We recently connected with Jasmine McClendon and have shared our conversation below.
Jasmine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
Growing up in a single parent household my mother instilled in me that there was nothing that I couldn’t do if I prayed about it, put the work behind it and put my mind to it. I expressed to my mother that I had a passion to model when I was 13 years old because I loved taking pictures of myself and they always came out naturally beautiful. My mother took me to an agency and I had the height but my weight from the waist down did not fit the runway figure. At that moment I knew I had to find a different route for my passion. As a kid in Atlanta, I always loved going to the skating rinks. My favorite rinks growing up were Skate Towne, Cascade Family Skating, Golden Glide and Sparkles. They played all of my urban music with a good mix of R & B and gospel. I literally fell in love with the uniqueness of the different moves that I could do and that is where the idea was born. I knew then that I could combine my two favorite passions which was modeling and skating. Allow me to further introduce myself as the first hottest roller skate model in the nation.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am from the big peach better known as Atlanta; GA. I have been skating since I was in high school and I would always go to the famous Cascade Family Skating rink on a good Sunday night. Sunday nights will have you waiting in a long line and skating while sweating in a packed-out skating rink to some good old rap and rhythm and blues music. Between skating I would get dolled up and model for my cousin to be placed in Atlanta Hairstylist magazines. I loved skating and modeling so much I decided to combine them to become the first roller skate model ever. So far, I have only had one free skate class for the community at a local skating rink called Skate Towne. The people who came really enjoyed themselves and can’t wait until I host another free skate class. I am in the process of working on two projects for the community and I am super excited for what’s to come.
During the Covid-19 pandemic a lot of people were stuck in the house with not much to do. People started to post a lot of skate videos on social media with them skating outside and that sparked a lot of individuals interest to learn how to skate. I have been skating for about 19 years and it has literally been refreshing for me. Skating keeps me balanced as whole because it is a full body workout, it helps relieve stress and keeps you wanting to learn more to perfect your craft. I was able to have a free class to teach individuals how to skate and it was of great service to the community.
One of the main things that sets me apart from others is that I love helping others and I don’t have to receive anything in return. The fact that someone has learned something that I taught them is so rewarding. I learned how to skate from various people in different skating rinks and it was always free. I truly enjoy giving back to the community that is the rewarding part.
I am most proud of pursing and becoming the first roller skate model ever. It definitely takes confidence and courage to create a new path that no one has heard of. Focusing hard and working diligently to make it come to life is so rewarding and worth pursuing. Don’t ever give up on your dreams even if others don’t believe in you. Keep going!
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Yes, one book in particular changed my way of thinking all together. It made me think even more positive about what I put into the atmosphere I will get in return. Also, that everything we need and want is already accessible to us, we just have to put in the work and make plans to achieve. The name of the book is, “You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life” by Jen Sincero.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
The mission that is driving my creative journey is anything I put my mind to, I can do it! My vision has always been to model and be creative with it. I just had to figure out how I could change the industry with doing it. My goal was to never stop thinking of innovative ways to be creative and it finally came together.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @mamajazzlife
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mercer2012
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxItWgBdRA4mszVCqW8nd6A/featured
Image Credits
Bree Suber, Kenya Durden and Simone Renee