Beverly W. Jackson is the driving force behind some of Twitter’s most prominent marketing pushes. She helped coin the phrase, “Tweet It Into Existence,” which inspired Twitter’s major billboard advertising campaign this year. The billboards showed prophetic celebrity tweets about attaining success, often years before their dreams were reached.

Jackson has tweeted a few achievements into existence, especially when it comes to brands and marketing. She helped launch Twitter into Ghana this year, and she led Twitter’s popular NFT art program, called 140 NFT Collection.

Before joining Twitter in 2020, Jackson worked at Activision Blizzard, where she handled marketing around classic games including “Call of Duty” and “Tony Hawk Pro Skater.” Jackson also led social marketing and content strategy at MGM Resorts International and was head of social marketing for Yahoo. She’s currently helping keep Twitter’s brand on message, at a distracting time during a potential sale to Elon Musk. A recent retweet from Jackson reveals her current mood: “The women of Twitter are the best of us.” To which Jackson replied with a flexing emoji and blue heart, adding a “brain” emoji too.

What advice would you give your younger self?

The best possible advice I could give to my younger self is to be fearless and vocal. When encountering challenges or obstacles, I would hesitate, often paralyzed by the what-ifs and weighing my options before acting, and in some cases not taking an action. I have learned over time to act sooner and with intention. This includes using my voice. We often don’t speak up for fear of how others might perceive the question or comment. What I have learned is that in most situations, others want to know the answer but are also afraid. The act of speaking up will save time, money and energy.  

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

The biggest risk I have ever taken professionally was quitting a job that I wasn’t good at or passionate about. I was miserable and was making other people miserable. I was holding back the team who really wanted to be there, but once I let go, I found my passion: digital advertising and marketing. 

If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing and why?

I would be a talk show host. I love hearing and sharing people’s stories. The best part of my current job is being able to tell stories and elevate narratives. Stories inform, inspire and amplify culture! Storytellers are modern culture warriors. I derive energy from these stories.

What should the industry do to encourage more women and people of color into its ranks?

See us! Honestly, if the industry wants more women and people of color in the ranks, then adjust your field of vision to see us and let us be seen. There is no question that diverse teams with women and people of color will show up and deliver with 150% passion, ingenuity and creativity.  If your teams are not made up of at least 50% diverse talent in 2022 it’s your fault, not the talent.

What is the biggest lesson you have taken away from the pandemic?

The biggest lesson I took away from the pandemic was not to take human interactions for granted. We should find reasons to reach out, connect and gather with colleagues for the joy of togetherness. I’ll never miss an opportunity for friends, co-workers or family going forward. Make the time.