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JJ ON THE MIC: A WOMAN OF MANY HATS

By The Raveen Alexis 

June 30, 2015

There is something about a woman that goes above and beyond in her efforts to reach the community all while being a prominent figure in the city. Jillian Simmons is that woman.

Now, some of you may not know her by Jillian so let me bring you up to speed. If you are an avid listener of Houston’s very own 97.9 The Box, then every day from 10am-3pm you are tuned in to JJ On The Mic. That is Jillian and, though her job as a radio host has aided her in reaching the city of Houston, she harbors a couple of projects that make her even more phenomenal than she already was to begin with.

JJ owns the I’m Me Foundation, a foundation that provides positive social experiences, self worth, and character-building training through education and entertainment. Her target audience with this foundation are young girls who are on the brink of transitioning into young women. The I’m Me Foundation strives to encourage these girls to believe that they can reach every dream that is on their heart. There is even a tour that provides a closer interaction between JJ and the girls.

“We have an empowerment tour called JJ’s I’m Me Tour where we go to different middle schools and high schools and give girls a mini conference on Beauty/Style, Etiquette, Goal Setting and Fitness,” JJ told me. “It’s really interactive! We enjoy spending time with these young girls and helping them to see their greatness.”

As if that is not already a handful, JJ also owns SingleMomsRock.com, a network that uplifts women who are a part of single motherhood. As a single mother herself, JJ knows the journey and is dedicated to inspiring and uplifting women who are going on that same journey.

JJ also has a upcoming book entitled “Without Bruises.”

“[…] explores my relationship with a man who is both mentally and emotionally abusive,” she said. “My hopes are that women and men will read the book and be able to first identify what abuse looks like, then how to leave the unhealthy relationship and lastly how to heal from it.”

Is she not a superwoman?! JJ has all of these projects on top of being a radio host topped with being a single mother, and she does it all so gracefully. How amazing is it to have such an inspirational being right here in Houston? Pretty amazing, if you ask me.

The city of Houston has inspired JJ’s endeavors in many ways, especially being that she is not originally from here. While talking with her, she revealed that the top three characteristics about Houston that inspired her the most were the people, the culture, and her home away from home, 97.9 The Box.

“Prior to moving here I was going through a dark depression,” she said. “I wanted to leave the space that I was in so badly. When the opportunity arose for me to come here, I packed quickly! The people here were very welcoming.”

JJ went on to talk about how she has learned to embrace the younger generation while living in Houston, and she also owes a great deal of her ability to reach the community to The Box.

“The Box by far is the best radio station that I have worked for in my career. I love that they truly care about being in the community and making a difference,” she said.

It is moving to see how much JJ has taken advantage of what Houston has to offer. She is constantly giving back to the community in an entertaining and uplifting way. She is proof that there is still work to do in Houston but, when you are doing what you love, it doesn’t feel like work anymore.

Tune into JJ every weekday from 10am-3pm, and check out her website (www.jjonthemic.com) to stay updated with what she is doing.

Here is how you can find her on social media:

IG: @jjonthemic | Twitter: @jjonthemic

From JJ: “Everything I do is to create a better life for my daughter. Whether it be now or later on down the road, I just want to be a living example of how to do God’s work in everything that you do.”

 

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