Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ethan Campbell-Reid. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ethan, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Growing up I was not the most confident person. I used to be extremely introverted and struggled with my self-esteem. For many who may have known me years ago, there is a sense of disbelief due to the changes I have undergone, especially considering that I am a social media content creator and influencer. As a teen, as introverted as I once was, I always fantasized about being more outgoing, socially confident and simply charismatic. The seeds to my current levels of confidence were planted in high school when I joined a comedy group that was created by one of my good friends. During that time that was when I started to learn to overcome social anxiety by being supported by a group with a common goal and that goal was simply to get people laughing. During that time I learned the importance of how much social groups are able to put the mind at ease when challenging myself to do things that were completely out of my comfort zone.
Migrating to The United States was the next great test to my self esteem and mental health. Prior to living in The United States, I have never experienced the layers of culture shock. It felt as if I was living in an entirely new world than what I was used to. I made a conscious effort to maintain elements of my Jamaican culture such as the way that I speak. During this time I also recognized that growth can be achieved if I get used to something that makes me uncomfortable. Stand up comedy as an introvert was something I challenged myself to do. This time, without my friends and a support system, I tasked myself to rewire my mind and become comfortable on a live stage. After a live stage I began practicing on a digital stage by creating skits and other kinds of videos online on Instagram and YouTube. By the time I joined TikTok I was already a seasoned content creator and quickly amassed a following on that platform.
Making myself uncomfortable, allowing my body to catch up with what I see in my mind, taking risks and learning from my mistakes is the best way I can explain it. Being patient with myself was an important lesson I had to learn and have to constantly remind myself to do. I must admit though, that my confidence does waver as each day comes with its own unique challenges and with that being said, I am grateful to admit that psychotherapy helped me with maintaining my mental health.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
As a content creator and an occasional comedian I create videos and post them to my social media platforms for the purpose of spreading joy and laughter to my audience. From making comedic skits, vlogs, making content about my dreadlocks, cooking and maybe soon podcasting, I find comedic ways to create content for my audience. Even more than that though, I make a conscious effort to represent my heritage as a Jamaican online, especially with the lack of authentic Caribbean representation in mainstream media. What I love the most about this occupation is the fact that I can work wherever I have a strong enough wifi signal. I absolutely love traveling and bringing my audience along with me on my adventures.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
They say that an audience mostly sees where a creator is currently, as opposed to seeing their journey and where they are coming from. For me this is definitely the truth, especially as more people hit the follow or subscribe button on my social media pages. Sometimes I do have imposter syndrome but I constantly remind myself of where I am coming from. Thinking back I give thanks for my ability to recognize the importance of marketing, my use of language and simply not taking feedback personally. As a content creator it is my job to market myself to an audience. The truth is, I know I cannot please everyone with my content. There will be the people who will love it, those who hate it and others who may be indifferent. With understanding the importance of marketing I recognized how to find my tribe. I recognized the importance of understanding the demographics of a potential audience I wanted to attract and catered my content for such audiences.
In retrospect, I owe much of my success to how I communicate and speak to my audience. As a Jamaican, I naturally have what people consider a “Jamaican accent,” which is me simply using the dialect I was raised with. I also learned how to speak “standard English,” while attending schools in Jamaica. When I migrated to The United States, I made a conscious effort to use standard English as opposed to trying to sound like an American in the way majority of Jamaicans do when they live in the States. Just like many notable Jamaicans who need to be understood on an international stage, I am able to retain the ability to sound like a Jamaican without having to rely on my dialect to communicate. This skill created a situation where tens of thousands of non-Caribbean people were drawn to my content because they are able to understand my words while I am able to fully represent my country.
Lastly, I had to learn how not to take feedback from comments and online chatter about me personally. Understanding the difference between constructive criticism and hate is absolutely key in managing my own mental health. Most of the time my comment section is filled with people I do not know and may never meet. Learning to be objective with my own content I am able to accept advice when I can see it making my future work better. Sometimes as a creator I cannot avoid someone not understanding a piece of work but I know not to allow a few comments to spoil the laughter of the wider audience that appreciates my work.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
One of my greatest passions is mental health awareness. I give God thanks for my therapist and the work I have done to make myself a better person. With all that said, I recently read a book that my therapist recommended which is “Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents – How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting or Self-Involved Parents,” by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD. In reading this book I was able to place a metaphorical mirror in-front of me to and objectively access how much of my parents, the good and the bad, has been imprinted onto my personality. I do not blame my parents though, because I also had to open my mind and heart to be more empathetic. I understand that my parents carried trauma from their own childhood which in turn was mine to inherit. My resolve to end the generational trauma of my family has been strengthed in reading this book.
My own emotional maturity was challenged in reading this book. Holding myself accountable for my own mistakes. and character traits was especially difficult especially considering how much of my parents exists within me. For the record, I love my parents and I appreciate them for what they have done for me. However, as an adult I had to come to terms with the emotional intimacy I lacked as a child. Learning to forgive my parents for their own shortcomings was important but I know I need to be better than what I was taught.
Lastly, this book highlighted my desire to bond with people who are emotionally mature. It is easy for us to cling to what we find familiar and comfortable. However, many times we find comfort in the toxicity we have become accustomed to. Many times in my past I would beat myself up for getting involved with women who possessed traits I disliked in my own parents, but I had to understand that I was the one that allowed myself to grow so closely with people who are unable to love me in the way that I need.
As an advocate for mental health awareness it somewhat feels like a paradox because I am a Jamaican. As much as I love my country and as much as I allowed my country to shape so much of my presentation, I have come to terms that Jamaica has a long way to go when it comes to mental health awareness. I understand I can bring a horse to water but I cannot force it to drink. I may not be able to force my fellow Jamaicans into therapy to unravel their own generational trauma but I aspire to be a voice that can at least inspire more of my country people to take better care of their mental health.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yaadman_etan/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_99Wc7YeVbNrPmc-nXKTg
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yaadman_etan
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@yaadman_etan
