Today we’d like to introduce you to Abrea Jones.
Abrea, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
For the majority of my life, I found comfort in being an introvert and although I am 81% introvert according to my therapist; I enjoy surrounding myself with people who have genuine, positive energy. Growing up, I found it difficult to spark conversations with people, be vulnerable and engage in open discussions amongst different groups. During my childhood, I lived with my mom and though I had a younger sibling and a present dad; my household consisted solely of my mother and I. My mom was pretty strict—you know, the type of strict where if I had fun on Friday, I couldn’t have fun on Saturday too. This allotted ample time for me to spend with myself where I became so immersed in enjoying my own company that when I would be in social settings, I didn’t speak much. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I never really had to introduce myself to people, so even the thought made me cringe. I wonder how many people I have missed out on because I was too shy and afraid to speak first… hmm.
Fast forward to my junior year of high school, I began to come out of my shell so much that I became the class clown that talked entirely too much and always made my classmates laugh by impersonating different accents. By the time high school was over, I realized I had a personality/energy that brought people laughter and made them feel good. I specifically remember telling myself ” you’re going to be on TV one day.” Honestly, I didn’t wholeheartedly believe that… I just thought I was slightly funny and I downplayed myself. Now, let’s fast forward four more years. I was struggling, emphasis on the ‘struggling’, to find my purpose/passion but I became serious about figuring out what I was put on this Earth to do. Eventually, I and God had a conversation and ever since that, I haven’t doubted my purpose/passion since. I love making people laugh and entertaining people is something that comes so naturally to me. After realizing this, I was at brunch with a few friends to celebrate my homegirl’s graduation and the topic of life came up. We started sharing stories, life updates etc and when it was my turn to speak, I told them everything I’m saying now and dropped some gems. Then, my one homegirl, Diamond laughed extremely loud and said FREE GAME. It was at that moment, I decided to name my YouTube channel #FreeGameWithAbrea.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t been a smooth road but I am grateful to be on this journey. I’m constantly learning different ways on how to remain at peace knowing that my steps are already ordered. My YouTube channel, #FreeGameWithAbrea is my brand, my baby, my stress reliever. When it was time to execute the plan of starting a YouTube channel, I had to be realistic. I needed a videographer, studio to shoot, camera, lights, and money. I literally walked into this idea, not knowing much about the business side of things — marketing, numbers, budget, etc. All I knew was that I enjoyed entertaining people and that I was going to give this everything I had to make this work. Now that the channel is up and running, some challenges I face are consistently posting content for my viewers. I recently went on my social media platforms and asked people what they would like to see from me, so now I’m working on giving them what they’ve asked for!
What else should our readers know?
#FreeGameWithAbrea is an interview-based YouTube channel. It is my goal to give insight about business, relationships, school, finding your purpose, recognizing your passion etc in a comfortable, easy-going environment that brings laughter and understanding to those who watch. There will be vlogs, GRWM, and conversations with friends. However; most episodes will be an interview-based, where I, Abrea will have a conversation with persons who are connoisseur’s in certain areas so that they can help me, help you, help us. Ya dig?
I think the same thing that sets me apart from others is the same thing I’m most proud of as a company—vulnerability. I strive to be as vulnerable as possible, even when the cameras are rolling. I didn’t want to be a person that turned on the camera and became a completely different person. Everyone is out here making everyone else think they have it all together. I don’t want people to think that of me. I don’t even want to portray that to people because it’s ultimately untrue. I don’t have everything figured out, I’m not perfect and I’m struggling in more ways than one. People want to see raw. They want to see real. They want to be relatable. That’s what I’m going to give them.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Plans for the future? I thought you’d never ask.
1. Have more consistent videos.
2. Make a difference in my viewers lives with the knowledge they receive.
3. Be more vulnerable.
4. Interview other individuals with a platform.
5. Bring people together.
6. Monetize.
7. Have #FreeGameWithAbrea become a successful TV show on a major network.
sn: I will do everything I plan to do… watch.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClVPpuZwLMF3P2RM6FAAE7w?view_as=subscriber
- Phone: 2144300039
- Email: thegameisfree.2019@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/abreajnae_
- Twitter: twitter.com/abreajnae
Image Credit:
Photographer: Brenden Williams, IG: brenshotya_
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