Amber Nichole is a Spring 2017 initiate of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., a member of Alpha Phi Omega Co-ed Service Fraternity, a Higher Education Professional, and a Social Media Influencer. In 2018, Amber Nichole became a social media entrepreneur by utilizing Amber Nichole’s Greek affiliation for social media advertising/promotion services. In recent years, Amber Nichole expanded the social media business to include content creation and Instagram (IG) Live segments. Amber Nichole, known as @AmberNicholeMedia on IG, host IG Lives on @PhiBetaNation, @D9Hustlers, @BlackHustlersExclusive as a way to promote culture, educate our community, and highlight various Greeks or Black leaders from all industries. Amber Nichole has a Pentecostal upbringing and chose to become a Zeta as the sorority has a faith-based foundation with an impact at a global level.  Becoming a Zeta meant that Amber Nichole has the opportunity to personally grow in alignment with Amber Nichole’s core value of service to others and Amber Nichole is honored to be able to use Amber Nichole’s talents to showcase Black Excellence along with the history that the Divine Nine organizations as well as Black leaders are making in our communities today.

Amber Nichole holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from THE Ohio State University and a Master of Science degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Purdue University Global.

Take us back to the very beginning of your journey which begins with joining your sorority, can you tell us about that experience and how it prepared you for leadership today? 

The reasons I joined my sorority were to grow professionally, extend my professional network, and to serve the community. I enjoyed the members as well as the different initiatives that Zeta has to offer from local levels to international impact. Members of my sorority are trailblazers and created with the support of constitutionally bound brothers in Sigma. 

As a graduate member, I enjoyed that I had a great foundation of who I was, what my personal values were, and was an emerging professional. Joining Zeta not only taught me how to set goals, but how to pivot as needed rather than giving up, when presented with different challenges in what was a newer level of adulthood for me as lessons. I still carry these lessons with me today. Being a Zeta has provided me with a network of resources from our Sigma brothers to our extended Divine Nine network, which I personally like to refer to other organizations as cousins, to support each other both personally and professionally as we support our communities. 

As a leader, Zeta has prepared me to work collaboratively with others and to understand the common goals despite personal differences and approaches to getting the work done. I used this to transform a committee within a professional association within Higher Education and grew in leadership from a programming role to the leader of this professional association committee. 

What inspired you to tap into the world of social media and become an influencer? What would you say is your niche? 

My niche is that @PhiBetaNation provides a platform to highlight the various journeys of Zetas and Sigmas beyond our letters and get to the core of who we are as people. 

Although I joined Zeta as a graduate member, I was only a couple of years removed from undergraduate studies and a paraprofessional. Being at a younger age in a graduate chapter, I felt I was sometimes in an awkward middle where I had more commonalities in life with the undergraduate members or recent graduate members who faced the challenges, as well as the excitement, of emerging into the next level of adulthood. Yet, I was inspired by the work of more mature Sorors who not only put in time to have an active role with the chapter, but were wives, mothers, and career-oriented women as well. 

Social media provided me with an outlet to unify the Blue and White (referring to both Zeta and Sigma) experience as well as highlight the organizations beyond the popularity of stepping and strolling. My goal at first was to have the blog serve as a digital version of family portraits so that I could share various Blue and White stories with the world. As the blog grew, I learned I could convert this passion into a formal business. By hosting IG Live segments, I could combine my background in Higher Education and Communications to use social media as a way to educate,  empower, and inspire the extended Greek community, the Black community, and supporters through our journeys.  

Your social media platform, @PhiBetaNation (revised from @AmberNicholeMedia), has evolved from advertising/promotion services to content creation and IG Live segments. Can you tell us about the motivation behind this expansion and the impact you aim to create with your content?

I received comments on the page implying that Greek members basically danced and would just like to party. I found myself often replying to such comments by highlighting the work, resources, and national initiatives that members of both organizations engage in. Although we often go viral for stepping and strolling, these comments inspired me to cultivate the narrative that Zetas and Sigmas are educators, leaders, and innovators. I love being able to showcase the current history of members in our organizations. 

Regarding Blue and White, we tend to be underrepresented in other Greek platforms in comparison to other organizations. I am glad to have created a platform from a Blue and White member not only to connect other Blue and White members, but to showcase our stories more broadly. 

You have made a commitment to promoting culture, education, and highlighting various Greeks and Black leaders. How do you see your platforms contributing to the community, and what messages do you aim to convey through your segments?

When I was at The Ohio State University, I was a Wellness Ambassador and these topics for IG Lives focus on the 10 Dimensions of Wellness which are: Career, Creative, Digital, Emotional, Environmental, Financial, Intellectual, Physical, Social, and Spiritual. Source: https://swc.osu.edu/wellness-education-and-resources/ten-dimensions-of-wellness

I used this as the foundation to select speakers for the IGs as well as current trends and issues in our community. I had everyone from Mental Health Counselors to Real Estate Agents. I will soon host guests from an Olympic Athlete to a Non-profit Founder.  

I truly want my platform to be a place for folks to take something of value from what they watch or what they just learned about a member. 

As an influencer and being known for promoting culture and education, how do you balance entertainment with providing valuable insights and information on your platforms?

I often repost chapter events, chapter anniversaries (referred to as Charter Days), and other major milestone events (e.g. graduation, job promotions, etc.) of the members. Members and supporters have the opportunity to participate in polls, nominate members or chapters, and submit topics for our lG Live Segments. Additionally, we have conducted giveaways, discount codes, etc. 

I am also very intentional about sending voice messages to members who follow our pages and going to events to build relationships with the community and vendors. 

What’s next for you, where do you hope to see your platform in the next 3-5 years? 

• Expansion of social media platforms. My first social media platform of choice was Instagram as the major trend in 2018. I have expanded to TikTok and would like to host Live sessions on TikTok as well and eventually YouTube. Additionally, expanding to provide more representation of Blue and White Members to outlets that includes all D9 and Black Leaders more generally speaking. 

• Develop fundraisers for nonprofits and host service/benefits events. I am in the process of planning a Brunch Benefit, College Fair, and campaigns to raise money for a non-profit. 

• Start a formal podcast & host a formal Talk Show on a major network or streaming platform.

• Build a community. 

• Start a fund to donate to chapters or members. 

• Start internship and/or scholarship programs. 

Currently social media influencing is a current side hustle and I would like to build a longer-term sustaining business that will require full-time efforts.

My goal is to offer courses, webinars, challenges that show others how to become both an influencer and grow themed pages. Additionally, I would like to create more opportunities that focus on service and giving back. 

Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and experiences expressed in this @prettywomenhustle magazine publication are shared by the individual and are not connected to the National headquarters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated or official business involving the sorority.  

Website 

https://linktr.ee/phibetanation

www.BlackHustlersExclusive.com 

www.AmberNicholeMedia.com

Social Media Handles 

Connect with Amber:

• Facebook –  Amber Nichole Media 
• Instagram & TikTok – @AmberNicholeMedia
• LinkedIn  – Amber Nichole

Business Social Media Handles:

• Instagram, TikTok, & Facebook Groups@PhiBetaNation, @D9Hustlers, @BlackHustlersExclusive 
• Instagram and Facebook Affiliate Pages @APhiANation, @NupesNation, @BruhzNation, @CentaursNation