Check Out Jasmyn Banks’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmyn Banks

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m Jaz! I am a 30 year old content creator! When I first discovered that Youtube and social media could be a job at 13 years old, I always dreamed of one day doing something along those lines. Along the way of growing up, a big passion of mine was fashion and beauty. So much so that even at 16 years old I cut a pixie hair cut in high school because I wasn’t afraid to be bold. Fast forward several years later.. I originally started back in 2018 sharing my health and wellness journey leading up to my wedding with a blog where I would share some recipes and products I was using and loving for fun in my free time hoping it would go somewhere. I would share posts on social media tagging products and brands I loved and got reposted a few times and slowly but surely built a community of people who also shared similar interests. I had been working at my 9 to 5 job, which I was grateful for, but never felt happy or fulfilled. I always wanted to work for myself, to have my own business, to be someone who shared their life with people like the people I would watch and look up to. At the very end of 2019 I had shifted my page to sharing what I was truly passionate about which was my daily outfits, affordable finds and some beauty tips and tricks. 2020 happened and social media exploded with the pandemic and I had some videos go viral and my pages really started taking off and for the first time I actually started making money through social media! If it wasn’t for the amazing support of my husband, my friends and family — encouraging me every step along the way, I would not be where I am at today! Basically from March 2020 until August of 2021 I would wake up every morning at 6am to work on social media until I clocked in for my 9-5 job and every break I had I would reply to comments, messages and share new content! When I clocked out at 5pm, I was logging back into socials to get to work and usually would be doing that until 9-10pm every night. In August of 2021, I went down to part time at my 9-5 job and by December of 2021 I had quit and took the chance to pursue social media full time. This has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I don’t even like calling it a job, because when you wake up every single day LOVING what you do, it doesn’t feel like work at all. I love being able to show up every day for the community of over 200,000 women across all my platforms and share my authentic life, my journeys each year, sharing affordable finds and fun recipes, sharing my trips and sharing my faith. Getting to connect with other women and be part of special occasions like family photos, baby showers and new jobs is so special and I am honored I get to be part of. I truly am so blessed!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Thankfully I have not had to deal with too much negativity! I think when I shifted my page in 2020 and started REALLY “posting like an influencer” (which by the way, fake it til you make it!!) I did hear some people in real life were not saying the nicest things about me or would say things like “Do you really think you could actually make it? There are so many influencers already out there.” — and while of course it can be discouraging to hear, I believed in MYSELF enough to make up for anyone who didn’t believe in me! I also am grateful that more people in my life were encouraging and supportive of my dream than the people that weren’t. I remember when I first started really taking it seriously, my father in law (who at the time BARELY even used facebook) would tell strangers to follow me on social media and would always ask for the update “So, how many people are there now?!” and would be just as excited with 10 more new followers as 10,000. Truly, without the support of my husband, my family and my best friends, I would not be here. They were my biggest cheerleaders.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
When you head to my page, you definitely will see fashion first! I think that has always been my bread and butter. When I was a senior, we had to fill out a poster board of what our lives would be like and what we wanted to do after High School. Most things I filled out was relating towards fashion. None of my career choices after school was really even close to that but somehow — I did in fact end up pursuing my dream career in that industry!

I think the thing I am most proud of is my determination while remaining authentic to myself. I really pushed through all the “dead” times on my socials and even when I did have people thinking I would never make it, I chose to believe in ME big enough for me and the person doubting me.

Also remaining authentic to myself is something I am proud of. In this career, ESPECIALLY in the fashion + beauty space, it is really easy to get caught up in the glamour of everything and needing the nicest and newest of everything. At my core, I will always be an affordable thrifty girl! You will still find me at my local Clothes Mentor or at Walmart snagging something cute and challenging myself to style it however I can. I want to show everyone you can FEEL your best without needing all the money in the world.

What does success mean to you?
I personally base my success on how I feel after a job or goal is done. I’ve definitely always been my own worst critic — I think a lot of us are guilty of that. I think it’s important to me to know that I did the best I could while remaining authentic to myself. I know it might sound cliche, but the only person I am up against is who I was yesterday.

Contact Info: 

• Website: https://www.theohiogirljaz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theohiogirljaz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theohiogirljaz/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Theohiogirljaz
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/Theohiogirljaz/
• TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@theohiogirljaz