Unanimous Business Decisions with Jeron Smith
Written by Erica Jeanine
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT?
Jeron: I’m from China Hills, California 909 born and raised. Initially I was 5'3 going into my junior year of high school then 6'4 my senior year. I grew 13 inches really quick and before I knew it graduating. I wanted to play basketball for UCLA but was blessed enough to do so for Howard University on an academic scholarship, it was amazing. I went to HU full time and while a student at Howard I also interned at Nike. It was the most rewarding internship ever, I couldn't believe they were paying me to do stuff I would have probably done for free. After Howard, I went to grad school in Georgetown and received my master's degree. I really thought I was going to the NBA but while interning at Nike they offered me a full-time position and I didn’t hesitate. My passion for basketball had spilled over into my internship and before I knew it I was working with pro athletes and entertainers!
“We consider ourselves a purpose over profit company and I always say profit is important but the purpose is imperative. ”
TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY UNANIMOUS MEDIA?
Jeron: Unanimous Media is a film, television, and digital content company. We work in tandem with Sony Studios and have an overall deal with Sony Studios across film and TV. Ultimately, the goal of Unanimous is to inspire people all over the globe through media. I believe there's no better way to touch the lives of people through the sharing and dissemination of content globally. We consider ourselves a purpose over profit company and I always say profit is important but the purpose is imperative. We work across three really specific silos, faith, family, and lastly sports which have become so obvious because Stephen Curry is a co-founder in the company. We have shows on television networks like ABC and are syndicated internationally in Australia, Germany, and a few other countries.
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ROLE & WHAT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LOOKS LIKE?
Jeron: I’m a brand strategist by default but spend the majority of my time talking to our lawyers. At every stage of a deal, there’s always something to take care of, whether we’re trying to ink a deal or in the middle of a deal. When working in the media you have to produce new ideas. And there's always someone that thinks they were a part of that idea, had that idea, or someone just trying to claim something. I have to always address those kinds of situations and manage each outcome. Most people would say every day is different but to me, it's about looking for new business opportunities and the ability to innovate. So my role varies from project to need but as our company expands so does my day-to-day.
ARE ANY INVESTMENTS BEING MADE IN THE COMPANY’S PROJECTS?
Jeron: : Heavy, heavy investments. If you go and look up my film on IMDB or WIKI and you’ll see the amount of money and resources being invested. And if you think about the process, everyone involved with the film, all the producers, the talent, and the theater distribution and marketing. It gets expensive fast and to make sure there’s a return on investment the film has to be successful.
“Telling stories you feel are authentic to who you are is important. Being a voice in your industry and amplifying the voice you represent is necessary for the development of our community.”
WHAT ARE SOMETHINGS YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT?
Jeron: My passion comes from so many different sources, the main one is my ability to be inspirational and create opportunities for mass audiences. The reason I’m passionate also stems from my own journey and story. Being aware of that feeling of how hard it was for me to walk through doors and break into the spaces I wanted to be in. When you're building the organization you envision, you have the ability to sit in a different seat and gain the power to create opportunities for others. I’ve also learned that telling stories you feel are authentic to who you are is important. Being a voice in your industry and amplifying the voice you represent is necessary for the development of our community. I don't take any of the opportunities or seats I’ve sat in for granted and always remember how fortunate I am.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING FOR OBAMA AND HOW’D YOU MEET STEPH CURRY?
Jeron: Working for the Obama administration at the white house was a definitely transformative experience. I still can't actually sit here and articulate how it happened. It was nothing other than the serendipitous grace of God to go from Nike then the white house, it’s absolutely insane. One thing I learned and noticed was at the end of administration is that there's constantly a lot of movement. President Obama saw an opportunity to bring in private-sector talent and look at government strategy differently. When you're really great at something it could take you anywhere. When they were doing the presidential portrait I saw the artist walking around everywhere and I’m thinking, wow he’s got more access to this place than me. Then I realized who he was and how he was the best in the world at one thing and when you're the best in the world it gets really narrow at the top. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever and he touched so many different facets and verticals of business. If Michael Jordan wanted to be in Hollywood he could have done that and if he wanted to pursue a business venture he could do that too. It all started with him being the best in the world, just like the artist walking around The White House. My story about meeting Stephen Curry starts with me working at Nike and one of his best friends told me that Curry was looking to do some interesting things with his business and I should talk to him. I fly to Steph’s house and we discussed his goals, interest, and business portfolio. I was leaving the white house in January of 2017 and Stephen called me on December 27, 2016. I wasn’t about to go do something else and I didn’t hesitate. All the serendipity of it is crazy.
WHAT’S A GOOD BOOK YOU’D RECOMMEND?
Jeron: One of my dad’s favorite books is Rich Dad, Poor Dad, easily became one of my favorites. The best way to receive the book is as if it’s a safe pathway being successful. Reading it reminded me that opportunities weren’t abundant, and because they weren’t I had to really decide what I wanted to do and focus on it
“When you’re building the organization you envision, you have the ability to sit in a different seat and gain the power to create opportunities for others.”
Are you interested in connecting with Jeron Smith?
Linkedin: Jeron Smith
Want to learn more about Unanimous Media?
Website: unanimousmedia.com
Instagram: @jeronsmith