Meet Mia Hall | Producer, Author, Host

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mia Hall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mia, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My thought process behind starting my own business initially was getting the experience for which I wanted someone to hire me. I’ve heard the adage – ‘Don’t wait for someone to produce you, produce yourself’ early on, so I knew that I would need to write, create shows such as ‘HBCU Prime,’ ‘Mia’s Full Court Press,’ and ‘Brown Girls Glow Live,’ and ‘Parables From The Projects’ on my own before getting hired on a show.

I also had significant experience speaking at places such as Google and L’Oréal, plus schools such as Harvard and Princeton. I wanted to establish a legitimate business so that I could start to charge for my services. Additionally, I knew that after working for a number of years, I could also charge for consulting and sharing advice with others who may be just starting in an area in which I had years of experience.

Lastly, I started Parables From The Projects Productions because I knew I needed audio and visual representation as well as intellectual property for the stories I wanted to tell in the future. The podcast now has almost 6 years of content, and we are in post-production on our first short film with dialogue called ‘SHOCK.’

What should our readers know about your business?
My business, Parables From The Projects Productions, is all about storytelling that inspires, uplifts, and preserves culture. What sets us apart is that we focus on telling real stories — especially those from underrepresented communities — through podcasts, film, and media projects that highlight both the struggles and the triumphs. I’m proud that we’ve been able to build nearly six years of podcast content and are now stepping into the film space with our first short film ‘SHOCK,’ currently in post-production. The podcast I produce, ‘Parenting Up! The Caregiving Adventures of J Smiles’ has won several recognitions and accolades and continues to grow. I am also happy that under the philanthropic arm of my company, Brown Girls Glow, I am publishing ‘Glow Girl: Empowering Teenage Girls to Grow, Lead, Overcome and Win!’

Getting to where I am today business-wise was not easy. There were plenty of moments of doubt, resource challenges, and the need to figure things out on my own. But I leaned into the values I was raised with — perseverance, faith, and preparation — and I kept creating even when the circumstances weren’t perfect. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that consistency beats waiting for perfect timing. You have to start with what you have and trust that more will come as you stay faithful to the work.

I want the world to know that I went from ‘The Hood to Harvard’ by way of Hampton University and a community of people who believed in and inspired me. Further, Parables From The Projects Productions is more than a media company — it’s a legacy project. It’s about documenting and amplifying voices and experiences that deserve to be seen and heard, and about encouraging others to glow in their purpose no matter where they start. My dad and I both lived in Pink Houses housing projects in Brooklyn and we firmly believe God orchestrated our paths. My story is proof that with faith, vision, and hard work, you can build something meaningful from the ground up.

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?
Well, I love to explore the city, so this is right up my alley. If they came in on a Sunday, I would take them to Change Church. The worship experience and the Word are both phenomenal. Then, I’d take them to brunch at ‘Just Brunch’ right up the road in Duluth because their food is amazing. On Monday we’d visit Controllerise, and we could go thrifting at Little Five Points, grab breakfast another day at a Flying Biscuite location, hang out at Ponce City Market and if they haven’t been yet, go to the King Memorial area. We could also check out Slutty Vegan, a play, The Gathering Spot, Your 3rd Spot, and Chattahoochee Food Works.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to Dr. A.R. Bernard, Sr., and Pastor Jamaal Bernard, Sr. I grew up in both faith and in life at Christian Cultural Center, and it was there that I learned so many of the principles that continue to guide me today. Those teachings inspired me to pursue the full potential God created me for. In fact, many of the lessons I learned at church are woven into my upcoming book, Glow Girl, because they shaped so many of the decisions I made as a teenager — decisions that built the foundation for the rest of my life.
I only started to think of applying to Harvard because I heard Dr. Bernard mention a scholarship where it was required that you were applying to one of the top schools in your major, in service one Sunday. After church, I laughed about it like ‘Hahaha, what if I went to Yale or Princeton, or something like that.’ I looked into Harvard last because I thought it would be the most expensive and the hardest school to get into, but it was the only school that had a Masters-level education program that piqued my interest. I prayed long and hard about it, and I felt like God told me, ‘It’s not going to be about you, it’s about me working through you.’ After that, I did my best on my application, and 4 months later, I received my letter of acceptance.

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