We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeanette Greenwood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeanette below.

Jeanette, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I began performing when I was just five years old in kindergarten. I was given the opportunity to sing “All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth” at Mitchell Blvd. Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas. Even though I was missing my front teeth, I sang my heart out and smiled as if I had them. The audience was impressed, and I could hear them saying, “Wow, look at her!” The applause that followed confirmed that performing was my passion.

However, later in life, I went through a painful divorce at the age of 29, which made me realize that it was time to take control of my life. I had always enjoyed writing skits, poems, and performing, but it was in 2009 that I took a leap of faith and turned my tutoring company, Headline Mentors, into a nonprofit organization called Headline Mentors & Performing Arts. I produced my first community stage play, and I was extremely nervous. I prayed to God to allow at least 100 people to show up, but to my surprise, the auditorium, which could hold 500 people, was almost full, with only 30 seats left vacant. That day, I knew that I was meant to be a performer.

Fast forward to 2019, and we have rebranded our organization to Ladies in Film & Television. The rest, as they say, is history. or shall I say, HERStory”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into the industry by creating my lane. I took the skills that I had gained from over 14 years as an adolescent then merged them with my church performances, then later public performances which gave me over 30 years of experience in the entertainment world. I attended college and took many art courses but my major was in Marketing (bachelor’s Degree) and Education (master’s Degree). I attended No Film School University (Self-Taught) and YouTube University, among other valuable Master Classes and courses that helped me hone my skills to support and train others in the industry.

We often wait for people to validate us and approve us when we have everything we need given by the creator himself, God. My unique eye for talent and coaching sets me apart because I don’t push my ideas or training styles off on my clients or mentees. I allow them to be unique and grow from their mistakes or accomplishments, whichever comes first! LOL!

I am called “Coach J,” in the industry name given to me by my students, and after accepting the title, I realized that it fit perfectly. A coach is to lead not dictate. I am a leader. I am powerful. I am authentic. I am beautiful. I am successful. I am a warrior. I am a conqueror. I am excellent at what I do. I am a motivator. I am an encourager. I am beautifully and wonderfully made in the image of God. I am Jeanette Greenwood.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn the notion that everyone should support me, as that is unrealistic. Focusing too much on people who weren’t supporting me made me lose many supporters and volunteers. I used to find myself in tears, wondering why they wouldn’t support me, despite my support for them. This became so overwhelming that I started isolating myself due to disappointment.

My sister, Gwen Jones, helped me understand that my vision is for me, and I shouldn’t focus on those who aren’t supporting me; instead, I should focus on those who are. Since then, I’ve realized the importance of my supporters, and I apologize to those who felt unimportant due to my failure to recognize the support I had. Now, even if only 20 people show up to an event, I give them the show like the audience is full.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

As a creative person, we often tend to be seen as over the top or dreamers. However, it’s true that we are dreamers and sometimes we can be a bit over the top! But being creative means having a burning desire to express oneself. We cannot go through life hiding our true desires and end up unfulfilled. We should allow young people to be their authentic selves, even if we don’t always agree with them. As long as they are not causing harm to themselves or others, we should support their dreams. I was fortunate to have parents who supported my dreams and allowed me to explore my creativity. We should not bring down dreamers, rather we should make room for them to GLOW and grow!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jgstudioscompany.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jgstudioscompany/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jgstudioscompany
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9RaZG2T-7oG0s-qE3jiOhA

Image Credits
Photo Credits – Caitlyn Valora, Freddie Watkins