Misfit Truths, Main Character Energy

Jamé Jackson on storytelling, survival, and showing up whole.

There are some conversations that feel timely, and then there are conversations that feel necessary. As the political and social climate continues to shift, many Black women are finding themselves asking deeper questions about visibility, access, safety, and what it really means to show up as our full selves in a world that often demands our silence. This moment calls for honesty, reflection, and voices that are unafraid to tell the truth — even when it’s uncomfortable. That’s why I wanted to sit down (or at least sit with) Jamé Jackson.

Jamé is a creator, storyteller, and podcaster who has carved out space for real conversations, the kind that live beyond curated feeds and polished soundbites. Through her work, she reminds us that growth is messy, purpose evolves, and authenticity is not a trend, it’s a practice. Her podcast, TheBlondeMisfit, has become a place where Black women can take the veil off, speak freely, and feel seen without judgment.

What follows is an unfiltered conversation — shared exactly as Jamé offered it. Her answers are thoughtful, grounded, and deeply reflective of the lived experiences many of us carry. From her journey into media and storytelling, to her thoughts on access, voice, and resilience, Jamé invites us into her world with clarity and care. So take your time with this one. Read it slowly. Sit with it. And allow her words to meet you wherever you are. For those who may not know her yet, Jamé begins by telling us who she is beyond the mic.

A Conversation with Jamé Jackson 

Brooklyn WATE:  For those who may not know you yet, who is Jamé Jackson beyond the mic? What keeps you grounded when you’re not recording or creating content? 

Jamé : I love this question because I constantly ask myself the same thing. In short, I’m an actor, writer, creator and storyteller through and through. Born and raised in the Washington, D.C / Northern VA area, I packed up and moved to New York in 2016 with $500 to chase my dream of working in the fashion industry. That dream eventually led me to become a journalist, a freelancer,, an influencer, and now, an artist who moves between media, storytelling, and performance. I started my brand, TheBlondeMisfit, right after I graduated from Howard University as a space to celebrate Black women who often felt unseen in fashion and beauty. Over time, it became an award-winning platform and one of the top blogs in those categories, but more importantly, it gave me the foundation to build Misfit Creative Media, my production company that works to amplify diverse voices in entertainment. I want to help other Black and brown creators be seen, heard, and paid for their brilliance. When I’m not creating, I try to be still. I’m a woman of faith, and rerooting myself back in God’s word keeps me grounded and reminds me of who and whose I am. I’m also learning to love a little bit of structure, even though I’m very anti-routine by nature. A cup of tea, a walk in the park, days of rest, a good laugh with friends and lots of movie time with my dogs. Those small moments keep me present and remind me that the work is important, but so is the woman behind it.

Brooklyn WATE:  Tell us about your podcast. What is it about, and what inspired you to create this space for conversation and connection?

Jamé : TheBlondeMisfit Podcast started because I wanted to take people beyond the glossy images and titles. I’ve been creating content online since I was 18 years old, and I’ve seen how the pressure to be perfect online, especially for Black women, can rob you of peace. It looked great on the ‘gram: nice outfits, cool events, etc. But what people didn’t see were the long nights, early mornings, sacrificed time with family and friends or the crucifixion from employers who didn’t want you to be anything outside of your 9-5. We wear this invisible veil, trying to prove ourselves in spaces that weren’t built for us, and it’s exhausting. I wanted a show where we could take that veil off and have honest, human conversations about entrepreneurship, creativity, purpose, and the messy process of finding yourself. I started my podcast during the pandemic, and it really took off in ways I didn’t expect. A lot of people are now learning about me and my podcast because I also just finished co-hosting another podcast, Let’s Talk Offline, produced by LinkedIn and iHeart. That show won two 2025 Signal Awards, officially making me a two-time award-winning podcaster. I learned so much through that experience about storytelling, production, and community, and I’m excited to bring all of that back to TheBlondeMisfit Podcast, where the focus is and will always be us.

Brooklyn WATE: Now that you have won the Signals Award in two categories, how does it feel?

Jamé : It’s such an honor. Let’s Talk Offline won both Bronze and the Listener’s Choice Award for Best Conversation Starter at the 2025 Signal Awards, which still feels surreal. I’m incredibly proud of what we created, but I also know awards don’t define me, they remind me. They remind me to keep doing the work, to keep learning, and to keep showing up for the stories that matter. I’ve been doing the work for YEARS, honey. Sometimes people believe the awards are when you are finally “on” but I believe in consistency over all. I think of Angela Bassett, for example. She’s one of my favorite actors and people often say she was robbed of an Oscar for her performance as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do With It. Either way, she’s still been working, winning, and looking good in the process. I look at the greats I want to embody and one thing I see all of them focus on is inner peace versus external validation. Don’t get me wrong — I am honored to be acknowledged and seen. I hope this opens up doors for other women. That’s what I’m bringing back to TheBlondeMisfit Podcast and my work through Misfit Creative Media, creating spaces that inspire, inform, and pour back into our community.

Brooklyn WATE:  Your podcast is a reflection of your personality and connection with and for Black women. What conversations do you think we, as Black women, need more of right now?

Jamé: We need to keep talking about access—who gets it, who’s kept out, and what it looks like to build your own table when you’re not invited to someone else’s. People love to quote the statistic that Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs, but few talk about why that is. Many of us are leaving corporate spaces where we face micro-aggressions, lack of representation, and the pet-to-threat cycle. We’re not just creating because it’s cute; we’re creating because it’s survival.I also think we need to celebrate the full spectrum of Black womanhood. The quirky Black woman deserves to be seen just as much as the one who wants to be a homemaker, and the woman who doesn’t want to marry or have kids deserves that same love and visibility. There’s no one way to be “that girl.” As an artist, my job is to show that our stories—all of them—matter. One of the biggest compliments I can receive is when people say “when I see content from you, I know it’s you.” I don’t try to fake the funk or try to be what I believe others have made of me in their mind. We need to continue to foster safe spaces where we show up unapologetically and own our voices. I don’t want anyone else to tell my story; I want to tell it for myself.

Brooklyn WATE:  Being a Black woman in media — especially one who speaks freely — takes guts. How do you balance being transparent with protecting your peace in an industry that doesn’t always make space for honesty? 

Jamé: I’ve learned this balance through trial and error. I’ve seen the cost of staying silent or not allowing myself to be heard. At the height of my influencer life, I was always visible, always posting, always chasing the next big thing. That hustle mindset can look glamorous, but it’s draining when you don’t know how to pause. Then you have moments in history where you must ask yourself what is the price of your silence? For some people, it’s a check. For others, it’s a partner or an opportunity. I don’t want to say it’s irresponsible to be silent, but I do believe when you have a platform, you should use that platform to speak out about things that matter to you.

Yes, you may not always be able to say it radically, but the beauty of Black women is that we’ve learned how to navigate a lot of different spaces and code switches and learn how to invest our energy and time. These days, I’ve learned to step back and remember that what’s for me is for me. I can do a better job at posting - believe me - but I also know I get to decide how much of my life I share with the world. Transparency doesn’t mean total exposure. I’ve realized I have to come home to myself, and if I don’t feel good about what I’ve given away, it’s not worth it.

Brooklyn WATE: A lot of our Brooklyn WATE readers are women trying to find their voice — in their careers, their families, and their communities. What advice would you give to someone who wants to speak up but still battles that inner voice that says, “Maybe I should stay quiet”? 

Jamé: Start where you are. Your voice doesn’t have to be the loudest in the room to be powerful. Maybe it’s saying no to something that doesn’t serve you, or sharing your story with one person. Each time you speak up, that muscle gets stronger. I also will say that sometimes it’s ok not to speak. There’s so much happening in the world and sometimes I just have to shake my head and put the head down. Everyone expects Black women to save them, and it’s not our job to set ourselves on fire to keep others warm. Nobody and nothing is worth your peace.

And to my sisters who’ve been told they’re “too much” or “too outspoken,” I say this: God didn’t make a mistake giving you that fire. The world benefits when you show up as your full self. The more you silence yourself, the more you shrink your purpose. The goal isn’t to be fearless. It’s to do it with fear and keep going anyway.

Brooklyn WATE: If you could describe your podcast in three words — not the tagline, but the feeling it gives — what would they be? 

Jamé: Honest. Relatable. Real.

It’s like your best friend sitting across the table saying, “Girl, you’re not crazy, you’re just growing.” It’s raw but comforting. Simple but full of truth. That’s the vibe.

Brooklyn WATE: As the political and social climate continues to shift, do you believe Black women are truly being positioned to prosper — or are we still fighting through systems designed to quiet our voices and limit our growth? How do we keep showing up, advocating for ourselves, and protecting our peace when the world keeps testing our resilience?

Jamé: As painful as it is to say, let’s start by first addressing the elephant in the room: We were not meant to win. I don’t believe Black women—or Black people, period—were ever meant to prosper in America. I don’t say this in a defeatist tone: We were brought here under horrendous circumstances that weren’t meant for us to live freely, let alone thrive. The systems weren’t built for our success. Considering those systems still remain in effect today in many ways, what that truth teaches me is twofold.

First, every day I wake up and thank God for my life, my voice, and what I do have. Gratitude is my rebellion. I look at every opportunity as an opportunity to step into my calling and do what I am supposed to do while lifting others as I climb. Second, I recognize that because we’ve already beaten so many odds, there’s nothing I can’t do. The bar might be higher, the access might be smaller, but we’ve always known how to make something out of nothing.  That senseless ambition has guided me my entire life, but I also believe it’s what so many of us tap into each and every day. We know how to make something out of nothing to the point other communities and cultures ask us how. There’s a reason the world wants aspects of Black culture without being Black. Just look at us, what is there that someone could not love?

We cannot let these systems quiet us, and we can’t let fear or comparison limit our growth. I’m a big daydreamer and manifestor—I write down ideas all the time for things I want to create or achieve. And when that little voice says, “You can’t do that because you’re Black, or because you’re a woman,” I have to shut it down. Your words have power, and like the Bible says, life and death are in the power of the tongue. You have to anoint yourself daily for the fight ahead. I get it: For some people, it’s not that serious. But for me, and for the dreams that I know God has placed in my heart? It absolutely is.

Black women can turn a dollar into a dream. We know how to stretch, build, and transform. So whatever “winning” looks like for you, get up every day determined to go after it. Because even when the world wasn’t designed for us, God designed us to win.

Brooklyn WATE: And lastly, how can people get in contact with you or contribute to your podcast content? 

Jamé: You can find me online at @TheBlondeMisfit across all platforms and tune in to TheBlondeMisfit Podcast when it relaunches in January 2026 wherever you listen to your podcasts. I’ll also be bringing back my YouTube channel soon, and I know people love staying along for the journey. I hope all my Misfits join me! And if you want to learn more about Misfit Creative Media, the company I founded to support creators and storytellers of color, visit misfitcreativemedia.co. That’s where you can see what we’re building and how you can get involved.

Why We Hold This Space

What Jamé shared here feels familiar, not because we’ve all lived the same life, but because so many of us have felt the same tension. Wanting to speak, create, and be fully ourselves, while navigating systems that were never built with us in mind. Her words remind us that our voices don’t need permission to exist, and they don’t need to be perfect to matter. Brooklyn WATE believes in making room for conversations like this; the honest ones. The ones that don’t rush healing, don’t dress things up, and don’t ask Black women to shrink for the comfort of anyone else. We believe there is power in telling your story on your own terms, whether that looks like a podcast, a journal entry, a hard conversation, or simply choosing yourself a little more each day. If this interview stirred something in you, sit with it. Ask yourself where you might be holding back, where you might need support, and where you might be ready to take up a little more space. And know this: you don’t have to figure it out alone. Brooklyn WATE exists to be a bridge — between information and access, between silence and voice, between where you are and where you’re trying to go. We’re here to hold space, build community, and remind Black women that their experiences, their questions, and their dreams are valid.

Because when we make room for ourselves and for each other, we don’t just rise — we rise together.

Jamé Jackson is an actor, creator, and two-time award-winning podcaster passionate about reimagining how Black stories are told. As the founder of Misfit Creative Media and TheBlondeMisfit, she bridges art, activism, and authenticity to empower creators worldwide.

Malene Brissett is a wife, mother, and advocate for equity who writes as her own form of therapy. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, blending research with storytelling to spark conversations that matter. She prides herself on being with the women, for the women—bringing equity and understanding to underserved communities.