We were lucky to catch up with Amber Williams recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?

I started my “As-I-Amber” website in college because I wanted an outlet to express myself and write about things I didn’t see people that looked like me in mainstream pop culture or media talk or write about. My life has had lots of eclectic and diverse moments. I know what it’s like to attend public school, and private school, and be surrounded by people who look like me as well as be the only Black person in a classroom, activity, or meeting. These experiences have shaped who I am. Hence, the blog and podcast name, “As-I-Amber.” I was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia, and ever since I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in media and public speaking. When I was younger, my elementary school report cards would say, “Amber’s a great student and writer, but at times talks too much,” and now, as an adult, I get paid for my voice and writing! LOL! Life is funny like that.

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?

I am currently a freelance writer, voiceover talent, podcast producer, and social media manager. Not only are my writings and my voice therapeutic outlets, but they’re also an essential part of my livelihood. I graduated from Brookstone School in 2009 and Fort Valley State University, in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. During my time as a college student, I was involved with the school’s Student Government Association and traveled to New York City with the Thurgood Marshall Leadership Institute. I was also blessed my senior year to be a recipient of the Stanley E. Rutland Globetrotters Study Abroad Scholarship Award, where I traveled to Milan, Capri, Rome, Venice, Pisa, Siena, and Florence, Italy. I was also a summer intern for the WTVM news station in Columbus, Georgia. Those experiences during my undergraduate years created opportunities for me to write and speak about my various travel and academic experiences. In 2016, I decided to shift my website from just being blog posts to adding podcast episodes and music playlists where people can listen anytime, anywhere and that has been successful for me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the phrase “practice makes perfect”. In my experience practice makes you better not perfect because we are human and make mistakes. The biggest takeaway I’ve learned is to not have “perfection paralysis.” Sometimes we’re so afraid of making an error that we don’t even try or attempt to move forward, but taking a calculated risk and failing is better than wondering what could have been. As a podcast producer, you can have all the right audio and editing equipment, as well as engaging content, and sometimes technology can work perfectly for recording, and other times; you may have to re-record or postpone due to bad connection signals or glitches. I’ve learned to always have a backup plan. Also, being a writer in this changing digital space can at times be a challenge because, with the rise of social media, quick posts, and texting, most people’s attention spans have become shorter. People aren’t always in the mood to sit and read an article or posts, so I shifted my website from just being articles to adding music playlists and podcast episodes where people can listen anytime anywhere.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think honesty, consistency, and being myself online and offline are vital forces for my reputation and social media following. I remember my high school senior yearbook quote from the great poet Dr. Maya Angelou who said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” With social media filters and at times people doing anything for likes, I want people to know that my spirit is genuine and I’m not being someone I’m not just for visibility. I think this is very beneficial not only for business but life in general.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://asiamber.com/links/
• Instagram: @asiamber
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiamber
• Twitter: @asiamber
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLZMt6sQ_xIby7yN49I0WqA

Image Credits
Amber Williams