Today we’d like to introduce you to Ezra Jones.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Ezra. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started Fashion State of Mind known to the public as @theFstate (pronounced “the F state”) in November of 2015. After having worked for several retailers, trying my hand at being a leasing consultant and then returning to back to the retail industry.
At the time, I worked for a retailer and I was unhappy with the upper management as well as my direct manager. While working for that particular retailer, a district manager for another retailer specifically sought me out for another position that had the potential for growth. The position meant a title change and significantly more income. Unfortunately, after several conversations, long interviews and follow-ups the district manager decided to go with another candidate. Shortly thereafter, I was relinquished from my position at my current retailer… yep (let go… fired).
My best friend was attending a Church, the Cosmopolitan Congregation of Dallas. He invited me to attend and spoke highly of the church but I was skeptical. At that particular time in my life, I was done with religious rhetoric and more in tune with spirituality. I am a “PK”… “Preacher’s Kid.” My mother is an Evangelist and my father is a Pastor. I have spent the majority of my life in the church and at some point, I became churched out. I love God and will always love God. However, what I saw in the church, how my parents were treated, despite the fact that they often times, made significant sacrifices, was appalling.
At the invitation of my best friend, I decided to attend. I remember being greeted with smiles and hugs. It felt odd, this was mainly because of the mental space I was in at the time. Well… there is that and the fact that I am an extremely private person by nature. The greetings also felt genuine. It was overwhelming. I was not familiar with the experience. Here, I was a perfect stranger to strangers and everyone embraced me like family and showed nothing but love. The pastor ended asking if anyone wanted to join the church. I felt moved and compelled to. Although prior to walking in, it was the furthermost thing from my mind.
Pastor Will Horn stated that the church was not perfect but would be committed to love. The mission of the church was to love God, love yourself and change the world.
With that mission in mind, I was given the courage, the strength and the license to be unapologetically myself. That day started the process of healing in my life. For a long time, I carried the scars and war-torn festering wounds of insecurity. I carried with me all the enigmatic thoughts of what I thought others thought about me and have said about me. I replicated the flawed logic of the insecurities of others thinking that I had to be some form of perfect. The ridiculous irony was if I was what others said, I felt horrible and If I was not, I felt equally horrible. I was lost in the translation of never being good enough.
Having been handed my license to lead and the ability to journey and embark on love again. I started to follow my spirit and my heart. I started with the return of doing the things I love and dusting off those dreams I left boxed up in a corner somewhere.
I came across a fashion show entitled Insta Runway. I wrote an email to the producers, my email caught the attention of the assistant producer who then exclaimed to the lead producer that he had to see my email. Shortly thereafter, I received an email to schedule a call. I received a phone call spoke for hours in depth with the lead producer. I was eventually brought onto the production team. The fashion show trended on Instagram and included guests such as Fashion Stylist, Ty Hunter, TV and Radio Personality, Christina Johnson and Stylist J. Bolin and others including Dallas Cowboy Players. The show also included designers such as Project Runway’s Korto Momolu, House of Chapple’s, Recco Chapple, Jerome 5:31 and Laquan Smith.
Following the success of the production of the show, I was asked to help assist in scouting male models. The production team and I eventually parted ways as we all separated to focus on our individual passions and areas of concentration. I learned a lot of valuable information from the experience.
After scouting models for the production team, I discovered it was not only something I enjoyed but that I have an acute knack and eye for. Scouting talent in the creative field turns out is just simply one of my things. One of my God-given talents. I decided that I wanted to start my own modeling agency. I combed through research and came to the conclusion that it was not financially feasible at the time. The state of Texas has specific requirements governing agencies. While doing my research, I stumbled across model management. Although model managers and model agents are vastly similar there are differences between them.
My mother who is an entrepreneur and Social Analyst Consultant (SandraJonesConsulting.com) helped me get through the paperwork.
At the start of my company, I have scouted some great discoveries. Some of which have inked deals with theFstate and others have not. The majority of models are now signed to agencies proving my gift for talent. Among the list of names includes Dana Isaiah at Red Model Management, Scott Bonilla, Dylan F. Brooks, Dante Dupree & Austin Warner State Management, Geoffery Khiel formerly at Gadal Model Management, Mattheiu Reboul, Reek I’van at DT Model Management, Julian Shaffer, Colt Walker & Dylan Reid at Taylor Kelsaw Management, Marshall Price & Josh Shaffer at Wallflower Management, Spencer Lucas at Structure Model Management, Samy Gorgham & Piter Gallego at Wilhelmina just to name a few.
I was blessed to help Dana with his very first photo shoot.
During the process of scouting, budding entrepreneurs would approach me regarding insight on how to start their company. I quickly realized that I was doing more than just model management and transitioned into theFstate into a public relations company.
Fast forward three years and some odd months later, theFstate has established relationships with multiple publications, various agencies, models managers photographers and creatives alike. I am now not only the Director of Public Relations for theFstate but the Editor-in-chief of the F State Magazine (theFstatemag.com) (@theFtate on Instagram).
The ultimate goal is to spread love, prevent suicide, see the success of creatives and to remind others of the value and importance of love. With love anything is possible. God is love and I seek for everyone to know that “Your are LOVE and LOVED.” This is my mission in life, I am just sincerely and truly blessed to be able to do it in a creative way.
I am also the CEO for a non-profit organization, Limitless Public Relations (@limitless_pr on Instagram). “We seek to remove the boundaries of limits and create the positive perspective of limitless attainment. With God, any and everything is within reach.”
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?
Has it been a smooth road… ha… lol. It most certainly has not been a smooth road. In my journey, I have struggled through overcoming the personal trauma of having been raped at the age of twenty-one. I have had to overcome low self-esteem, insecurity, and suicide.
I was in a car crash where I fell asleep at the wheel. I was doing a heck of a lot of ripping and running. Between bouncing across town from Grand Prairie where I lived at the time, to Fort Worth where I worked, to Dallas where I networked and socialized it became taxing. I fell asleep waking up in just enough time to attempt to avoid hitting a median. I lost control of the car it then flipped and tumbled completely over.
I left the car unscathed only to receive a scratch from the reentry to grab my messenger bag. At the time my bag had everything I thought to be valuable to me at the moment my phone, my journal and my schedule. I remember calling my job and then my brother and getting his voicemail. I remember being consumed and paranoid with my job. I was in a terrible horrific accident and my main focus was my dead end job. It seems a bit oxymoronic in retrospect. They say hindsight is twenty, twenty.
I have lost more things than I can count and I have started over what seems to be, or feel like a bajillion times. I have helped countless others and have yet to see the significant financial fruits of my labor. What I do know is that I have touched lives. I have encouraged people to shift their focus and to chase their dreams. I have shown others how to love and treat people well.
I know that eventually the work will pay off and I will see my dreams come to fruition.
The hardest thing to do is to slay the arrogant nature of Self and to yet be humbly great. It is finding the balance. Every day, we must fight our fears or even the nature and opinions of others by what we do. We must fight with every fiber of our being. We must have those internal conversations we must say and know that we are valuable as individuals, that we are loved. We must know that none of us is above the other and that we are all equally great in our own right. There will never be an exact replica of any individual on the face of the planet. That, my dear friends, is our superpower.
It is our ability to love and be broken and to love again, again and again. Our ability to love and forgive speaks much more volumes as to who we are as individuals than it does of the others. The naysayers and the negative influences.
We must always and continuously remain focused.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the TheFstate story. Tell us more about it.
TheFstate a Creative Socio-Mobile Conglomerate | Strategic Communication.
Mission: “Individual creatives, Collectively a state of mind.”
Who we are: Cultural creatives from various locations and backgrounds sharing the values of:
Love
Culture
Creativity
Artistry
Distinction
Expression
Influence
What we do: For Creative Startup Millenial Entrepreneurs who want to make a social impact. theFstate builds mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and the public. Unlike traditional Public Relations companies, theFstate is also a magazine publisher comprised of creative artists who are passionate content creation specialist. We offer affordable rates, all-inclusive retainers and per project support. We campaign and strategize for your success across media and press channels specific to your brand.
Public Relations=Networking
Consulting
Branding
Photography
Creative Art Direction
Scouting and Casting
Magazine Publication
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I do not believe in luck. My belief is that every experience that we have is working for the good of those who love the Lord. Every challenge that we go through is created to grow us as individuals to the next level. It is to help us become better people and to help us achieve our destination. We are to be a light and living example unto the lost. The truth is that we are all lost at one point or another. We are all working to find that inner shift of love, joy and, peace.
In working through our own process of life, may we be an example of strength to someone else.
Pricing:
- Consulting starting at $50HR
- Public Relations Retainers $2000- $5000
- Photography booking fee $100-$250
Contact Info:
- Website: theFstatemag.com
- Phone: 469.348.8833
- Email: culture@theFstatemag.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theFstate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefstatec
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thefstateC
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Ezra/Jones
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.
Image Credit:
JD Davis
Julian Shaffer
Vanessa Koroma
Nae Harris
Dylan Reid
Ezra Jones
