Meet Amber Hasberry | Lifestyle Content Creator

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

Hi Amber, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
For me work life balance became a necessity once I had my daughter 3 years ago. I learned that my job wasn’t going to grant me maternity leave and that put a lot into perspective. A company I had given 13 years of my life to wasn’t willing to accommodate my life when I needed it most. Now, its my standard. I don’t accept any partnerships, deals, or work without first considering how it will effect my time with my family. At the end of the day, two of my favorite roles in life are being a wife and mom & they’re the ones who show me the most pure love, they’re the ones who have my back through everything, so they deserve that commitment from me in return. Also I think it’s super important to prioritize YOU so that you’re not pouring from an empty cup.

What’s one thing about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?

Being a creator requires FAR more than most people consider or realize. As a
creator, you work for tons of companies and yourself. You must be intentional
about the content you create to make sure it follows the message you want to
continuously put out. This includes but isn’t limited to, the time of day, the outfit
and accessories, the location, the lighting, the type of content, the caption/
message, the edits…. it can be more depending on what the job entails. Most
people think that being a creator is simply walking around snapping pictures and
posting.

Other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important
decision you made that contributed to your success?
Pushing past the fear!! Fear of rejection, fear of failing, fear of not being enough.
God has already written our stories. So, it’s up to us to do the work to receive the blessings already meant for us. Get out of our heads and realize if you want it, only YOU can go get It for yourself.

What was your thought process behind starting your own business?

I have always loved taking pictures before social media made it a thing. I’m a 90’s baby, so we’re talking polaroid’s, disposable cameras galore coming up. I loved the idea of freezing a moment for my memories. So, when Facebook and IG came about, I was using them as my personal scrap books. In addition to that, I’ve also never been a gatekeeper when it came to fashion, beauty tips, literally anything anyone wants to know regarding my style or anything that’s not too personal, I’m telling, which is where the influencer side comes in. Both worlds joined together is where the life of a creator came about. I thought if I’m going to post anyway, why not make money while doing so. Why not market what my life is naturally about (which allows me to keep that work life balance like we talked about before) and make money? Mind you, these deals can furnish your homes, fly you out on some trips, get you some free headshots, etc. you must always ask yourself, how does this brand/product fit into my day to day naturally? and what’s the benefit to me and someone like me? That way your message behind the product will sell itself because you’re genuinely connected to the purpose of the product.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being a user generated content creator, the art changes constantly concerning what specific product you’re focusing on. Every influencer however; has a way they engage or a “thing” about themselves. I aim to be a helpful resource for companies or individuals looking to have someone like me express myself using their product through various forms of content creation. My focus is on understanding the needs and preferences of companies and/or individuals to offer tailored, creative, engaging and impactful content.

In terms of what sets me apart, I strive to be knowledgeable, empathetic, and patient in my interactions and goals. I focus on understanding the needs and providing clear and accurate representation to best assist them but also to stay genuine to my values and what I’m about.I am continuously learning and improving through interactions and feedback. My goal is to continually enhance my capabilities to better serve and support individuals or companies and eventually covering my lifestyle expenses..

If I could express a message to any creators starting out, it would be to connect with the product and the company. Ask yourself, “How does this company and/or product relate to me and then how can you make it relatable to your followers?” The fun part then becomes when you figure out how you want to relay the message.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in
your life/career?
Risk is a necessary evil. I think sometimes a risk is necessary. Stepping past the
fear. I’m not a huge risk taker because I’m attracted most to stability. I like to know what’s on the other side of the decision and with risk that’s not usually the case.

Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?
I’ve always been creative. I concluded not long ago that my career didn’t have to
involve my passion, I could implement my passion in my spare time. I’m blessed to have the opportunities that have come my way as well as the path in some ways already paved for me. Now it’s just up to me to put my touch on things.

What’s the most difficult decision you’ve ever had to make?
The first thing that’s coming to mind, is turning down an amazing full-time job
with unlimited pto, because the pay wasn’t enough. I was looking during a time I
needed peace so badly from my current full-time job. So, yea I was so sad to turn that down, but it just didn’t make sense in totality.

What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your
brand?
Staying authentic to who you are and what season you’re in. You don’t have to
stay the same when it comes to your audience. Growth is imperative, change is
inevitable. There’s a thin line between wanting to keep certain parts of your life
private and being transparent enough that your audience understands enough to
connect with you, where you are.

Do you have a favorite quote or affirmation? What does it mean to you / what
do you like about it? “Everything happens for a reason.”
This quote reassures me that GOD has me in the palm of his hands no matter
what I have going on. Some things happen because I’m hardheaded lol and didn’t learn my lesson the first time around, some things God wants me to pay closer attention to, nonetheless we go through things that ultimately help us apply to something later in life. I love this quote because I think when things aren’t going our way in life, it’s so easy to get discouraged. If we keep the attitude of it meaning something for a later blessing, we can go through it smoother with the expectation of a blessing, nonetheless.

i actually have 2

“You can change your world by changing your words… Remember, DEATH and
LIFE are in the power of the tongue.” This is so important to me. I learned the importance of this as a child. My paternal grandmother apparently always said “she just waned to live to be 50” guess what? She died at 50. What we say out of our mouth is powerful. Are you going to speak life or death? For me its always life. This applies even to when you’re in a rut in life, don’t keep saying “well. Im down bad” instead maybe say “ I had a hard hit last month, but I’m coming back for my goal” just an example…

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a best friend hitting the city for a week, we’d go with the flow but pick between these places as the days come

I love eating good food so we’d hit ALL of the spots.
Breakfast
Plush (hookah lounge/ a vibeee)
Southern Kitchen- (modern city vibes)
Ironwood
Flying Biscuit
Big Bad Breakfast
Ruby Sunshine

lunch/dinner
Helen’s
North Italia
Jubilee Joe’s
Fat Charles
Wings and Waffles
Jim N Nick’s
East West
Yo Chef
Bricktop’s
Cajun Seafood House
Southern Caribbean Restaurant
T-Bone’s
Nikki’s West
Cava
Rock & Roll Sushi
Farrelly’s

Drinks/lounges/cool spots
Mugshot’s
Aviné
Sleek
3000 bar
Denim on 7th
Alibi
Hush
Emerald Lounge
Paper Doll
Adios
Tucani Tiki Bar
Movie Theatre
Birmingham Candle Co.
Oak Mt. State Park (hike)
Fancy Face Bham

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I will always thank God 1st in everything I do. I want to thank my husband for supporting me in the numerous of ways that he helps to make it easier for me to do my thing. Lastly I want to thank my inspiration, my little sister, Courtni (@courtnidanyelle) on Instagram. She has always encouraged me to get into vlogging, and creating content. She consistently pours into me, giving me ideas, even when I’m thinking “oh no one cares about this” she’ll reassure me, “Yes, they do” lol. So to have someone in your corner, rooting you on that genuinely cares for your success makes a difference. I will also say people that follow me or that I work with always ask me questions regarding fashion, hair, anything you can think of and they typically follow with, “you need to vlog or create content” so it’s been something I feel God kept bringing to my attention to do.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/miss_dupes?igsh=b3I3bW5ubWJyenM4utm_-source=qr

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amber-dupree-hasberry-986815a8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissDupes/

Image Credits
Denisha McCauley