Meet Gwendolyn J. Jackson | Film/TV Producer & Boutique Beverage Distributor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gwendolyn J. Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gwendolyn J., how do you think about risk?
Risk is an interesting word because by definition, ‘risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that you value.’ So why in the world would we take risks. And yet everyday we wake up and do all the things that matter to us at the ‘risk’ of those rituals causing us harm. That is why taking risks in life are inevitable and necessary. You can not live without taking some risks at some time in your life, especially if you want to be free to make your own choices. Now, of course, there are people who love taking risks more than others. For me, I’m sort of a cheater when it comes to risk because I try to step out farther than my boundaries with the security of having one toe back on safe grounds. As a kid, my first risk was challenging my mother—that lead to bodily harm. Pre-teens was all about marbles, skating, and my first kiss. Scrapes and bruises, but all okay. In high school, my first love lead to many firsts including heartache I thought I would never recover from until I headed away for college and left him in my dust. College was incredible! It taught me independence, politics, real friendship, how to use fear, and how to love myself unconditionally. I left my campus believing that I could conquer the world. After college, the real world taught me about racism, sexism, jealousy and loneliness. I had never experienced these things at such a high level, but I spent the first years of my career in marketing learning how to help people be successful, so that I would be successful. It was great because I was the ‘darling’ of the marketing department. I received awards and bonuses, but I didn’t feel fulfilled, so I took a risk and left my Fortune 500 job to get married and have children. And what looked and smelled like a risk was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I got to nurture and care for my beautiful babies and husband. Now that I’m older, risk is still a part of my life because I started a new company and there are a lot of uncertainties like budget, timing and I’m no longer the smiling 13 year old who won everyone’s marbles. How will people respond to the new product? Do I still have the marketing savvy needed to survive in this age of technology? It is the risk that drives me, not the questions. Integrity, honesty and research are still basic cornerstones for a successful business, and I know that if I create a product that even a few people can find value in, then I have succeeded—and it was worth the risk.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I have always loved marketing and branding, so after college I was blessed to have worked for a Fortune 500 company in their marketing department, and then later an advertising agency. I have had such great experiences and I’ve learned many principles of success that I use today. Honesty and integrity are at the top of my list. It is important to me that people can rely on me and believe what I say. I started my company LMG Productions to assist small businesses with building their own voice through marketing, best practices, technology integration and branding once I left the corporate world. As being visually sound became a focus for all business, I started to create content for clients including assisting with the production of independent films and TV projects. Now because of my positive relationships, the production segment of my business has grown and we are now creating content for several streaming media companies. It has been a long time coming, but I’m excited about the new partnerships that are expanding our reach. Our client relationships have also been instrumental in my creating a second company, Liquid Distributors, which offers marketing, branding and distribution to beverage companies. I’m proud of the research into the industry that my team has done, which has given us the format for our company as it relates to building a brand for our clients. We want them to succeed and we are creating opportunities and partnerships to ensure that the success can happen. Over the years, I’ve learned that I have to work on and for my companies each and every day if I want them to succeed. So every missed call or call not returned has to get my attention. Those calls also let me know that I have to do better, because every chance meeting can lead to something great. But it is my years of experience that lets me know when, who and what to give my attention to. I love being able to tell good stories. It’s what makes me smile. I believe in people and even when they don’t do right by me, I still believe that I’m here for a reason and the right person who needs me will come along at the right time. Honestly and with integrity is how and who I am—that’s my company brand.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My hometown of Atlanta is still a small town trying to be a big city! But there are so many communities offering fun, food and atmosphere. Because some of my friends are more adventurous than others, I would start in the Old Fourth Ward area where we could experience great food and a concert at the City Winery. An awesome evening that anyone would enjoy! For my movie friends, I’d take them to the Plaza Theatre to enjoy their showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. On Wednesday, we would definitely have to enjoy a day of beauty including creating our own fragrance at L’Artisan Muse Wellness. The Atlanta Breakfast Club would be our first stop Thursday morning to taste the restaurant’s city famous chicken and waffles. That afternoon would be dedicated to exploring the Center for Non-Violent Social Change and the Auburn Avenue Research Library. No visit would be complete without some retail therapy. So a quick trip to the North Georgia Premium Outlet is a great choice so that everyone can find exactly what they want whether Saks on Fifth, Gucci or Nike. And finally our Sunday would be a perfect day for brunch at Grand Luxe Cafe at Phipps Plaza before heading to Piedmont Park to enjoy people watching while sipping a merlot. It’s the perfect week!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My children and my husband deserve recognition. No matter what I am working on, they let me pull them into my world. Of course, that was much easier when my kids were younger and didn’t have their own lives, but more times than not, they are willing to roll up their sleeves and lend a hand. My husband has been my sounding board, silent investor and lead cheerleader for over 25 years. We are a team, the Four Quarters, and I treasure that. There have been teachers, professors, counselors, sisters and friends over the years who have lended a dollar or ear, but no one compares to the love and support that I have received from my children and husband.

Website: www.lmgproductionsatl.com; www.liquiddistributorsga.com
Instagram: @LmgProAtl; @LiquidDisGa
Linkedin: Gwendolyn J. Jackson
Youtube: LMG Productions

Image Credits
Photographer: Aric Thompson of Dream Photography. Screenshot Photo: Gwendolyn J. Jackson