🔴 It's time to greenlight yourself

Welcome to Self-Timer — a monthly series featuring one creator’s greatest hits, hardest lessons, and growth strategies.

This month's guest is Jerrica Long, who went from Hollywood gatekeeper to creator advocate after realizing the entire system was designed to keep people out. She's built creator programs for several major brands and is now leveraging that insider knowledge to teach entertainment professionals how to build their own sustainable businesses.

In this issue:

— Natalia Pérez-González, Assistant Editor

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Jerrica Long is a creator, strategist, and founder of Greenlight Yourself, an education and media company that teaches Hollywood professionals — including writers, actors, comedians, and multi-hyphenates — how to greenlight themselves by building audiences and creating opportunities without waiting for executive approval.

She’s built creator programs for Netflix, Lionsgate, DreamWorks, and Barbie, and worked her way from assistant on VEEP to developing a series with Hello Sunshine and co-writing for Disney+. These experiences now enable her to help creatives bypass traditional gatekeepers.

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The below answers have been edited for tone and clarity. Bolding and italics our own.

Jerrica: I was an OG Hollywood gatekeeper — from Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and DreamWorks Animation to writer's rooms on VEEP, Black-ish, and Diary of a Future President (where I co-wrote an episode). I launched Kevin Hart's LOL Network, ran audience strategy at Netflix, and served as Creative Director for Barbie's TikTok.

But something shifted early on. I quit CAA in 2014 after overhearing a conversation that made it impossible to stay. Years later, I joined the #PayUpHollywood movement, advocating for fair pay and better treatment of assistants. I watched how one person's decision could end someone's dream, how showrunners with decades of experience could lose projects they spent years building, and be cancelled in minutes. The system was designed around gatekeepers, and I didn't want to be one anymore.

I built an inclusive networking group featured in The Hollywood Reporter as one of Hollywood's Top 14, then created Greenlight Yourself to help creators build their businesses on their own terms. Working with brands like Barbie, LeBron, and Netflix taught me that audiences grow through specificity and authentic expertise — the same principles I now teach entertainment creators and professionals.

Today, Greenlight Yourself is an education and media company offering a 12-week group coaching program that covers branding, signature series development, platform strategy, and community events and courses.

Jerrica: When I started telling the truth about my experiences in the industry. I shared some of the behind-the-scenes realities of working in entertainment, and people responded that they'd lived similar experiences but hadn't seen anyone discuss them publicly. Being vulnerable and specific about my stories made people feel seen. That connection drove engagement, which drove growth. Generic advice doesn't hit the same way real stories do.

Jerrica: I let my DMs guide everything. The same questions come up constantly: How do I create a signature series? What should I post? My stand-up clips aren't getting engagement — how do I change that? How does posting on Instagram connect to my goal of having my own TV show?

But the biggest theme is fear. So many people DM me saying they're scared of being seen or perceived, which is exactly why I created Stuck to Seen Accelerator, my 1:1 coaching offer. When the same concerns keep showing up, that's my signal to create content or services around them.

I always cross-post to social platforms and groups to reach new audiences. People want to know where I worked, what I've done, and my real perspective on the Hollywood creator economy. Most importantly, they want to know how they can greenlight themselves instead of waiting for permission. Also, building that direct line to my audience through my email list has been everything.

Initial idea/inspiration: I journal every day, and that first line came straight from my journal: "I think most people are disappointed by Hollywood." I couldn't stop thinking about it — it's why I knew Greenlight Yourself needed to exist. When I wrote the post, I didn't think it would blow up. It was just something I had to say because I felt it so deeply. I want better for creatives. We deserve real paid opportunities, ownership, and equity. My journal is where I feel safest, and that's where these stories first take root.

Research/planning process: The research was living it. I'd already processed everything in my journal, so when I sat down to write the post, I was just pulling out what I felt and figuring out what message mattered most.

Tools and equipment used: Notion for organizing thoughts, Canva for visuals.

Production timeline: 2 hours from idea to publishing.

Collaborators: None — just me.

Distribution strategy: I initially posted this on LinkedIn only. No cross-posting, no promotion strategy. Just hit publish.

After years of building her audience and credibility, Jerrica launched paid coaching in September 2025 and generated $15,000 in two months from programs and partnerships.

Jerrica’s tech stack totals up to $1,680 per year. Here’s how she powers her business: