Meet Bethany Simpson | Social Media Influencer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bethany Simpson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bethany, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I firmly believe that taking risks is essential for longtime success. The first big risk I took was moving out-of-state for college at age 18. Only 15 of the 460 students in my graduating class decided to go to move out of Kentucky. My friends thought I was crazy, not only for moving to Chicago, but for pursuing a career in the arts (musical theater). But moving to the city sparked a series of events I never could’ve seen coming– all of them leading to my current career success. It opened doors and doors of opportunities, connections, and jobs that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible to a teenager living in a small town in Kentucky. It also taught me the importance of creating and growing a network of people in every city who will consistently support my craft.

A unique fact about myself is I thrive off of feeling uncomfortable. The more comfortable you get in a place, more boring it becomes. This is why I’m spending 2021 living out of 3 different cities: Chicago, Austin, and LA. This trait makes it easy to consider myself a “risk-taker.” I mean, if you never try, you’ll never know, right?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Although my career as a creative is taking off thanks to social media, my art will always be a work in progress! That’s the equally frustrating and reaffirming thing about being an artist– you can ALWAYS grow your craft. On and off of Tiktok (my main social media platform), I am a musical theater performer (singing, acting, dance). I studied 5 years of musical theater performance at Columbia College Chicago, and one of the biggest hurdles I was faced with was creative burnout. At one point in my college career, I was going to school for theater, spending my nights at rehearsals for shows, and my weekends at my job with Broadway in Chicago. At the time, I didn’t see a problem with my life being all theater, all the time. When you love something that much, it’s all you want to do. But the unfortunate reality is that too much of one thing isn’t healthy. My senior year, I experienced such bad burnout that I couldn’t envision myself ever returning to the stage. I was putting minimal effort into my classes because I was convinced my passion for theater was gone. But your passion for your craft never truly goes away. Sometimes you just need a break.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about my brand, it’s that I value a following that respects that I will never be all theater, all the time. I want people to follow for my craft, but stay for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh gosh! Well, I just moved out of Chicago, but it’s where I spent the past 5 years of my life, so I know a lot of great spots. The first place I always take people is Devil Dawgs… best milkshakes EVER. If they’re looking to hit all of the touristy spots, the Bean, Art Institute, a Cubs Game, Michigan Ave, Lincoln Park Zoo, Lou Malnati’s, Starbucks Roastery, & Chicago Riverwalk are all GREAT. I’d always check if there was a fun pop-up in town, like the Friends Experience, that was in Chicago Oct 2020-May 2021.

Less touristy spots would be a stroll through Wicker Park, Philz Coffee, Sidetrack’s Musical Mondays, Second City, Roscoe’s Disney Bingo nights, and a cute little town south of the loop called Bridgeport.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be anywhere near prepared for the “social media influencer” lifestyle if it weren’t for Devin Caherly, Brendan Cox, and their company Business Blurb. Business Blurb (@businessblurb on Tiktok, IG) is a media outlet for news regarding business and entrepreneurs. I applied to work for them as an intern back in late 2020 and ever since then, they’ve helped me navigate being thrusted head-first into the social media world with very little experience. I owe so much of my growth and success to them! Thanks, guys! 🙂

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethany_simpson/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethanysimpsonn

Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bethsimps?lang=en

Image Credits
Brianna Dutcher Photography