Meet Anna Birmingham | TikTok Content Creator & B2B Tech PR Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anna Birmingham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, what do you attribute your success to?
I attribute most of my success to my multi-faced background. As a kid dreaming of what I wanted to be when I grew up, my issue was never lack of ambition – in fact, it was quite the opposite. I was passionate about so many things that the idea of choosing one path was incredibly overwhelming to me. On the one hand, I performed professionally in live theatre productions my entire life and dreamed of a career on Broadway – I gave this 110% and success in the theatre industry became a huge part of my identity and self-worth from a young age. On the other hand, I craved stability and opportunities to use my executive skills. I wanted to be a leader, a decision-maker, a highly respected woman in business. At the time, I saw no cohesive way to mesh these two ambitions…I don’t know about you, but I’ve never met a woman who doubles as a Broadway star and C-suite executive (but if you have, please get me in touch with her!).

It didn’t help that mentors on both sides of the coin urged me to pick one path, assuring me that if I geared all of my energy toward one thing I was sure to succeed. Ignoring this advice was the best thing I ever did for myself. I pursued both paths with everything I had, and while that meant 19 credit hours a semester and long nights driving from internships to rehearsals, my unwavering pursuit of both is what got me to where I am today – both a B2B PR professional and social media content creator.

I used to wring my hands about choosing – so much so that I wondered if I’d ever truly feel happy, secure, and fulfilled all at once. I realize now how simple-minded and limiting that kind of thinking can be. While my career path has been nothing short of a crazy whirlwind thus far, I feel so proud of what I have been able to accomplish as both a businesswoman and creative.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
People always laugh when I try to describe what I do. I usually say something along the lines of “I make tech geeks famous from 9-5; otherwise I’m busy doing girly stuff on the internet.” That’s really it in a nutshell.

While my job titles don’t exactly make sense, neither does my background. I’ve been a musical theatre performer my entire life, and for a long time, I had tunnel vision on that career path…but, I also knew deep down that I’d never truly feel fulfilled if I didn’t pursue my skills as a writer and communicator. I ended up earning two bachelors degrees in college, one in a public policy program and the other in musical theatre.

When I graduated, I moved straight to New York City and dove head-first into the Broadway audition grind. While I accredit much of my resilience to pursuing theatre professionally throughout my life, Broadway takes thick skin to a whole new level. It is one of the only fields where attributes you have absolutely no control over like your appearance, weight, cultural background, etc. are not just a component to your success, but often the determining factor. I adore the art form – I always will, but the industry itself has fundamental issues. As a young actor, I was taught that to succeed was to tolerate intense body shaming, labor exploitation, sexual harassment – things that would never fly in any other industry.

It wasn’t until COVID forced my hand to recalibrate and take a break from the theatre industry that I realized my discipline, drive, and creativity could lead me to a career path that allowed me to use both my business and creative skills. While COVID was probably the most artistically dry time in my life, it was also the most illuminating. Out of sheer boredom and desperation to perform somehow, I created a TikTok account. I gained tens of thousands of followers overnight, and within two weeks I was invited to join the creator fund. Between then and now, I’ve been able to grow my platform into a thriving business, creating content on a daily basis for brands I’d have never imagined I could ever work with. It has been so empowering to create my own platform and entertain my followers on my own terms without some jerk telling me to lose 15 pounds if I want any hope for a callback. While I still audition when I can and can’t emphasize enough how much I love the art form, the theatre industry itself needs change.

Along with my gigs as a content creator, I am rapidly growing in my career as a PR Professional for deep tech clients. I’m thrilled by the fast-paced challenge of representing and writing for clients in the cybersecurity, healthtech, and pharma industries. For my entire life, I’ve been searching for a way to balance my artistic and business endeavors, and while B2B Tech PR and girly social media content creation aren’t exactly what I had in mind, I feel so incredibly fulfilled.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What a fun question! The best way to start any day is a great workout, so I’d definitely take a visitor to a class at my Orange Theory studio in the morning. After that, coffee would be totally necessary – there are so many great shops in San Diego, but lately I’ve been loving Seven Seas in South Park. I’d definitely hit up Morning Glory for brunch if we could get in, but that may take a miracle, so I’d take them to a classic brunch spot, Broken Yolk Café. If we needed some pampering, I’d treat my visitor to a massage at my favorite spot, Spa Kingston. Assuming we’re talking baseball season, taking them to a Padres game would be a MUST! It wouldn’t be a trip to San Diego without a scenic view, so I’d highly recommend the Sunset Cliffs walk during golden hour – prime time for a cute Insta pic, of course ;). For dog lovers, I’d totally recommend taking your pup to the Coronado Dog Beach – and if you don’t have a dog, just go and dog watch (instant serotonin boost, I promise!). For a fun night out activity, I always love Coin Op – drinks and arcade games, what more could you want? While I have yet to have a bad meal in San Diego, I have to mention some of my all-time favorite foodie spots: Seneca, Barbusa, Nolita Hall, Bang Bang Sushi, Born & Raised, Cloak & Petal, King & Queen Cantina, Barrel & Board, Rusticucina, and literally any food stand at the market in Liberty Station.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Everything I am I owe to my mom and dad. They taught me to be a fiercely independent and unapologetic woman and supported me through every decision throughout my life.

I also be remiss not to thank my wonderful fiancé Sam – the man behind the camera, as I like to call him. As a person whose entire job is to monitor trends and brainstorm – both as a B2B PR professional and content creator, my brain is constantly spinning with ideas. Sam is the anchor that supports me through it all and brings me back down to earth. He is the most patient, loyal, and compassionate person I have ever known. I am so so lucky.

Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the role that my faith has played in my life. While there are many names for a higher power (for me it’s God), I believe there is a divine force that guides us through life and loves us every step of the way. I feel so grateful that in moments when things did not work out as I’d planned, God has blessed me with even more.

Website: TikTok: @annabhamm

Instagram: @annabhamm

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-birmingham-03b623133/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKkR73hjsi3PhDTa-1rewsg