Source: Judge Faith Jenkins / other
This week on the Mompreneurs podcast, Faith Jenkins reflects on her career evolution and the lessons she’s learned along the way. The former New York City prosecutor and host of the syndicated courtroom series, Judge Faith, sat down with Mompreneurs host Nancy Redd to talk about becoming a first-time mom and the importance of giving back.
Judge Faith and singer Kenny Lattimore welcomed their daughter, Skylar, in 2023 after marrying in 2020 “right before the world shut down.” The first-time mom shared that while certain aspects of motherhood, like finances, were easier “at this stage in my life,” there was still plenty to figure out on her own. “No matter how many people you talk to or no matter how much you read, nothing really prepares you for the changes that come with becoming a mother,” she said.
‘I started dreaming a bigger dream.’
Growing up in Louisiana, Jenkins aspired to attend law school—though at first, she “didn’t even have dreams to go outside of the state.”
But “everything changed” when she began competing in pageants and the Miss America system—winning Miss Louisiana Tech and the Miss Louisiana title in 2000. This experience showed her a world beyond her home state. “I started meeting people from all over the country and all over the world … and that pushing me outside of my comfort zone caused a seed to be planted in me, and I started dreaming a bigger dream,” said Jenkins.
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Jenkins started her career as an NYC prosecutor.
Jenkins put in the hard work to get where she is today. She moved to New York City where she spent the early years of her law career—first as a litigator before becoming an Assistant District Attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
This meant “long hours, nights, weekends, spending the night—it was all a part of my grind,” she said. Though challenging, she saw it as a necessary step in her journey. “I did that for eight years … but that experience set me up for the next level.”
“I knew that it was an important part of my journey, so I stuck with it,” she said. “There’s going to be a point in your career where you’re in growth and development.”
She gained her footing as a TV personality and host.
The experience she gained laid the foundation for the next chapter of her career—breaking into television.
Jenkins became a regular legal commentator during the Trayvon Martin case, appearing on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. This opened the door to more opportunities. She was offered a job as a legal analyst on MSNBC, and shot a pilot for a new courtroom series, Judge Faith. The show was picked up and ran for four seasons, establishing Jenkins as a staple in daytime television.
‘I see the importance of having ownership stake in what you’re doing.’
After serving as the presiding judge on the iconic courtroom series Divorce Court from 2020 to 2022, Jenkins now hosts Killer Relationship, a true crime series on the Oxygen network. At this stage of her career, she’s able to reflect on the wisdom she’s gained from navigating this journey.
One vital lesson was the importance of taking ownership of her work. While Judge Faith continues to be distributed around the world, Jenkins does not receive residual income beyond what she earned for hosting the show, she said.
“I see the importance of having ownership stake in what you’re doing … It’s your voice, it’s your face, it’s your brand,” said Jenkins. “So there’s nothing I’ll do going forward that I’m not executive producing, that I don’t have an ownership stake in … because for years, the content that you make will be owned and distributed by someone else unless it’s you.”
She aims to use her platform to create opportunities for others.
Jenkins is looking forward to growing her career as a host, media personality, and producer—and to help others do the same. “I want to continue to open the door for other people who are interested in producing and hosting,” she said. “I think it’s important that once you have these doors that are opened for you, that you continue to reach back.”
Don’t miss out on the full conversation. Watch this episode of Mompreneurs featuring Judge Faith Jenkins above.
Catch new episodes of ‘Mompreneurs’ every week.
Every week, we celebrate beautiful Black entrepreneurs who are simultaneously amazing business moguls and awesome moms. Join host and New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd as these mompreneurs share their life stories and inspiring advice. Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every Monday on MadameNoire’s YouTube channel. Or listen to the podcast online on the Urban One Podcast Network.
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