50 Coffees – Jackie Georgiou

Who is she:              Managing Editor at Joy Magazine, Speaker, TV personality

Venue:                       Chalsae Cafe

What is your favourite place on earth:

I love traveling but I must say my favourite place is Granada in Spain

Cat / Dog / None:

I am not the biggest animal person but if I was not so busy I would get a cat.

What are you reading right now?

Several books. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell, In the Footsteps of Jesus, Basic Black by Cathie Black.

 

How long have you been working in the Media industry?

Eleven years now.

What are a few of the lessons you have learnt over the years in the media industry?

Having worked in both secular and Christian media industries, I can tell you that they are very different. In the secular industry you find that the media is very tough, people are very competitive often back stabbing and there is a lot of insecurity and paranoia that’s there. When I was in that industry I didn’t mind it because I could be a light but you have to have a very strong sense of self and not be affected by what other people think of you or say about you. Often it not true but they speak it from their place of insecurity. Coming into the Christian world it’s very different because it is a warm world, it is positive and encouraging, however the standard of excellence is very low. That’s been a challenge for me to constantly raise the bar in Christian media both through Joy and for about two years I was the chairman of the Association of Christian Media. Part of my role was to upgrade the organisation and upgrade Christian media and to set their standards a little bit higher so they are striving for excellence and not just to be mediocre or average.

For women who have dreams but keep putting it off for ‘one day’, what is your advice to them?

From a very young age my parents really put into me the idea that you have a purpose, you have skills and talents and that once you have discovered those skills and talents you must work at them and craft them. So practise, research and skill yourself. These days with the internet, even if you have no formal education or you don’t have access to resources the internet gives you so much that you can skill yourself with. So my advice to anybody who has a dream whether it’s for media or for anything is:

Number one they must identify who they are and what they are good at and not good at. They must take an honest look at themselves because a lot of people for example want to be a dancer but they can’t dance. You have got to look at what God made you for.

Number two they must take the necessary steps to improve their skills and their knowledge and their experience. As I said there is a wide range of opportunities to do that whether it is through the internet, books or mentorship etc.

Lastly they need experience which comes by serving. For me that’s what has been a big benefit my life and helped me to be sort of, in the eyes of other people, be a success. Obviously it’s the hand of God but that has come through many years of serving, doing things for free, doing things without being noticed and going the extra mile. I think if people are prepared to do that, God will definitely bless them and they will also have doors open to them. I would never have gotten to where I am today if I hadn’t served many years ago.

 What has been a David and Goliath moment for you in your Christian walk? A challenge that you have overcome.

That’s a tough question for me because in many ways I have had a very easy Christian walk. I got saved when I was fifteen and I grew up in Sunday school. I never really had a rebellious past, never really went through a lot of difficult times or bad choices. So I haven’t had any momentous occasions where I can say I had a challenge and God gave me victory. But what I can say is that being a Christian single woman in itself is a very tough walk. I am thirty-two this year and I wanted to get married when I was twenty-four but that opportunity hasn’t presented itself. I firmly believe that the Lord is in control of my footsteps, so the fact that it hasn’t presented itself has also been because God has not deemed it fit in His timing. In some ways I can see why that’s happened because I have been able to do a lot of things for his kingdom, I have been able to travel, work in TV and in radio. If I was married  and if I had kids I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of that. So I definitely see His hand in it but at the same time it is a lonely road sometimes and it is a difficult one because a lot of other people’s opinions get put onto you. So even if you are in a happy place, which I am, you know people keep saying “How come you still single? Is it because you’re really difficult, too busy or maybe you are too Christian”.  For me that’s a battle that I think every single Christian woman walks and to be able to get up in the morning, lift your head up high rejoicing in God and to go about your day is a victory. So that for me is an area where I have seen that victory, just to be content in who I am and to hopefully be able to lead others who are in that same place, to not get despondent, to trust in God and to keep having faith. One thing I know for myself, there are areas in my life that I have lot of faith for and I see God come through all the time. But there are other areas where I have little faith and this is one of those areas where I face that battle of despite what my circumstances say or my feeling say , I have faith that God has someone for me and it will be sooner rather than later. So that’s my walk.