Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Willis.
Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Hi! My name is Jessica and I fell in love with media when I was 12 years old, I’m from Columbus, GA and I was attending 2 elementary schools.
One of those schools at the time, was called St. Elmo, a school for the gifted which I would attend on Mondays and I attended a regular school Tuesday- Friday. As my time in Elementary school came to an end, one day a black man showed up at my house. His name was Kevin Scott and he was the principal of East Columbus Magnet Academy. He wanted me to go to his school and be a part of the magnet program and came to my house which was on the complete opposite side of town to ask my mom about it.
He was so impressed with my academic record and because of it being a magnet school, I was able to attend the school even with it being outside of my district. I remember walking in and seeing so many other black people around me, I didn’t know anyone and I was used to being the only black girl in school so meeting all of these other black kids that were just as smart and had a love for academics just like me was life-changing. upon entering the program I was hand-chosen for lots of projects, competitions, and showcases that involved media as a whole.
Things like video editing, graphic design, web development, and more. I immediately fell in love and the awards started coming in, I never stopped and here I am today. Thank you Scott for changing my life. Thank you for giving me a chance to be amongst black excellence.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. I obtained my undergraduate degree from Valdosta State in 2019. A BFA in Mass Media. While I learned a lot, I worked a lot and I often felt that because of work I couldn’t perfect my craft. For a little while I gave up and opted to be in front of the camera doing News reporting. Everyone was so proud of me, but I hated it. I wanted to be the person that made the magic happen. I gave up again after graduating and I started doing retail management while I worked on my master’s.
The money was GREAT but I was so unhappy. I’d always do a website here and there for some side money but I just was not happy. I took on a contract for a real estate company that needed to be completely rebranded and I suddenly found my passion again. That led to another contract doing marketing for Stacey Abrams and another contract and another and another and another!
As you know, we’re big fans of Brainiac Branding. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I do everything lol! If you have a business and you need anything for that business, I mean anything you can come to me. My most popular services are websites, acuity booking sites, and logos.
I’m currently working on a content creator package for those in the beauty industry and I can’t wait to unveil it! The thing about me is ALL of my ideas are original. I pride myself on being different and your brand is guaranteed to stand out if you work with me.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Be smart but take the risk. Scared money don’t make no money and closed mouths do not get fed!
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