Victoria Beaty, Founder, Be Well Indy
Victoria Beaty traded her a high-stress career in advertising (at McDonald’s no less) to focus on urban farming and agriculture. She’s also the founder of Be Well Indy, a digital destination covering the health and wellness scene in Indianapolis. Find out who inspires her and what made her take that professional leap.
Personal life: Beaty, who turns 35 next month lives downtown in a restored historic building.
Q. What would someone be most surprised to learn about you?
That I’m an urban farmer. I work for Growing Places Indy [a non-profit whose mission is to empower people to cultivate personal, family, and community wellness through urban agriculture]. I just earned my Urban Agriculture certificate from Purdue.
Q. Any great gardening tips for the amateurs among us that you’ve learned in your new role?
For those that want to learn how to grow food, I would say research, research, research.
Q. Who, in Indy, should people be following right now?
I think any woman who is looking to be an entrepreneur should follow Tiffanylatoi on Instagram. She also has inspiring quotes and tons of business resources and tips she shares daily.
“I’ve been through a lot but I know that I am strong and can get through anything.”
Q. What was the turning point when you realized you needed to change careers?
Working with a well-known brand involves countless hours and tons of stress with little reward. I realized I wanted to leave a more meaningful impact on the world.
Thanks to my time working with McDonald’s, I learned so much about how the fast-food system works. Fast-food companies have big marketing budgets that are specifically for targeting different (mostly low-income) communities, encouraging them to eat more fast food. We all know it’s not good for us—but it’s convenient, cheap, and fast. McDonald’s is not the only fast-food brand throwing around their influential purchasing and marketing power. It’s more than just questionable food, it’s unlivable wages, poor working conditions, poor treatment of animals. However, fast food has a deep-rooted history in America and it will take some time before we see real change.
Q. What advice do you have for looking to make a career move like that?
Dig deep. Think about the things that bring you joy and happiness. Finding your way takes time and it takes asking yourself some hard questions about the legacy you want to leave behind.
Q. What is your Maven Superpower?
My resilience. I’ve been through a lot but I know that I am strong and can get through anything.
Q. Which three famous people would you most like to have dinner with?
Beyoncé, Oprah, Michelle Obama.
Q. What are we most likely to find on your dinner plate?
Salmon. I could eat salmon, spinach, and brown rice every day! But if I’m splurging, pepperoni pizza from Bazbeaux. I’m never disappointed when I eat there.
Want to be featured as a Maven to Know? Sign up for our Membership Program—we’d love to have you! See all the Maven to Know features we’ve shared so far.
