We recently connected with Jake Thompson and have shared our conversation below.
Jake, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The year is 2008 and I’m a 19-year-old junior in college building my own film studies degree at the University of Minnesota. The opportunities in the midwest are far and fickle between, so you can imagine my wonder/wanderlust when visiting my parents in San Diego and discovering my cousin’s husband grew up with one of the iconic series ‘Ugly Betty”s TV writers.
After obtaining said icon’s contact information, I spent that summer what could only be described as playing the real life role of an “email hustler.” After some back and forth correspondence in a faceless email conversation, I earned myself a walking week on the series. But wait! It wouldn’t be in Los Angeles like I had mentally prepared myself: the show’s third season was moving to the Big Apple: New York City!
The crazy part is my move to NYC isn’t even the biggest risk-taking moment of this story, it’s more like the domino that catapulted a chain-reaction of even more robust risk-taking, if I do say so myself. So was my first week on a TV set (my favorite TV show, mind-you) as magical as it sounds? YES. But it was even better: Lindsay Lohan guest starred while I went on Starbucks orders for America Ferrera and Vanessa Williams and got to walk through Mode Magazine.
At the end of the walking week, I flew back to Minneapolis, star-eyed, but a little depressed. How could I go back to finish my senior year of college when I just experienced something so profound and impressionable on me? Do you ever feel like when you outgrow somewhere, it eats at you until you make a change in your life? Well for me, this was the real big risk-taking moment: recognizing that college will always be around, but an opportunity like this, in the words of Nicki Minaj, is a “moment 4 life.”
So I lied and told everybody I had accepted a full-time position on the show and within ten days, I had found an apartment, packed and moved to the east coast. Fast-forward to becoming a day player (freelance), and then being asked to join the show as staff was exactly what I wanted to happen! The lesson here is that you can’t wait for people to give you things, you have to JUMP and take things that are right in front of you, run with it, and hit the gas full pedal.
I like to think that this early risk-taking moment basically set up my career that I covet today. I am a big believer in that the impossible is a concept I don’t believe in because at a young age, I made the impossible happen. I didn’t know it at the time, but years later, I’d be going to Drag Con in Los Angeles (where I’ve resided since 2011), while my friends would get pictures with their favorite queen, I was handing out my business card and got hired by World of Wonder and RuPaul.
Risks are neccessary because when you think about it, we can’t see our futures already anyways, so if you can help steer your own path to success, why not? Otherwise, you’ll just be wishing things were greener on the other side, rather than actually risking it, and touching grass.
Jake, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Do you remember that clip of Oprah asking Gaga what she is, and Mother Monster answers brilliantly, “I’m everything?” Well, in an essence, that is how I describe myself and my work: a little bit of everything!
With a hardcore work ethic, comedy chops and some tech savviness, I’ve had the good fortune of working as an animation TV writer, social media producer and manager, and I’m also a consummate artist myself, creating original content and digital shorts for your viewing pleasure.
For the past two years, I’ve been the resident Social Media Producer at an agency Q. Digital wherein we make meaningful connections between the LGBTQ+ community and brands, through social campaigns, live activation events, philanthropy, interviews & more.
I oversee four major sites (Queerty, LGBTQ Nation, Into & GayCities) and fine-tune original content, strategy, mixed media and keep our brands conversation going online with our audience, as well as trying to expand our growth every day. The best part of the gig? Covering live events like the Teen Vogue Summit or the Mean Girls the Musical Movie press junkets.
Outside of work, I also have written, produced and created many popular (dare I say, VIRAL) web series, particularly, when I partnered with HBO for ‘Big Little Lies’ making 38 parodies, as well as my own series “Jake’s Fashion Week” (in it’s fourth season) and “Apricot,” a series that was selected for a multitude of LGBTQ+ film festivals in 2020.
The work I’m most proud of is my resume. From ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ to ‘Ugly Betty’ to ‘Big Little Lies’ to ‘The Harper House’ and Queerty, I’m proud that I can lend my talents and voice to projects that I care about, and that reflect myself and my community. It’s the greatest honor to be able to tell authentic stories and give a voice to the voiceless.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Two things come to mind…
1. My first ever big boss person gave me sage advice when I was starting out: “the industry is small so be nice to everyone you meet.”
That sentiment has always rang true for me. There’s a myth that we need to be assholes to get ahead. Not me! As much as I thrive from a deadline or putting out a proverbial fire, my best work comes from when I feel supported and everybody has good vibes with their eye on the prize. And it’s true! Especially in Tinsletown, I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many folks over the years I continue to collaborate with, make connections, work alongside or run into at live events over the course of my career. You don’t want to be the person dodging from people in public. It’s not a cute look.
2. My drive to always stay authentic to myself. I think I’ve made myself an integral part of being a queer game-changer in the entertainment, media, journalism and storytelling industries. So I’ve been sought out multiple times for opportunities on projects and/or connecting folks with resources that I have that really only come from living your truth. I think we’re all trying to get to the truth so it’s meaningful for brands to know I’m part of the community on the projects I want to back up.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I don’t think folks talk about this enough but it’s a juggernaut balancing being both an artist and a 9-5er. I originally wanted to say it sucks, but I think that’s very 2023 to not elaborate so I will try and explain myself.
For me, the scales are never in equilibrium when I’m either freelancing or working full-time. When I’m freelancing, it’s incredibly freeing to not be tied to something and have the liberty to create your own projects on the side (like web series for example). The flipside of this is I’m constantly worried about finances: you can be on a project for three weeks or three months and it’s slippery slope just trying to get by. Especially in big (and expensive) cities like Los Angeles.
And the opposite spectrum of the debate is when I’m working full-time somewhere, it’s fantastic in that you can support yourself more regularly, but the sacrifice is not having time or energy to pursue your dream side projects.
I’m learning as I get older that I have to debunk two things: carve out time for personal projects no matter where I’m at in the timeline of my resume and also to be better with money. My parents will be proud of me for saying that last part.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jakegthompson.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jakegthompson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jakegthompson1986/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakegthompson/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeGThompson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jakegthompson
- TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@jakegthompson