We recently had the chance to connect with JT Barnett and have shared our conversation below.
JT, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
Absolutely, there are moments just this last week. I was in Amsterdam for a Global Business Immersion with Southern Methodist University, where my fellow MBA graduate students and I competed in a global business immersion. My team took 1st place in the corporate war game simulation, putting strategy to the test in a real-world challenge. It was an incredible moment of validation… not only for the work we put into scollaboration, but also for the growth I’ve experienced balancing business leadership with my creative core. This marked the second time I’ve placed first in an SMU global competition. My team previously tied for first place during our immersion in Santiago, Chile. Both experiences reminded me how powerful diverse perspectives can be when creativity meets business intelligence.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m JT Barnett, a producer, director, and storyteller at the intersection of creativity and strategic business intelligence. Over the past two decades, I’ve built a career creating high-impact, culture-shaping television, streaming and film projects… from the long-running hit Cheaters to the global phenomenon Tiger King.
Today, my focus spans global storytelling and innovation. I’m a partner with GTIF Capital and David Chen on large-scale ventures that merge entertainment, technology, and investment. We’re working closely with Secretary General Moses Engadu of the African Mineral Strategy Group on creative and economic initiatives across Africa alongside several presidents and kings. My projects curently range from high-gloss reality series like Royalty Angels, Couture – Crescent City as well as to hard-hitting docu-projects like The Texas Cannabis Chronicles and The Green Frontier.
At the core, my mission is to build stories that travel… content that entertains, educates, and inspires across cultures while creating meaningful partnerships somewhere laying between creativity, commerce, and community.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who taught you the most about work?
Without a doubt, Bobby Goldstein taught me the most about work. Bobby is one of the original architects of reality Televison and creator of Cheaters. He was one of my earliest mentors, Bobby showed me what it means to turn vision into reality through grit, creativity, and drive. Watching him build a internationally syndicated hit from the ground up taught me that success comes from… owning your ideas, owning your results, and having integrity.
His influence shaped how I lead… whether it was launching global docuseries, or building partnerships that merge business and storytelling. The lessons I learned from Bobby weren’t just about television; they were about the mindset it takes to create something that builds legacy and the character to do it properly.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There were moments I definitely came close to giving up. This industry will test every part of you… your patience, your confidence, even your sense of purpose. After success with Cheaters and my work on what would later become Tiger King, I hit a period where projects stalled and partnerships shifted. It felt like everything I’d built was slipping through my fingers.
But that pressure forced growth… I realized I couldn’t control outcomes, only effort and endurance. Instead of giving up, I evolved. I learned to lead from both sides, creative and business, and started building global partnerships that aligned with vision. I persevered lasting from analog to digital, from linear to streaming… Now I am poised on the edge of this 5th industrial revolution were currently going through and continuing to evolve.
Looking back, those low points were catalysts. They pushed me toward projects like The Green Frontier and Texas Cannabis Chronicles, and collaborations with GTIF Capital that now span continents. I didn’t quit… I recalibrated. That mindset and strong sense of faith turned struggle into fuel.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
Experience teaches you the difference. I’ve lived through multiple eras of disruption; from tape and analog to digital workflows, and from traditional TV syndication to the rise of streaming. I watched giants like Blockbuster ignore the signals while Netflix built an empire on understanding the shift.
For me, a fad burns bright but fades fast; a foundational shift quietly redefines the entire ecosystem. The real test is sustainability… does it solve a problem, create opportunity, and scale across industries? If it checks those boxes, it’s not a trend, it’s transformation.
Right now, we’re standing at the edge of this Renaissance 2.0… a technological and creative revolution that merges AI, blockchain, and human storytelling. I see it reshaping how we produce, distribute, and experience content globally. My goal is to stay ahead of the curve, to move with each shift rather than resist it. Survival in this business has always belonged to the ones who can see the next wave.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What will you regret not doing?
If there’s one thing I’d regret, it’s not using the platform I’ve built to create lasting, global impact beyond entertainment. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to help shape cultural moments… from Cheaters, which has aired for more than 22 years and generated over $1 billion in global revenue, to Tiger King, which reached 160 million viewers in its first month alone as well as had 6 Emmy nods. Those projects proved that storytelling can move people and start conversations, but now my mission is to turn that influence into something more meaningful.
Through partnerships with GTIF Capital, and other great global partners across Europe, South America, Africa and more… I’m helping to bridge storytelling, innovation, and economic growth….To me, legacy isn’t about credit or recognition; it’s about contribution.
I’ve made an impact in storytelling. Now I want to make an impact in the world… using creativity, strategy, and purpose to help shape the next global renaissance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jtbarnettfilms.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jtbarnett45/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtbarnett45
- Twitter: https://x.com/jtbarnett45
