Meet Lillian Wilkins of Direct Message in Downtown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lillian Wilkins.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Lillian. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story of self begins with my family. I am blessed to have a wonderful mother and father who have always been supportive and have done everyone is their might to ensure that my siblings and I had a great childhood. My three brothers and I grew up in the Chicagoland suburb of Hazel Crest, IL. I went to Hillcrest High School (where I met my current hubby, Mark Wilkins) and devoted my time to academics. My mother always instilled the importance of education, and I carried that with me. I went on to become the valedictorian of my senior class and then attended the University of Notre Dame to earn my degree in Psychology and Spanish. After college, I began my professional career in education and non-profit work.

I am so grateful for my professional experience because it’s played a tremendous role in defining my identity. I’ve come to realize that I’ve always been drawn to serving others which is reflected in all of the work I’ve done. If I can impact someone’s life by serving, advocating, or simply sharing my story, it makes my life purposeful. That’s why my husband and I decided to co-create Direct Message. We love love, but we also recognize how much hard work and dedication goes into a healthy relationship. If both parties are committed, relationships can be so magical and powerful. Because we’ve had the honor of experiencing the true power of love, we wanted to share that with others by creating a platform where we could tell our story and answer questions about relationships that we hope will provide valuable insight that could help others.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting a business always has its challenges. My greatest struggle was taking the initiative to execute my idea. It takes a lot of hard work to bring a vision to life. Having brilliant ideas is easy, but a plan of action and execution is what separates doers from thinkers. Thinking has always come easily to me; doing was the part that was difficult especially when what I wanted to do was such a new concept, and I had no experience in it. I’ve never started a business nor sat in front of a camera to share advice. I had no idea of how to even conceptualize the first step to getting Direct Message started. Luckily, my husband is a natural doer; he taught me how to be one. (We complement each other that way.) I’m so grateful for his tenacity, work ethic, and business-mind because he was able to get the show off of the ground. Without him, I don’t think Direct Message would’ve come to fruition.

Please tell us about Direct Message.
Direct Message is a show on Instagram TV and YouTube. The concept derived from family members and friends asking relationship questions. Because Mark and I have been together for more than 15 years and have experienced the joys and woes of life together, people appreciate our perspectives.

We realized that we could have a larger impact by sharing our story with a wider audience, so we decided to create Direct Message. Our viewers send real questions via email, Instagram and/or YouTube, and we take the time to answer them on the show. By no means do we consider ourselves experts, but we are raw, honest, and unapologetically us! I think that’s what sets us apart. We have real people that ask us real questions that impact their daily lives, and we answer the questions with authenticity. It’s not filled with fluff. We don’t do this for ratings or fame. We do it because we truly care. If our advice can help a person or a couple, we’ve succeeded!

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I like to think that hard work and perseverance have led to my successes in life. If anything, I’m lucky that God chose me to have the platform and resources to give back with a loving heart. I’m lucky that He blessed me with an amazingly supportive group of family and friends. I’m lucky for my beautiful relationship with my husband and our beautiful boys. I’m lucky that we can wake up and share our story.

Contact Info:

• Email: directmessageshow@gmail.com
• Instagram: @directmessageshow
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU6wjmIBMcORZBkpLWeWlWw

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