Influential Woman · Journalism

Averianna Patton

On Air Personality, Young Country 96.7FM

Nashville, TN

3Awards received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Bachelor's degree in Multimedia Journalism Degree Middle Tennessee State University Degree 2017 Degree Nashville School of the Arts

Her Story

About Averianna

I started pursuing journalism back in college in 2013 when I left high school and went to Middle Tennessee State University. I studied hard news, sports, and entertainment, and while building my portfolio over four years, I was already working on major red carpets in the Black community - all of the BET awards, all of the NAACP awards. I was able to capture footage and create recaps for different brands while I was still in college. After I graduated in 2017 with my bachelor's degree in multimedia journalism, I immediately moved to Los Angeles. I packed up my car with everything I possibly could, stayed in hotels while sorting out my apartment, and lived there for about a year working on different live sets like Dr. Phil, The Real, and pilot shows. I did everything I could to avoid working a 9-to-5 - I even jokingly say I was a professional seat filler, which was my bread and butter. In 2018, I was offered a job opportunity back in Nashville to be personal assistant for Kelly Pickler and Ben Aaron on season 2 of Pickler and Ben. I worked for Kelly Pickler from 2018 until right before COVID. After that, I got an opportunity at the National Museum of African American Music as Community Engagement Manager, as well as becoming a radio personality at iHeartRadio. I'm the first Nashville native on the hip-hop station 101 The Beat, and the first person to bring local artists to that station and provide them with that real celebrity and mainstream artistry experience. One of my biggest accomplishments was bringing hip-hop downtown Nashville for the first time with local hip-hop artists, which was very historic. After that, I worked at 96.7 Yoko, a country station, for about 3 or 4 years, working CMT and CMA events. Now I'm doing freelance work, creating my own musical series called Music City Check-In, and I have a game show called Black and a Berry Game Show that I'm currently filming. My goal is to continue being a voice for the culture in Black Nashville, making sure we are heard, seen, and our stories are told correctly.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Averianna

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to my relationship with God. I grew up in a rough environment, and I knew God but I didn't know Him for myself at first. I remember I used to jokingly say when I was a kid, you know, I don't know if this guy's real, but I'm going to just believe just in case. You can't do wrong by just in case believing. I really attribute it to my relationship with Him and Him guiding me and leading me, even when I was unsure. I honestly don't even know how I'm here today given where I came from. My mom was also instrumental - she wasn't always around, but every time I saw her or had to stay at her house, you didn't get a choice, you were going to church. She pressed it and pressed it, and I'm so grateful that she was a stickler how she was. And my dad - my dad is who raised me, he taught me everything. I feel like I was raised as a young man, so my feminine side is something I'm working on. But being very masculine in certain spaces has been a good thing for the industry that I'm in. My life has forced me to always dot every I and cross every T.

02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

My advice would be to cultivate and know yourself. I know that may sound cliched to a younger female, but what I mean is break yourself down into four compartments. You need somebody to pour into you mentally, you need somebody to pour into you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Know yourself on all four levels before you get out here and let the world try to tell you who you are. That's my biggest advice to anyone, not just young women. Even if you're trying to find yourself now, break yourself down into four compartments and try to pour something into those four cups daily. It's not on the world to fill you up, you have to fill yourself up. You are not just your name - your spirit has to be fed as well. I try to visualize and make it something that people can see themselves in.

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