Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Moore-Bettencourt.
Hi Jordan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
My partner, Micailah, and I have been together since we were 14 years old (yes, our parents dropped us off to our first date) and have seen first-hand how important date experiences are to the health of our relationship.
Our account, @oceansidedatenight, started when we found ourselves packing our bags from Seattle, WA, and moving to Southern California to live in a neighborhood we had never visited before. Though we didn’t even know what our cross-streets were, we knew one of the fastest and most meaningful ways to learn about a new city is through its local bars, restaurants, and events.
To put it simply: we capture unique date experiences that focus on the businesses we partner with as well as being transparent with our audience on what resources it takes to do it.
Within the first few weeks of starting our account, we knew we found something special. The outpouring of support from local businesses, the thoughtful feedback and suggestions from local residents, and encouragement from other folks wanting to explore date nights in and around North County was and continues too incredibly encouraging.
Lastly, being in a committed relationship is certainly NOT a requirement for our page. We actively highlight and showcase dates with friends, solo dates, and dates with your partner!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My background is in Technology, and though I love learning, this is the first time I’ve ever had to capture content, edit videos to tell a compelling story, and post those videos on a consistent and regular basis. Smooth would likely be the opposite word I would use to describe my experience since starting our account!
From a practical perspective, the learning curve when it comes to storytelling and video editing seems never-ending, so I often feel over my head in all of those different categories and often remind myself to take it one day at a time.
Another curious obstacle that comes to mind is the sheer amount of date experiences that we have the opportunity to capture. As this isn’t a full-time gig, there’s no way we can go to every restaurant, every bar, or every date experience that our followers recommend (even though we’d love to!) We absolutely love how passionate folks get; it shows that date experiences are SO important, and hope to cross as many places off as we can.
Ultimately, I want to create authentic videos on date experiences that I wish we had when we first moved here and Micailah – who you will often hear in the videos we post – is incredibly helpful in sharing constructive feedback on what I put together.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
We want a date experience that’s not cookie-cutter; what’s a unique date experience you recommend? Pretend I’m a local; where would I go for coffee around North County? We love trying new date experiences but aren’t trying to break the bank. What are some free/low-cost date ideas for us to do?
Those are some examples of the kinds of questions people reach out to us to answer. Since starting this account, we’ve done so many interesting dates that we never would’ve done before! Some standouts include:
– Latte Art Class from Vigilante Coffee
– Sip ‘N Spin Potter Class from Oceanside Pottery Club
– Rum Tasting Flight with Clever Fox Rum at Flying Pig Pub & Kitchen
– Pre-Work Surf Club with First Light Surf Club (FLSC)
& so many more!
The relationships that we’ve built with all of these businesses is something that we’re incredibly proud of and will continue to be reflected in what we create. Also, it’s amazing to see a local coffee shop – for example – using local artists to decorate their walls, work with local bands to play music and sell baked goods from a local bakery.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Though we’re still rather early days, a few qualities I tend to focus on is to deliver accurate and compelling work while also trying to not take myself too seriously. The latter especially helps alleviate any kind of self-imposed pressure or expectations I put on myself and reminds me to focus on why I created this page in the first place: to make date experiences that I would want to go on.
There are so many different kinds of accounts in Southern California, and at the end of the day, this venture is a way for me to involve myself in a new community, share our experience, and hopefully encourage partners, friends, and yourself to try something new.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oceansidedatenight/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@oceansidedatenight
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@oceansidedatenight
Image Credits
@theloungebooth
