Meet Janika Bates | Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janika Bates and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janika, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking has pretty much been my life story since college and helped propel me to where I am today. I trust myself and I trust my judgment. Most of all, I trust God. During college I moved from Memphis to LA for 4 months to do an internship at 20 years old. I helped cover the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil for 3 weeks while everyone was scared of contracting the Zika virus (if anyone remembers that).

I moved to Atlanta alone after graduating college and started a new life and career here with no family or friends initially. When you talk about taking risks, moving away from home – your family, friends and familiarity so quickly – is extremely challenging. I moved here for a job and after 4 years, I quit that job with essentially no backup plan. I just knew that job was not contributing to my happiness so I chose to bet on myself. I dove into content creation headfirst and allowed good things to come to me. I eventually want to make a living as a full-time content creator, and that alone is risky because being a creator means you have to have a lot of faith in your work and yourself to attract a following that trusts you, brand collaboration opportunities and a consistent income.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Self care, mental health and creativity are my passions, and content creation just so happens to be what I am exploring right now.

I’ve always been crafty with my hands. I love to stay organized so when I was younger I would create my own calendars and planners with a ruler, white paper and a box of colorful markers to decorate. In 2019 I learned how to make candles, soap, oils and body products to sell. Now in 2022, I am fully enamored with social media content creation: creating for Youtube, TikTok and Instagram specifically. Soon I would like to branch into the podcast space.

Nothing worth having comes easy. From the formulation of a video/photo idea, to setting up for the shots, to editing, and then building the courage to post for thousands of eyes across the world to see something that only started out as an idea in your mind, is kind of mentally challenging especially for an introvert like me. The major challenges from being a creator comes first from your mind. It’s so easy to convince yourself not to post something because you’re overthinking about how your audience will perceive it. The daily challenge is to get out of your own head and trust yourself. Trust that your platform is being used to help and encourage others to choose self care and put their mental health first.

As far as lessons I’ve learned along the way, the best lesson I’ve learned is to fail. And fail again and again. You don’t learn much from instant success. Your biggest blessings come from mistakes you’ve learned along the way.. from trying out one new creative activity, failing at it, and trying to create something different. Enjoy the journey, enjoy the experience, express gratitude, and don’t get discouraged when things don’t work out your way. That only means something better is meant for you.

I want people to relax more and put their self care and mental health first. In the end, all is well. If all is not well, it is not the end.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Sunday – Brunch! Hobnob in Atlantic Station has been my favorite place to go lately Monday – We’re gonna have a pretty chill, peaceful day. If the sun is out we’re going to walk the park or The Belt Line and for the rest of the day, we’d probably have a picnic in Piedmont Park and pick up food and margaritas from Willy’s.
Tuesday – Taco Tuesday! Red Pepper for shots and tacos at the bar
Wednesday – Shopping in Lenox and then head to The Battery in Cumberland while a game is going on to enjoy the atmosphere and eat El Super Pan
Thursday – Saturday – It’s a tossup between a Hawks game, The Juicy Crab, a yoga class, RA Sushi and Piedmont Park, again.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First of all, thank God. Secondly, thank God for blessing me with my parents. My parents have become my best friends the older I have gotten. They have loved and supported me and all of my crazy decisions. They trust me and my judgment as well, and I adore the fact that I have loving parents who make sure I feel seen, heard and understood everyday. I’m Memphis Made, so shoutout to that city and my family and close friends from Memphis who encourage and support me throughout my journey, including my brother, my L3 Media Team, Bernal Smith and the New Tri-State Defender. I’m forever indebted to y’all.

I also appreciate my former journalism classmates and the mentors I’ve gained throughout college. My college professors were extremely helpful with all the internships and extracurricular activities I took part in, specifically Dr. C. I also appreciate my mentors from my Entertainment Tonight internship, specifically Kevin Gershan and Kevin Frazier. They made that tough time in my life away from home, a lot easier for me.

Lastly, I’m thankful for my former team at NBA Digital. My supervisor took a freshly-graduated girl from Memphis to Atlanta and changed my life.

Website: becauseofselfcare.com

Instagram: @JanikaBates

Youtube: Janika Bates

Image Credits
Janika Bates