We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jesse Whelpley. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jesse below.

Hi Jesse, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

A few years ago I was working in event marketing and was set up outside of a department store. Our company worked to bring in donations for suicide prevention and there was one day where I was working and stopped this woman as she was walking out to see if she would be interested. As we got to talking, I realized that we vibed really well and that she had a kind, pure soul. Towards the end of the conversation I noticed she was wearing these beautiful dangle earrings, so I complimented her on them. She smiled, said thank you, then said “Here” and took them out of her ears to give to me. I was in shock at first and told her I couldn’t take them, but she insisted and said she has other pairs similar at home that she wears and wanted to give these to me because I liked them so much. To this day I still cannot get over how she didn’t hesitate to give her own earrings away to a stranger, but did it out of the kindness of her heart. I still have the earrings.

Jesse, 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 Jesse Whelpley and I’m a content creator on social media. My content is focused on lifestyle and fashion, posting anything about my life, events, social gatherings, things I love to do, etc. I’ve been loving travel within the last year too, and documenting my experiences wherever I go.
Growing up I was very shy and reserved, and it wasn’t until I pushed myself to get over the embarrassment of talking to the camera that I really felt comfortable in my own skin. When I was in high school, I remember always wanting to post silly videos on Vine and then TikTok when it came out; it’s been a way of letting me be myself and exploring new sides of my personality I didn’t know existed. I’ve been very consistent for the past two years, posting daily if not a few times a day. It’s truly one of my passions.
Posting on social media seems simple, and while it is, a lot of people choose not to because they think it’s embarrassing. I’ve always told myself “It’s only embarrassing if you’re embarrassed”, and why should I be embarrassed doing something that I truly enjoy??
I never expected to find the community I’ve found through social media. There are so many creators on TikTok who are amazing people and we support each other because we know exactly what’s it’s like. It’s been really amazing meeting new friends online that have same interests as you and truly want to see you succeed!
My main goal is to be my genuine self, spread positivity, and have fun, so when people see my page I hope that’s what they see too :)

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My number one piece of advice to anyone who wants to build a social media presence is to BE YOURSELF. You are posting on a public platform for potentially millions of people to see and connect with, so if you pretend to be someone you’re not or try to build yourself in a way that doesn’t exist, then people are going to sniff that out pretty quick. I think in these times too, people really appreciate authenticity (I know I do). It’s refreshing to see that someone else is also living a similar to yours and it gives people something to relate to, which is a huge reason why you would want to follow someone online. Another big tip for those trying to build a platform is to post everything at first. This allows you to 1) get comfortable in front of a camera, and 2) find your style of videos you and your audience likes. It’s not going to be perfect in the beginning, it might not even be good, but you have to start somewhere and trying out different things to see what works best for you will set you farther ahead than you realize. Everyone starts somewhere! Lastly, make sure you have fun with it. It can become very overwhelming when you first start building your page, especially if you’re doing it but don’t enjoy it. Switch it up, try something new, post about things you love — it’s a lot of fun when you’re having fun!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part about what I do is the impact it has on other people. I always try to keep a positive energy on my page and share relatable content, so when someone comments or tells me in person that they resonated with a video or really liked my content I shared, I get really giddy because that’s all I ever want. Whether my video goes viral or it only reaches a few people, just knowing that at least one person found joy or comfort or inspiration from my video makes me so happy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessicawhelpley?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicawhelpley/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessicawhelpley