More “Cliques” with Krys
Krystal Benson is a Content Strategist, Stylist, and Owner of creative agency, Clique Bait Creative. We likely met in person during a Summer in New York City, but with social media just an engagement away, its great to stay in touch with a lifestyle lived as “crisp” and “creative” as Krystals. Our Women’s History Month series at The Lifestyle NYC considers women who lead their lives on their own terms while staying in the lane that is their calling. Krystal’s lifestyle includes telling stories in positive, effective ways, and it’s a pleasure to have her share her story with us.
When we joined for this interview, she had just finished wrapping up a previous call with a client, while looking forward to the designated “self-care” she carved out for herself on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn, NY. As we discussed the importance of managing your time well, she was reminded of what her current role as Styling Assistant at Brooks Brothers does for her. Being able to balance time efficiently wasn’t something Krystal always had to consider. When she was fresh out of college, she moved to the most beautiful (and boring) Savannah, GA where there wasn’t much to do. “The inspiration in Savannah lasted ten days, and I stayed there 2 years.” Even with a lack of inspiration living in Uninteresting, USA, Krys kept creating. She became Stylist, Creative Director, Model Scout, and Photographer of her own personal creative projects to keep feeding her calling to create. It was only after spending a year as an intern Stylist Assistant in New York City that she realized she could only give her time for something that made her passionate. “You have to be passionate about something to not get paid for it and have someone tell you how to do it.”
Krystal’s love for creating and connecting directed her toward Instagram, where she curated visually pleasing posts and Instagram Stories, ranging from bomb manicures to special projects/events and great outfits. For beginner’s in the content creating game, Krystal says that no Creative should be functioning without Canva because Canva helps create great visuals in very little time. Having the time to produce valuable social content along with knowing how to do it to gain results are some obstacles many new brands face. Krystal’s work on Instastories started her journey to help individuals and other small business tell their stories and have a strong presence online. At the close of 2019, Krystal Benson had an idea that would “take it to another level”, but she knew she couldn’t do it alone.
Having been engaged in imbalanced partnerships before, Krystal is “particular” about her work. She knew she didn’t want to develop an idea with the wrong person. Krystal prayed to God about what to provide in a business partner and what she asked for, she received. Her business partner Raven, is also a Charlotte, NC pearl, who is equally as passionate about sharing stories for brands as Krystal having worked with names like Dusse, Made In America and Axe. With divine coordination, both Raven and Krystal were on the same page about starting a business and they recently celebrated the launch of their creative agency, Clique Bait Creative earlier this month. This Women-led agency offers “clean, crisp, creative content with a strategy that sells.” In order to do this, CBC clients commit to a 3-month retainer. Curating well-crafted content and bringing in real numbers can’t be gained in weekly doses. A short roll out can create too many risks for both the Agency and their clients. Despite the name, Clique Bait Creative Agency is here to stay.
Krystal’s lifestyle is noteworthy, whether you’re focused on where she’s headed or where she’s been. From Charlotte, to Savannah, to New York City, Krystal’s lifestyle doesn’t include giving up or standing still. Her growth as a Stylist has taken her to the heights of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, and her calling as a Strategist has given her a seat at her own table at Clique Bait Creative. When I asked her about the future of her older projects like her blog inspiredbykrys.com, she says it will transition into delivering more lifestyle content giving followers a peek into how it all gets done. It couldn’t be more perfect to me. Ultimately, Krystal cant be stopped! Stay updated with her creative, and entrepreneurial endeavors on Instagram, and dont forget to visit CliqueBaitCreative.com.