Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Vasquez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jesse. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in Oak Cliff, TX, I can remember playing with my mom’s VHS camcorder. My brother and I would make funny videos at home of us boxing in the front yard, break dancing and just having fun. I usually operated the camera and let everyone else get in front of the lens. It was just fun to me, being behind the camera.
As I got older, I dipped into other forms of art, like drawing and music. In high school I took a set of elective courses which were in the areas of graphic design, photography and printing. Little did I know many years later these things were all passions of mine.
After a lot of bad choices in my teen years, I got in trouble with the law, became a dad at the age of 18, started working in different places, but no matter where I went, I always quickly surfaced to the top. I always worked hard and excelled. Well, in May 1999, the fast life caught up to me and I went to jail for a probation violation. I had no idea how life-changing this time in jail would be. After other bad choices while incarcerated, I had to reach out for help. This help was in the form of prayer. I received news that my sister was in the hospital and I felt the need to seek prayer for her health and recovery. While still in the Dallas County Jail a man named Taylor prayed for my sister and miraculously the next day to everyone’s surprise, including the doctors, she was given good news and was allowed to go home from the hospital the next day.
It was then when I felt a void being filled in my life. I started reading my bible, praying and in October 1999 I got out of jail, I got married a month later and I began serving GOD thru my local church. It was the same church that would visit us while I was incarcerated. What was special about that church was the fact that they were very serious about helping people discover their gifts and passions to serve GOD. So I took their Spiritual Gifts assessment course, and what do you know, I found out that I enjoyed video and technology. So I began serving in the church’s Cable Television Ministry, where I eventually became the Sr. Church Elder over the Cable TV Ministry and even served for 10 years as Youth Pastor.
After many years shooting church services and highlight reels for church events, I shot my first music video in 2012 with just an iPhone 3, haha. In my spare time, from 2001-2016 I worked full time at a print company in Dallas, TX. During the process of a company merger and restructure, in June 2016, after 14 years on the job, I was laid off from my position as the Assistant Production Manager. It was at that time I decided to go full time as a filmmaker and business owner.
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?
Well, even after being laid off and establishing our company and going in to business, unfortunately, no things didn’t get easy. In fact, just one month after being laid off from my job, in July 2016, my wife, Diana Vasquez, was diagnosed with stage 2 cancer. With no job and no idea what was next with our business, we were facing the biggest trial of our life. Thankfully, I had a severance package to help us financially, so I began to help nurse my wife to health. We knew we didn’t want to do chemo and radiation, so we visited a natural doctor in Alvarado, TX and he helped us start a journey to fight the cancer thru natural methods. While trying to balance videography services and caring for my wife, we were finding ourselves fighting everyday just to stay encouraged. She was in extreme pain every single day, but thru prayer and constant faith in GOD we continued to fight. We switched over to an all raw vegan diet for four months before my wife decided to begin chemo and radiation treatments. After many months of seeing her in pain, wondering what was going to happen, she completed her treatments with flying colors and in May 2017 she was given a clean bill of health. Praise GOD!!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the HIS Elect Media story. Tell us more about the business.
Yes, so our company, HIS Elect Media, serves by providing quality media, including video, photo and printed content (such as flyers, business cards, banners, etc), to support Christian artists and ministries. We consider ourselves the #1 source for Christian Media in the world because we specialize in offering our services strictly to Christian artists and ministries. We do offer commercial and business-related content such as real estate, weddings, etc., but 90% of our work comes from Christian music and ministries across the world.
Our niche in film and what we have become most known for is Christian Music Videos. We’ve worked with some mainstream Christian artist that people might know, such as Bizzle, Datin, Da T.R.U.T.H., Mr. Solo (from the Original Gospel Gangstaz), Lil Raskull. Although those are great names to have on a resume in my line of work. The thing I feel sets us apart and is most dear to me is the fact that I have been able to travel the country and work with artists locally and nationally who have a passion to use their music to spread the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, and use the music as a tool to reach people in ways some people can’t.
In the last 4 years, I have traveled thousands of miles filming events and music videos and thru that I’ve seen people be encouraged and edified thru these artists, some of those artists include 5ive, Bryann T, At His Feet Ministries and so many others. I’ve heard the stories of how the music and the visuals we create have reached people in ways that inspired them in a positive way. To this day, some of the closest people in my life are these same artists, which is what keeps me going.
In the same breath, I have to give credit to my wife and how she helps our business. She handles all our CD Print Production, which we offer to Christian artist only. We operate entirely out of our home, where our children also help and serve with us to provide visual and print media support to Christian artists all over the world.
To this day, we have duplicated over 100,000 CD Discs and shot and produced 100’s of music videos for Christian artists all over the country. We continue to see growth in revenue and in the quality of our films. We have a great team around us and we are only getting better. I’m honored to serve GOD thru this form of ministry. It’s been an adventure.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I believe life is all about finding the plan and purpose GOD created you for. I believe as you serve HIM thru those gifts and talents, you are positioning yourself to allow GOD to use those same gifts and talents to support you financially. Three things GOD told me when we started our business, TRUST GOD, BE HUMBLE and STAY FAITHFUL. Do those 3 things and you don’t need luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hiselectmedia.com
- Phone: 740.743.6334
- Email: info@hiselectmedia.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/
hiselectmedia - Facebook: www.facebook.com/
hiselectmedia - Twitter: www.twitter.com/
hiselectmedia - Other: www.youtube.com/
hiselectmedia
Image Credit:
Photos by: Emmanuel Vasquez
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