Meet Carissa Anderson of Love Rissa in Stone Mountain

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carissa Anderson.

Carissa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always had a passion for helping and encouraging others. However, I did not realize what my potential was until I truly began to own who I am. All throughout my childhood, my mother took amazing care of my hair. She made sure it was healthy and protected all of the time. Then, middle school came and as a result of peer pressure, I decided to start straightening my hair every single week. This process eventually led to damage and me consistently trying to imitate someone I knew I was not meant to be.

I found so much of my worth and value in my hair, and then one day I looked in the mirror and knew something needed to change. I did not like the image that I saw; I was broken and desperately trying to be who the world wanted me to be instead of owning my unique beauty. I prayed one simple prayer that God would use my beauty journey to help encourage and uplift other women who are facing the same insecurities and do not feel confident enough to rock their natural hair with grace and class. Today, I am known on social media as @love.rissa and I plan on expanding my reach one day into an entire beauty empowerment network.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Definitely not! One of the biggest challenges that I have had to face involved showing up for myself. The amount of influencers on Instagram and YouTube can be intimidating. However, I have to remind myself daily that there are women that I am specifically called to impact and I want to make sure that I am showing up as my best self for them. In the beginning of my journey, I struggled to master certain hairstyles and would often go to sleep upset or annoyed with myself. Over the years of doing my hair, I have learned to give myself grace and to keep trying no matter what. Although the road has had many pitfalls, I am so glad to still be standing and full of hope that I will continue to grow.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a beauty and confidence coach that empowers frustrated, faith-based naturals to own their crown and to achieve their ideal look that creates classy, confidence for women in Christ. I am known for having big curly hair, always smiling, and encouraging someone. I am most proud of the fact that I get to share my hair journey while also listening and gleaning from countless other females through digital platforms and in person. I enjoy interviewing and hearing from other women on how they have overcome throughout their journey of owning both their inner and outer beauty.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In the future, I plan on expanding my reach by creating an entire network for women to grow in who they are. This network will be called the Beloved Beauty Network and our vision is to help women of faith foster honest inner and outer beauty to see their true worth, value, and beauty in Christ. I am looking forward to hosting beauty bar network meetups, Zoom natural hair consultations, and offering online courses to help women become what I like to call… curl-rageous!

Contact Info:

• Email: hello.loverissa@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/love.rissa/

Image Credit:
@j.s_captured

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