We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amber Cobbins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amber below.
Amber, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
My mission is simple: I want people to feel beautiful in their own skin. Growing up, I hate it myself. I hated my skin, my hair, my personality, my weight, everything that made me, me, I hated. To top it off, I had eczema. Now only ostracize due to the deep hue complexion of my skin, but also due to different areas of my skin not being even, and being more rough. Eventually time went on, my skin healed from the eczema, but I still internally suffered, the ridicule I faced as a kid and never feeling like I was enough. Due to my sensitive skin, many mainstream corporations, like Bath and Body Works, or even products from Walmart, would bother my skin. I wanted to create something that not only healed my skin, but made me feel beautiful. I wanted to smell good without all the hard chemicals. That’s when Southern Honey Care was born. With my custom product line, I help people with sensitive skin, feel confident in the products that they are using. Our body butter, and body cream, people can be their beautiful, authentic selves without worrying if their skin will be affected negatively.
Amber, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Amber Cobbins. I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. Growing up I’ve always loved art. Anything that allowed me to create, I’d do. Because of that, I studied Mass Communications and Graphic Design in school. Once I graduated, however, I wanted to be more creative in a digital aspect. I begin creating YouTube videos because I didn’t see a lot of women who look like me. I am a highly melanated black woman in America with natural hair. At the time when I started doing YouTube, I did not see a lot of women who looked like me with my hair texture. I figured more people should be online who look like me! So I begin creating YouTube videos being myself. Not worrying if people would like me or if I get teased or what not, I was just authentically me. Thankfully, being bullied in school toughen my skin enough to not be affected by social media backlash that we sometimes face. And I fell in love with the creative process. The idea of creating something out of nothing, and just using your imagination is beautiful to me.
Although I still do YouTube to this day, you can check out my page @theambermaria on Instagram, I begin to expand my passion for creating to creating body care products. Southern Honey Care allowed me to create hands on and use that as an outlet to really trust God in the creative process. To be honest, I don’t even know how I got this far with my formula. So much was happening during the time of me creating it. I remember the night I was solidifying my body cream formula. I have been up all night, trying to figure it out, but by the grace of God Himself, it became real! I finally mastered this formula. I love to create. Whether is creating online or creating something by hand. I am a creative. That is God gift to me.
I want to prove that you can do anything you set your mind to. Every day we wake up and breathe, we have the ability to be the best versions of ourselves. We have the ability to create and imagine and do whatever we need to do to get to the goal. I want to encourage young women if they are being bullied or teased, or they feel like they’re not good enough I want to prove to them and show them that they are good enough. You are worthy of a great life. You are worthy to create. You are worthy to do anything. But you have to put in the work. Faith without works is dead.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I am very quick to mention that I am not a guru, and I am always a student. I have a lot to learn. However, I have been doing content creating and social media for almost 8 years. Any advice I can give someone is to be themselves. Be the authentic version of you. No one can outdo you because there’s only one you. When you try to pretend to be someone else on social media or to anyone, that takes so much energy you’ll be so focused on trying to uphold this fake image that the real you will eventually fade away. People can respect and appreciate your vulnerability and you just being you and not caring what others think! Be the best version of you. Even if that’s scary. Do it scared. Even if you think people won’t like you, so what! We are not made to be liked. We are made to complete a mission whatever calling God has for you that’s your duty to do. Love yourself enough to not hide it.
When it comes to a social media presence, tangible tips would be to be consistent. Don’t be that flaky person because that’s all people and businesses will associate you with. Be the version of you that people want to work with. Next invest in good equipment. I’m a stickler for a good content piece. That means I had to invest in my videos. I did not start off with the best equipment and the best lighting, I had to work my way up to it. I started off with my MacBook Pro then eventually I got a camera and my videos showed. But that’s because I consistently practiced making videos. I consistently taught myself new strategies on how to edit properly. Use what you had to get to where you want to be, but don’t settle for what you have. Remember your goal of mind. Invest in yourself so your videos and you can stand out. Lastly, never be afraid to help out someone. You may think you don’t know a lot about social media, but you’ll be surprised. If you’re on there, enough, you eventually pick up on some tips. Always be willing and helping hand to help out someone else who’s trying to get to the top.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
To be honest, I want to break the generational curse. I know we hear that a lot on social media nowadays, but I really want to do that. A little backstory, I’ve spoken to my mother and my grandmother about our past as far as their parents my mom‘s marriage, etc. My mom told me a story of how my dad started a business but it never 100% took off the way it should’ve. She explained her fault in it and his fault but I saw that as an opportunity to not quit. I know the times in my family, we tend to start things and not finish it. I don’t like that. We have amazing ideas but we don’t 100% see them through.
I later spoke to my grandmother and she told me her story and how it was growing up and what her mom and her aunt had to do to make sure that they had a decent lifestyle. My grandmother is in her 80s and she seen so much. Been able to talk to her was a privilege, but I also hear the regret in her voice at times when she tells stories. Things that she wanted to do better, but didn’t think to do so. I’m not saying I don’t wanna live a life of regret because there are things in life that we will all regret even if you live a “perfect life”. But I want to give it the best thing I got. I want to be able to look back and say I fought to the nail to get to where I want to be. I want to look back and say I listen to God‘s instructions, and it shows. I want to look back and say these are my dreams, and they actually came to fruition. My goal is to break all these curses in my family. That’s why it’s so hard right now. I feel like I’m carrying so much on my back, but it’s privileged to do that. I hope that I can inspire others to do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/AmberMaria
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theambermaria?igsh=NDd5eXE5dTVuOXRu&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ambermcobbins
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-cobbins?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@AmberCobbins?si=NUZVZjYxGg8mYPIL
- Other: Southern Honey Care Info: www.southernhoneycare.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernhoneycare?igsh=aDZ2MmVtNDdraTBp&utm_source=qr
Image Credits
Photos 1-2 (the photos in the brown background) were done by Nico Hopkins. Remaining professional photos done by me, Amber Cobbins