Meet Founder and Owner of The Pink Pill, Christelyn Karazin

Christelyn Karazin has launched a digital empire, helping thousands of black women live their very best lives by taking her prescribed “Pink Pill.” The Pink Pill is a series of online courses specifically created for black women and other women of color. The courses offer an inside track on everything from social and communications skills and etiquette, to visual presentation and tips and techniques for fast-tracking their love lives and careers. Her courses, which include The Pink Pill, The Pink Pill For College, and The Pink Pill For Business, focus on what Karazin refers to as “the more subtle and softer skills,” and have collectively grossed an impressive half-million dollars in revenue since the launch of Karazin’s flagship course in 2018.

Christelyn’s career has not been without its controversy. Her best-selling 2012 book, Swirling, started an overdue conversation about black women expanding their love options and embracing interracial dating, setting off a media firestorm. 

Her popular blog, BeyondBlack&White, has cultivated a massively loyal following where Christelyn never shies away from posting about the most pressing societal issues impacting women of color, with a focus on black women and interracial dating and relationships. 

With Christelyn’s newly launched The Pink Pill For Business course, she shares well-guarded secrets that she says, “Most women of other backgrounds already know, but that absolutely NO ONE ever tells us until it is far too late,” adding that, “So many of us grew up in homes where our mothers and grandmothers were overwhelmed with work and were focused on month-to-month survival. They didn’t have the time to teach us these things, and we have suffered for it. It’s time for us to teach it to each other. That’s The Pink Pill.” 

Women who have taken Karazin’s The Pink Pill online courses are raving about their results and passing the word on to other women, establishing an exclusive secret society for black women. Media personality Omarosa and acclaimed actress Gloria Reuben (ER, Lincoln, Law & Order: SVU) recently gave shoutouts to The Pink Pill on social media, applauding a self-improvement course created specifically for black women. Millionaire Matchmaker, Patti Stanger, recently had Christelyn take over her Instagram and Twitter accounts to launch The Pink Pill For Business, as part of an ongoing social media campaign to amplify melanated voices. 

 

Christina: What is your SwagHer? What makes Christelyn, Christelyn?

Christelyn: I like to say I am the most perfectly imperfect coach and that every mistake I have made in my life, I turn into a teachable moment. I have been fortunate and feel blessed that those teachable moments have resonated with other women. A lot of women identify with me and know that I am just like them. They know they are not alone in their thoughts, their feelings, and their beliefs. I’d like to think I’m the antidote for a lot of gaslighting that black women have experienced, regarding what they can get out of life, their value, and what they are entitled to. 

Christina: Why did you start The Pink Pill?

Christelyn: I started The Pink Pill because of the outpouring of emails and messages I got in reaction to my book, Swirling. In my book, I lay out the reasons why black women should expand their dating options. At first, there was a lot of resistance to my message. But over time, many black women were starting to see their friends, family, and acquaintances find healthy and happy relationships and love with partners of other races and ethnicities, and more and more women become curious about dipping their toe into a wider dating pool. At the same time, I was getting messages from black women saying, “I want to do this, I want to put myself out there and expand my horizons, but I don’t feel confident around men outside of the black community.” There was some trepidation about expanding their social circles, in general, and a feeling of, “Would I even be accepted?” So many of us feel like if we show up as black women, we may not be accepted, just by the very nature of how they show up in the world. With The Pink Pill, I wanted to show black women a different way, give them confidence, and show them that their blackness is not a liability, but an opportunity and a unique distinction. 

Christina: You offer so many great classes, ranging from social skills to business skills. Why was it so important for you to offer these types of courses to women of color? 

Christelyn: Because nobody taught me these things. I had to learn it all by myself through trial and error. I would always think to myself, “God, I wish someone would have told me these things.” Everything I teach women with The Pink Pill courses is what I would have wanted to learn, and in the way that I would have wanted to learn it. 

Christina: Who or what inspires you? 

Christelyn: My BeyondBlack&White and Pink Pill communities inspire me the most. When people tell me that what I have given them has changed their lives and that my advice has moved them and shifted how they view life and caused them to make a sharp U-turn and change how they approach their life, that inspires me. 

Christina: You wrote a book in 2012 titled Swirling. Please tell our readers about your book. Where can they purchase it? 

Christelyn: Swirling is a book that gives black women practical advice about exploring their romantic options in interracial relationships. The book comes from a personal, intimate perspective and addresses significant internal and external conflicts very personally. My book was released in 2012 when many people were not quite as receptive to interracial dating and relationships as they are now. During that time, there was not nearly as much information out there for black women. I wrote Swirling because, as black women, we have the most challenges in dating and love, with the shortage of black men, high divorce rates, and low marriage rates. I wanted to present an alternative and to give hope to black women. Most importantly, I wanted to show black women that they do have choices, there are men who want them, and you just need one good one. Swirling is available on Amazon and all other online book retailers.

Christina: Do you plan on releasing another book in the future? 

Christelyn: It’s always a possibility, but right now, I am focused on The Pink Pill and The Pink Pill For Business. The Pink Pill courses are having such a significant impact on women’s lives, and they allow me to reach women with my words, voice, and physical presence. I’m a coach at heart, so I am loving the platform that the courses are affording me in being able to reach so many women. 

Christina: You have a blog, BeyondBlack&White. What type of content do you post there? 

Christelyn: The BeyondBlack&White blog is a community primarily for black women in interracial relationships, but it is also an empowerment blog where we discuss important social and societal issues that impact black women. 

Christina: OK, so you have The Pink Pill, The Pink Pill For College, and The Pink Pill For Business. On top of that, you have the blog that we discussed above. How do you manage all of this? Do you participate in any type of self-care to help you stay centered and focused? 

Christelyn: Oh, yes! I am devoted to my pilates, yoga, and spa days. I also designate family days where I don’t do anything but focus on my children and my family. I love that I can work from home because if I am tired and overwhelmed, I can shut down for 15 or 20 minutes and take a good old-fashioned nap. Naps are such a rejuvenating thing, and they really recharge me!

Christina: You have become very successful through your businesses and YouTube. Did you ever think you would become this successful when you first started? 

Christelyn: I hoped so! My vision for my brand, as well as the need for my voice, has changed and evolved quite a bit over the years. If you had told me when I published Swirling eight years ago that it would have become what it is today, I would have been shocked. This was a natural evolution that I could never have predicted. One that would not have materialized had I not been immersed in my community, listening to my audience, and creating projects to address their needs and desires. 

Christina: Your business is named after the color pink, and your YouTube channel is full of the color. Is it safe to say that pink is your favorite color? What does that color represent for you? 

Christelyn: Pink is definitely my favorite color. To me, the color pink represents femininity and the power of femininity. There have been studies to suggest that pink has a psychologically calming effect on people. Color is so powerful and has an enormous impact on a person’s emotional state. My point in using the color pink is a statement that there is power in softness. That is what pink represents for me. Pink truly represents divine feminine power, and that is the message of The Pink Pill. 

Christina: What advice would you give to some aspiring women entrepreneurs who are afraid to start? 

Christelyn: If you don’t start now, a year from now, you are going to be right where you are today. You are not going to be worse off for trying, but you will be for not having tried. Also, an entrepreneur must be nimble, coachable, and willing to adapt and adjust. Thirdly, have clear time bound goals about what you want to achieve and check in with yourself and learn to pivot when the market does. 

Christina: Do you have any upcoming events or projects that you would like to share?

Christelyn: The Pink Pill For Business is developing an app so that you can have the course in your back pocket and reference information quickly while you are at work. It will help you in the moment when you are dealing with specific career and workplace issues. 

Christina: Is there anything else you would like to say?

Christelyn: I would tell black women you don’t have to apologize for how you show up in the world. The world is waiting for the best version of you, so give it to them. 

 

Connect with Christelyn:

Website: https://linktr.ee/Christelyn

Instagram: @Christelyn

Twitter: @Christelyn

YouTube: The Pink Pill