Episode 185 - Secrets of Success: Flexibility, Trust, and Persistence - with Alexandra Boylan

In part 2 of their interview on the Faith and Family Filmmakers podcast, Jaclyn Whitt welcomes back filmmaker Alexandra Boylan for an insightful conversation. They discuss Alexandra's experiences over the past two years, pivoting to promote her existing films while waiting for new ones to be greenlit. Alexandra highlights the importance of building relationships with platforms and audiences, shares how flexibility and persistence have played pivotal roles in her career, and shares key lessons on practical filmmaking and career growth strategies.

Highlights Include:

• Introduction and Recap
• Marketing Previous Films
• Building an Audience
• Mentorship Insights
• Flexibility in Filmmaking
• Trust Your Team
• The Elijah Project
• Choosing the Right Collaborators
• Pick Your Battles and Trust the Experts
• Navigating Feedback and Opinions
• The Reality of Awards and Film Festivals
• Concluding Thoughts

Alexandra Boylan is a dynamic award-winning filmmaker, writer, producer, and actress who has been trailblazing through Hollywood for nearly two decades. Born and raised in Massachusetts, Boylan is known for her fearless pursuit of meaningful content. In addition to her numerous acting credits, Alexandra co-created The Boylan Sisters Production Company, a successful film studio that focuses on faith-based, family-friendly content. Their first feature-length film, Catching Faith, streamed on Netflix for two years and has spawned a sequel, as well as paved the way for other critically acclaimed movies such as The Greatest Inheritance and Switched. Their latest venture, Identity Crisis, also serves as the basis for a YA novel, which she co-authored with her sister and business partner Andrea. Alexandra has previously published the widely regarded how-to guide entitled “Create Your Own Career in Hollywood: Advice from a Struggling Actress Who Became a Successful Producer” and is an active member of Influence Woman and Women in Film Los Angeles.

https://theboylansisters.com/

FAFF Association Online Meetups: https://faffassociation.com/#faff-meetings

VIP Producers Mentorship Program https://www.faffassociation.com/vip-producers-mentorship 

Jaclyn's Book - In the Beginning, Middle and End: A Screenwriter’s Observations of LIfe, Character, and God: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9R7XS9V

The Faith & Family Filmmakers podcast helps filmmakers who share a Christian worldview stay in touch, informed, and inspired. Releasing new episodes every week, we interview experts from varying fields of filmmaking; from screenwriters, actors, directors, and producers, to film scorers,  talent agents, and distributors. 

It is produced and hosted by Geoffrey Whitt and Jaclyn Whitt , and is brought to you by the Faith & Family Filmmakers Association

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Editor: Blake Nowlan

Produced by Geoffrey Whitt for the Faith and family Filmmakers Association

Copyright 2024 Ivan Ann Productions

Jaclyn: 00:00:00

You're listening to the Faith and Family Filmmakers Podcast.

Jaclyn: 00:00:02

My name is Jaclyn Whitt.

Jaclyn: 00:00:04

I am back with Alexandra Boylan, and we had a fantastic conversation in our last episode talking about what she's been up to for the last two years.

Jaclyn: 00:00:13

Some hard lessons learned, and even just some advice for anybody who is feeling.

Jaclyn: 00:00:18

Dreary or the pressure of like, I wanna make a movie and the money's not there.

Jaclyn: 00:00:23

And anyways, um, so let's actually kind of go back there because, uh, Alexandra, you said that there was one thing that you neglected to mention, so why don't you, uh, share with us.

Jaclyn: 00:00:34

Welcome back to the podcast.

Alexandra: 00:00:36

Thank you, Jaclyn.

Alexandra: 00:00:37

Thanks for having me back.

Alexandra: 00:00:38

Thanks for coming back, you guys.

Alexandra: 00:00:39

Yeah, I do want to mention that, you know, for the past two years when I've been also stuck as an independent filmmaker trying to raise the money, trying to get the meetings, I was like, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Alexandra: 00:00:50

I'm working so hard trying to get a new movie made, but I've made eight feature films, so maybe I should start focusing more on getting those movies.

Alexandra: 00:00:59

The most attention they can get.

Alexandra: 00:01:01

So I actually spent a full year probably trying to get relationships with platforms, building relationships with Angel Studios and all these people.

Alexandra: 00:01:09

So I spent like a year actually trying to make my eight feature films succeed by getting on better platforms.

Alexandra: 00:01:17

So instead of like I'm trying to make another movie, I have so many films that weren't getting capitalized on.

Alexandra: 00:01:23

So I spent a lot of my time in a year.

Alexandra: 00:01:25

Taking meetings with studios, taking meetings with platforms, building relationships so that my films got on bigger places because the more you're my previous films succeed, the more that will open up my chances to raise private investment or make another movie.

Alexandra: 00:01:41

So that's the other thing I've been doing in the last two years, is actually becoming my own offshoot of my distribution companies by bringing them more places to, to house and show my films.

Alexandra: 00:01:53

To build the audience.

Jaclyn: 00:01:54

Amazing.

Jaclyn: 00:01:55

And it makes so much sense.

Alexandra: 00:01:56

It does.

Alexandra: 00:01:57

And as independent filmmakers, you also have to build your brand and your audience.

Alexandra: 00:02:01

So I wanna build my audience and, and you are building an audience one person at a time.

Alexandra: 00:02:06

When someone writes me on Instagram, I write them back.

Alexandra: 00:02:09

We love to hear that.

Alexandra: 00:02:10

People love it.

Alexandra: 00:02:10

And we try to connect with our audience that they're loving our movies and so we can keep providing what our audience wants.

Alexandra: 00:02:17

And that's also your job.

Alexandra: 00:02:18

Another hat you gotta put on as an independent filmmaker is to build an audience.

Alexandra: 00:02:22

So yeah, and that's what I'm trying to do and that's what I spent the last two years doing.

Jaclyn: 00:02:28

Yeah, and it worked.

Jaclyn: 00:02:28

I've seen a lot of that.

Jaclyn: 00:02:29

Yeah, it does.

Jaclyn: 00:02:30

Because even, for example, like I saw switched years ago, but then when you started talking about again, I was like, Hmm, I'm gonna go back and watch that again.

Jaclyn: 00:02:41

And so even if I've already seen the movies like I've seen at your own risk twice, uh, like some of your movies I've seen multiple times.

Jaclyn: 00:02:50

It's because you bring it back to the front of my mind.

Jaclyn: 00:02:53

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:02:53

Um, and so yeah, going out there and marketing, you are wanting to, uh, expand your reach mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:03:01

And to reach new people.

Jaclyn: 00:03:02

But even reminding the people who already love you, like, Hey, remember me, I'm here too.

Jaclyn: 00:03:07

And then you'd be like, oh yeah, I wanna go watch that movie again, because.

Jaclyn: 00:03:10

The thing about movies is that you are inviting people into the world of the characters and the journey that they go on, and there's a bonding experience that happens.

Jaclyn: 00:03:20

And so going back to rewatch something, it's not always about, you know, oh, like I, I want to see if I can figure it out.

Jaclyn: 00:03:27

Like if a mystery, sure.

Jaclyn: 00:03:28

You know, a lot of the time it is about the plot or whatever, but a lot of movies are actually about the characters, and so you connect with these characters, so to go watch them again.

Jaclyn: 00:03:39

It works.

Jaclyn: 00:03:40

I enjoy it.

Alexandra: 00:03:41

Yes, me too.

Alexandra: 00:03:43

And you know, a lot of people saw Switch years ago and then when you and I did the workshop on Switch and brought it back, I had a lot of messages going.

Alexandra: 00:03:50

I watched that again, I forgot how delightful that was.

Alexandra: 00:03:53

And then, you know, we are getting new platforms.

Alexandra: 00:03:55

Um, we are now on a faith and family.

Alexandra: 00:03:57

We're gonna be on Wonder Project next year was switched.

Alexandra: 00:04:00

So it's so exciting because also there's new people finding your work all the time that didn't see it when it came out.

Alexandra: 00:04:06

So there's always a new audience and for us.

Alexandra: 00:04:09

Four years ago, we, we released switch four years ago.

Alexandra: 00:04:12

Those kids have graduated.

Alexandra: 00:04:13

We need to get all the new kids in high school so that this is their four year high school movie.

Alexandra: 00:04:18

So your audience is always available for more people to see your film.

Alexandra: 00:04:22

You cannot market in enough.

Alexandra: 00:04:23

I'm still marketing catching faith 14 years later.

Alexandra: 00:04:26

I'm always telling people about at your own wrist, probably why it hit most popular on Tubi because I am out there telling everybody to watch it.

Alexandra: 00:04:34

So yeah,

Jaclyn: 00:04:36

I love it.

Jaclyn: 00:04:37

Alright.

Jaclyn: 00:04:37

I did promise that in this episode we would talk about the things that we've noticed.

Jaclyn: 00:04:43

Uh, in the process of mentoring people.

Jaclyn: 00:04:45

Yes.

Jaclyn: 00:04:45

And we've mentored more people than just who are in the mentorship program.

Jaclyn: 00:04:49

Yes.

Jaclyn: 00:04:49

Uh, some people just come to us outside of the program, like, yeah, I just need a little bit of your time.

Jaclyn: 00:04:53

Help me understand this.

Jaclyn: 00:04:55

Um, but there seems to be some, some things that kind of stand out and,

Jaclyn: 00:05:00

we'll start with flexibility because I kind of teased that in the last episode, but flexibility is huge.

Jaclyn: 00:05:08

Like if, let's just start with story, right?

Jaclyn: 00:05:11

Just from the script level.

Jaclyn: 00:05:14

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:05:14

Being flexible within the script.

Jaclyn: 00:05:17

I know you're creating a vision, but if you're creating a vision for the purpose of producing it.

Jaclyn: 00:05:23

If you don't have that flexibility, then you are going to be stuck having to figure out how to make something happen that maybe you don't actually have access to.

Jaclyn: 00:05:32

I mean, my example was we didn't have the sanctuary, uh, in the church to have access to in the band and, and whatever, and, you know, so we had to change the script to make it work with what we could.

Jaclyn: 00:05:42

But Alexandra, tell me about a time where you actually had to switch the script, like switch something up in the script.

Jaclyn: 00:05:51

In order for it to work for your project.

Alexandra: 00:05:54

Yes.

Alexandra: 00:05:54

Well, every single one of my films, you guys, if you looked at the script, you'd see differences with the movie.

Alexandra: 00:05:59

There is the movie that you write, the movie you produce, and the movie you edit.

Alexandra: 00:06:03

And you have to be flexible.

Alexandra: 00:06:06

You have to be, of course, you want the integrity of your story, but within that, you need to bend in mold, especially when you're doing independent films.

Alexandra: 00:06:14

You've got to be willing.

Alexandra: 00:06:16

To go, okay, we gotta change that 'cause we can't make it happen.

Alexandra: 00:06:19

And that's okay.

Alexandra: 00:06:20

And sometimes happy accidents or things that got changed become things that are way better.

Alexandra: 00:06:26

And so I would love to share on my very first feature film, we wrote a thriller that we had the, A location for free and it's the movie's called Home Sweet Home.

Alexandra: 00:06:37

And it's, and I am the star of it.

Alexandra: 00:06:39

And I brought in a couple of my actresses from Los Angeles to be in it.

Alexandra: 00:06:42

We're gonna shoot it in the New Mexico Desert.

Alexandra: 00:06:45

Here's another thing, you guys, when you decide to make a movie, you might not have everything ready, but you have to go.

Alexandra: 00:06:51

And that's what people always say.

Alexandra: 00:06:52

Well, when's the, when do we start?

Alexandra: 00:06:54

Oh, we need to have everything.

Alexandra: 00:06:55

I'm like, you might not have everything, but you've gotta start and it will come together.

Alexandra: 00:07:00

So we decided to make a feature all in, I paid for it $10,000, and we had.

Alexandra: 00:07:05

Picked a date.

Alexandra: 00:07:06

We were gonna go to New Mexico and shoot the movie, and I booked a lead role in a Mickey Rourke movie with Megan Fox and Mickey Rourke and Bill Murray, and I was like, oh my gosh, I don't know if I can pass up this opportunity.

Alexandra: 00:07:20

But we were already sending our group to go shoot the movie.

Alexandra: 00:07:23

So we said, how can we make this work?

Alexandra: 00:07:25

How can you shoot out Lorena, who is coming from LA to New Mexico?

Alexandra: 00:07:30

I'm not there.

Alexandra: 00:07:31

So we re-looked at the script and we were like, okay, the two girls.

Alexandra: 00:07:36

Who are trying to be her friends.

Alexandra: 00:07:38

Never find each other at the house so we can shoot Lorena, getting to the house, looking for her friend and then all this stuff without me there because we never connect and then we'll shoot the other people.

Alexandra: 00:07:50

And then we took a break and I came to New Mexico and we shot all my stuff.

Alexandra: 00:07:55

So, alright.

Alexandra: 00:07:55

Originally, me and the girl were supposed to get together and try to like fight the bad guys or figure it out in the thriller.

Alexandra: 00:08:02

And after we had to pivot an entire script because I needed to stay back in Los Angeles and shoot for seven days, it ended up being way better.

Alexandra: 00:08:10

Like we look at the movie going, how would it have worked if we'd actually found each other and then have to somehow accidentally not and then lose each other on the, a very small piece of property and New Mexico.

Alexandra: 00:08:21

So now we look back going, wow, that was a great.

Alexandra: 00:08:24

Problem because it's better in the story that we never find each other in the thriller.

Alexandra: 00:08:30

So see, that was us actually having to accommodate the fact that I booked a big role in a movie but didn't want to stop or push our movie because we knew that if we pushed it or stopped it, the movie never would've gotten made.

Alexandra: 00:08:43

So we, we Problem solved and.

Alexandra: 00:08:46

It makes the movie so much better.

Alexandra: 00:08:48

And we completed our film.

Alexandra: 00:08:50

Yeah.

Alexandra: 00:08:50

And so like anyone else might have said, oh, well just put production on hold for, and I was like, we're not putting production on hold.

Alexandra: 00:08:56

We're gonna shoot this with or without me, and you guys are gonna go out there and get what you need.

Alexandra: 00:09:00

And hey, if this movie blows up and I am really in a movie with Mickey Rourke, that only helps our movie do better.

Alexandra: 00:09:06

So we, everyone agreed that I should go try to get this.

Alexandra: 00:09:10

I shot the movie.

Alexandra: 00:09:11

Unfortunately it never came out.

Alexandra: 00:09:12

Never saw the light of day, but.

Alexandra: 00:09:14

Home, sweet Home did, and you know, so, but, but that's just one example.

Alexandra: 00:09:20

Every single one of our movies, we have had to rewrite the script, change something.

Alexandra: 00:09:26

We're very fluid and flexible, and we also have start dates and we go, no matter what, we do not push.

Alexandra: 00:09:32

I'm not a believer in pushing your dates because, oh, this might not work out.

Alexandra: 00:09:36

Everything's gonna fall apart and you gotta put it back together.

Alexandra: 00:09:39

That's just movie making.

Alexandra: 00:09:40

Right?

Alexandra: 00:09:40

You have to, that's just part of the

Jaclyn: 00:09:41

expectation.

Jaclyn: 00:09:42

It's like, what do you mean we don't want it to?

Jaclyn: 00:09:44

No, it's going to,

Alexandra: 00:09:46

it's going, it's gonna,

Jaclyn: 00:09:47

it's like when you have a baby, you know, like there's going to be sleepless nights.

Jaclyn: 00:09:51

I'm sorry.

Jaclyn: 00:09:51

It's the reality.

Alexandra: 00:09:53

Everything is, I mean, we were shooting when I was, and when I was in Los Angeles and the team was out in New Mexico, they had a cold freeze.

Alexandra: 00:10:02

One of the coldest freeze in New Mexico and the house really is out in the middle of nowhere and the pipes froze to the house and there was no running water at the house we were filming, and we just had to figure it out, like wash dishes by hand.

Alexandra: 00:10:14

Go to a neighbor to go to the bathroom and take showers.

Alexandra: 00:10:17

I mean, we.

Alexandra: 00:10:18

We have a story for every movie that we have had to overcome, massive obstacles, but the movie still got finished and made, and we didn't let that obstacle stop us.

Alexandra: 00:10:28

Also, you want a team of people that are like, Hey, you might have to pee in the bush because we don't have a bathroom access.

Alexandra: 00:10:33

Right, right.

Alexandra: 00:10:34

You can't, you can't

Jaclyn: 00:10:35

have people that aren't going to work with that

Alexandra: 00:10:37

if you're gonna do

Jaclyn: 00:10:38

that type of movie.

Jaclyn: 00:10:39

Yeah.

Alexandra: 00:10:39

Yeah.

Alexandra: 00:10:40

I mean, we lost.

Alexandra: 00:10:41

Running water to the house and we had to shoot the movie there 'cause we had already started.

Alexandra: 00:10:45

So I do think like you have to be wanna, you also wanna build a tribe and a team that is also flexible and fluid and in it to win it for the movie and not gonna say, well I'm gonna leave 'cause this got hard.

Alexandra: 00:10:57

Everything gets hard.

Alexandra: 00:10:58

Right?

Alexandra: 00:10:58

Stick to it and then make changes.

Alexandra: 00:11:00

We made so many changes you guys.

Alexandra: 00:11:02

I made eight movies.

Alexandra: 00:11:03

They are all changed from the script to the screen so that we could accommodate what we had to work with.

Jaclyn: 00:11:10

And actually this I think leads in nicely to another thing that I noticed, and this is something that you say that I'm not sure that people have fully internalized.

Jaclyn: 00:11:20

So listen up guys.

Jaclyn: 00:11:21

This is really important.

Jaclyn: 00:11:22

You need to internalize this.

Jaclyn: 00:11:24

Stop waiting for someone to give you permission.

Jaclyn: 00:11:28

People will come to me with their script and they're like, well, is this good enough?

Jaclyn: 00:11:33

Or their logline or whatever.

Jaclyn: 00:11:34

And they're like, is this good enough?

Jaclyn: 00:11:35

I'm like, okay, you've checked all the boxes.

Jaclyn: 00:11:37

You tell me now.

Jaclyn: 00:11:38

Like it's, it's one thing for me to say, okay, here's a hole.

Jaclyn: 00:11:41

Here's a problem here, here's this here.

Jaclyn: 00:11:43

You know?

Jaclyn: 00:11:44

But like, if it's like you've checked all the things now if you make changes, it's just 'cause you choose to, right?

Jaclyn: 00:11:49

But like there's, there's nothing more I can recommend.

Jaclyn: 00:11:51

Um, and so then.

Jaclyn: 00:11:53

They have to give themselves permission to move forward with it.

Jaclyn: 00:11:56

Or, or even when, um, sometimes I, I mentor people with, uh, like time management where they're like, okay, I wanna write this script.

Jaclyn: 00:12:03

I'm like, okay, when do you want to have it finished by?

Jaclyn: 00:12:06

And then I help them work out their schedule of like, well, how much time in the week can you actually commit to this?

Jaclyn: 00:12:11

And, and so then we work out like something that we'll actually give them.

Jaclyn: 00:12:15

A timeline with expectations weekly so that they can accomplish their goal.

Jaclyn: 00:12:20

And so I, one time I had, uh, I had done this with a student.

Jaclyn: 00:12:25

She had a very quick turnaround that she wanted to make it happen, and so then I helped her come up with what she would need to do in order to accomplish that.

Jaclyn: 00:12:32

And like two days later, she sent me an email saying, like asking if she could, you know, um, push it another week.

Jaclyn: 00:12:38

And I was like, this is your project.

Jaclyn: 00:12:41

I, you, I helped you come up with your plan.

Jaclyn: 00:12:44

This is your plan though.

Jaclyn: 00:12:45

So I think, um, you know, when you tell people like, don't ask for permission for your own projects, truly, it's important for people to understand that like you are the leader.

Jaclyn: 00:12:57

There is no one who is going to be more of an expert on your project than you are.

Alexandra: 00:13:03

I love.

Alexandra: 00:13:04

It's so true.

Alexandra: 00:13:05

People do.

Alexandra: 00:13:06

It's not like that waiting to shoot a movie until everything is perfect or waiting.

Alexandra: 00:13:12

Yeah.

Alexandra: 00:13:12

For someone to give you that, yes, you have to give yourself that.

Alexandra: 00:13:16

Yes.

Alexandra: 00:13:16

You have to say yes, it's ready, and nothing is perfect.

Alexandra: 00:13:20

Nothing's good enough.

Alexandra: 00:13:21

You're gonna go around a room and 20 people are gonna give you a different answer on if your movie was good.

Alexandra: 00:13:26

And I think like, you know, my editor, Lex Benedict, who's also a dear friend, always says when we make a movie, 'cause she's the last eyes on a film, she's our editor, so she sees all of our mistakes and we're freaking out.

Alexandra: 00:13:38

And she goes.

Alexandra: 00:13:40

We learn from it next time.

Alexandra: 00:13:41

We don't make the same mistake, but you can't go back and change it.

Alexandra: 00:13:44

So we work with what we have, and that's okay that you're gonna make mistakes and we're gonna have to fix it in the editing room, or we're gonna have to pivot in the editing room.

Alexandra: 00:13:53

I think that's another thing for writers who become filmmakers.

Alexandra: 00:13:56

Your script is gonna go through so many changes and then the editor might come in and say, Hey, you know what?

Alexandra: 00:14:02

We gotta flip some stuff around to make this make sense better.

Alexandra: 00:14:05

And as a writer you have to be like, okay, that's what's best.

Alexandra: 00:14:08

For the telling of the story of your script.

Alexandra: 00:14:11

Things are gonna change throughout the whole process and as a writer you have to open your hands and go trust that you've hired the team that wants to make the best movie.

Alexandra: 00:14:20

That their suggestions is an ego-based.

Alexandra: 00:14:22

It's we have a plan for your film.

Alexandra: 00:14:25

And we're not trying to, I actually love handing our movies off to the post team to say, you bring your brilliance to it.

Alexandra: 00:14:32

We thought we were good, and you make it better.

Alexandra: 00:14:35

And if you try to micromanage everybody, it doesn't work.

Alexandra: 00:14:38

You've gotta hire the people and trust them.

Alexandra: 00:14:40

And the same with distribution.

Alexandra: 00:14:42

Posters, trailers marketing.

Alexandra: 00:14:44

Your distribution company is making a decision because your distribution company doesn't not wanna make money.

Alexandra: 00:14:50

I've had them come to me and show me posters where I'm like, Ooh, I don't really like that.

Alexandra: 00:14:54

And then they're like, we are doing this 'cause we want you to succeed, not because we want you to fail.

Alexandra: 00:14:59

So you have to trust that everyone around you is there to make your project succeed.

Alexandra: 00:15:05

And you've gotta let go of the reins.

Alexandra: 00:15:07

Sometimes you have to, but you also have to be the leader, like Jaclyn said, to start it and then be fluid and flexible to hold out your hands and go.

Alexandra: 00:15:15

You can take the reins here 'cause you're, I, I used to say this way back when I first started my career as an independent filmmaker.

Alexandra: 00:15:21

I used to say find the best people for every job and let them do their job.

Alexandra: 00:15:28

Trust the experts in their field.

Alexandra: 00:15:30

When I hire a poster company who is working on massive mainstream posters, I trust them.

Alexandra: 00:15:37

When I working with my sales agent at the time, who I do trust with all my heart.

Alexandra: 00:15:41

I had to trust him that he was making the best deal for our movie because those were my partners who work in those spaces.

Alexandra: 00:15:48

I don't, I'm not building posters.

Alexandra: 00:15:50

I'm not a sales agent.

Alexandra: 00:15:51

I'm not going to American film market and selling movies.

Alexandra: 00:15:54

So once you brought your team in, you gotta trust them, especially if they're you.

Alexandra: 00:15:58

Successful people, you know?

Alexandra: 00:16:01

Exactly.

Alexandra: 00:16:01

So a lot of people don't, they try to micromanage everything and you're like, no, I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't let the experts in their field tell me what was better for the movie that I didn't know.

Jaclyn: 00:16:12

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:16:12

And it's a great opportunity to learn and expand your own knowledge anyways because you're working with people who have different experiences than you.

Jaclyn: 00:16:21

Mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:16:21

And they're bringing what they've learned to the table.

Jaclyn: 00:16:24

And, you know, I had to, to learn this myself when I was working on Bible college because I hadn't gone to the.

Jaclyn: 00:16:32

Like I had worked on other people's projects where they'd already written it and they had their plan for production.

Jaclyn: 00:16:36

They brought it to me to do like some final edits and blah, blah, blah.

Jaclyn: 00:16:39

And so I was not the visionary of those projects.

Jaclyn: 00:16:42

I helped to bring that vision to life on the page, but I was not the one, it was not my baby.

Jaclyn: 00:16:48

Bible college, I was part of conception.

Jaclyn: 00:16:52

Um, you know.

Jaclyn: 00:16:53

In that one.

Jaclyn: 00:16:54

And so the other writer and I like, we poured our hearts and souls out onto the page.

Jaclyn: 00:16:58

And then there was a couple times during production where things got changed, uh, while we were filming.

Jaclyn: 00:17:04

And the other writer and I looked at each other and he's like, should we tell them?

Jaclyn: 00:17:08

I'm like, I kind of.

Jaclyn: 00:17:09

I kind of feel like we have to let this go like this.

Jaclyn: 00:17:13

We handed the vision off to the director now, um mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:17:16

And then even then when it went to editing and some of the jokes got cut, and again, it's one of those things, well, I, this, this is, this is part of the process and we have to trust that the director and the editor, that they're working together to come up with the best possible.

Jaclyn: 00:17:31

And that's not my skill.

Jaclyn: 00:17:33

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:17:33

I am not an editor, and so if I notice something, I might mention it, but I have to let it go.

Jaclyn: 00:17:39

I can't be pushing it.

Jaclyn: 00:17:40

And it was actually something that God really laid on my heart because I think I was holding onto it and then God reminded me like I actually anointed him for that role and I anointed you for this role over here.

Jaclyn: 00:17:53

And you're both going to do the best when you are.

Jaclyn: 00:17:57

Mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:17:58

Uh, walking in your.

Jaclyn: 00:17:59

Individual anointings.

Jaclyn: 00:18:00

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:18:01

And so then I was like, okay.

Jaclyn: 00:18:02

And that was really helpful for our relationship because we want to, it's a series, I mean, we wanna work on this project together for a long time.

Jaclyn: 00:18:11

And so being able to, um, you know, foster those relationships in really healthy ways where you can show you trust each other.

Jaclyn: 00:18:18

that's going to give you the opportunity to have that longevity because if we just step on each other's toes the whole time, it's gonna fall apart.

Alexandra: 00:18:27

Yeah, and it might not succeed.

Alexandra: 00:18:28

I mean, I've told this story before that, you know, catching Faith was called the Elijah Project because it was based off my sister's Bible studies about Elijah's story of rest and putting the oxygen mask on yourself before you put it on Everybody else.

Alexandra: 00:18:42

And we loved the Elijah Project.

Alexandra: 00:18:45

For us, it made so much sense filming the movie for us.

Alexandra: 00:18:48

It was on the call sheets, it was the name, and then when we were in distribution with our sales agent and our poster company, they both came back and said, this name does not work.

Alexandra: 00:18:58

We can't sell the Elijah project on the story that we have in a, in the film on a poster on a, and I was like, I mean, we kind of pushed back and then thank goodness.

Alexandra: 00:19:07

I was like, fine.

Alexandra: 00:19:08

I trust.

Alexandra: 00:19:09

You guys and they came up with catching faith and the poster with the football and the everyone in the family is catching faith.

Alexandra: 00:19:15

What a catchy title.

Alexandra: 00:19:17

Oh my gosh.

Alexandra: 00:19:17

If I hadn't have let them do their job and I had said it has to be the Elijah Project, I don't think it would've gone on to become the top five consistent selling movie for the distribution company and paved the way for my entire success.

Alexandra: 00:19:30

And I think back to that all the time going.

Alexandra: 00:19:32

So glad that I listened to them and I didn't say it has.

Alexandra: 00:19:36

It has to be my way or the highway.

Alexandra: 00:19:37

And once we got rid of the Elijah Project and we went to catching Faith, I fell in love with catching faith and now I can't imagine it being called anything else.

Alexandra: 00:19:46

So, you know, it's so important.

Alexandra: 00:19:49

To trust the people you're surrounded with and to let go, even if you can't see it yet, you will someday hopefully see why they made those choices.

Jaclyn: 00:19:58

Absolutely.

Jaclyn: 00:19:59

And I mean, that does come down to choosing your team wisely.

Jaclyn: 00:20:03

Yes.

Jaclyn: 00:20:03

Like when I decided, um, you know, when Jason Munden and I were like, okay, we wanna work together.

Jaclyn: 00:20:08

'cause we had seen how each other worked and we had a lot of respect for each other.

Jaclyn: 00:20:12

And when he said, okay, we wanna film Bible college.

Jaclyn: 00:20:15

Like right away, like, well, he didn't even have a script yet and he's already like finding people for the cast.

Jaclyn: 00:20:22

And I, I honestly would say like, and I would tell him like, if it was anybody else, I would say, no, you're crazy.

Jaclyn: 00:20:29

But because I knew that he had the experience that he knew himself, he knew what he was capable of.

Jaclyn: 00:20:35

And I said, if you tell me you can do it.

Jaclyn: 00:20:37

I'm in and he's like, I can do it.

Jaclyn: 00:20:39

And I was like, okay, that's it, then let's go.

Jaclyn: 00:20:41

And so, yeah, it happened very, very quickly, which is in a previous episode.

Jaclyn: 00:20:46

Uh, but it was only because I knew that I could trust him, that he had the experience that if he said he could do it, he could do it.

Jaclyn: 00:20:53

And so even like for you and other people that have made multiple projects, when you say.

Jaclyn: 00:20:59

Yes, I can make this happen.

Jaclyn: 00:21:02

Then the people who are working with you need to accept that and, and just be all in with that.

Jaclyn: 00:21:07

Like, if you're choosing to work with someone, um, you are choosing that you have this skill and I trust you.

Jaclyn: 00:21:14

And, and then you have to, like you say, you have to let it go and let people do their jobs.

Jaclyn: 00:21:20

And it is amazing when you do that, when you have people where it's like, I know I can trust you.

Jaclyn: 00:21:26

For any film, Matt, if I came to you and I was like, okay, I want you to help me produce this film.

Jaclyn: 00:21:31

I have this much funding and I have this script.

Jaclyn: 00:21:33

And if you're like, okay, well it's the script is too expensive, I will rewrite the script because I know that you know what you're talking about.

Jaclyn: 00:21:41

If you tell me like, no, we can make it for that amount.

Jaclyn: 00:21:44

I'm like, I'm in.

Jaclyn: 00:21:45

Even if I don't see it, because I know that you know how to do that.

Jaclyn: 00:21:48

It's a beautiful relationship, you know that production team can have.

Alexandra: 00:21:54

Amen.

Alexandra: 00:21:55

It is.

Alexandra: 00:21:55

It is.

Jaclyn: 00:21:57

Is there anything else?

Alexandra: 00:21:59

No.

Alexandra: 00:22:00

No.

Alexandra: 00:22:00

I was just agreeing with you 'cause I think this is a really important topic for people to understand that once you get to Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg's level.

Alexandra: 00:22:11

You can be a hard ball on things.

Alexandra: 00:22:13

You can be a hardhead and said, I have to have the desert with seven trees.

Alexandra: 00:22:18

The sun has to be right here and I have to have this over here and that over there.

Alexandra: 00:22:22

But when you're in the beginning of your career, you can't be like that.

Alexandra: 00:22:26

You have to be willing to bend and mold and change so that you can have a career so that someday you can say, you know what?

Alexandra: 00:22:34

I think, and I think it's also very important to, um.

Alexandra: 00:22:37

You can have the things that you're like, okay, this I'm not gonna bend on, but this I will bend on.

Alexandra: 00:22:42

And I've done that a lot where I'm like, okay, I won't compromise here, but okay, we can figure that out.

Alexandra: 00:22:48

So you might have to, as an independent filmmaker, decide where you'll put your foot in the sand and where you won't.

Alexandra: 00:22:53

And I, because I've come up as in such an indie time, like back in 2010, you know, was so different than now.

Alexandra: 00:23:01

It was, uh, we were able to break through the noise 'cause there were so many.

Alexandra: 00:23:05

Fewer independent films going to market and Sundance and, but I watched a lot of other independent filmmakers create a movie that I think could have been very successful, but they didn't listen to the market, the poster company or the this or the that, and they said, no, it has to be this way.

Alexandra: 00:23:21

And then I saw a lot of films not gone on to get sales, not gone on.

Alexandra: 00:23:25

Connect with its audience.

Alexandra: 00:23:26

And I remember watching that around me going, oh, I'm so glad that I'm listening to everyone because it's why my films are succeeding as opposed to watching some of my other amazingly talented, independent filmmakers not succeed because they would not bend to other people- experts in their field.

Alexandra: 00:23:44

And you know, I think also at the more we make movies, the more you understand that it is, you cannot chase opinions either.

Alexandra: 00:23:51

It's like what you were saying about waiting for permission for your script.

Alexandra: 00:23:55

You're just chasing opinions all over the place.

Alexandra: 00:23:57

Everyone has one and I made a home suite home and I brought it to Albuquerque Film Festival and after the, we had a sold out showing afterwards, people kept giving me advice on the edit and they were like, oh, this, you have to do this, you have to do that.

Alexandra: 00:24:11

One person was like, I hate when she goes in the closet and the door and she's banging on the door.

Alexandra: 00:24:16

I don't believe that she can't break through the door.

Alexandra: 00:24:19

And I was like, oh gosh, I don't think we can reshoot this movie.

Alexandra: 00:24:22

And, and so I was like, okay.

Alexandra: 00:24:24

I listened to everybody's advice.

Alexandra: 00:24:26

Then I went to the White Sands Film Festival, had a bunch of other people with a whole bunch of new opinions.

Alexandra: 00:24:30

Tell me there.

Alexandra: 00:24:31

And then someone came up and said, can I tell you my favorite scene in the movie?

Alexandra: 00:24:34

It's when you're in front of the door and she can't get through the door.

Alexandra: 00:24:37

And I think that was such a learning process for me that once you've made something, you've gotta trust what you've made.

Alexandra: 00:24:44

And until you go to market and the distribution company says something.

Alexandra: 00:24:48

Don't chase opinions at film festivals, or you can send your movie out for notes or do a test screening.

Alexandra: 00:24:54

But what we do with notes is we usually collect to see if there's the same note from every person.

Alexandra: 00:24:59

Not to take everybody's notes, you guys, because it, you're really just chasing opinions and it was so great for me at my first feature to be able to go to two festivals and get so much feedback that did not that.

Alexandra: 00:25:12

Contradicted each other that I was like, I'm just gonna stick to what I made and put out what I made and not go reshoot a movie on someone's opinion.

Alexandra: 00:25:20

That's another really important, um, note to give people because people chase opinions too much and everyone's got one.

Jaclyn: 00:25:28

Yes.

Jaclyn: 00:25:29

And it's so true.

Jaclyn: 00:25:30

Um, and okay, so then that also leads me to, this will be a quick one, but, um, winning awards for stuff is great.

Jaclyn: 00:25:39

It's fun and it does speak to the value of what you've created, but is not gonna guarantee you anything.

Jaclyn: 00:25:46

I mean, you had like Switched, won the Kairos Prize Award, which is one of the biggest awards in the faith-based, um, screenwriting and it.

Jaclyn: 00:25:57

You still got denied and rejected by every studio you went to for, what was it, one year?

Jaclyn: 00:26:03

How long was it that you had to I think it was and push them.

Jaclyn: 00:26:05

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:26:06

A full year.

Jaclyn: 00:26:07

Even with, uh, you know, one of the most prestigious awards in the faith-based filmmaking space.

Jaclyn: 00:26:12

So awards are not going to be an automatic open the door.

Jaclyn: 00:26:17

They're helpful.

Jaclyn: 00:26:18

No, but that's it.

Alexandra: 00:26:19

Well, I think they're helpful for our ego.

Alexandra: 00:26:22

Yeah, I really think they stroke our ego.

Alexandra: 00:26:25

And I always tell people, if you wanna get an award and you wanna get to get feel good, that's awesome.

Alexandra: 00:26:29

But that is not necessarily gonna propel or your career and honestly.

Alexandra: 00:26:34

During, I, I didn't bring this up in our workshop and I wish I had, 'cause I forgot about it, but we, um, after pitching switched to everywhere, um, we won the movie guide awards for the screenplay, which was almost like, Hey, if we have such a great screenplay, why is everybody rejecting us?

Alexandra: 00:26:52

And, and I thought, well now we're gonna.

Alexandra: 00:26:54

Now we're automatically gonna make the movie and crickets after winning the award.

Alexandra: 00:26:59

Now, it was a blessing to win the award.

Alexandra: 00:27:01

I loved going to the, I got to meet Tabbert and all these people.

Alexandra: 00:27:05

It was such a blessing, but it didn't move the needle for switched in any way, shape or form.

Alexandra: 00:27:09

What it did for us though, was we felt confirmation from God to keep going when we were almost about to pivot to other things.

Alexandra: 00:27:16

Mm-hmm.

Alexandra: 00:27:17

And go, maybe this isn't what God wants.

Alexandra: 00:27:18

But we won that.

Alexandra: 00:27:19

We were like, okay, God, we're just gonna keep.

Alexandra: 00:27:22

Then we found the private investor.

Alexandra: 00:27:24

But it's so true.

Alexandra: 00:27:25

We've won a lot of awards that doesn't turn into an automatic green light.

Alexandra: 00:27:29

And I think you bring up a really good point, and it's the same for later.

Alexandra: 00:27:33

Like if you go to a film festival, understand that film festivals, unless it's Sundance or um.

Alexandra: 00:27:38

The Can Film Festival or the big ones, they're probably not gonna sell for high to buyers there.

Alexandra: 00:27:45

So if you go to a festival, know it's to meet people know it's to maybe get an award and get clapped for, but you're still going to have to hustle that project to find a sales agent or a distribution company outside of a film festival, which I just like to set up people's expectations there too.

Alexandra: 00:28:01

'cause people think I gotta do a film festival.

Alexandra: 00:28:03

My movie sold, I got home, sweet Home into Albuquerque and White Sands.

Alexandra: 00:28:06

I still had to go figure out how the heck to get the movie out there.

Alexandra: 00:28:09

So it, I had to go find a sales agent and go, you know, hustle it.

Alexandra: 00:28:13

I didn't get anything from those except an enjoyment join experience.

Jaclyn: 00:28:19

Mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:28:19

Which has its own value for sure.

Jaclyn: 00:28:21

and then the last one that I want to talk about is persistence.

Jaclyn: 00:28:27

Um, this is not a career that accidentally happens.

Jaclyn: 00:28:31

No.

Jaclyn: 00:28:31

You have to be very intentional.

Jaclyn: 00:28:34

Mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:28:34

And, and put it on your calendar like the same way that you would if you're like, oh, I wanna become a, a massage therapist.

Jaclyn: 00:28:40

Like, there's gonna be classes you have to take, there's going to be a practicum.

Jaclyn: 00:28:44

You have to do, like, there's a path in order to get there, and that requires you being consistent and persistent in your pursuit of it.

Jaclyn: 00:28:51

When it comes to filmmaking, you know, it's, it's even more of a demand because there is nobody that is saying, here's your next step.

Jaclyn: 00:28:59

You have to decide your next step.

Jaclyn: 00:29:01

Now, there can be people who give you, um, you know, some mentorship along the way to help you to find the, the next step faster than you might on your own.

Jaclyn: 00:29:10

But at the same time, if you don't consistently pursue it.

Jaclyn: 00:29:14

Like you said, nobody is gonna come and knock on your door and say, Hey, I heard you have a movie that you wanna make, and I just happen to have money.

Jaclyn: 00:29:26

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:29:27

Like that's not gonna happen.

Alexandra: 00:29:28

It is not gonna happen.

Alexandra: 00:29:29

No one's gonna knock on your door.

Alexandra: 00:29:31

And I think persistence is you have to, this industry is a long game, you guys, it is a long game and sometimes you won't see all the, uh, fruits of your labor for maybe 12.

Alexandra: 00:29:45

15 years, I've seen fruits of my labor from 2005 that have showed up in 2021.

Alexandra: 00:29:51

So it's a long game.

Alexandra: 00:29:53

It's a long game.

Alexandra: 00:29:53

And this industry isn't just about who you know.

Alexandra: 00:29:56

It's how you know people.

Alexandra: 00:29:57

And one of my superpowers that my team and I talk about a lot is that I build relationships and I stick with those relationships.

Alexandra: 00:30:05

I continue to follow up.

Alexandra: 00:30:07

I met Frank at Walden Media.

Alexandra: 00:30:10

Like four years ago, and I write to him consistently.

Alexandra: 00:30:13

I have a meeting with him next week 'cause I'm, it hasn't happened yet, but I'm gonna find the right project with Walden Media.

Alexandra: 00:30:20

So I, you have to keep, um, even if you know you will be having that meeting, that might not go anywhere.

Alexandra: 00:30:25

Once the time is right, it's persistence on continuing.

Alexandra: 00:30:28

I just followed up with Rich Palooza at Sonia Firm.

Alexandra: 00:30:31

I said, Hey Rich, just curious what you guys are looking for right now.

Alexandra: 00:30:35

I really hope someday I can bring you the right project.

Alexandra: 00:30:37

He wrote me back, told me what he was looking for.

Alexandra: 00:30:39

I was like, okay, I don't have that.

Alexandra: 00:30:41

But again, that's me getting back on Rich Paso's.

Alexandra: 00:30:44

He goes, oh, there's Alexandra.

Alexandra: 00:30:46

Oh yeah.

Alexandra: 00:30:46

You have to keep making sure that people are aware of you forever.

Alexandra: 00:30:52

It's not like a one email.

Alexandra: 00:30:55

I hope that they call me in 10 years.

Alexandra: 00:30:57

You have to be persistent.

Alexandra: 00:30:59

Be respectful of how often you email somebody, make sure that mm-hmm.

Alexandra: 00:31:03

It's like, or if you have something new to bring to the table, that's when you might want to meet with somebody.

Alexandra: 00:31:08

Okay, now I have something.

Alexandra: 00:31:10

But I do think persistency is key and you can't say, oh, I'm gonna give myself a year or two years and then I'm out.

Alexandra: 00:31:17

Oh my gosh.

Alexandra: 00:31:18

You're not gonna get anywhere in a year, just two years.

Alexandra: 00:31:21

I'm 26 years later and I can't even believe it.

Alexandra: 00:31:24

I'm like, where did 26 years later go?

Alexandra: 00:31:27

Years ago, but, and it has been persistence and I'll, and when I get to share my next movie, I'm sure there'll be a ton of stories to tell you of.

Alexandra: 00:31:36

Well, this person I met in 2019 connected to 2021 and then 2022, and then here we are in 2026 making a movie.

Alexandra: 00:31:43

That is how it works, and you just have to stay.

Alexandra: 00:31:47

You have to love it so much that it drives you forward.

Jaclyn: 00:31:52

And I will say one caveat with that.

Jaclyn: 00:31:54

Um, it is important to have some good social skills that when you are connecting with people that you've only connected with once or twice or whatever, you need to let that relationship grow.

Jaclyn: 00:32:06

Uh.

Jaclyn: 00:32:06

Authentically and in a meaningful way.

Jaclyn: 00:32:09

Um, you can't just message them every day.

Jaclyn: 00:32:11

They're not ready for that, you know?

Jaclyn: 00:32:13

Mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:32:13

Like, if you don't have, unless there is something specific that you're like, oh, we need to, to figure this out, and you're actually working on something and you have new information to add to it, that's one thing.

Jaclyn: 00:32:22

But if it's just like, oh, I just wanna check back in, or, you know, and, and be careful.

Jaclyn: 00:32:27

You don't overshare with people that don't know you.

Jaclyn: 00:32:29

Um.

Jaclyn: 00:32:30

That's, that can be a turnoff.

Jaclyn: 00:32:32

So it's important to use your social skills, uh, while you're, you know, doing this and, and keep your emails short because people who are successful are people who have a very full life most of the time, and they don't have a half hour to sit down and read an email from somebody they don't know very well.

Jaclyn: 00:32:50

Mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:32:51

So, keeping it very to the point, and, and I often will actually.

Jaclyn: 00:32:58

When I send out emails for the table reads, there's usually so much information, but really what I need them to, to pick out of that email right away.

Jaclyn: 00:33:06

I literally will highlight it or bold it, that if they look at that email in five seconds, they know what the email's about.

Jaclyn: 00:33:13

Now, I'm not saying you go do that with all your emails, but it.

Jaclyn: 00:33:16

It can be helpful if you know that I, I can't make this any shorter, but you wanna give them a, a very quick overview of what they're going to be getting into if they sit down to read your email.

Jaclyn: 00:33:28

Um, you could either bold or highlight a couple of key phrases that will grab their attention.

Jaclyn: 00:33:35

Um, and then they will actually know, like, oh, okay, that's why I need to read this email.

Jaclyn: 00:33:40

Uh mm-hmm.

Jaclyn: 00:33:40

And you're gonna have to use that like to your own discretion.

Jaclyn: 00:33:43

'cause if you do like more than two or three highlights in an email, that's too much guys.

Jaclyn: 00:33:47

So

Alexandra: 00:33:48

I don't you Yeah.

Alexandra: 00:33:49

Yeah.

Alexandra: 00:33:49

I don't know.

Alexandra: 00:33:50

I just think it is, it is wise when you're following up with someone that you have something new.

Alexandra: 00:33:55

You want to share with them?

Alexandra: 00:33:56

It's not, I mean, yes for Rich, I did say, what are you looking for?

Alexandra: 00:33:59

But I've known Rich for years, you know, but I, depending on who I'm reaching out to, I usually have a specific reason whether right now I have funding through a, a finance company, I wanna go reach back out to my contacts at Tuby or Walden and say, Hey, you guys, I got the money.

Alexandra: 00:34:16

Are you interested?

Alexandra: 00:34:17

Or if you have a new marketing partnership.

Alexandra: 00:34:20

For, or you have something that you have new that might entice them?

Alexandra: 00:34:24

I usually try to make sure that it's an update that also benefits a reason for them to wanna meet with me.

Alexandra: 00:34:30

So if you have to go out there and get some attachments for your projects and then take it back and say, Hey, okay, now I have this.

Alexandra: 00:34:38

Now I can bring this to the table.

Alexandra: 00:34:40

I mean, letters of intent go a long way too.

Alexandra: 00:34:42

Like I just got a letter of intent from Fathom releasing for one of my movies.

Alexandra: 00:34:47

That was so valuable.

Alexandra: 00:34:48

'cause I gotta go back to all the meetings I've had, the investors, the studios, and say I got myself a theatrical letter of intent that changes it.

Alexandra: 00:34:56

So it's like.

Alexandra: 00:34:57

You might have to do some due diligence on your own, and then you wanna make sure you bring that information back to all the people that you've spent all this time building relationships with.

Alexandra: 00:35:05

It might say, that's the piece of the puzzle I needed to hear.

Alexandra: 00:35:08

Now let's go.

Jaclyn: 00:35:10

And, and what that does is it actually creates, uh, a reputation that when they see an email from Alexander, they're like, Ooh, what's she got now?

Jaclyn: 00:35:19

You know, what's she got now?

Jaclyn: 00:35:20

She's not just updating me on the last two weeks and how she got to see a horse while she was hiking.

Jaclyn: 00:35:26

And I mean, all of that is lovely.

Jaclyn: 00:35:28

Uh, but you know, for people that have a lot on their plate, like they want to know, like.

Jaclyn: 00:35:34

Well, what do you got for me?

Jaclyn: 00:35:35

Right?

Jaclyn: 00:35:36

And so if you are making sure that when you're making that connection that you actually have something or you keep it super short and be like, Hey, I was thinking about you.

Jaclyn: 00:35:44

Is there anything I can do to help you with your latest project?

Jaclyn: 00:35:47

That's, that's another way to connect with somebody.

Jaclyn: 00:35:51

You know, as long as you actually are willing to, um.

Jaclyn: 00:35:54

And able to, to answer that kind of a question.

Jaclyn: 00:35:57

But, you know, you wanna keep your emails short.

Jaclyn: 00:35:59

I think also, and this is maybe just my opinion, and I could be totally wrong, but I do think a lot of artists are also on the A DHD side where it's like, I don't have time to read all those words.

Jaclyn: 00:36:10

Please, can you just give me the notes of what it is that I am looking at right now?

Jaclyn: 00:36:15

Uh, I know, same.

Jaclyn: 00:36:15

I don't, I don't have time to read long emails.

Jaclyn: 00:36:17

When people send me long emails, I'm like, ah.

Jaclyn: 00:36:19

And then I just put it away for later.

Jaclyn: 00:36:21

And sometimes I get back to it and sometimes I don't.

Jaclyn: 00:36:24

Um, yeah, so long emails you guys, it's just, sorry, but please don't send me long emails.

Jaclyn: 00:36:29

Uh, I'd rather just have a conversation if it's going to be a lot.

Jaclyn: 00:36:33

So, yes.

Jaclyn: 00:36:34

Yeah.

Jaclyn: 00:36:36

Agreed.

Jaclyn: 00:36:37

Thank you so much.

Jaclyn: 00:36:38

This has been, uh, I think a very informative conversation and I hope people have gotten a lot out of it and been inspired.

Jaclyn: 00:36:45

Yes.

Jaclyn: 00:36:46

I just really appreciate that you have, um, joined with FAFF State Association to do so much.

Jaclyn: 00:36:53

I mean, you are like a regular piece of what we are doing and um, yeah, and I love it.

Jaclyn: 00:36:58

You bring so much value.

Alexandra: 00:36:59

Thank you.

Alexandra: 00:37:00

Well, I'm honored to be a part of it.

Alexandra: 00:37:02

I'm, I love it.

Alexandra: 00:37:03

I get just as much out of it as hopefully you guys do.

Alexandra: 00:37:06

'cause I am so blessed by it and I'm blessed by the people I meet.

Alexandra: 00:37:10

And I love what you guys are doing.

Alexandra: 00:37:11

I think it is, it's bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth by being people who share knowledge with other people.

Alexandra: 00:37:19

And I feel like that's a beautiful thing and it's gonna only make your career Jaclyn skyrocket because I always tell people as much as you ask from people.

Alexandra: 00:37:29

Offer people health say, what do you need?

Alexandra: 00:37:32

Instead of always saying, I need this, and that's what you guys do.

Alexandra: 00:37:36

You're offering stuff all the time, and then praying that people will see that heart in you and then offer you what you need.

Alexandra: 00:37:44

So I love what you guys are doing.

Jaclyn: 00:37:46

Oh, thank you.

Jaclyn: 00:37:47

I think it's such a blessing when both sides of a friendship feel like they're getting the better deal.

Jaclyn: 00:37:51

So

Alexandra: 00:37:52

yeah, I think I'm getting the better deal, so I know I same for me.

Alexandra: 00:37:56

Alright, well thank you so much.

Alexandra: 00:37:57

Um Aww, love you girl.

Jaclyn: 00:37:59

Love you too.

Jaclyn: 00:37:59

Thank you.

Jaclyn: 00:38:00

Be blessed.

Jaclyn: 00:38:01

Be

Alexandra: 00:38:01

blessed.