Today we’d like to introduce you to Jelisa McMillion.
Hi Jelisa; we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Melanated Source started as a review column for Zumble Media, where I would review movies & music from the ’90s. Once I began listening to these albums, I realized many of the songs used samples or were covers of songs from the ’70s & ’80s. I then began to post music trivia questions on my Instagram stories & my followers would love them & I would get multiple messages about creating a real game based on music samples. Once I received that third message about creating the game, I knew that God told me this was something I needed to take seriously. From there, I reached out to Jason Gray, the CEO of Zumble Media, which creates trivia games & received guidance from him on where to start. After 2 years & a lot of patience, Sample Me This Vol. I was created with the help of Chris Gadson, who helped design the game & website! I am a huge music lover, so creating this game is when I realized this is something I could do for the rest of my life. I’ve hosted many game nights & I love the joy & happiness people have when they’re playing these games & that’s exactly what I want people to feel when they play Sample Me This. Although it took 2 years to launch Sample Me This Vol. I, those 2 years gave me time to create—II & III, which I plan on releasing later this year. My mother has always taught me God’s timing is always better than mine, so I’m grateful for the 2-year delay. It gave me time to understand what I wanted to accomplish with my company fully.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wouldn’t consider it an obstacle, but there was a 2-year delay due to miscommunication about a possible partnership. That situation is what pushed me to start my own company. I don’t look at it as a real struggle but more of a lesson & another situation where I can look back and say, “This happened for a reason,” and that reason was for me to start my own company.
As you know, we’re big fans of Melanated Source. What can you tell our readers who might need to be more familiar with the brand?
Melanated Source LLC is a trivia game company specializing in creating music trivia games. Our first game, Sample Me This Vol. I is the first of 3 volumes that the company has released. When creating this game, financial gain wasn’t the motive behind it. I wanted my game to be something that my supporters could play years from now & it feels fresh every time they play it. Seeing my family, friends & supporters having such an amazing time playing Sample Me This & brought back nostalgic vibes from the music used in the game and fulfills me as the creator. What separates my business from others is the goal to get my small business so established that I can help other small businesses succeed with mentorship, free marketing, or any other service that can help them get their products & services the exposure they need.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory is sitting and watching my mom, aunts & grandma play spades while the old school music plays in the background. They are the reason I have such a love for the music of the ’70s & ’80s.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.melanated-source.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/melanatedsourcellc/
- Facebook: facebook.com/MelanatedSourceLLC
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jelisa-mcmillion-baa345b5/
- Twitter: twitter.com/MelanatedSource
