Life & Work with Kelly Earnest of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Earnest.

Hi Kelly, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
First, thank you so much for having me! I’m Kelly J Earnest, better known online as Kelly J the BAM.

BAM stands for “Bad Ass Mama.” For me, the “Bad” has always been a bit of a stance. I noticed how quickly women and mothers can be labeled “bad” for being opinionated, questioning the standard, doing things differently or simply being willing to go against the grain instead of following what everyone else is doing. Sometimes having your own mind, your own perspective and even a little attitude is enough for someone to decide you’re “bad.” I realized that a lot of what gets labeled “bad” is really just choosing not to conform, so instead of running from the word, I decided to own it.

I started creating content as a postpartum outlet, using humor to share the real and sometimes chaotic parts of motherhood. When other women started saying, “Wait, me too!” I realized I could be the representation I didn’t always see and create a space where women like me felt seen.

As I grew, I realized that representation went beyond motherhood. I didn’t see enough of the contrasts that existed in my own life represented together. You don’t always have to be serious to be taken seriously. Something can be beautiful and aesthetically pleasing while still being chaotic. You can be a businesswoman and still be funny, a mother and still be ambitious. It really is all about perspective. I wanted to show that all of those things could coexist.

From childhood, I always knew I was a little different. My life was anything but normal, but we definitely don’t have enough time to get into all of that today! Ha! I’ve always aspired to do something great, and I never imagined myself doing just one thing. I had big dreams. I wanted to act, sing, interview, host, entertain, you name it. I wanted to do it all.

Looking back, content creation became the perfect fit. It gave me a platform where I didn’t have to choose just one version of myself. I could entertain, tell stories, make people laugh, share my perspective and create on my own terms. Motherhood is a huge part of who I am, but it isn’t all of who I am. So naturally, my marriage, style, opinions, interests, experiences and everything else that makes me who I am became part of the story too.

The game changed for me when I stopped trying to fit myself into one content category and realized that Kelly J the BAM is the brand. My personality and perspective were the niche.

It’s funny because what started solely as a postpartum outlet became a community of like minded women and, in a way, a full circle moment. All because I decided to pick up my phone and post one silly little skit on TikTok. Somehow, that became a different route back to the dreams I’ve had all along, and I’m excited about all the possibilities still to come.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Ha! Nothing about this road has been smooth, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

I’m building a creative career while also being a mother, a wife and currently still working full time in corporate America. I think some of my biggest challenges have been comparison, time management and confidence.

I really had to figure out a schedule that worked for me. Social media can make you feel like you’re behind or not doing enough, especially when you’re constantly hearing that you need to post more, be everywhere and keep up with what everyone else is doing. I had to learn that I don’t have to post 20 times a day or follow someone else’s schedule to be successful. Consistency had to become something I could actually sustain within my own life.

I’ve had to learn the same lesson creatively. There’s so much advice about what you’re supposed to do online. Niche down, pick one thing, stay in one lane. For a while, that made me question whether the way I wanted to create could actually work. Eventually, I had to trust myself enough to realize there isn’t only one way to build a successful career or community.

A lot of this journey has been, and still is, learning to trust my own timing, my own ideas and my own way of doing things. I may not always take the traditional route, but I’m learning that doesn’t mean I’m on the wrong one.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Simply put, I’m a creator and emerging media personality. My content moves through beauty, fashion, relationships, motherhood, lifestyle, entertainment and culture. One day I can make you laugh with a skit, another day bring you along through a vlog, talk fashion or beauty, and the next build an entire conversation around something happening in entertainment or culture.

What I specialize in is finding the story in everything. Whether it’s something I’m wearing, an experience I’m having or a conversation happening in culture, I’m always looking for the part that makes people laugh, think, relate or want to join the conversation. That allows me to move between different subjects while still making everything feel like it belongs in the same world.

I would say I’m known for my storytelling, personality and perspective. The subject may change, but the way I tell the story and the perspective I bring to it are what connect everything back to Kelly J the BAM.

What I’m most proud of is the evolution. What started with funny videos about motherhood has grown into a community, a brand and a career that continues to grow with me. I’ve expanded into original long form programming with BAM’s Millennial Media Room and I’m continuing to grow in hosting, interviewing and cultural coverage without leaving behind the humor and personality that got me here.

What sets me apart is that I don’t believe I have to choose. I can be funny and polished, relatable and aspirational, a mother and an ambitious woman. I can talk fashion one day and have a meaningful conversation about culture the next, because at the center of all of it is storytelling, personality and perspective.

And I don’t want to put a ceiling on what this can become. I’m excited to continue expanding into hosting, interviewing, original programming, acting and other areas of entertainment. The sky really is the limit, and I want to continue growing alongside the community that has grown with me.

You don’t have to fit the mold to become the standard.

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
As I mentioned earlier, my childhood was anything but normal. Eventually, I do want to open up more about that with my audience because I feel like in order to understand where someone is going, you have to understand where they’re coming from. But again, we don’t have enough time for all of that today! Ha!

I think what I loved most about my childhood was the time itself. I love being a millennial because I really feel like we got the best of both worlds. We experienced childhood before the internet and social media became such a huge part of everyday life, but we also grew up right alongside that transition. We remember going outside to find our friends because nobody had a cell phone, but we also remember getting our first screen name and discovering this whole new world online.

For me personally, the music, movies, television, fashion and culture of that time meant even more. They were an outlet for me. No matter what was happening in my own life, I could turn on a song, watch a movie or get lost in a TV show and, for a little while, just be a kid.

I think that’s a huge part of why millennial culture means so much to me today. It isn’t nostalgia just for the sake of nostalgia. Those things are attached to memories, feelings and a version of myself that found comfort in them when I needed it. Times have changed, but there’s something about revisiting that era now as an adult that will probably always feel like home to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kellyjthebam.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellyjthebam
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/kelly.j.thebam
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kellyjthebam
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kellyjthebam