Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Beyer.
Hi Kim, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I’m lifestyle influencer and musician. In 2015, my husband Matthias of 10 years, suffered a massive and debilitating brain aneurysm. Over the next 8 years, we nursed him back to health and independence from a vegetative state. I became his primary caregiver while also raising our two small children, and I felt very alone and overwhelmed. My own mental health slipping, our kids were always lost in the shuffle, and eventually, it became clear that Matthias had reached a point in his progress where I couldn’t personally get him any further. We were all slowly deteriorating together, so we made the decision to amicably divorce, and he moved overseas, where he is from, to have access to better health care and resources. I told our story on TikTok, and blew up overnight. 54 million views later I’ve learned that there are thousands of stories like mine and that those people weren’t connected, but needed to be. Post-stroke grief is a very unique grief. You’re mourning the loss of someone who is still physically right in front of you. I’ve channeled all the online attention into a supportive online community for processing that grief and for embracing the different kind of family that many need to become in the aftermath of a major health crisis.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When millions of people are tuning into you, not everyone will like you, and even a small percentage of millions is a lot of people. So, I have a good amount of haters who wanted a fairy tale ending, and who didn’t like that we felt divorce was the best decision for us. I got so much hate mail. I was smeared in the tabloids. Even though I’m a pretty resilient person, it really impacted me, and I let it slow me down. Haters are often louder than the people who love you. So, it’s been a challenge, mentally, to keep my head on straight and to stay focused on the people I’m actually here for.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
The music industry has changed so much over the past decade, and I believe that in order to be a successful full-time artist today, it’s not enough to make good music. People want the story behind the music, with all the details, and they want as much of you as you can give to them. As an artist, I need to dig deep and be generous in order to cultivate a devoted audience. My songs have to really mean something to listeners and add value to their lives. I write about my family’s crisis and how it changed us and is still changing us. Not everyone is going to connect with that. But the people who get it are going to really get it. You have to know your audience and create for them from the bottom of your heart and be open to platforms like TikTok (which is #1 in music discovery). A lot of musicians turn up their nose at TikTok, but that’s where people are. Swallow your pride and go to them; don’t expect them to come to you. I hate when artists drop a new track with an Instagram post and wait for people in general to just find it and love it and support it. The world doesn’t work that way anymore.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kimbeyer.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_kim_beyer_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kimbeyermusic
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_kim_beyer_
Image Credits
Mitchell Multimedia
Brea Creative Studio
79 Rachel Barehl
