Today we’d like to introduce you to Obio Jones.
Obio, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m always diving deeper into social issues in casual conversation with friends so I knew I had a passion for people. In the middle of last year, I was talking to one of close friends about what I was passionate about and we established that I wanted to tell people’s stories. That conversation along with a few weeks of thinking and boom! To Youtube, I went.
I started Convos with O (short for Obio) where I dive into social stigmas and stereotypes and provide representation and a perspective from everyday people for everyday people.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth? Whew! How much time do we have? In short, no. Social media, in general, is a vulnerable space but Youtube is even more invasive so getting over the “you’re going to be scrutinized” part is essential to keep going. Not to mention content creation, which I’m sure we can all agree is a beast especially when it’s not just you, so coordinating people becomes a factor. I truly understand the necessity in building a team, what may seem like a simple conversation has a lot of steps. Overall, the more consistent you are with your passions the smoother they become because the universe starts to solidify that you are doing what you’re supposed to be doing so the hurdles become minuscule.
Please tell us about Convos with Obio.
So essentially I run a talk show that examines social issues and takes a very down to Earth approach to subjects that people can relate to. I’ve touched on things from dating to colorism to life as a heavyset women, even let people into me and my father’s personal relationship. I’m most proud of the responses and messages I receive. The channel is new and I know it takes time to build but I’ve been able to get paid to produce content that people can not just identify with but it makes them laugh and think, which in my opinion drives most of life’s experiences. Aside from my witty intro, there aren’t many young black male who are diving into social issues on Youtube. And let’s be honest, how many Obio’s do you know?
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
This is hard to answer because I believe that God’s timing is sufficient, but if I just haaaadddd to, I would’ve been more prepared. I think there’s a big difference in ready and prepared, I was ready to start the conversations but wasn’t prepared for all that came along with it. So understanding what’s necessary for consistency is important and I’m definitely using that as I prepare for the second wave of content to drop.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.youtube.com/c/ObioJones
- Email: obioojones@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/obioojones/
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
