From Crack Street, To Wall Street, To Success
During interviews, Jillian Bullock is always asked how she became an award winning filmmaker. To get to that answer the interviewer questions Jillian about her past, because it is quite unusual. It involves getting to know what her past was in order to understand the amazing, and horrific, journey she took to become the success she is today.
Jillian grew up in an untraditional family with her African-American mother, siblings and a white stepfather, Jake, who was a member of the Philadelphia Italian Mafia. While most kids were outside playing games, Jillian was being taught the ways of the Mob. In fact, she saw her first Mob hit when she was nine years old and Jillian shot her first gun when she was eleven.
Jillian also learned about the consequences when someone hurts a Mobster’s child. When Jillian was raped at ten years old, she told no one but Jake. The next day, the rapist was found dead. Around this time, Jillian started training in Tae Kwon Do for self-defense and to channel the anger she had because of the sexual trauma she was dealing with.
Despite Jake teaching Jillian the ways of the Mafia, he also loved movies. In fact, every Sunday he would take Jillian to the movies. It was there that Jillian and Jake would discuss every aspect of the film and watch the credits at the end. Jake instilled in Jillian’s mind that she would one day become a screenwriter and director.
But the road to fulfill that dream would be a long and harrowing one. After Jillian’s mother left Jake and married an abusive man Jillian’s life took a nosedive into hell. Things only worsened when Jake died when Jillian was fourteen. As her best friend, Jake’s death took a traumatic toll on Jillian.
Moving to Florida with her mother, new stepfather, and baby sister the domestic violence continued until Jillian had enough. She jumped in between her mother and stepfather one day when he was beating Jillian’s mother. Using her martial arts skills, she broken his nose. What happened next shocked Jillian. Her mother wasn’t appreciative of Jillian’s help. In fact she took her husband’s side. Jillian’s mother ordered her to get out and never return.
At fifteen, Jillian was now homeless in Orlando, Florida with no family or friends. To survive the streets she had to resort to criminal activity and prostitution. Jillian also got strung out on crack cocaine.
After Jillian found out she was pregnant, she knew she needed to change her life. She had always held on to the dream Jake had that she would become a filmmaker one day. Jillian channeled that dream into her fuel to do what was necessary to get off the streets, kick drugs, return to high school, and take care of her baby.
(Jillian, age 17, with one year son, Clinton)
Once she was off the streets and back in school, Jillian struggled to stay drug free. This was a difficult task because she was trying to balance school with raising a baby boy. With no support or help, Jillian dug deep and held on to what she called her “fighting spirit.”
After a few setbacks, slowly Jillian made the baby steps needed to climb out of the dark hole she was in. She graduated from high school when she was 20 and went on to college. As she worked full-time, she went to La Salle University. Eventually, Jillian added to more children to her family, which she raised as a single parent. It took Jillian eleven years to graduate college, but she refused to quit. During those years, she took film classes and worked on filmmakers’ projects to learn the craft.
(Jillian graduate of La Salle University)
After graduation in 1991, Jillian got an internship on the set of Spike Lee’s movie, “Malcolm X.” From there, she formed her own production company. She has gone on to work on her own projects as well as other filmmakers. Jillian is also a screenwriter, who has sold two scripts, “A Scar Across My Heart” and “The Champion Inside.”
(Jillian, at the Philadelphia branch of the Wall Street Journal)
Miraculously, Jillian earned an internship at the “Wall Street Journal” newspaper while she was in college. Two years later, she became a full time reporter.
In 2012, Jillian put pen to paper and wrote her memoir, HERE I STAND. Since then she has become a professional speaker, certified life coach, fitness expert, mentor, and advocate for people, especially the underdog. People reach out to her daily and ask for her help to transform their lives; everyone from government employees to those in correctional facilities.
Jillian has also gone on to compete in martial arts and boxing. She holds two black belts, one in Tae Kwon Do and the other in Wing Chun. She currently trains in Muay Thai and boxing. Jillian is the creator of “Fighting Spirit Warriors,” a fitness for self-defense program geared to girls and women.
(Jillian, in black shirt, teaching a Fighting Spirit Warriors workshop)
Jillian’s company, Jillian Bullock Enterprises, LLC is an empowerment and entertainment production company. Jillian’s mission, through her company, is to use verbal and written words, videos, films, workshops, and events to help people transform from Victims to Victors, and to help people change the way they look at the underdog or those who struggle with life in general. Jillian’s life of hardships she uses as a tool to show people that their past doesn’t dictate what their future will be.
Jillian is currently on a speaking tour for her movie “A Sense of Purpose: Fighting For Our Lives,” which deals with veterans, PTSD and military sexual assault.
To learn more about Jillian, go to www.jbullockenterprises.com.
To learn more about her current film project, go to www.asenseofpurposemovie.com.
To book Jillian as a speaker for your group, organization, company, or event contact Monique Arrington, Business Manager, at – jbullockenterprises@gmail.com.
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