What if you never had to "make" content again?

You sit down to post something.
You stare at the blinking cursor.
You wonder if you need a new brand voice, a better camera, or 12 more templates.
Then you close the tab and go back to working on your actual business.

Sound familiar?

For content strategist and fashion founder Marisa Crous, that tension is exactly what she set out to solve, not with more planning, but by flipping the system.

Her game-changing realisation?

This episode of Scrappy Systems is for you if you’re sick of content calendars and just want your work to speak for itself.

The Scrappy Breakdown

Marisa’s system is so simple, most people overlook it: She builds her product in public, and uses every step as a content opportunity.

That means:

• Asking her community what colors they’d actually buy

• Sharing BTS of photo shoots, packaging design, and supplier delays

• DM’ing customers for feedback before production

• Turning customer insight into new product ideas

• Letting her audience shape the content by just… responding to it

No fancy gear. No endless scheduling. No trying to “go viral.”

Instead, her Instagram becomes a living, breathing version of her business, and it sells.

And because it’s real?

It’s sustainable. It grows loyalty. And it doesn't burn her out.

Steal this Strategy

Try this: Turn feedback into content.

Pick one real decision you’re making this week in your business, a product tweak, a price debate, a color swatch.

Then ask your audience what they think:

• Run a poll on Instagram Stories

• Post two photos and say, “Which one would you actually wear/use/book?”

• DM 3 former clients: “Gut check — would this land with you?”

• Record a 15-second video: “We’re debating X vs Y. Help me out?”

Boom. You’ve got engagement and direction, all without “creating content.” Don’t believe me, I tried asking my audience what design they wanted for our upcoming Notion event swag and check out the engagement!

Bonus: Screenshot or record the replies. That’s content too!

Marisa’s Scrappy Stack

Here’s what Marisa’s using behind the scenes to keep it all running:

🗂️ Notion: “It’s where we plan our content monthly and check our engagement reports.”
📱 WhatsApp Groups: “We literally run our business through 4 chat threads, production, launches, everyday comms, and chaos.”
🗓️ Timestamped Calendar: “Not a sexy tool, but it keeps me accountable. I block my day by the hour so I actually execute.”

No AI stack. No fancy CRM. Just tools that match her brain and make work easy.

Flop or Fix

Here’s what came up during the live Q&A, and Marisa’s honest takes:

Q: “I post every day but get no engagement. What am I doing wrong?”
💬 “Ask your people directly. DM 5 folks. Find out what’s useful to them. Stop guessing.”

Q: “How do I start when I don’t know what content pillars I should even have?”
💬 “Look at what others are doing, not to copy, but to spot what feels natural to you. Start with what fits your style, then shape it around what your business actually does.”

Q: “How do influencers just make content all day?”
💬 “It looks random, but it’s curated. They're often repurposing life, and they know what types of content get brand deals. That’s strategy in disguise.”

Watch the FULL podcast here:

Subscribe to our public events calendar to get notifications about our free events.

Create How-to Videos in Seconds with AI

Stop wasting time on repetitive explanations. Guidde’s AI creates stunning video guides in seconds—11x faster.

• Turn boring docs into visual masterpieces

• Save hours with AI-powered automation

• Share or embed your guide anywhere

How it works: Click capture on the browser extension, and Guidde auto-generates step-by-step video guides with visuals, voiceover, and a call to action.

Best part? It’s 100% free.

👉 Download the extension now

How Candid Collab can help you:

If this was forwarded to you, you can subscribe here.