Today we’d like to introduce you to Jana M. Gamble
Hi Jana M., thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Once upon a time there was a little girl in banana curls sitting on the floor with her audience of stuffed animals, sharing very animated stories to them and recording it all on her boombox. You know the play back in the day- you would have an old cassette tape and place a piece of clear tape over the top so you can record something new! Yep, that little girl was me, Jana Marie.
I went from hosting my own shows to my toys, to cooking shows to an imaginary audience and then there was the year that creatively changed my life. It was my junior year of high school and the first time they offered a broadcasting class. This brand new beautiful equipment that not even our teacher knew how to use arrived. I thought I was in heaven!
I taught myself how to use every piece of equipment as well as teaching my classmates that desired to learn as well. With 2 years of experience in production I knew I had a difficult choice to make upon graduation. Would I go to college for film school or to become a primatologist or would I go to film school and then live in the jungles of Africa and film every moment. Well ultimately, I chose to go to film school at Webster University where they also forced me to join the basketball cheerleading squad lol.
Since then, (My Lord! I can’t believe it’s been 24 years!!!) a whole lot of life has happened from the good, “the bad”, the miracles and blessings and everything in between.
God really re-primed my creativity passion back in 2007 when He called me to write my very first book 107 Ways to Give When You Think You Have Nothing to Give. Through the next 6 years following I would publish more books, co-host an internet radio show, produce numerous events and even win an international honor for my work with empowering girls in St. Louis through my S.I.S. Retreat and program.
It wasn’t until 2013 about 4 months after I had cancer the first time that I found an inlet back into the film space. This is where I would truly learn what it takes to be an independent filmmaker. I taught myself everything I could and learned anything else that I needed to along the way. One year later I started my company It’s A Gamble Production.
The road to starting my business, through these first 10 years has been a movie in itself! This rollercoaster ride prior to the pandemic was not one for the weak to say the least. The average person would have quit a long time ago. After investing, producing and writing dozens of projects in several different genres from faith-based to hip hop horror that have amazing potential with great premieres and reviews, finally in 2023 our film ROCK made it to tubi.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The struggles are REAL! Having the skill sets, gifts and talents are only one piece of this puzzle as an artist. This industry truly is about who you know, not just what you know. And that goes for right here in our city and beyond. Aside from funding struggles and praying that projects get picked up there is the time investments you make. I have spent endless sleepless nights to years on projects and still today believing that it/they will produce fruit eventually. That is just one of the sacrifices and “opportunities” I’ve experienced over the years. One of my biggest decisions with my company I had to make happened around 2015 where the effects of the tumultuous situation (Google it) was either going to cause me to react in F.E.A.R. and go into hiding while closing my business or pray and pivot. I did the latter and in that time God gave me the NEW name Purposed Productions.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
What do I do is a complex question for me lol. To quote my mentor Dr. Kimm Gaines who shared this with me earlier this year “just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.” I am blessed to be gifted in a lot of areas, and in this season there are both an urgency and priority for me to do what I am called to do- On Purpose! Just 10 months ago I started walking again after “losing” my mobility for over a year and a half. So 2024 has been my first year back in my creative production spaces after about a 4 year hiatus due to my health. BUT God!!! Now back to your question- I am the owner of Purposed Productions where I am a Producer, Screenwriter, Assistant Director, Speaker, #1 International Bestselling Author and the Local Chapter Director of the Hollywood Prayer Network. Also since 2011 I’ve been encouraging our community to live a Lifestyle of a Giver through our annual 10 Weeks of Giving which was inspired by my first book.
With my past work dually in the entertainment industry and nonprofit social justice spaces I’m mostly known for Producing and PR. I can undoubtedly share that the assignment that I am most proud of was birthed this year. My Pastor Rahson R. Jordan of The Advancing Church charged me to produce “A Thriller Resurrection!” The reason it tops my list is because less than a year prior to this I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk and I only held a glimmer of hope that I would EVER be able to be creative like this again. To God be the glory!!! Not only did we hold 2 back to back services, I danced 4 times while producing them. I believe what has set me apart, culturally in our city and even as an StL transplant, is that I want and believe that we all can win! There’s no reason that St. Louis shouldn’t become known for our amazing arts scene, all of the beautiful things we offer here and the love that we share.
This fall my newest book inHER Power inHER Wisdom an anthology by 23 amazing women from St. Louis landed in the #1 International Bestselling spot! My chapter Hola Mi Amor is an intimate conversation I have with my pre-covid self in love. This was seed to my blog about all things love. My little corner of the world affectionately known as my Hola Mi Amor! blog. (HolaMiAmor.blog) Don’t know Spanish? Well here I’ll give you the opportunity to not just explore love, but a little Spanish as well at times. I am a lover of LOVE. I can’t wait to share my love journeys with you!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Although life’s a Gamble (sorry I couldn’t help it!) I don’t believe in luck. Everything happens for a reason. We get the choice to take each “opportunity” as a lesson or a blessing in life. Believe me, I’ve had PLENTY of opportunities throughout both my lifetime and in business. My absolute favorite thing to remember is that nothing I’ve been through is wasted. So any circumstance I will face I gain wisdom to share with someone else that needs it. Now if we’re talking miracles… I hope you’ve got awhile. It’s many of these moments over the years that have cultivated me into becoming a greater storyteller and a compassionate leader. From childhood trauma, becoming a teen mom, surviving homeless, domestic violence, renal cell carcinoma twice- the 2nd time being during the pandemic, running international PR after George Floyd’s murder while I too couldn’t breathe as I was actively fighting covid, being traumatized by my primary doctor that would rather believe that I was crazy than the fact that I was suffering from Long Covid landing me in a wheelchair… All of this and more has helped to shape me into the person I am today and I’m better for it. I’ve never been more excited about life and all that is to come next!
Pricing:
- Autographed Copy of inher POWER inher WISDOM $20
- Speaker: Contact for more information
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.PurposedProductions.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/purposedproductions
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/PurposedProductions
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Purposed_Prods
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/PurposedProductions
- Other: https://linktr.ee/PurposedProductions
