We were lucky to catch up with Daron Jenkins recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Daron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

That’s a good question. Honestly, when it comes to my career, my parents were probably the worst influences in some ways. My father was a businessman. Practical. My mom was an artist and entrepreneur and was very much about “Follow Your Heart”. It was super complicated growing up in that respect.

The person who had a true impact on who I became was my grandmother. She was a force of nature. She was a community leader in Newark, NJ who made things happen.

She helped program activities for families every summer. To keep kids out of trouble during the summer, we’d (I say we because I was her sidekick) produced block parties, bus rides to the beach, Great Adventure, Hershey Park, etc. She’d lobby local politicians for funding. Her ability to connect, drive action, and her persistence I believe made her the original influencer.

She didn’t have social media or the web. She did it the old-fashioned way for old-fashioned reasons. She taught me how to activate a community and how important it is to care about those people you’re trying to empower. She didn’t make a dime on any of the activities. She didn’t give out free lunches, rent buses, or run all over the city submitting forms to make content for her socials. She did those things because it was the right thing to do. She did it to keep kids out of trouble during the long summers. To provide families ways to connect. To help the community as a whole. I have a lot of that in me as well. Even now when I haven’t worked in two years I’m still trying to help others where I can.

Daron, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a creator, podcaster, and entrepreneur based in New York City. Since 2004, I have fostered passionate media, entertainment, and tech communities. For over 15 years I have produced and strategized a portfolio of over 300 events, conferences, panels, pitch events, festivals, and fundraisers for creatives and entrepreneurs.

As a creative entrepreneur myself (artist, podcaster, writer, and sometimes actor) I know the struggle. You pour your heart and soul into your projects, but sometimes it can feel like you’re on an island. That’s why I’ve always been on a mission to build a thriving community for creators of all stripes.

I seek to help everyone from visionary media entrepreneurs and indie storytellers to seasoned business leaders and forward-thinking tech disruptors. I try to make others understand how important it is to converge and collaborate.

Never could this have been more on display than in my most ambitious endeavor, my founding of Film Loft New York, a community and incubator for those individuals, brands, and startups working to produce, write, direct, shoot, and edit content for the screen.

What I hope people learn about me is my dedication to creativity, connection, and community-building. I hope they’ll understand my passion to influence, inspire, and illuminate the paths to success for other individuals.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My best story is my current story. I lost my job in July 2022. And what made it worst is usually I would have had some emergency savings to live on but Covid destroyed that. So, in August 2022, I had to move out, with nowhere to go, I spent a couple of weeks bouncing around from couch to couch. I even stayed on the floor of a stranger who i found on Craigslist (which btw was the scariest week of my life). Luckily I had gotten SNAP benefits so I had a bit to eat from time to time. I spent a lot of time in the NY Library using the wifi so I could send out resumes and apply to places. Before anyone asks, I had applied to fast food spots, supermarkets, retail stores, and coffee shops, but for some reason, none called me back. I think they see me and think he’s over-qualified. Eventually, couches ran out and I spent a few weeks homeless on the subway trains of NYC. It wasn’t great but I tried to stay positive. I tell this story because if it wasn’t for all the people that I’ve come across through my endeavors, I wouldn’t be here. Some people helped with money. Some with connections. Some with advice. I needed money to get to Georgia where my sister and her husband live. So these same people who I’ve helped in the past came to my rescue. I’m still looking for work but in the meantime I am still helping others because that’s what my grandmother would do. I believe that things will turn around. I will maintain positive thoughts. I’ll keep paying forward and keep pushing.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Authenticity. I have had people say to me they were surprised at how transparent I am. If I am interested in helping other creators, it’s not just the good stories they need to learn from, but the bad ones too. If I think it would be helpful then I don’t mind sharing those experiences. I recently had one of the people in my community share the struggles he was going through. He thought he was the only one. Then I told him my very similar story. He said he felt less stressed about it afterward. We always think we’re the only ones.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thedaronjenkins.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedaronjenkins/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedaronjenkinsofficial
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedaronjenkins/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thedaronjenkins

Image Credits

Daron Jenkins