Today we’d like to introduce you to Avery R. Bethea.
Hi Avery, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
The funny story was I didn’t fall into social media so rapidly. In college, I majored in management information systems (MIS) my freshman year. Everything was…ok, but after seeing the four-year track, I said to myself, “I gotta do math and science ALL DAY??? Be for real because WHAT?!?”. After recognizing I was not going to come for Tim Cook’s throne, I spoke to a professor and took a Meyer’s Briggs-esque test and rated high in Marketing & PR. From there, I switched from MIS to Marketing—best decision I ever made! Around that transition, social media entered my life at a gradual pace during my freshman year at Oakwood University.
The first time I encountered social media was when my roommate and I created a YouTube channel. Using YouTube, we documented our college life struggles, personal lives, and even tried popular, viral challenges we saw online. YouTube was almost like a time capsule of our lives as college students. However, college life constraints made us choose between starting a 10-page paper at 9:37 pm or filming a 100-hot-wings challenge video. Obviously, DropBox won, which resulted in us falling off YouTube (whomp whomp). But the feeling of creating content never left me.
As time moved on, I studied multiple platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and how each platform was unique to its own infrastructure. As I went down the rabbit hole, I wanted to dive deeper and immerse myself in content, so began researching the science behind social media. I studied peak times of when to post and examined the analytics, demographics, and engagement whenever it came to posting. Though I experimented with these apps, I found a LOVE for Instagram; let me tell you! I used Instagram as an outlet to display my personality, tell relatable college topics and funny stories, and interact with my followers and friends.
Experimenting with Instagram influenced me to implement and utilize different tools and games on my Instagram profile. One game I created and integrated on IG was my own version of “Would You Rather.” Ironically, it was for a school assignment but developed into a fun, engaging space for my followers (as well as for myself) to enjoy. It garnered thousands of views and engagement from people I didn’t even know and expanded my profile—I considered this a huge milestone in my pre-content creator career!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to and on social media hasn’t been an easy journey. There have been detours, hazardous ups and downs, destination recalculations, abrupt standstills, sharp turns, and a smooth drive every now and again. I’ve endured high-pressurized internships, being the social events coordinator for my university, to situations in managing conflicts of a boss vs. employee rivalry, you name it. But the paramount event that shook me to my core happened on March 13, 2020, the pandemic — my graduating year of college.
So, here’s a little backstory: during my junior year of college, I had an internship with a company called WeWork, located in Manhattan, New York. This company exposed me to a gratifying lifestyle environmentally, aesthetically, and professionally. WeWork introduced me to the core of managing social events, social media, networking, and all elements of how coordinated influence contributes to the larger picture of Marketing/PR. After my internship, the time came for the anticipation of job offerings, which then leads to preplanning congratulatory parties, long captioned soliloquies waiting to be released from LinkedIn drafts, and the whole works!
I received a surplus of messages from my intern buddies about their offer letters, plans to move to New York just as we had mapped out everything. The day finally came for them when I saw offer letter screenshots, congratulatory messages, and other exciting news updates from them in our group chat. At long last, I finally received the long-anticipated message: “Hi Avery, thank you for choosing WeWork. Unfortunately, we chose a more qualified candidate; thank you for applying!”. I wasn’t even heartbroken; I was heart shattered. I thought I was so close to my dream job that my hard work went unrecognized, and ultimately saw myself as a failure.
Slight commercial break: anyone who knows me knows me, KNOWS that New York is my DREAM residence and life goal period! My all-time favorite show is Friends; I’ve eaten a bagel with cream cheese, and gone to mom-and-pop coffee shops, so that should tell you how deep I’m in when it comes to New York (lol jk). Now back to our regularly scheduled program!
Did I sulk? Absolutely. But I had to make the best of it! To make up for the lapsed days, I decided to DoorDash! Even though I felt like I was at my lowest, my passion for social media never died.
Upon graduating from Oakwood University in 2020, I made the commitment to further my education and enrolled in Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and attain my Master’s in Marketing with an emphasis in Social Media (2023 is the year!). Through prayer and patience, one of the parents from my mom’s school (shout out to the educators!) was looking for a PR/Marketing Coordinator. Long story not so short, I interviewed for the job and was blessed with the opportunity to begin working for Miche Beauty, a premium, handcrafted hair care company that uses clean, simple and high-quality ingredients to make great products that work for all hair types located in Lanham, MD!
Throughout this journey, I had taken for granted opportunities I believed were robbed from me or believed I deserved at that moment. However, in reflection of appreciation and gratitude, I have realized that the same skills I practiced and sharpened, the same inquisitive, passionate Avery that I admired, had positioned me on the path God intended for me. All skills are transferable. Once we accept life’s challenges and surrender our ego, life begins to illustrate and construct who we are and emphasizes opportunities that are greater than ourselves; and I’ll never take that for granted.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In my role as a PR & Influencer Coordinator, I work closely with bloggers, celebrities, and influencers to promote Miche Beauty. Among my responsibilities, I implement content via TikTok, Instagram stories, Reels, and Facebook Lives interchangeably to engage our audience! It’s been two years since my arrival at Miche, and I feel proud of what we have accomplished and the growth of our brand.
As an independent content creator, I specialize in content creation via TikTok and Instagram. Within the past year, I have fallen in love with TikTok as it has been a tremendous boost for my social media presence, follower engagement, and curating a safe space to be authentically and unapologetically myself. My greatest accomplishment so far is getting 1M+ views on a TikTok vlog of my trip to New York. When that TikTok video went viral, I received so many positive comments and even inspired a few people to step outside of their comfort zone. I’m a big advocate for stepping outside of one’s comfort zone, and I love to socialize. So, what better way to promote adventures than to display trips that are economical and travelable?!? A unique trait I implemented in my videos is a “hey friends” catchphrase to make people feel welcome on my page, and I think it’s caught on exceptionally well!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I was born and raised in a Christian household. So, every day I make sure to put God at the forefront of everything I do. To get my day started, I open Our Daily Bread, which is a Christian devotional app I use every day. As I allow God to intercede for all my needs and stressors, I strive to develop a strong foundation that will enable me to Carpe Diem! No matter how good or bad my days are, how stressful or how calm, I always put it all in His hands.
For influencers who are interested in content creation or have established themselves and want to further their brand, I would recommend Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in The Age of Social Media by Brittany Hennessy. This serves as my recreational nourishment and has inspired me in numerous facets: content creation, brand awareness, interpersonal skills, and so much more. It’s a must-read!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/averybwashere?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avery-bethea-b70948190
- Youtube: https://www.tiktok.com/@averybwashere?_t=8bH89xEKrwh&_r=1
- Other: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFYVoQlnX8/emNDW5nCPWdrohwddYRQbw/edit?
Image Credits
Teymi Townsend
Giobenknsy Vildor
