Today we’d like to introduce you to Jameelah Haadee.
Hi Jameelah, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am an Atlanta native, however, I lived in the midwest for nearly 14 years before returning in 2019. I started my career in 2005 as an electrical/systems engineer before pivoting my career to law, more particularly, intellectual property law in 2010 when I began law school. Upon completion of law school, I began my legal career working in private practice at a boutique intellectual property law firm and later transitioned into the role of in-house legal counsel.
In late 2019, while working as in-house intellectual property counsel for a major US corporation in their patent group, I received a strong nudging from God that it was time to leave and move to a new path in life. The nudging was unexpected because I had made no plans of leaving, so initially I tried downplaying the inner calling, and of course, there was fear. However, looking back in retrospect, at the time, I was completely burned out and mentally depleted. A story we hear far too often fromor persons of color in the workplace. That despite our talent and skills, it’s an unfortunate and undeniable truth that skin color and ethnicity stills plays a significant role in many workforces. We are left facing challenges that our counterparts do not face and this can become exhausting.
But God knows best and always has the final say. For me, the nudge became stronger, and I could no longer ignore it. In December 2019, I took the leap of faith. With this leap, I walked away from my corporate safe haven and six-figure salary. I did not have a clue what was next, but I knew deep within me I had made the right choice. I had spent 15 plus years chasing societal standards of success and happiness; it was now time to reassess my life’s path and live life on different terms.
Upon leaving, I decided to take some time off for spiritual and mental healing and to internally reconnect. What initially started as a 2-month break turned into nearly a 7-month break due to the pandemic hitting shortly after my departure in March 2020. God, however, had a plan. God used the time of healing to prepare me for the next phase of this journey. God told me to take my skills and use what I learned from previous work experiences to serve the people. Therefore, in September 2020, I launched JH Brand, which has evolved into a full service intellectual property solution center for creatives. With my work at JH Brand I do not see myself as a typical lawyer, but rather as a “Creative Engineer” whose right brain is now meeting its left brain. I utilize creative problem solving to provide unique intellectual property solutions to clients. I now understand the saying that “when you do what you love, it doesn’t feel like work.”
My passion for intellectual property and creativity is the driving force behind the business, as well as my deep desire to serve others through this passion and increase awareness about the extreme value of intellectual property. To put this in perspective, a 2020 Bloomberg article reported that “[f]ewer than 2% of IP lawyers are black, according to 2017 data from the American Intellectual Property Law Association.” Couple being an IP lawyer with being a black female patent lawyer and the percentages decrease even more. I saw and experienced this firsthand in the various roles I served in, where you look around, and it’s just you. You are the only black or brown face in the room on both sides of the table which is why I do what I do. I realize representation matters and, people like seeing and working with people who look like them. Often, I have found there is simply a different level of trust, relatability, and comfort.
The article further states that, “[w]hites are over three times more likely to become inventors as bBlacks,” and “African Americans, while making up 13% of the U.S.’s native-born population, comprised less than 1% of the U.S.-born innovators it surveyed.” As you can see, there’s a huge gap and disconnect that exists, which we are hoping to bridge to help ensure black and brown creatives are not left behind or robbed of their ideas, inventions, and creative expressions.
The beauty of our journey is that we are just beginning and the journey is still unfolding. So stay tuned, creatives, we have more in store!
Also, be sure to check out our Instagram IGTV series titled “Let’s Chat Creativity,” where I share free IP and business insight, tips, and commentary.
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?
As with all new journeys, the journey of entrepreneurship has come with many lessons, challenges, and blessings. The road definitely has not been smooth, but what I have found is that it is through the mistakes and roadblocks that you learn how to be a better business person and serve the people in a greater way. You learn from your mistakes, as well as you previous work experiences, and you begin to put the moving pieces together to make the business work more smoothly. The greatest lessons I have learned thus far as an entrepreneur is that you must be flexible, patient, faithful, adaptable, and learn how to delegate.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about JH Brand?
JH Brand is a company dedicated to helping creatives, in the form of individuals and small businesses, own, protect, maximize, and leverage their intellectual property (IP) assets. We are a solution center for creatives. We strongly believe in the value of intellectual property and take pride in helping our clients build brand enterprises, empires, and generational legacies from their IP. We are female owned, black owned, and we offer a full range of intellectual property products and services including patent, trademark, copyright, and more. Our core mission is to increase African American and minority access to and awareness of IP protections and assets.
How do you define success?
I define success as doing what you love and loving what you do. It’s about being authentic and free, and having the ability to creatively express yourself in service to others. It’s about living purposefully and having that purpose impact and inspire the lives of others. To me, success is simply living a meaningful and purpose-filled life that leaves an imprint.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@jhbrand.us
- Website: www.jhbrand.us
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jameelah.haadee
Image Credits
Jameelah Haadee
