Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Rae.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jackie. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I actually started in music. I started making gospel music at a very young age. I was determined to make that a career. Until I started running track, bowling and playing basketball. At that point, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. But, music was still my passion. I went to the University of Colorado in Denver. I majored in communications and English. At that point, I thought about becoming a sports reporter. However, my first few job offers paid less than what I was making on the armature bowling tour.
So, I became a police cadet, which gave me a full-ride scholarship, graduated, then went to work for my dad and my brother in insurance. That did not work. So I joined a band. We had enough success and attention that we ended up moving to LA. Where we had even more success. But in the end, we did not have the level of success we wanted and, everyone returned to Denver. Except me! I had fallen in love with Los Angeles and was determined to make this my home. I continued to do music but eventually decided to put my degree to work. I worked for Torrance CitiCable and started to get job offers. But once again, the pay was laughable. So I decided to build my own platform.
While doing so, a news director on a tiny island called Saipan saw my work. He offered me a job as a news anchor and reporter. I spent two years of my life on the island while honing my editing and production skills. A week after I returned to LA, I landed a role as a sports host for the Fumble. With over one million followers, that role has opened several doors. It has become a tool that has taught me going the conventional path is not for everyone. There are ways to create your own platform. Currently, I am working on two different sports talk shows that will debut in September. We also have current events and entertainment show that will debut in the fall. All produced by Fanatic Productions. It is a lot of work and the journey isn’t over. But always a blessing.
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?
Not smooth at all. The biggest challenge is usually money. After that comes the doubt. But I’ve been lucky to have a small group of friends that are working towards similar goals and we keep each other motivated.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Fanatic Productions story. Tell us more about the business.
My company is Fanatic Productions. We specialize in news-based media. Although we have done some music videos as well as a few shorts. We have recently gone through a revamp where we want to give a voice to the underdog. And by doing so, tell the stories that are often untold, overlooked, or forgotten.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
We’ve had a few bad breaks but it has also made us stronger. So we try not to let luck play a part at all. We make sure we are prepared for the next opportunity.
Contact Info:
- Website: myfanaticproductions.com or jraethefanatic.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jraethefanatic
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jraethefantic
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jraethefanatic
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