Today we’d like to introduce you to Jerry (Jerry The 3rd) ThompSon III.
Jerry, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My adventure origin story began when I quit my corporate job in 2014 to live in Paris, France. I had graduated college with multiple business degrees, made progress towards paying down school loans, and was investing religiously into my retirement accounts. All of these were great accomplishments that I’m grateful for, but I didn’t feel fulfilled by them. I had an innate sense that life could be more than hoping for the next promotion and waiting for retirement. After visiting Paris on a work trip and being told upon my return that there was no hope of me transferring abroad or taking advantage of the company’s French language programs, I rebelliously made up my mind to live and learn there anyway. It was never about Paris, the journey was about feeling limited. I wasn’t aware of any other black men quitting jobs and planning a gap year of sorts, but I took the knowledge I could find and trusted it would all work out. Over a series of months, I hustled a built up some financial buffer, bought a one-way ticket, handed my two weeks notice, and was off.
In the year and a half I spent in Paris, I was fortunate enough to travel through France as a professional musician, perform and speak across Africa through the U.S. Embassy, teach myself French, and lead walking lecture tours teaching about the influence of black Americans in Paris. All of these experiences abroad changed how I saw the world, but also myself. Being a black man from the USA took a different meaning because I was treated better in Paris than I was in the states. This is due to the vastly different history and association of Black Americans in France compared to the U.S.A. One rooted in enslavement and degradation, the other largely in appreciation and admiration. It was a breath of fresh air psychologically and I was able to make large strides in my appreciation of my own culture, and others.
I returned to the states in 2016, eventually moved to Dallas, and had time to realize some of how impactful my time abroad was. My self esteem, sense of identity, and perspective had broadened massively. I truly wished more people could experience that, especially men of color like me who deal with a range of systemic challenges in the U.S. In 2018 I pushed this ambition into reality by creating the Point Noir podcast; the only podcast that exclusively highlights the travel perspectives of men of color, and also sponsors a passport monthly for men of color seeking to travel. To date, we’ve interviewed over 70 men of color, sponsored 17 passports, and even been able to feature from these first time travelers upon their return which is so amazing. I created the resource I needed before my first adventure, and now I share that message for others to consider the same as a speaker.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think it’s fair to expect a smooth road when you want to build something meaningful! Some of the more interesting challenges involve the learning curve of what it means to grow and maintain a podcast. Podcasting is becoming increasingly popular, however, it is its entire skillset. If you listen to a major show, they have a whole team to bring you a quality show. Even other indie podcasts often have a co-host or a small team, but I’m solo at this point. Fortunately, I had a lot of the technical knowledge coming into it as a musician, and hosting comes to me naturally, but there is so much to publishing a show like finding guests, scheduling them, following up, show production, marketing and promotion… It’s an aspect I’m looking to manage better going forward.
The second and maybe more interesting challenge is finding men to give passports too! On average, we may have one or two entries a month, while the show earns over 1,500 downloads a month. About half of the listeners are men and I have a feeling that most of them have passports.. So where are the men wanting them? Are they simply not aware of the show? Is our messaging unclear? Do they value a passport or travel?
It’s been fascinating to observe this while working so hard to invest in this particular demographic. I have to give a huge thank you to the community around the show for spreading the message. It’s people liking the show so much that it causes them to think about someone in their own lives in need, and that is a precious thing to me.
Please tell us about your work.
I’ve taken all of my adventures, including the entire experience of Point Noir, and developed a platform as a keynote speaker and workshop leader. In my mind, I’m just an adventurer who shares stories to help people.
My core focus is on inspiring men of color to discover their full potential through travel. There are more broad topics within travel I speak to as well depending on the need such as soft skills for leadership, managing risk and fear, or the opportunities of study abroad. Additionally, I teach companies and entrepreneurs on how to create successful podcasts for increasing their marketing reach and attracting new clients.
One thing I’m most proud of is contributing to filling that void I felt when I was 24 and didn’t know about the many ways men of color are investing in their travel experiences. Representation is critical and just being visible makes a difference. When you can’t see your image reflected in something you want to do, you may never develop the confidence started. I want kids growing up that look like me to never doubt their ability to adventure abroad.
Another element I consider noteworthy is the fact that I am living the things I’m getting paid to share with others. I have started a podcast from the ground up alone, and I have abandoned comfort (multiple times) to answer the call of adventure and become better for it. This isn’t a business in a box or just another job, and that makes a difference for my audiences as well as my happiness. Overall, I’m choosing to live a life that interests me. That energy is what makes my speaking hit home and the reason why people get inspired to share the show. Introducing the possibility of living a life you enjoy is what I want everyone to feel is achievable for them as well. Maybe in a few years, I’ll speak on that too. But for now, growth, adventure, and podcasting is a start!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I couldn’t say I’d do anything within my power differently! All of my challenges and miscalculations taught me lessons and I haven’t finished seeing the full return on investment of all of those yet lol. Appreciation is a result of experience, and experience offers to teach us what not to do as much as it does what to do. That is to say, there’s nothing I truly value now that I would have appreciated enough at an earlier time because I lacked experience. Mishaps make for better stories anyway! If we’re lucky, we live to do better, and with greater intention. Not everyone gets that chance to use it.
Contact Info:
- Website: jerrythe3rd.com
- Email: booking@jerrythe3rd.com
- Instagram: jerry_the3rd
- Twitter: jerry_the3rd
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrythompsoniii/
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