Story & Lesson Highlights with Joykenia Hill of The Mississippi Gulf Coast

We recently had the chance to connect with Joykenia Hill and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joykenia, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day for me starts early-around 5 a.m.-because as a mother of four, our mornings run like a full production. I wake up my daughters (13, 10, and 3) and my 6-year-old son, gather everything we need for the day, get my youngest dressed for my mom’s house, and pull myself together-hair, makeup, and the mental focus to start the day with purpose.

By 7 a.m., we’re out the door. I drop my 3-year-old at my mom’s, then spend the next hour delivering each child to their school: my son at elementary by 7:25, my 10-year-old around 7:30, and my oldest at middle school at 7:45. When everyone is finally where they need to be, I head to the high school where I work as a Permanent Substitute. My students keep me grounded and remind me why I walk in service every day.

Throughout the school day, I balance teaching with my own responsibilities as a student and a creative. Whenever I get a free moment-during planning periods or quiet classroom moments-I squeeze in schoolwork or work on my writing and production projects. After dismissal, my children meet me at the high school, and our second shift begins. We pick up my oldest from cheer, band, or basketball practice, then swing by my mom’s to get the baby.

Depending on the season, we may head straight to basketball or football games, which sometimes keeps us out past 8 or even 9:30 p.m. When we finally make it home, it’s homework, baths, and preparing for the next day. And once the kids are asleep-after convincing my 3-year-old that bedtime is not optional-I often stay up completing assignments or pouring into my creative projects.

My days are full, structured, and constantly moving, but each piece-motherhood, teaching, school, and storytelling-fuels my purpose and the legacy I’m building.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Joykenia Hill, but most people know me as Lady J. I am a writer, director, producer, and the founder of Lady J Productions and Lady J Productions Publishing-creative platforms built to tell powerful, faith-rooted, emotionally rich stories that uplift, inspire, and spark conversation. My work spans stage plays, novels, children’s books, and now television and film as I pursue my degree at the Los Angeles Film School.

What makes my brand unique is that everything I create is driven by purpose and authenticity. I pull from real experiences-my own, my community’s, and the stories we often carry in silence-to create narratives that resonate deeply with audiences. From the beloved character Mama Elanoe, to my dramatic stage plays like Something Ain’t Right and No More Secrets, to my upcoming TV series The Glory & The Ghetto, my mission is to give voice to everyday people walking through extraordinary circumstances.

I am currently expanding my creative universe with new novels, my first feature film What She Carries, and multiple book series-while continuing to serve my community as a Permanent Substitute in the public school system. My journey has been one of faith, resilience, and relentless vision, and everything I make reflects that. My goal is simple: to build a legacy of storytelling that changes lives, honors God, and inspires the next generation to dream boldly.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed that my voice didn’t matter. Growing up around dysfunction, instability, and experiences no child should have to face, I learned early on to shrink myself, stay quiet, and survive. I thought my feelings were too heavy, my dreams were too big, and that the things I carried would always define me.

Today, I no longer believe that.

I’ve learned that my voice is one of my greatest gifts. The very things I once felt ashamed of or silenced by have become the stories I now write, direct, and share to empower others. I’ve discovered that my experiences didn’t break me-they shaped me, strengthened me, and positioned me to speak life into others who feel unseen.

I no longer believe I have to stay small. I believe I am called, chosen, creative, and capable. And every day, through my writing, my productions, my education, and the young people I serve, I’m rewriting the narrative I once believed about myself as a child.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes-more than once. One of the hardest seasons of my life was when everything I was carrying seemed to collapse at the same time. I was facing heartbreak, financial hardship, single motherhood, and the heavy weight of trying to hold my family together while still showing up for everyone else. I remember feeling completely drained-physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I questioned my purpose, my strength, and whether I had anything left to give.

There was a moment when I truly felt like walking away from my dreams, my gifts, and the vision God placed in my heart. But even at my lowest, God sent people who refused to let me quit-my children, my mentor Ms. Jackiee, my mother, and my support system who kept reminding me that the world needed the stories I carried. Their belief in me helped me find my own belief again.

Pushing through that season taught me that resilience is not about never breaking-it’s about choosing to rise even when you’re shattered. Today, every stage play I write, every book I publish, every student I encourage, and every project I pursue is living proof that giving up was not the end of my story-purpose was.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say that what matters most to me is purpose—living it, protecting it, and helping others discover their own. They know that faith, family, and the people God has placed in my life are at the center of everything I do. They would tell you I care deeply about my children, my students, and my community, and that I’m passionate about creating stories that heal, uplift, and inspire.

They would also say that I value integrity and loyalty. The people in my circle know that when I love you, I will pour into you, pray for you, push you, and walk with you through the hard places—because that’s what others have done for me. And above all, they’d say what truly matters to me is leaving a legacy: building something meaningful through my writing, my productions, and my ministry that will impact generations long after I’m gone.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people say that I lived a life of purpose—one that reflected faith, resilience, and love in everything I did. I want them to remember that no matter what I went through, I kept pushing, kept creating, and kept believing that my story could help someone else heal. I hope they say I was a woman who used her gifts boldly, told the truth through her art, and never stopped fighting for her children, her students, and her community.

I want people to say I made them feel seen, valued, and inspired. That my plays, books, and films didn’t just entertain—they shifted something inside them, gave them hope, or reminded them of their own strength. And above all, I hope the story they tell is that I walked in the calling God gave me, and that I left behind a legacy of courage, creativity, and compassion that continues to open doors for others long after I’m gone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joy_ladyj_hill/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joyladyjhill25/
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/joyhillwilliams/
  https://www.facebook.com/p/Lady-J-Productions-Publishing-61578713581201/