can make people feel better than they did when they walked in this door or before they put my jewelry on, or I will make them feel the hottest they've ever felt in their own skin.
[00:37:43] Lindsay: That's the headline, "Make you feel the hottest you've ever felt in your own skin."
[00:37:48] I love it. It's one of those things that you want for everybody.
[00:37:51] Chrissy: You do.
[00:37:52] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:37:53] Chrissy: And like- A couple- ... I'm old enough to realize that women really should support women. And- when people use that as a tagline, I would say 99.9% of people have supported me, but the ones that haven't, I mean, very few, I don't care.
[00:38:15] I don't wish them any harm. I wish them success, too. They just haven't gotten to that point that you just asked me about, believing in themselves, or they wouldn't be putting other women down.
[00:38:27] Lindsay: I also think something you touched on that rang a bell for me was the time when you said in the beginning just that you believe that it's so important to give people time, and I think that's something at this point in life for me that is like a, it's a real struggle, like, to...
[00:38:44] And I know part of that is needing to say no a little bit more and all that, and like focusing on the thing. But I think about that a lot, too, and just how to do... And so when I think about your hustle, but also how I know that you're an extremely present wife, mom, have... Are there tricks of the trade for you that you've found to help yourself find the time and then be present in that time, whatever those circumstances are?
[00:39:10] Chrissy: I have a... definitely go to pick up every day for my seventh grader. He needs me to pick him up from school. He needs me. He says he doesn't, but we talk about things. I make sure that's his time with me. I mean, now and then, if I have to travel, my husband will help me, or his grandmother.
[00:39:27] But you know, my number one role is to be there, mom. I was put on this earth for that. All this other stuff is the cherry on top. I believe in family, and my friends are family. I'm an Italian from an Italian family, and you do anything for your friends or family. That's the end of the story.
[00:39:52] And so when my friends call me, if I haven't spoken or responded on text, if they need me, if you need me, I would fly up right then, no pr- questions asked. And that is you, you- hopefully your friends- if you can't call them or talk to them, they're not holding grudges, because you're running your own empire, you've got two little people, and your husband needs you, too.
[00:40:16] And your mom and dad and brother and your grandma, everyone. They all need us a little bit. But you know, I probably should spend more time with certain people; I try.
[00:40:33] Lindsay: I mean, I think you're ... I love that you said that about pickup. I think, and if you have tricks for getting them to talk to you in the car, I'm all ears on that too, 'cause I do the same thing, and it's funny.
[00:40:43] Sometimes I'll try different tactics- that I'll, like, see whether it's on Instagram or someone will say but yeah, and some days it's a lot of chatter, and some days- it's not. And that's okay.
[00:40:54] Chrissy: Well, boys, I've learned, boys, they need to talk to you, little boys. When, once they hit their teenage years, the question of how was school, they...
[00:41:08] You just don't say anything in the car, and then they'll start talking. But it's really hard for someone like me to not ask questions. "How was your math test?" They don't wanna know that. They don't want these questions. But you know, it's funny, because-
[00:41:22] Lindsay: I didn't realize how much I was doing that.
[00:41:25] No, I didn't realize how much I was doing that, and then when he wasn't answering, I was like, "Oh."
[00:41:30] It was like- a barrage of questions. What were you gonna say?
[00:41:32] Chrissy: Well, boys, which I was telling Ashley earlier, 'cause she has all girls, they're just so different. I mean, they're just so simple with their thoughts, and they are not as mature.
[00:41:47] My boys are mature for their age. I mean, they're not immature. But they're, compared to go- girls, they just, they make a mistake; they might need to make it two or three times before they think, "Oh, I shouldn't do that anymore." And we expect them- yes... to just know that, and they don't. But I love having boys
.[00:42:07] Lindsay: Yeah.
[00:42:08] It's funny. Yes, they're so different, and they are very sweet and amazing humans. All right, one thing we love to ask everybody on TNOTY is: what is the one thing you can't live without?
[00:42:20] Chrissy: My family.
[00:42:22] Lindsay: Do you guys do dinner every night? Are you like, what's your vibe?
[00:42:28] Chrissy: No. We try. I make sure we have dinner.
[00:42:33] Let's do it that way, okay? I love it. I have a teenage boy that's in 12th grade that plays soccer all the time. He's an endlessly hungry fella. So sometimes I might get a text, "What's for dinner?" before a game. Like, that means I need a pre-dinner at home before the real dinner. They're proud of me.
[00:42:56] You asked me that question, and I thought of a funny story. I did this Instagram post, and all I got from the sophomore in high school who's not allowed to have a phone is, "Take it down." Not, " Take your Instagram post down; just take it down. Because I'm in the limelight, and you asked me earlier, about family and fears, like, I don't wanna embarrass them either in regards to being too much on Instagram or too little.
[00:43:29] It's a hard balance
[00:43:33] Lindsay: What did they... Were they in it, or was it just something that you were saying?
[00:43:37] Chrissy: No ... alone? I, it was just, I had crazy music on, and I was doing something Chrissy-ish, being crazy. Yeah, no, I mean, I don't ever put them on my public account, not because I wouldn't want to, but because they don't wanna be on it.
[00:43:53] I'm not scared to put on their faces. Yeah. I just, they don't want to be there.
[00:44:00] Lindsay: There's a definite time that it's like, yeah, that you definitely have to really take stock in that- for sure. I totally get that. I think we're close to it, and I also, I keep having just this little clock in my head because I just know, and I know you're there.
[00:44:14] You've got one that's graduating this year, and it's like, everyone says it goes so fast, and then you hit like 12 and 13, and it's, I, don't, I'm like, "Okay, now you can count kind of what you've got left in this little- Yeah ... it's, it's amazing. I don't even have a point to what I'm saying except that I find, you know how like you can fall into a m- into a million pieces, like I, it takes nothing to have me be like-
[00:44:39] Chrissy: Yes.
[00:44:41] Lindsay: Such fragile time.
[00:44:42] Chrissy: Well, I think I told my husband we have about eight months left to do all the teaching that we've ever wanted or guiding for this 12th grader, this wonderful human I have left. Like, once he leaves the house, like, did I teach him enough? Did I show him enough?
[00:45:01] Did I love him enough? Did I give him enough time? Those are f- that's a fear.
[00:45:07] Lindsay: Oh.
[00:45:09] Chrissy: I know.
[00:45:10] Lindsay: I know you did. And he- and hopefully he'll get where he's going, and he's gonna meet friends.
[00:45:16] Chrissy: Yes...
[00:45:17] Lindsay: Like you.
[00:45:17] Chrissy: Hopefully. Thank you. And you.
[00:45:20] Lindsay: That's awesome.
[00:45:21] Chrissy: Well, you're a big- all right ... a big influencer in the world of JMU, and so we love to brag about you.
[00:45:31] Lindsay: Thank you.
[00:45:32] Oh, I love it. I try to send everybody there.
[00:45:34] Chrissy: I went to a soccer tournament there two weekends ago, and I haven't been there in forever, for David. And I was telling all the parents that were with me, and there were, like, three or four that also went to JMU, and I was like, "This is, like, literally the greatest place on earth."
[00:45:51] Like, oh my God- yes... like, I forgot. Like, it was, like, a beautiful day. The Blue Ridge Mountains were in the background of the field. And I told my husband, I said, "Don't say anything to David, 'cause he'll try to choose the opposite." So he came home, and he goes, "Bro, why didn't you tell me JMU was so cool?"
[00:46:10] Yes. Really? It's so cool. It's so cool.
[00:46:15] Lindsay: Yeah. I mean, it is definit- it's special. Yeah. It is special.
[00:46:19] Chrissy: Well, we're special.
[00:46:20] Lindsay: I love it.
[00:46:21] All right. Yeah. That is true. Also, I love that when I was looking at your website, I saw that you've got the fine line that's coming out, but the game day stuff, I think that's amazing.
[00:46:33] And in my opinion, it's like, it's such an easy thing to wear to show your support, but they're beautiful. Yes. They're kind of similar to this. Yes. Right? Yeah. So tell me more about what that is.
[00:46:42] Chrissy: So we have really small sizes, Huggies, and then that size, and then one size below that. But we will customize anything: any colors, any schools, sororities, high schools.
[00:46:55] I mean, it's just so fun to have them even at soccer games and for high school. I mean, everyone- we went to a big tournament in San Diego, and someone from Atlanta said, "Where did you guys get all your earrings?" It's a thing. You look at, like, a group, you're fun, it's spirit, and it's like, they're not cheesy-looking.
[00:47:14] They're cute. You would wear them, generally speaking.
[00:47:18] Lindsay: And by the way, right, you would wear them- right... just in regular life-
[00:47:21] Chrissy: Yeah ...
[00:47:21] Lindsay: And not at the games. I love it.
[00:47:23] Chrissy: Yeah.
[00:47:23] Lindsay: Okay. So people go on, so if they want a custom-
[00:47:25] Chrissy: Or send us a DM- Get their custom school ... and we can make even more. We can send you pictures.
[00:47:30] We like special things, so if you want something special, just send us a DM, and we will be happy to customize anything for your school or yourself.
[00:47:41] Lindsay: Awesome. Are there any big pie-in-the-sky dreams that you have besides this new line coming out?
[00:47:49] Chrissy: I wanna become a household name, a lifestyle brand
[00:47:56] Lindsay: Yeah. Okay. Like?
[00:48:01] Chrissy: Like, I like Kendra Scott's story. I like that she evolved. I don't know if she started with hats. Yeah, I did not ... and she ended up where she is. But I watch a lot of Shark Tank. I like Shark Tank. And I just, like, again- yeah.
[00:48:22] Lindsay: Shocker.
[00:48:24] Chrissy: I want people to hear the word Elsie Frieda and think of confidence, community, kindness, and fun.
[00:48:33] Like, you want to wear it, and that's what I want it to be known as.
[00:48:38] Lindsay: I am so proud of you.
[00:48:41] Chrissy: Thank you.
[00:48:41] Lindsay: You're the best.
[00:48:42] Chrissy: Thank you.
[00:48:43] Lindsay: Congrats on everything.
[00:48:43] Chrissy: Yeah.
[00:48:43] Lindsay: Thank you. After you've hung out with Chrissy sometimes, you just feel like you've run a marathon. I mean, she is so inspiring. She is so energetic. I love her, and she hasn't lost a step.
[00:48:53] I just, I'm so floored and just blown away by what she's done because that was a side of her that I knew about her styling- I knew that- but this, this creativity, the creation of this amazing line, I just can't wait to see what she does next. So I'm super pumped for Chrissy. And if you enjoyed this podcast episode, please do all the things: like, subscribe, rate, review.
[00:49:17] The best thing is to share this episode with a friend. We would love it. We really appreciate you being here on Things No One Tells You. From our entire team and me, thank you for being a part of this community, and we'll see you right here next time.
