Meet Joy C. (@joysbeautyjawns) | Content Creator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joy C. (@joysbeautyjawns) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joy, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’ll be honest; I would categorically describe myself as a risk-averse person. I don’t gamble. I haven’t gone skydiving or bungee jumping. You could not pay me enough to swim with sharks. On the whole, I wouldn’t dive head first into much of anything without a lot of careful consideration. However, when I reflect on my life to date, I realize that I have arrived at my current lifestyle based upon a series of pretty big risks. As a kid, I was super shy. I taught myself to grow into someone more social by starting conversations with new classmates with the simple commitment of a salutation. If I could garner the courage to just say Hello, it often resulted in a conversation and sometimes even a new friend. I decided to pursue music in my undergrad without being able to read music. I pursued a vocal performance curriculum in that field despite a lot of feedback that I might not make the cut. (Spoiler alert: I made the cut.) I stayed the course in my desired degree program because I couldn’t shake the unwavering belief in myself and what I fully intrinsically understood was my destiny and eventually, I won over my critics. Each position I’ve held professionally was something new and different but I trusted myself to rise to the challenge of whatever the position entailed. When I pursued my Masters Degree in Business Administration, I did so never having had a business course before studying the field at a graduate level. I believed that I could do it and I saw my vision to fruition. It is nice to reflect back with hindsight on accomplishments but I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that none of these things were neat and tidy; in fact, quite the opposite is true. Working towards goals is a messy business. It is wrought with failures and lessons, trials and tears and at times, setbacks and moving targets. It’s wondering if you’ve made a terrible mistake, if you’re cut out for whatever you’ve set out to do, if you truly have what it takes or if you’ve bitten off far more than you can chew. I have certainly felt all of these things at times and sometimes, all at once. When I decided to start my YouTube channel, I felt lost. I had earned my MBA and for the first time in my life, I didn’t know what was next for me. I wanted to feel passionate and creative and to find a sense of purpose again. I worked consistently on growing my channel for three years to the point of total burnout and exhaustion and hadn’t even hit 1,000 subscribers. One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made was deciding to walk away – at least for now. What I didn’t expect was how much my life would change as a result of my choice to start publishing content. To begin, deciding to upload that first video was a huge risk. I was terrified of putting myself on a public stage with no idea what in the world I was doing. I became braver and a better speaker through editing myself so often on video. I made incredible friends and connections and have met people and been places I could never have imagined. I learned new skills and grew as an artist. I’ve made connections with brands that I never would guess would ever find me. There is so much more I could say but at the end of the day, I would not have experienced any of these things without first taking a big, scary risk and having a little bit of faith. We miss 100% of the shots we don’t take. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been in my current professional field for almost 13 years. I love what I do for a living and I couldn’t be more grateful for the first firm in my field deciding to take a chance on a girl with no industry experience (other than accounting skills obtained from working in an entirely different industry.) Being willing to learn and to work hard can really be a valuable skill set to bring to any new profession but it is also important to know what you need to do in order to advance in your chosen career and for me, it was deciding to pursue my MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship. After the initial hurdle of passing Statistics (it was a bit touch and go there for a bit), I had a bit more confidence to keep pushing. For me, visualizing the end goal at the beginning of the journey is a powerful motivator., When I first got out of my car at the campus with the intention to grab some information at the university’s open house event, I visualized myself walking down the aisle in my cap and gown in front of my family and boyfriend. That visual carried me through so many tough assignments and endless homework. I was working full time and going to class and free time was basically nonexistent for three years other than short breaks for spring and the holidays. I remember thinking: Do something today that future you will thank you for and for me, that sentiment rings true. Grad school – as hard as it was – was the greatest thing that I did for my career. It taught me to see myself as a leader and gave me so much more courage at work. It taught me that I can accomplish so much more than I would have ever believed could be true. It provided me with so much knowledge about my industry and business as a whole and in that knowledge, power to make a truly positive impact in my profession. My advice would be: Don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself; you might just be surprised by what you can achieve if given the opportunity.

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 friend who was visiting Miami, I would encourage them to check out South Beach. I would recommend eating at Gianni’s at the former Versace Mansion, Mango’s Tropical Cafe (I still think about their fish tacos regularly) and Taco Taco Miami, and Nikki Beach. In terms of nightlife, I absolutely love the vibes at The Clevelander but I have honestly had an amazing time at all of the clubs I’ve been to in Miami. I’d recommend just taking time to stroll the beautiful streets and take in the scenery and of course, the stunning beaches! South Beach Miami is one of my favorite places in the world.

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 would like to Shout Out @marchbeautyword – Samantha March. Samantha is an author, content creator, and full-time dream chaser and someone who I consider to be a dear friend. She inspires me and motivates me to be the best version of myself through her beautiful and genuine example every day. I adore her so much!

Instagram: @joysbeautyjawns