An Interview with Jesse Jankewicz, Director of Video Services

Great companies are made up of great people. Here at Jumo Health, our most valuable resource is our team. We are a collective of medical folk, product people, designers, and storytellers that share a common goal to change health care today. Through our We Are Jumo Health series, we will introduce you to the dedicated people who are the heartbeat of Jumo Health.

This month, we’d like you to meet Jesse Jankewicz, who has been the Director of Video Services at Jumo Health since October 2021.

Can you tell us about your journey and what led you to join Jumo Health?

My journey began at a young age. Growing up, my dad owned a photography studio and eventually added video services to it. I have been going on shoots since I was 9 or 10. I developed a passion for photography, video and editing really early on. I’ve always been drawn (pun intended) towards art and animation. As a kid, I would make little cartoons at home and use my dad’s editing equipment to bring my stories to life.

Fast forward to my life post-college and my intent was to get into the video game industry. Advertising, specifically pharma advertising, found me and I fell in love with it. I worked for many years in advertising and had been with an agency that went under. After my departure from that agency I decided to pursue a video game job so I could check that box. I found one and ended up not enjoying my time there as much as I had thought I would. I really missed the ad life.

A friend and former colleague had joined Jumo health a few months before me. He reached out and told me about the team, the mission and just how great it was. He thought I would be a good fit and be able to help the animation department stand on its own.

Joining Jumo Health has been incredibly fulfilling. We have a great group of people with a shared passion. We work hard, play hard and have a real sense of comradery and family. I’m living my best life right now at Jumo health.

What excites you the most about working at Jumo Health?

I’m biased, but I believe I have the best job here at Jumo Health. I have the best team around me which inspires, challenges and pushes me to be better. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be able to travel and meet the people we’re trying to serve. I’m on the frontlines with these folks, capturing their stories and I’m able to feel the gravity of what we do. What excites me most about working here is I never know what’s next or who I’ll get to meet next.

Can you share a memorable experience you’ve had while working with Jumo Health that made you feel proud?

There have been many proud moments and memorable experiences here at Jumo Health. One standout for me was being part of a team that came up with a theme for a kids “Understanding Clinical Trials” video. I pitched a sing-a-long, hashed out the ideas with team members, wrote the song, worked with a friend to compose the melody and directed the video. I had to work with some kids to capture the VO and singing part, that was a long, fun day. Ultimately, the final video turned out better than expected and I still find myself watching it from time to time.

What’s something you’ve learned from your colleagues at Jumo Health?

I’m still learning and I still have a lot to learn. The people that work here are hands-down the best I’ve ever been surrounded by. What my colleagues have taught me and continue to teach me is how valuable different perspectives are. There are multiple paths we could take to arrive at our goals. Sometimes the path I think is best is the furthest from it. Listening to other people and their thought process has allowed me to grow and learn.

What does a typical day look like for you at Jumo Health?

There are no two days that are alike here. Generally I like to start my mornings reviewing vendor work and offering direction to get those projects up to our standards. Pepper in a few meetings here and there and then I’ll turn my attention towards the development of our in-house 3D projects. There’s always a VO session in the works so I’ll sit in on those and assist with getting the VO in the best spot it can be. Some days I’m editing videos or fixing existing vendor projects. If I have storyboards to develop or vendor boards to clean up, I like to do those later in the day when things are quiet so I can focus on just those. I like to visit with my amazing animation team (shoutout to Brandon and Chris) and share awful dad jokes or just see how they’re doing and if they feel good about where they’re at. Sometimes I’m called on to assist with odd jobs and help clarify some video processes. Of course, I travel for video shoots a lot so those days are their own thing. Busy, busy, busy.

How do you stay inspired in your work?

It’s cliche, but it’s true. If you do what you love you’ll never work a day in your life. I love art. I love animation. I love video development. I love talking with people and sharing stories. I love being surrounded by smarter people than myself. I love being on a team of people who share my passion and my work ethic. I love working with my friends. I love not knowing how we’ll get it done but knowing we’ll get it done. I love being challenged. I love knowing that somewhere out there a person may have received some real bad news and might come face-to-face with one of our products. If our product empowers them, even better, but we did our part and that keeps me inspired.