Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamaal Jackson.
Hi Jamaal, 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’m not really sure where to start. But the best way I can describe my journey is to explain my dreams; to explain my passions. My first love was the game of baseball. I was fortunate enough to have earned the opportunity to play professionally from 2008 – 2012.
I mention this era in my life because my background in athletics has truly laid the foundation for everything that’s unfolding in my life in the current day.
After baseball, I worked in corporate for seven years. But I began podcasting in 2015 with a couple of friends. That podcast was called SEX WITH STRANGERS: A GROWN FOLKS PODCAST (shoutout to Cii & Juice).
Cii was the creator of that masterpiece. And it all started on our rides home from work. We always discussed our relationship and dating stories in the car. No mics. No cameras. No laptops. Just conversations. She already had a background in radio, and she expressed that she wanted to start a podcast. At the time, I had no clue what a podcast even was. But when she asked me if I wanted to be on the first episode, I said, “let’s do it”.
The very first episode we recorded was titled “Chingy Ate My Ass”. It was hilarious. The production of it wasn’t great, but the storytelling, the jokes, the conversation and the chemistry as a whole was phenomenal. We knew we had something.
And that ultimately turned into a 5-year run of having the best podcast in the city. Within our 5 year run, we did 5 live shows; 3 in Philadelphia, 1 in Atlanta, 1 in Houston.
Our live shows were the true catalyst in my solo endeavors with podcasting and video production. I travel a decent amount, so I was always looking for different ways to grow our audience in different locations. So I came up with the idea for ONE MIC STAND.
Simply put, ONE MIC STAND was an interview series, in which I would sit down with someone in whatever city that I was currently in, and do a visual podcast on a particular topic. And then I was back on a plane to go back home. I would travel with my own cameras, my own lights, my own mics, my own everything. A traveling production is what it really is.
SWSAGFP was also the catalyst in starting my video production business, NOT|JAX PRODUCTIONS. Once again, I was simply trying to come up with creative ways to promote our live shows so we could sell tickets. Myself and one of my other good friends (shoutout to my boy Chaz), would make goofy videos that would spoof popular movie scenes or popular social media content. We would simply alter the words to match the concept that we were trying to convey.
We started with just recording on our phones. Very amateur footage. Very amateur quality. But our creativity was top-tier. Our work ethic was top-notch. We just needed better equipment.
And then, in January of 2019, I purchased my first camera. And the game changed.
From that point forward, sleep has been virtually nonexistent. I was either always filming or always editing. Hours and hours spent on watching tutorials on how to learn the camera and how to use the editing software.
For the longest amount of time, we just went out and filmed each other, filmed the city, filmed for free, etc just to slowly build the catalog. Our original plan was to travel to 1 city per month just to shoot travel content. Everything on our own dime.
The more work I put out, naturally the better I became. Then a couple of people began to reach out to ask if I can film a project for them. And the trajectory has been going up ever since.
To date, I’ve done weddings, engagements, concerts, festivals, birthday parties, short films, podcasts, YouTube content, documentaries, small business commercials, lifestyle pieces, and music videos,
I’ve also had several merch launches for the NOT|JAX brand, and we’re preparing new merch for the fall of 2021.
At this juncture, the podcast, ONE MIC STAND, is growing its audience and generating revenue via Patreon (please go and subscribe now).
And NOT|JAX PRODUCTIONS is currently working on a long-form documentary chronicling the year that was 2020. You can view some of our visual content at notjaxproductions.com
Podcast iG: @one_mic_stand_
Video Prod iG: @not_jax
Personal iG: @jaxon1616
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/one_mic_stand?fan_landing=true
YouTube: “ONE MIC STAND”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road is never been smooth. And will never be smooth. From my first passion, baseball, to my current passion, I’ve battled depression, self-doubt, lack of confidence in self as well as in my audience. It’s honestly pretty much a weekly occurrence. Where I lose faith and have to force myself to gain it back. This road will always be rough. It’s gravel. It’s uneven. The elements aren’t ideal. And that’s what will make the victory so sweet
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What sets me apart is my athletic background. I’ve survived the worst. I’ve survived the darkest of the dark. The hardest of the hard. I’ve been released. I’ve been traded. I’ve been boo’d. I’ve been depressed. I’ve been suicidal. I’ve been the hero. I’ve been the goat. But I’ve never quit. And that tells me that I never will. My talent isn’t my gift. My work ethic is
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
Playing baseball in the summer
Contact Info:
- Website: notjaxproductions.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jaxon1616?utm_medium=copy_link
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCQQ-twRuVvofdnevc2L8ICA
