Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelique Beckford.
Angelique, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I graduated from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism. During my senior year, I had the opportunity to interview the celebrity guest for homecoming. My first interview was a group interview with DC Young Fly, Chico Bean, B.Simone, Karlous Miller, and Clayton English, who are all on the cast of Wild’n’Out and the 85 South show.
The interview room was full of people but for some reason, I wasn’t nervous. I prepared the day before by familiarizing myself (not memorizing) with questions centered around each of their personal lives, business ventures, social media fame, etc. My very first interview had over 14,000 views on Instagram. During the interview, Chico Bean interrupted me mid-question and said, “you don’t have a paper, phone, or teleprompter in front of you and you’re on a roll with these questions like you’ve known us for years. That’s impressive. You’re meant for this industry.” This was all on camera. From that moment forward, I was certain that this was my life’s purpose. That week I also interviewed the City Girls. That was indeed a great interview as well.
After graduating, I knew it would be difficult to find a job in the industry doing what I love, but I was determined. With the help of my mentor, Claudienne Hibbert, and the support of my family and friends, I was able to create a path for me in the industry. Through building genuine relationships with industry leaders at events like the National Association of Black Journalist Convention, The American Black Film Festival, and Rolling Loud Miami, I was able to prove myself and my place as a journalist. Building genuine relationships with the right people, God’s timing, and hard work and support has led me here. These experiences have led me on the path that I’m on today and helped propel my career. I plan to have my own talk show in the near feature.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It wasn’t a smooth road but I believe God did take a lot of the struggle out of it form me. I’ve heard a lot of “No’s” and plenty of “your too young” and “you’re not ready,” but I disregarded the negativity. I was most grateful when people critiqued my work and told me things I needed to fix because I want to learn and be the best at what I’m doing. Before building relationships at journalism conventions, I was not getting approved for red carpet events at all. It wasn’t until I met people personally, showed my hard work, and proved to them what I was capable of for them to approve me. This industry is also about being likable. People have to like you and what you stand for. People also want to know your “why?”. Why are you doing this? It is because you want fame or are you passionate about storytelling.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am is a freelance entertainment journalist, correspondent, and host. “On The Beat” Media with Angie B is an entertainment brand focusing on the latest happenings in the music, television, and film industries. I have covered major events such as the Video Music Awards, Grammys, The NAACP Image Awards, and the BET Awards to represent her interest and voice of the Black millennial. I’ve interviewed Jamie Fox, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, Deborah Joy Winans, Lala Anthony, DJ Khalid, Chloe and Halle, H.E.R, Anthony Anderson, Lynn Whitfield, Merle Dandridge, Meagan Good, and a host of others. Angie B has also covered the red carpet and press release events for The Soul Train Awards, the Revolt Summit, The BET Hip Hop Awards, American Black Film Festival, Rolling Loud, CURLFest, Essence Fest, 40 Yards of Gold hosted by NFL’s Chad Johnson, The National Association of Black Journalist convention, and BET’s Black Girls Rock.
While my content ranges from in-depth interviews to event highlight reels, I specialize in one-on-one interviews with artists, writers, actors, and producers in the entertainment industry; My work diligently showcases celebrities in a professional, yet relatable light. What sets me apart from others is that I have the gift of making people feel comfortable. People tend to share things with me without even realizing it. My goal is to allow these celebrities to be their true authentic selves and free their minds of society’s expectations.
I am most proud of launching “Getting Cozy With Angie B,” a warm, light-hearted talk show digging into the “real” life of stars. Most of society has preconceived notions about celebrities based on TV and social media. “Getting Cozy with Angie” allows these stars to be seen in a different light… beyond fame. Deborah Joy Winans, Merle Dandridge, Rotimi, Trevor Jackson, Raheem DeVaughn, and more have been featured on the show. Merle Dandridge deemed the show as “necessary during a time like this.”
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Being honest with myself and my purpose while practicing good character is most important to my success. Often people fabricate their lives in order to live up to people’s perceptions or expectations of them. It’s easy to do when we have social media making us feel like we have to compare ourselves to others. But we have to remember to stay true to ourselves. I believe that’s the only way we’ll be a blessing to others. You can’t walk in your purpose if you’re following someone else’s. Being honest with myself and my purpose has aligned me on a path to do what God has sent me to do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.angiebonthebeat.com
- Phone: 9543838727
- Email: beckford.angelique@gmail.com
- Instagram: angiebonthebeat
- Facebook: angiebonthebeat
- Twitter: angiebonthebeat
Image Credit:
@greatisnate
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