CEOs Under 25 is an occasional, ongoing series about inspirational young executives and how they quickly worked their way to the top.
Name: James Kicklighter
Title: Co-chairman
Organization: JamesWorks Entertainment
Age at Which He First Became an Executive: 16
Current Age: 21
Heather Huhman: What is JamesWorks Entertainment?
James Kicklighter: JamesWorks Entertainment is a full-service media company, specializing in film production, Web design and marketing strategies through social media. Our studio has crafted films such as Di Passaggio, winner of the 2009 Accolade Award of Merit. During our short history, we have worked with Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning artists and acclaimed socially conscious figures in the film industry, including John “Cougar” Mellencamp, Dixie Carter and David Zucker. Currently, we’re hoping to take our social responsibility as filmmakers to the next level.
HH: How did you become an executive at such a young age?
JK: The support of my family was instrumental to the early success of JamesWorks. As a child, reading, writing and imagination were encouraged in my household. If my sister or I wanted a book read to us, my parents would immediately stop what they were doing and read the book in full. Because they fostered this sense of curiosity and wonder, I was reading at an eighth grade level by kindergarten.
We also didn’t have video games or cable television in our house. Until college, I didn’t have more than four channels, allowing me time to play outside or travel the world through literature. Though this doesn’t directly affect JamesWorks, I do attribute it to my becoming an executive at a young age. Instead of spending my time letting other people imagine the world for me, I was imagining it for myself.
After the unexpected death of my father in eighth grade, starting the company became a way for me to channel my grief through another medium, though initially I didn’t do it in the right way.
HH: What challenges did you face getting to this point, and how did you overcome them?
JK: JamesWorks initially started as a lie. After the death of my father, I began to invent these ridiculous stories about things I was doing to get attention. I started out claiming that I won a contest to write three scripts for a major motion pictures studio under a pseudonym. Initially, I started with my family, creating legal documents and letters based on things found on the Internet.
Soon after they started talking about it, the newspapers and TV media got involved, and then it spiraled out of my control. As literally thousands heard about me, I started to get invitations to speaking engagements and other events representing projects that I wasn’t really working on.
The whole thing would have never happened if someone had fact checked the documents at the beginning, but they looked legitimate, and I was very convincing. I went so far as to find things on eBay—private press kits and hard to find movie gear—that helped support my case. At the time, I did not understand the magnitude of the tale I was spinning. I was a kid, and some would say I still am.
When all of these films started going onto the Internet Movie Database and were published into informational texts, a lawyer representing a studio in Hollywood took note and sent me a letter with the headline “False Advertising and Unfair Competition,” threatening to sue if I didn’t take everything down.
After complying, I was left with a bitter chore to tell all of my family, friends, co-workers and thousands of others that it was all made up. Eventually I did, and since that time, JamesWorks did not fizzle like I thought it would.
HH: Is there anything you would have done differently, if you could do everything over again?
JK: Of course, if I could take back the lies and fix the people I hurt during that time, I would. However, I don’t regret the experience. It taught me several valuable lessons that have served me extremely well at a young age.
First, always tell things exactly like they are. Do not exaggerate and do not change details because the truth will come out quickly in the age we live. The Internet is a powerful medium that allows us to better understand the world, but also provides those in media with a unique responsibility to be transparent through consumer interaction. JamesWorks is dedicated to the future of social media, and we’re constantly finding new ways for us to participate in that framework. However, by accepting this future, we also must be responsible content producers.
Second, production is a process that is best served when everyone is on the same page. Clear and concise communication will make your organization better, so no one goes rogue with incorrect information. It is hard to take bad information back, especially when it comes from an authority figure.
Finally, patience is a virtue few possess. Unless you are a talented prodigy, your first work will be terrible. Before you can get to the good stuff, the bad projects have to get out of your system. Keep waiting, and eventually, you’ll find that all of the missteps turn into applied practical knowledge. Suddenly, your work will start becoming good, and people will want to see it.
HH: What advice do you have for others looking to follow in your footsteps?
JK: There are two myths that I love to dispel.
First, your age, location, and circumstances do not matter. You can do whatever you want with the resources available to you. I grew up in a town (though a British couple in DC a few weeks back referred to it as a village) of 150 people in rural Georgia, far away from Hollywood. My parents were teachers, where I soon ended up in a single parent home. This fall, I will be leaving for Ethiopia to produce a project, while taking 18 hours of classes as a senior public relations student at Georgia Southern University, working on my MFA application to Columbia University for Fall 2010.
Second, there is not a wall surrounding Hollywood. It is perfectly possible to gain access to talented actors, producers, directors and executives through simplicities such as good manners and writing skills. Most people have been more than willing to help me out because I have been respectful of their work. Do not nag talent agents with constant messages, and never look at Hollywood types as “celebrities.” They are normal people with public lives, and respect being treated that way. It all comes back to the patience thing I mentioned earlier; if your work is good, then you will be noticed.
Certainly, I have a long way to go and a lot left to learn. We are currently working on securing long-term investors for JamesWorks, so we don’t have to work project-to-project. In a bad economy, it will be a challenge, but I’m hopeful that the consistent quality output of our team will bring investors to the table.
Share your entry-level job success story (recent graduates) or expertise (hiring managers/other career experts) for inclusion in my upcoming book: http://bit.ly/12U2kD
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