Today we’d like to introduce you to Quentin R. Jiles.
Quentin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Well, I have a professional background as a Licensed Master Social Worker (undergrad and master’s degree in social work). The reason I obtain those degrees was because I always knew, as cliché as it sounds, I wanted to help people in some type of way. After getting those degrees, I was a traveling Social Worker where I would bounce around the country every 3 to 4 months in hospital settings. I did that for about 3 1/2 years. I was in major cities like LA, Atlanta, the Bay Area and Las Vegas and the money was really great but I was really unfulfilled. So in November 2018, I started an Instagram, Facebook and YouTube show called “The Queue With Que” and the show was centered around politics. The thinking behind the name was based off of never knowing what was going to happening in our political arena, so as things popped up in “The Queue” then “Que” would explain them to you! Idk if that’s corny or witty but that’s the name lol. I’ve always wanted to be on tv in some type of capacity since I was a kid and so with social media allowing us to create our own platform that’s the outlet I choose to achieve that dream.
I love love love politics like don’t ever ask me anything about sports because I don’t know but if you ask me anything about the federal government and the political shenanigans then I have you covered 110%. I really want to educate people about what is going on because I know most people do not like watching the news because its either toxic or boring. So with me, I bring all of my personality along with the facts and deliver the news.
Towards the end of my last contract, I was going through a lot at the job and although my bosses were amazing there were a group of very hateful people there that would go to HR every five minutes about me and The Show. The Show had nothing to do with work but you know how coworkers are they find your social media and then it just became such a toxic environment. They would try to take what I said online and twist it without adding context.
Alongside of that I started to miss my family here in Houston. I have a beautiful niece and two beautiful nephews that I love tremendously. I just couldn’t see myself doing that job or a traditional 9-to-5 for the next 30 or 40 years of my life. So October 5, 2019 was my last day and with no plan forward I packed up my things, put them in my car ,and drove back to Houston from Las Vegas. The whole drive from Vegas I couldn’t stop wondering if I was making a mistake The entire two days of the drive. However, once I got to Houston about four days later is when I got the email from Great Day Washington saying that they wanted me to come out to Washington DC to give political commentary on their show.
That was all Jesus there is no doubt in my mind! Like even through my doubt, He has a plan for me and I give Him all credit and honor.
So often I think we get caught up in the old way of doing things like the way our parents did things. Having a traditional 9-to-5 job for the next 40 years is just not for me. At the time I left my job, it was scary and at times still is because it was very lucrative career. Now charting my own path the checks aren’t as stable but the happiness and peace was no where near a 9-5.
When I got the email from Great Day Washington and I was super excited. I didn’t tell anybody because I wanted to make sure everything went through first. We were originally scheduled to shoot in the month of November but the segment got postponed because the impeachment hearings were preempting the airways. My constant thought was how ironic the thing that I love to report on is the thing that stopped me from achieving my next level of greatness lol. So I just kept doing the show online and at the same time I started writing a book that was completely unrelated to politics. The book called “Listen Niece…” and it is a 30-day self-reflective guide to live your best life in Christ or Devotional as some have called it. The book was birthed from conversations that I wanted to have with my 11year-old niece but there were some topics that I thought might be a little too advanced for us to talk about and maybe her parents should talk about it with her. But I just had this desire keep writing and to talk to other people who are Christians to give them a boost in faith and people who are not Christians to invite them into seeing how loving, kind, and forgiving Jesus actually is. And how he is our king and friend and not this horrible person that some other people may have made Him to be or may have made Christianity out to be. So in the midst of waiting on the Great Day Washington taping to happen I finished the book.
I got to appear on great day Washington in December 2019 and the show was absolutely phenomenal. They put me in first block.. for non-TV people the first block of a TV show especially a news show is the most important block because it is the beginning of the show and that’s when all of the viewers have most likely tuned in. I didn’t know I was going to be on the first block. They informed me when as the show was about to start. So I said, “LETS GO!” lol. It was a phenomenal time and shout out to Great Day Washington on WUSA9 in Washington DC. We end up talking for about seven minutes which is so long in TV time especially on a news broadcast but it was amazing and it really did boost my career in giving political commentary. Other tv shows have reached out and I have other bookings in the near future.
In addition, I just started a new segment of my political show on social media called “Convo’s With The Candidate” where I have in-depth conversations with people who are running for political office. We talk policy and personal life to get a good sense of who the candidate is. Amazingly I’ve been able to talk to incumbent State representatives, prospective federal congressional candidates, and recently a candidate for the Harris County District Attorney’s office.
Has it been a smooth road?
Wheeew chile the struggle is real! Lol. The main struggle is learning an industry that I have never been in. Although I have always wanted to be in TV Media I never pursued it until now. So there is a different jargon that people in the industry speak. There are also challenges of which opportunity should be accepted because everything that glitters is not gold. The challenge of still really surviving on my savings and REALLY budgeting is a constant challenge. Trying to break into a new market is challenging because I would love to be in the Houston area market shows but right now, I’m hot in DC so I have to keep going there.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see news/ tv going digital. We literally have everything on our phones pretty soon every necessity and luxury we want will come directly from our phones.
Now for my career, I would love to be a host on Good Morning America in the next ten years! I think my personality fits that show and market. Or even my own talk show like Wendy Williams but cut the gossip by 85% lol.
Contact Info:
- Address:17350 State Highway 249 Ste 220 #1464
Houston, Texas 77064 - Website: www.QuentinRJiles.com
- Phone:2812997873
- Email: booking@QuentinRJiles.com
- Instagram: @QuentinRJiles
- Facebook: @Quentin R. Jiles
- Twitter: @TheQueueWithQue
- Youtube: Quentin R. Jiles
- Other: Tiktok: @QuentinJiles
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