Hidden Gems: Meet Jessica Austin of Jessica Austin Media

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Austin. 

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Leaving home, I went off into the world doe-eyed with big hopes and aspirations. I was determined to live the American dream too. Earn a degree, buy a home, and all that mumbo jumbo that goes in one ear and out there other when you are young, wild, and finally free. So, I took the road most traveled and went to college, earning my MSW from Eastern Michigan University. I jumped from the classroom to the field, and I enjoyed my career for a brief time, but I was only applying a Band-Aid to a bullet wound. Our plight in America required healing that could only come from a divine purpose.

Still ignorant of my purpose I pushed forward because that is what we are taught to do, right? I was a “strong black woman”, so I pulled myself up from a dark place, now known and accepted as depression and, started failing forward, searching for a place or something to resonate with my spirit. I went from braiding hair to making candles, to an online boutique. One failed attempt after another yet I found myself surrounded by success. My friends were landing careers, relationships, starting families, and moving on and here I was stuck with this busted cape and a dream. Unbeknown to me, representation or the lack thereof had everything to do with my stagnation. I was drowning on land. Suffocated by the voices of my parents, ancestors, friends, the media.

The moment I realized my purpose doors began to close and I began to unravel behind them. My presence felt unwelcomed in the spaces I’d previously occupied. My voice was suddenly too loud for any room I walked in, and it made absolutely no sense.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Contrary to the movies where we realize our dream and we live happily ever after, passion is vulnerable. As it opens the door to our purpose it reveals every fear that not even the best MAC or Fenty can cover. It is the ultimate test that no one is making you take only pass or fail feels more like life or death. It was not until recent that I truly “understood the assignment.” Embracing my purpose meant turning fear to fuel.

As a kid, I always saw myself on tv. In elementary school, I knew I was destined to be the first dark-skinned girl in a hip-hop video. By middle school Free was keeping my seat warm on 106th and Park but by high school it was solidified in cheerleader heaven when Gabrielle Union brought it in the hit classic, Bring it On.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Fast forward, today Jessica Austin Media provides Creative Consulting and Professional Writing Services. Marking the starting line of my professional career as a writer and filmmaker was my debut film Dream Chaser, a short film chronicling the life of a successful attorney turned pro-race car driver. The passion project, which I realized in hindsight mirrored my life opened the door to infinite opportunities. As I continued following my passion I was invited into spaces where I fit like a missing slice of sweet potato pie. I met insanely talented creatives and business- women like Brenda Walker of Genius B Productions and Siddy Morgan of Siddy Morgan Studios. I continued to be uplifted by my inner circle of proud business owners and mompreneurs.

Following the film’s success, I launched Dream Chaser Weekend, an annual gathering of entrepreneurs, creatives and, aspiring chasing their dreams, together. The 3rd Annual Dream Chaser Weekend event kicked off with a Masterclass with special guest speaker, PR Strategist Lillie Mae Williams, as seen on Netflix’s Love is Blind Season 1. The weekend followed with a networking mixer at the Westland Farmer & Artisan Market, serenaded by R&B Violinist Candice “Pretty Stringz” Smith and rounded out with a phenomenal Vendor & Crafter Fair hosted at MJR Grand Cinema.

The work of art I leave behind will be a legacy filled with hope, healing, love and pride whether it be film, television, events. My passion is to create, so I create. My purpose is to heal so I heal by creating.

Currently, JAM is raising awareness around black women in the upcoming collaborative film Naked, as it emboldens normalizing conversation around Colorism, Codependency, Competition, and Body Image. Premiering in early spring, Naked is now accepting charitable donations and more information can be found at www.jessicaaustinmedia.com. I hope to continue empowering others through my clothing line, Jam Time Tees, and Apparel, sharing inspirational and witty affirmations as I continue to create written bodies of work. Additionally, I plan to continue building my professional clientele while planning the 4th Annual Dream Chaser Weekend event to be hosted in September 2022. I look forward to connecting with the community, gaining sponsorship for upcoming events, and collaborating with other creatives along the way.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t know that I believe so much in luck in the sense of random acts of favor or it having any contribution to my journey. However, if luck is the outcome of intentionality and effort then I believe I am on a divine path to success. 

Pricing:

• Free Consultation
• JAM Time Apparel and Merch Range $10-$60
• Naked Film Donation Goal $1000
• Professional Writing Services determined based on need, flexible options apply.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.jessicaaustinmedia.com
• Instagram: @jessicaaustinmedia; @jamtimetees; @dreamchaserweekend; @dreamchaserfilm; @nakedshortfilm
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/nF0K1KTu5mM
• Other: www.jamtimetees.com

Image Credits
Joe Wilson
Cyerrah Kennedy
Siddy Morgan