We recently connected with Danita Jones and have shared our conversation below.
Danita, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?
The best boss I’ve ever had was Merri Dee at WGN-TV. Merri Dee is a Chicago legend. She first hired me as her intern while I was attending Columbia College in Chicago and after I graduated she hired me to write and produce public service announcements in her Community Relations Department.
Merri shaped my formulative years in the entertainment industry. She was very generous in sharing her knowledge about the industry. How she persevered through and soared as being one of the pioneering Black women in broadcast TV and Radio.
She believed in me, my creativity and gave me courage to pursue bigger dreams along with a spiritual aspect. Merri always said to me that God did not set me up to fail. I still hang on those words today when things get tough. And when it was time for me to set brighter heights and move to Los Angeles, she asked her brother if I could stay with him until I got my feet off the ground. So not only was she an incredible boss and mentor but at that moment, she became family.
Merri Dee passed away last year. I encourage people to read her book, “Merri Dee, Life Lessons on Faith, Forgiveness and Grace.” Whenever I get sad and miss her, I read her book and it makes me feel like she’s still here. Also her book has incredible gems to keep you inspired. She overcame so much. Like being kidnapped from the radio station, shot and left for dead. She tells that story and more. But my resilience in this industry, is greatly due to knowing her and women like her that succeeded against many odds.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As I mentioned earlier, my first industry job working at WGN-TV for Merri Dee. A close friend of mine, knew I wanted to get into either writing for TV or Film. He told me that I should be in LA or NY for that and he had a friend that was looking for Corporate PAs (production assistant) in LA for a company called Carsey-Werner. They at the time did all of the hit sitcoms. Roseanne, The Cosby Show, Grace Under Fire. Me and my aunt flew out to LA. I had my interview and also had set up Informational interviews while I was out there. Carsey-Werner hired me on the spot but on one condition, I had to move to LA in 3 weeks. That was jarring for everyone. Me. My family. Friends. But it was what I considered an opportunity of a lifetime.
When I moved to LA, I really hated it. But that hate fueled my determination. I said if I’m not getting paid to writing. I have no business being here. So, I hustled. While doing my PA job, I talked to as many people that I could. Got as many showrunners to read my scripts. I came to LA with scripts and continued to hone my craft. Getting up at 5am to write and had to be at work by 7:30am. While working as a Corporate PA, an opportunity came up to PA for a Television Show. It was the 2nd Cosby show that aired on CBS. While doing that job, I talked to the writers and writer’s assistants. Back in those days, the clean shot to being a writer on a sitcom was first being a writer’s assistant. So for first few months of working on that show, when I was done with my PA work, I would stay behind and shadow the writer’s assistants. There were many times I stayed to 2am along with the writers and assistants. I wanted to know the process and be seen as someone who is determined to put in the work. I would still get up at 5am, write, but not as much, get to work at 7:30am. Rinse and repeat.
After they moved the show to New York, I stayed behind and moved on to Men Behaving Badly and then Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. I was a writer’s assistant but I informed my wonderful bosses, Miriam Trogdon and Holly Hester that I wanted to write. With them, I sold my first scripts.
Though, Miriam and Holly wanted to hire me to be staff, many staffing changes occurred when Sabrina moved from ABC to The WB. My champions were no longer there. I knew if I took any more writer assistant positions I would be pigeon holed into that work. I had to break away.
For 2 years, I worked at Warner Bros in their Consumer Products division and I became very active in my union, WGAw and was elected Vice Chair of the Committee of Black Writers. While still working at Warner Bros., I knew in my heart that I needed to break away and just focus on writing. I really wanted to get on staff on a show.
Some months later, just as staffing season was coming to a close, I get a call from my agent on my birthday that the writers on Frasier read one of my scripts and wanted to meet with me. I was hired as a staff writer on FRASIER!
After Frasier, I thought the holy grail of opportunities would flood my way. That wasn’t the case. I shifted into feature films and received a few opportunities there, but most were not paid. I developed quite a few screenplays with high profile companies but especially at that time, companies got away with not paying writers.
Needing to make money, I moved into Reality TV. Though the pay is much less than writing for scripted television, the work has been consistent up until recently because work in the entertainment industry has been slow across the board. But over the years, I’ve produced many celebrity driven reality shows, i.e. Celebrity Rehab, Couples Therapy. I got into the car world with Fast N’ Loud and my most recent car show, I was Co-Executive Producer on Kevin Hart’s Muscle Car Crew. Amid producing Reality TV, I’ve produced a short film, “The Grind” and a one man show “Ya’ Gotta Go Higher.”
While I still produce Reality TV, I’m passionate about history. Especially when it comes to marginalized groups. I’m writing a novel set in the Reconstruction Era and have a Substack newsletter, “History’s Untold Stories In America,” where I discuss many of the stories and share resources regarding that time period. You can subscribe here: danitajones.substack.com
Have you ever had to pivot?
My entire journey has been a pivot. I think that’s what has made me resilient in the entertainment industry. Starting with WGN-TV, I knew I wanted to do more than write PSAs and thought about where I soared in college which was writing for TV/Film and producing. Finally “made it” on the top sitcom at that time, but the doors didn’t continue to open. Pivoted to features, though I love writing features, lack of pay, pivoted me to Reality TV. Still in Reality TV, but I and others are feeling the industry shift. Both scripted and reality are suffering and as a friend of mines grandfather would say, “The hand writing is on the wall.” People will need to know how to pivot or find some other back up plan that will bring multiple sources of income. That’s partly why I’m building my Substack. I’m writing on a subject that I love and just maybe it will bring another stream of income. Also, I’m writing a novel. That’s an additional pivot.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Yes. OMG yes! I wish I understood the stock market better when I had scripted money flowing in. I didn’t know or understand compound interest in my 20s and early 30s. If I did, I wouldn’t have to focus so much on pivoting. I know you have featured Yul Spencer and I wished I would have had the knowledge that he puts into his books on Wall Street-Smarts.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://danitajones.substack.com
- Instagram: @thedanitajones
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/danitajonesproducer
- Twitter: @thedanitajones
- Other: https://imdb.me/DanitaJones
