Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jera Bean. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jera thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

I graduated from college with a degree in Fine Art and an emphasis in graphic design. For about five years after college, I worked as a graphic designer at advertising companies, start ups, as well as freelance work.

There was one particular job that was awful. They were manipulative. The job itself paid barely any money. I worked myself 7 days a week into exhaustion. One day I was in the office bathroom fixing my hair, and as I ran my fingers through my hair, I noticed a bald spot. I had become so overworked and stressed that my hair started falling out.

I knew I need to make a change it my life. I had to find some sort of positive outlet. in 2015, I decided to try out this workout program that I kept seeing on instagram. I signed up, and I also created an instagram account to hold myself accountable as I began this new fitness journey.

What happened next was incredible- I finally started to feel GOOD! I was working out, which felt good physically. I was connecting on instagram with other women doing the same workout program as me, which felt good emotionally. Lastly, I was expressing myself through the outlet of social media, which felt really good creatively.

Fitness became such a huge part of my life as it was a catalyst to making a tremendous positive change. Because of this, it became my dream to become a SoulCycle instructor.

Here’s the thing though- even though I was working out every day and I love fitness, I had zero fitness instruction background. I had a terrible fear of public speaking. I also wasn’t even that strong of a rider! But I was determined to make this happen.

I came across the mantra, “feel the fear and do it anyway” – and this became the mantra of my SoulCycle journey.

I auditioned once, practically blacked out from nerves, but I felt the fear and did anyway.
I didn’t make it the first time, so I auctioned again, and I felt the fear and did anyway.
I was accepted into the 10 week training program, felt like a deer in the headlights throughout the whole thing, but I felt the fear and did anyway.
I FAILED the 10 week training program! I was one of 3 people out of 28 not to pass. I swallowed my pride, and I went back for another round of training, and I felt the fear and did anyway.

I finally became a SoulCycle instructor, which was an amazIng accomplishment- but now the real challenge began. Teaching real classes with real people in a city (NYC) where the bar for fitness instruction was extremely high- before every class, my heart would beat out of my chest, my hands would shake, my mouth would go dry, but I felt the fear and did anyway.

That lesson of “feeling the fear and doing it anyway” was so crucial to my development. Now, in current day, even though I’m no longer a SoulCycle instructor, that manta sticks with me. Any time I have to do something that churns up that feeling of nervousness- like speaking on a stage in front of 500 people- I remind myself of this mantra. I love that it’s not about feeling fear-LESS. Instead, it acknowledges that it’s ok to be scared! There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s normal and it’s human. However, we have to take steps forward and push onwards despite that feeling of fear.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Let’s rewind back to April 2015. I was a graphic designer working around the clock, seven days a week, probably for less than minimum wage once you added up all the hours. I was so stressed and exhausted that I was developing a bald patch on my head. I had recently found out I was struggling with social anxiety. I had no friends and zero social life. It’s safe to say I was pretty miserable.

It was then also in April of 2015 I made decision which had a profound impact on my life: I decided to download a 12 week PDF workout guide I had discovered through Instagram. On that same day, I decided to create an Instagram account to hold myself accountable throughout the process, because that’s what I saw so many other women doing.

Within the first few weeks, a few important things happened. One, I was doing something positive for myself for the first time in awhile, and that felt really good. Two, I was making friends through Instagram, which I desperately needed at the time. Three, I was so excited by Instagram. I loved creating content and connecting with others in that way.

After three months, my account had exploded to 15k followers. I couldn’t believe it! I ended up leaving my graphic design job towards the end of 2016 to pursue both fitness, which was my new passion, and Instagram, which also was a passion and had a glimmer of becoming a revenue stream as brands began reaching out.

From 2016 to 2018, I was a SoulCycle instructor. In 2018, I left to pursue being a full time content creator. By mid 2019, I knew it was time to think even bigger. I was a successful influencer on Instagram, but I wanted to figure out what more I could do from a passion stand point, as well as what more I could do to develop an additional stream of revenue.

Towards the end of 2019, I began developing my social media coaching business, and in the beginning of 2020, I ran my first ever group coaching program, The Social Media Saloon program. I taught business owners and content creators how to master instagram. I ran that program for over 3 years, had over 250+, and an incredible amount of success stories from my graduated students, ranging from starting new businesses, find their passions, increasing their revenue, finding their voice, and gaining tens of thousands of followers.

Fast forward to current day, I am a social media coach, educator, and speaker. My mission is to transform the way that you show up on social media so that you can use it as a powerful and positive tool to support your business and goals. I work with individuals, as well as brands, and I’ve had the honor of partnering with major companies like TikTok, Adobe, and Estee Lauder, MAC, AT&T, L’Oreal, Bobbi Brown and Clinique just to name a few.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’ve been building my audience on Instagram since mid 2015, and my audience on TikTok since late 2019. Based on what I’ve learned myself, as well as on my experience with helping other people build and grow their accounts, here is what I would suggest to something just starting out:

-If you’re a business, understand your niche and your ideal client. Having a solid grasp on these two elements means that you’ll be able to zero in on your messaging and call in the right people. It’s one thing to have followers, but it’s a whole other level to have the RIGHT kind of followers.

-Nail down your content pillars. Think of content pillars like the big themes of who you are, what your business is, and what your expertise resides in. Your content pillars will act as a funnel to more specific content ideas that are both intentional and strategic. It’s not about just posting random things, but instead posting with a purpose! You should understand the bigger goal that each post is linked to.

-On that note, don’t be afraid to post about your business! People don’t know what you do, how you can help, and how to work with you unless you overtly explain it and show it.

-Set a safe and stretch goal each week for posting. For example, a safe goal of 3 posts, and a stretch goal of 5 posts.

-Content plan. You don’t need to plan 30 full days in advance; however, you should be planning out a week in advance so that you show up consistently, and also are intentionally selecting your content ideas (versus just throwing spaghetti at the wall!)

-Know that simple content can be effective content. Your posts, especially your videos, don’t need to be high production with snazzy transitions and editing in order for it to be impactful.

-Authenticity is king! Show the human behind the business so that people can connect and relate to you.

-Don’t let the vanity metrics (likes, followers, views) get you down. Not every post is going to perform well. Growth may be slow. Yes, people will unfollow you. But you have to think about the longterm game versus getting so caught up in the day to day numbers.

-Experiment! Try new things! Try to have fun with it!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Authenticity is such a buzz word these days, but rightly so. Social media was originally built on a foundation that was not necessarily about sharing your true self, but more so the highlight reel. The ups, but not the downs. The successes, but not necessarily the failures it took to get you there.

For me, showing the real me, both the good, bad, serious, weird, and everything in between has been a core value from the start. I’ve spoken openly about subjects ranging from social anxiety, career pivots, my dad’s cancer journey, how my body has changed after no longer being a fitness professional, all the while sharing my goofy side which includes speaking in a very strange and distinct dog voice, doing daily dances despite being a bad dancer, sharing my secret hidden talent of armpit farting, sharing my love of cheese and crackers, belting out Backstreet Boys songs, and more.

I think what makes me stand out is that I’m not afraid, and I have never been afraid, to be and to show myself as I truly am.

When people come to me, often times they are seeking help for how to use social media as a tool to support their business, but they’re also looking for someone to help them find their confidence, develop their voice, and to help them feel comfortable being themselves on social media. They see that I’ve been able to do that for myself, as well as countless other clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jerabean.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jera.bean
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerafosterfell/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jera.bean