Meet Christina Lyon | Agency CEO, Songwriter & Creative Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christina Lyon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christina, why did you pursue a creative career?
I was always called to do something creative, but finding the right career path hasn’t been easy. Writing was always my passion, but I let fear and stigmas about it not being a dependable or secure field hold me back from pursuing it as a career for a long time.

I didn’t have a choice but to create a career that fostered my creativity. From the time I was legally able to work, I struggled with working for people and had an issue with the hierarchy of roles in a corporate workplace, and while I was a hard worker, every job inevitably ended in me not being able to work with authority figures or handle micromanagement.

Before I started my business, I was a certified optician. I can wear the suit of a conventional career for a few months, but at some point, the ground falls out. It was because my back was against the wall after another failed job that I created my business.

In 2018, I couldn’t get a job and found myself in a tough spot. I decided to try freelance writing, as I had been travel blogging for a few years and had a good portfolio of my own blog posts. I started freelancing as a side hustle while working on my music and creative writing, and it took off. Within the first year, I was able to raise my rates exponentially and found that I couldn’t meet the demand. Not wanting to turn down good work and loyal clients, I scaled the business into a writing agency. What started as a desperate attempt at doing something creative that I actually enjoyed has evolved into a thriving, rewarding, and exciting business.

Being an entrepreneur is fulfilling, but it’s also demanding, especially trying to achieve work-life balance, and not let the demand of being a business owner squash my creativity. I love my job, but my ultimate creative passions are writing fiction stories and being a singer-songwriter. My ideal life is to live in the woods somewhere with a sprawling view where I can write and meander freely immersed in nature while creating stories and songs every day.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My husband and I own Lyon Content, a creative content writing agency providing high-value written content to beauty and lifestyle brands. Building this business hasn’t been easy, and I’ve learned so many lessons along the way. From the onset, I dealt with shady clients who undervalued my work and I had to overcome imposter syndrome when I started experiencing success. But I’m proud of my tenacity and unwillingness to give up in the face of a challenge.

I took a big risk building this business. But I love taking risks and going all in on myself. I’m willing to lose and fail, which I believe is what has made me successful. I built a writing agency from a laptop and determination, at a time when everyone told me I wouldn’t make any money from writing. Now I revel in the freedom it affords me to live a creative and independent lifestyle while pursuing my passions of writing fiction stories, being a singer-songwriter, and traveling. Staying small is safe, until you look back on years gone by not living your truth and regretting not taking more risks. I’m in this life to gobble up experiences and die an old, extraordinary woman (if the fates allow), and I’ll only become that woman by continuing to take leaps of faith in myself and others who I believe in.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ll admit I’m not a city person. I’m much more at ease and myself by the beach or in the mountains. So, if my bestie was visiting, I would take them to our amazing beaches and mountains! We’d go on a drive through Palos Verdes to take in the incredible panoramic views. Then we’d stop for tacos somewhere on the coast, probably La Playita in Hermosa Beach. We would chill on the beach, soak up the sun, and then go to the Lighthouse to enjoy some jazz music in the evening. The next day, we’d head to the mountains, stop at Lake Arrowhead village for lunch or go all the way up to Big Bear and go fishing on the lake.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my husband and business partner, Steve, who endearingly believes I am superwoman and is incredibly supportive of my creative endeavors and ambitions, and to my parents who have always taught me to believe in myself and approach every pursuit with grit and tenacity.

Website: https://lyoncontentagency.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinalyonwrites/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinalyon1/

Image Credits
Kylie Pereira