TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
As a kid, he used to tell me he was going to have his own YouTube channel, and that’s how he would make his living. I found it cute that he believed that, but I knew nothing about the possibilities,” Jackson Haltom’s mom, Lindy Hatridge, said. “Pursuing a career in social media was foreign to me, so my role as his mom was to support and trust his heart and know that God’s plan would lead to a successful future.” Haltom grew up in Texarkana, Texas. He attended Texas High School, where he was involved in student life and played on the Tiger soccer team. Through the media outlets at the school and around Texarkana, he found his passion. “I first got into social media and content creation by taking a class in high school,” Haltom said. “[I originally started] taking photos in my junior year.” Haltom worked on numerous projects for Texas High, including a documentary about the football team’s season, and multiple promotion videos across different school sports. Beginning his social media journey, Haltom uploaded these videos and mixtapes to social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, where they would gain thousands of views, building his following. “I started creating hype videos for our high school football team and I quickly fell in love with it,” Haltom said. “I continued to work on my craft throughout my senior year of high school, continuing to find success with my videos.” After leaving Texas High, Haltom went on to Texas A&M University at College Station, where he would continue to hone his skills. “I went to A&M to pursue creative media. There, I made videos for the football, basketball, baseball, and track teams,” Haltom said. “That opened up so many opportunities for me, like working for the Olympics over the summer,” and an opportunity with Dude Perfect. What began as a summer internship soon transformed into a full-time position as a social media manager for Dude Perfect. Dude Perfect is a globally recognized sports and entertainment brand, and their content has skyrocketed in popularity over the years. Founded by five college roommates—Tyler Toney, Coby Cotton, Cory Cotton, Garrett Hilbert, and Cody Jones—who turned their love of sports, competition, and creative challenges into one of the most successful YouTube empires in history. They are known for their seemingly impossible trick shots, stunts, and comedy sketches. A social media manager aids in keeping content fresh. Haltom caught their eye as the perfect person to fill this role. “Jackson’s creativity really impressed me,” Dude Perfect co-founder, Coby Cotton, said. “Most people are satisfied with a simple or straightforward social edit, and Jackson’s body of work showed me
Jackson Haltom with pro basketball player Steph Curry while filming the Dude Perfect video “Average Dude vs. Steph Curry.” scan here to view the video
“My role is running all of Dude Perfect’s social media platforms,” Haltom said. “When I came here, I just edited videos. Now, I’ve had to learn so many more skills like directing, creating plans for videos, and running such large platforms. These guys have over 100 million followers and I had to learn quickly how to manage all of that.” As social media is always changing, this role keeps Haltom on his toes. The unexpectedness of it all is something Haltom finds exciting. “On a day-to-day basis, I could be editing videos, filming my own social videos, or be on set while they film YouTube videos,” Haltom said. “Every day is completely different, which is why I love working here so much.” The enormous transition into this big role has come with its own unique set of mental tests. “My biggest challenge was shifting from hype sports videos to creating ideas for funny social videos that will go viral online. I never cared to go viral before, but now that’s the main goal,” Haltom explained. “I got thrown into the fire as soon as
I got here, and it doesn’t get easier. You just get used to it. Every day is different and fast-paced. So just having to switch my mindset and learn so many new things in such a short period of time wasn’t easy.” However, there is a bright side to every challenge. “I’ve made a good transition here. So much so that the statistics of views and interactions are vastly different,”
he enjoyed pushing creative limits... to me, there’s no better indicator of what someone is capable of than previous work.” Working with Dude Perfect as their social media manager opened Haltom up to learning opportunities, and it allowed him to pick up new skills at an early age. However, working with a platform as big as this required some adjustments.
Haltom manages all of Dude Perfect’s social media platforms, ensuring their content reaches millions of fans worldwide.
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LIFE & STYLE
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