We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jaylen Christie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jaylen, appreciate you joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

So, I’m someone who bores incredibly easily. To that end, I like to busy myself with projects that have meaning and initiatives that help me to operate in my purpose. I’ve been blessed to establish myself as a successful public relations practitioner in Central Florida. I’ve been in this profession for over a decade now and have won several industry awards for my efforts. Given the events of 2020 and the murder of George Floyd, there’s been an increase in efforts concerning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Months of civil unrest and a cultural re-examination of America catapulted DEI efforts to the forefront. Believe it or not, DEI is actually an aspect of PR and falls under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility. I’ve taken an interest in this and have strived to lend a helping hand to organizations in need of DEI strategies and PR support.

Those that know me closely are privy to the fact that I’m a storyteller. I had to set the stage first before diving into the story of how I got my start exactly. It’s a good one. Feel free to pop popcorn!

I got my start by majoring in journalism at Florida A&M University — Go Rattlers! — and then later earning a master’s degree at the University of Central Florida, where I took a class focused on DEI. This provided something of a solid foundation for my pivot from journalism to PR. I moved to Orlando ten years ago without having a job lined up. I needed a change of scenery. With only two thousand dollars to my name and bills cutting into it, I had become a master chef with ramen noodles. My first job in PR was for The Salvation Army’s homeless shelter. The hiring manager took a chance on me because when I was brought on, I did not have a PR background. However, I was young and eager to prove myself. Plus, my journalism background lended itself to the profession. In my role at The Salvation Army, I handled all communication efforts for the organization, which put me in contact with multiple news reporters and members of the media. With God’s help, I was able to cultivate a positive reputation in the community, which led to other wonderful jobs in PR — well, one not so much — before I focused more on DEI projects. Networking certainly helped. It’s all about knowing the right people…and I’ve never been particularly shy.

With the heightened awareness regarding DEI, I felt now was the ideal time to publish my comic book “Stink Bomb Man and the Brain Kids,” which is releasing very soon. The comic is fun; a little campy, and focuses on three superheroes of color — one alien and two clever teenagers — working together to stop a mad scientist from turning everyone the same color to eliminate prejudice. Deep stuff, right? I try to keep the tone of it upbeat and comedic. I hope audiences connect with it. Getting started on this creative project was harder than launching my PR career, but as one of my fraternity brothers pointed out, timing is everything. Let me explain…

I’m a firm believer that no one gets anywhere without a little assistance. Throughout my PR career I’ve been blessed to meet some remarkably talented people. I wrote and illustrated the comic book, but needed some support in helping get it over the finish line. A buddy of mine that I met while working for a marketing agency agreed to color it for me while another former colleague of mine helped design some graphics for it. I used Twitter to help find an additional colorist and a letterer to create the word bubbles on the pages. My sister, who happens to be a successful entrepreneur, connected me a gentleman to design the official logo, and a friend mine who works for The New York Times edited the accompanying short story for me.

Three words: God is good.

While I used to beat myself up for not getting the comic book out sooner because I wrote it in 2016, I’ve come to realize that things happen at the right time. A dream delayed is not a dream denied. For me, my secret has been prayer and networking. And for moments of doubt or frustration, a cocktail or two doesn’t hurt. Brown though. Not white. White will land you in jail.

Jaylen, 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?

As a child, I knew I wanted to be a multi-hyphenate before I even comprehended what the word meant. I think what I’m most proud of is that I’ve been able to achieve some semblance of being a multi-hyphenate and getting paid for it. I strive to be a positive person, so I enjoy motivational speaking. I also like acting and have appeared in several stage productions around town. I played a gay reindeer once. That was…interesting. As a public relations practitioner, I usually help people identify their target audiences, land on television and craft content for their newsletters. This year, I was able to take it a step further by spearheading our mayor’s first-ever Juneteenth event, which is something that brought me great joy. Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of those who were enslaved in the U.S. My committee and I received a proclamation for our efforts. But, you know, while accolades are nice, you can’t take any of that with you when you leave the world. I’d take pizza with me if I could — Papa Johns categorically speaking, but I digress. I suppose what I would like people to know about working with me is that I am committed to helping them achieve their goals. Anyone interested in learning more can visit jaylenchristie.com

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

With “Stink Bomb Man and The Brain Kids,” there is definitely a mission, yes. For starters, representation matters. When I was a kid, I could count on one hand the number of superheroes who had my same skin complexion. While the tone of my comic book is campy, each of the characters are written with integrity and are three-dimensional. The story also deals with themes concerning diversity and reflects the real world. There are characters of different shades, ages and genders. There are characters with disabilities and ones that are LGBTQ+. My aspiration is for readers to see themselves in the story. There’s also a mystery component that I really hope hooks the reader for the next installment.

Additionally, bringing “Stink Bomb Man and The Brain Kids” to life has been a goal of mine since childhood. I am so glad and so very excited to see this dream manifesting. Being able to share these characters with an audience has been a big mission driving my creative journey. There’s more where that came from, fam. Stay tuned!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, I believe it’s challenging perceptions, changing minds and offering some form of enlightenment. I like to have people think. Conversely, I enjoy making people laugh. Everything that I’ve ever written, whether it be a short story or an opinions piece for The Grio has focused on a touchy subject and contained some kind of humor. I think the biggest reward is having someone who really gets it; someone who reads something I’ve written and says, “This speaks to me! Thank you! I feel seen!” That’s so powerful to me and so very humbling. Having someone be moved by your work or inspired — that’s what dreams are made of.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://jaylenchristie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesuperflynerd/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesuperflynerd