We were lucky to catch up with Jadon Lowe recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jadon, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Believe it or not, Myrtle Beach has gotten me out of my shell in so many different ways. I wrestled with confidence issues and insecurity for most of my life, and although it never hindered my ability to make friends, it hindered my ability to put myself out there and to really show people what I had to offer besides being in the shadow of someone else. I had to have a private conversation with myself in the mirror one night, and I remember saying, “Now Jadon, I want you to think about everyone that has ever liked you, loved you, and appreciated you for your positive energy. Answer this. When have you ever switched up anything about yourself for anybody to appreciate you for who you were as a person?” I thought about it for a long time, and it gave me such a revelation in a way that it made me feel even more empowered than ever to just continue to appreciate and be my authentic self, despite what other people think. Being involved in Myrtle Beach’s family-like community has also had a hand in helping me expand myself, make connections, create memories, and, most importantly, not be ashamed of who I am.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I really enjoy documenting the fun and excitement of the Grand Strand/Myrtle Beach area, whether it’s events, hidden gems, restaurants, attractions, or the wonderful family-like community that we have built up here. I have a YouTube show called “Jay The Myrtle Beach Encyclopedia” where I putter around the Myrtle Beach area, getting into all kinds of adventurous activities and exciting events along the beautiful Grand Strand, and showcasing from a young local’s perspective just how much excitement there is here, and what awaits vacationers or people who are maybe thinking about relocating to the area! Being out and about documenting the beauty of Myrtle Beach is super enjoyable, but of course, the main challenges of doing it are that it requires you to go out into the field, be amongst large crowds, walk around for hours looking for the best content to get in sometimes very hot or very cold weather, and having people stare at you in public awkwardly, wondering what exactly it is your doing. This, of course, doesn’t deter me from doing what I love, because that just comes with the territory of making the type of videos/content that I make. One of the other exciting parts about what I do is that it allows me to be out among the wonderful community, meeting great people, making meaningful connections, making meaningful friendships, and creating long-lasting, wonderful memories every day. Growing up, I’ve always had a love for video and filming, and I would make videos with whatever I could get my hands on. Whether it was an old phone camera, an old gaming system camera, or anything that had a camera function, I always loved to record the fun moments of my life. Whether it was family outings, family vacations, or anything exciting, I always loved to have the fun memories to look back on. I had been editing videos since I was 12 years old, but my first real video that I edited was when I was 14 years old, of a Carnival 3-day cruise that I took to the Bahamas, which was one of my first trips outside of the country! Fast forward to when I moved to Myrtle Beach in 2022, I instantly fell in love with the area, and I decided to start putting my years of video and editing skills to use and start my own YouTube show showcasing my perspective on living in the beautiful Grand Strand. Combine my love for the beach with my love for video, and you get “Jay The Myrtle Beach Encyclopedia!”
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most important qualities that play a huge role in my journey are confidence, great social skills, and having a huge sense of humility. Getting my confidence and self-esteem up was the first stepping stone that gave me the ability and courage to put myself out there in the public eye and create my own creative identity. The internet can be a dark place a lot of the time, and I feel that when you put yourself out there, you’re subjecting yourself to everybody’s opinions, criticisms, and inputs, and some people don’t like the idea of having their face or life on the internet for everybody to judge. On the contrary, I feel that if you have something to offer or a product to deliver, and you’re good in your creative field, it’s important to have enough confidence and believe in yourself first before anybody else can believe in you. You really have to be your own biggest fan sometimes, and there have even been times when I’ve personally gone back and watched my own videos that I’ve created and have been proud of my own work. Having great social skills is also paramount to making meaningful connections and selling yourself to potential clients. Improving my ability to be more social has given me plenty of opportunities to interview many of the local celebrities of Myrtle Beach and talk to many of what I would call “the higher-ups, and doing this has gotten me exciting opportunities along the way, which include being interviewed on the news, getting invited to cover events in the area, and collaborating with other creatives in the area who I may have never expected to collaborate with. Having humility is another important quality to have throughout your journey, because as creatives, we don’t always know it all or have all the answers, and we have to be open to learning, improving, and collaborating with other fellow creatives, because we can all learn something from one another. At the end of the day, all of us creatives have one goal in mind to ultimately succeed in what we do, and it’s paramount to work together, build each other up, and support one another in our endeavors. My main pieces of advice I always give to my fellow creatives or anybody who may be just starting out would be three things. Be your authentic self, have confidence in your gift, and know your worth!
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
There was actually one success book that I used to read back then called “See You At The Top” by Zig Ziglar, and my dad had me read it when I was about 9 years old. He used to always stress to me the importance of positive thinking, having an optimistic mindset, and building a healthy self-image. This book expressed a lot of the concepts and lessons that he was teaching me at such a young age, and I’ve put a lot of these concepts into play when it came to my self-confidence and the way that I carry myself. The book also teaches the importance of helping others along the way, with a quote that says, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want”. This basically means that by helping other people win, you are not only building your own career, but also a legacy by leading with purpose and serving with heart.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaybeill_/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JaysMyrtleBeachAdventures/videos
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@jay.the.myrtle.be
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
