Story & Lesson Highlights with Daron Jenkins of Brooklyn

We recently had the chance to connect with Daron Jenkins and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Daron, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Yea. On 9/11. If I had, I would have been in the building that morning. I was supposed to go there to get measured for a suit for a friends wedding that weekend. I was living in Jersey City and working in Midtown at the time, so I was going to take thee WTC Path train in, stop in and gete measured, then head to work, but I was lazy and I didn’t feel like doing it at that moment, so I thought I’d just take the 33rd St. Path to work, and then go on my way home after work.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Since 2006, I have been a community builder within film/TV, music, tech, art, and other creative spaces. I founded my first startup, SCENE PR, in 2006. I founded NY Film Loft (as a community/incubator for film/TV) in 2015. During COVID, I launched my Creators Lounge (recently renamed Story Lab) community via LinkedIn Audio and via Clubhouse, and most recently, I launched my production company, 919 Media, which connects brands with filmmakers, podcasters, and content creators.

I also produce and curate Love Actually Int’l Film Showcase, and I host/produce The Tracklist podcast, 12 Million podcast, and Conversations with Daron Jenkins podcast.

Currently, I’m the Studio Manager at Planet X Studios in East Williamsburg.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a kid who loved music, movies, and comedy. Much like many people, I was in the basement listening to Richard Pryor and the Jackson Five. Watching Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert, Saturday Night Live, Sanford & Son, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis, I Love Lucy, Carol Burnett. I loved Carol Burnett and Saturday Night Live. Couldn’t get enough of that, Monte Python, Benny Hill.

When I got old enough to go into Manhattan from Newark, my best friend and I got into music, fashion (Interview Magazine, GQ, Details), art and comic books, and dancing. We were fortunate to have met tons of other creatives to draw inspiration from.

Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I miss dance clubs like The Garage, Danceteria, The Palladium, Studio 54, and Limelight. It was a great place to connect with other creatives. I met so many people who went on to be superstars. Clubs made stars back then. It was like an IRL social network.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yep. 100%. I try to be transparent as much as I can. Not to the extent that it causes problems or hurts people’s feelings. That’s not being transparent, that’s being mean. I only want to provide info that is helpful in some way.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
I don’t do anything expecting praise. I honestly never expect any praise for anything I do. I once saved a man’s life. Literally. The guy was so drunk that he fell off the subway platform as the train was approaching. I caught his leg as he dangled off the platform. I pulled him up onto the platform just in time. He got up, brushed his pants off, and got on the train, and he was gone. No thank you. No nothing. I got up and sat back on the bench, waiting for the next train like nothing had happened. I wasn’t sitting there looking for applause. I did what I was supposed to do. I approach everything I do the same way.

Although I do often wonder if that dude woke up the next day and thought to himself, did I almost die yesterday or was that a dream?

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Daron Jenkins

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