Today we’d like to introduce you to Janeé Hill.
Janeé, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I got my first microphone at a very early age. I went around the neighborhood and interviewed my neighbors, writing their stories on notebook paper. I then took the notebook paper to my dad’s office and copied it. I gave it a title page and “sold” it to my neighbors as a neighborhood newspaper. Clearly, I was a media entrepreneur from an early age.
But things weren’t all roses and ice cream. Also, at a young age, I was sexually abused by a neighbor. This led to years of insecurity and self-destructive behaviors. My senior year in college, I ended up in a treatment center for anorexia and was told I needed to abandon my desire for a career in the media and entertainment industry, if I wanted to maintain a healthy body weight. Taking that advice, I switched my career focus to training and development (similar to always having a microphone, I’ve always had the gift of gab).
I enjoyed a successful career as a performance analyst and leadership facilitator for 15 years plus, working with esteemed corporations, including a renowned Dallas-based airline known for its great corporate culture.
In 2007, I re-dedicated my life to Christ and experienced new-found hope in my childhood passion for media. I went to LA to be on one of FOX’s reality show. Spoiler alert – there was nothing real about it. It was back-biting, manipulative, and truly awful. It was then I realized THAT was not the kind of media I wanted to be a part of. I wanted to be a part of something that was inspiring and positive. I really didn’t see a lot of these types of shows, so I decided to be the change I wished to see in the world (as Gandhi said) and create it myself – thus the birth of my production company in 2008 – mHe3 Productions, named after my Father.
mHe3 Productions is committed to authentic, positive programming, designed to make a difference. To date, we have produced multiple television projects with national distribution and hundreds of hours of promotional videos for nonprofits and small businesses, that cannot afford big production budgets.
Throughout my career, I found it difficult to be “real” with women in business. Many of us wore the mask of perfection, pretending to have everything under control. It seemed as if we were all ducks, swimming gracefully in the work pond. In reality, we were all paddling like crazy under the water and could really use each other’s help. In 2013, I started Women of Excellence, designed to be a safe, supportive place for high-achieving women to take off the mask and learn and grow. To date, participants in Women of Excellence have started, or grown, multiple businesses, and each participant would say that she has personally grown exponentially.
In 2016, I started a nonprofit, H3 Ministries, to share the hope, help and healing power of Christ through media, live events, resources/publications, and mentorship. Through this ministry, I wrote and published my first book, Diary of an Unbroken Heart – Simple Keys to Complex Change. I also created a 28-day self-esteem program for girls ages 7-18, which includes daily self-esteem boosting activities, a supportive online community, and an active collegiate mentor. The collegiate mentor also participates in the activities and has a professional mentor from her field of interest. We piloted the program with Texas Christian University in March 2018 and are now taking it nationally.
My work hardly feels like a job. I get to help women walk into their God-given destinies and assist companies in achieving their goals. I like to think of myself as a Dream Activator. It is incredible to see my clients accomplish things they never dreamt possible or raise money for their organization, based on a video or event I produced.
In 2019, I’m venturing on a kindness campaign, of sorts, traveling 50 states in 30 days, spreading hope, help, and happiness. My intention with this project is to re-ignite the human spirit and remind the world that change truly can happen one small, meaningful act at a time.
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?
Absolutely not!
I started my production company without any seed capital or big savings in the bank. But I was determined to make it work.
The first thing I did was build my team. I found my first videographer off of Craigslist (he still works with me 10 years later). And my right-hand producer is a former reporter, who interviewed me for a story years ago.
The second thing was to get my first project off of the ground. We shot a :30 promo of people making a difference giving. I pitched it to one of my corporate contacts, and they got behind our first series. Little did I know, they paid net 60. That meant, we did not get paid until 60 days AFTER the episode aired – ouch. Thankfully, I had a very patient team, who believed in the mission.
There were technical challenges too… like the time the wind blew our entire set over, and we had to pay for damages to the rented set equipment. There was another time when all of our files were wiped out, and we had to start from scratch and still meet the network deadline.
While those were some of the big things, some of the small things along the way were being small-staffed so our hair/makeup artist doubled as a production assistant. In our first offices, we couldn’t afford company computers so my editor brought his personal computer into the office every day. This may not seem like a big feat, but this was before laptops were affordable so he was hauling his big desktop and hard drive every day. In this same office, we were across the hall from a beauty salon so you had to take frequent walks outside to get away from the smell of chemicals. The fun memories of the early days…
We never.ever.gave up. My philosophy is… “anything is possible if you only believe.”
So, as you know, we’re impressed with mHe3 Productions, H3 Ministries, and Women of Excellence – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
mHe3 Productions is committed to authentic, positive programming – designed to make a difference. We produce television series and sizzles (trailers used to pitch series), live events (fundraising galas, conferences, and retreats), and promotional videos.
We are known for helping clients do the following:
– develop a strategy to maximize their efforts/investment.
– identify and overcome blind spots that might hinder their ability to achieve their goals.
– increase net profit margins through out-of-the-box thinking.
– activate their personal and professional dreams.
– have more FUN at work while being more productive!
I am super proud that we have stayed committed to our original mission of authentic, positive programming. We have never deviated, even though there were times we were offered lots of money to produce projects that were not aligned with our mission. I am also proud that we never ever quit. I believe now, more than ever, our country is in need of positive programming.
We also are careful to explore topics versus exploit them, and that’s a really fine line. To me, the difference is the heart and intention behind the project.
My second business is Women of Excellence, which is a safe, collaborative place for high-achieving women to learn and grow. Women commit to being a part of the group for one year. We meet monthly. In these monthly meetings, participants hear from a speaker on a topic that’s relevant to them. They also share personal assignments (given by the group leader), and things they are working on/challenges with which they need the group’s help. Once a year, the group embarks on a destination retreat. In addition to the group meetings, participants receive individual coaching/mentorship from the group leader.
Last but not least, I run H3 Ministries, a nonprofit designed to share the hope, help, and healing power of Christ through media, live events, resources/publications, and mentorship. This entity serves as a go-to media resource for faith-based entities.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are super excited about 50 States 30 Days, set for departure in Summer 2019. 50 States 30 Days is designed to bring communities together through simple, meaningful acts of kindness. Our intention is to deliver hope, help, and happiness in all 50 states.
You can check out the promo here. https://youtu.be/xliCykU3GAc
We are also working on a project to change the conversation around aging and help people over 50 navigate their new next.
We believe mHe3’s projects will clear much larger networks in the near future, and our live events will continue to raise money for the organizations they serve.
With a heart as the head of our organization, we’ll continue to inspire audiences on multi-media platforms, including more social media-based projects.
If you want to jump on-board 50 States 30 Days, we’re on the lookout for like-minded sponsors and partners that want to share some kindness.
If you’re a nonprofit needing a director/producer or an event AV company, we’d love to earn your business.
If you have an idea for a tv series, send it our way!
If you’re a woman who’s ready to grow to the next level, let’s see if Women of Excellence is the right fit for you.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.janeehill.com and www.mhe3.com
- Email: info@janeehill.com
- Instagram: realjaneehill
- Facebook: realjaneehill
- Twitter: realjaneehill
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
