Meet Justin Hall | CEO / Executive Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Justin Hall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Justin, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
How do I take control of my life, that was the thought process behind starting my own business. After spending years in the retail industry, my life became a constant cycle of work, home, work, home. Jobs have one thing on their mind and that’s making money, you as the employee are the money makers, in turn, they control your life. Every two weeks I get this same check working 80 hours a week ( I was upper management) and still being told it’s not good enough. Being told when I could be off, how long I could be off when I could go home being given a schedule that I have no say over. For some that’s perfect for me I wanted more, I wanted to live my life without limits, I wanted to make my living on my terms when I wanted to how I wanted to without limits to the growth of income. Creating a work environment that is welcoming and enjoyable a place where you want to come and use your talents knowing everything would pay off. Being treated like a person of importance and not just a number.

What should our readers know about your business?
I currently run two organizations, one being New Nation Center which is a nonprofit soon to be a technology center, and JDH Solutions which is home to my Insurance agency, Soon Coming Organic Body Line, and Vegan Cookies Line. New Nation Center was created in 2018 my mission is to bring educational and developmental services to youth and young adults who are in less than perfect situations. You look and there are millions of nonprofits but each one severs a different clientele, while some are here for other reasons. I felt like there was a missing piece when it came to the development of youth and young adults in lower-income and middle-income areas. Just in reach can also be just out of reach for a lot of families who are just making ends meet. New Nation Center has programs that are geared towards guiding individuals to maintain stability throughout life and gaining the skills needed to achieve goals they set for their lives. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy but I didn’t know I would have this one issue.

When I started everything I didn’t think it would be hard to get funding. After applying for several grants on my own and being denied, the price of grant writers and trustability of grant writers funding is the main issue with our stability. Now we have gained major sponsors over the last four years who contributed to our back-to-school drive each year, and we are currently Community partners with HHS but our ability to main is a major struggle in the current world. The amount of restriction placed on nonprofits in ways to make money limits the sustainability of programs due to relying on donations, grants, and fundraisers. Even with fundraising to make a good amount you have to put in a good amount. Between 2018 and January 2020 things were heading in a great direction, we were about to announce our basketball league and GED Testing Program, we saw more monetary donations and started forming partnerships with the state then COVID-19 hit. The donations slowed fast, everything was locked down and most of the funding we had from the start was coming from my income. This is when I decided to started JDH Solutions, I knew I still didn’t have enough capital to apply for grants so I needed a way to make enough money so I could take care of myself and build New Nation Center without taking from it. I knew I couldn’t go back to full-time work because I would have to be in upper management in order to maintain my lifestyle and support the center, but doing that I would have to give more time to the job and we are still in “development stage” so I would then have to pick a focus cant do both.

I decided to open my own Insurance agency that way I can make the income I need to maintain my life and fund the things I need for the center. Now, this also had its own unique challenges but most of those challenges come from dealing with individuals who place greed before people. I’ve learned Insurance is a dog-eat-dog world and it has no color lines. But the benefits outway a lot of the bad when in the right environment and around individuals who place people before greed. I also will be using this as a career path for youth and young adults who would like to be in this industry of work. Even if it’s just helping them through college or while they are in between navigating life a steady income that will keep them off drugs, out the street, and making bad decisions. JDH Solutions is currently licensed in 50 states for Commercial Insurance, 13 states for personal Insurance long with medical and life with over 150 companies between all services. We have had a really good year and will start hiring our first round of agents for the Dallas and Houston Market. My biggest thing with Insurance is the services we provide to the elderly, disabled, and low-income communities, they are often misled when making decisions on their health plans, overcharged or under-educated on the benefits available to them and their families. Health care needs to be a larger topic in these communities with honest agents serving these communities with integrity.

My mission in life is the betterment of people as a whole but more within the African American Communities, helping those who lack the understanding that each day of our life has meaning and you are needed in this giant world we live in. There are tons of talented individuals who many do not even get a chance to showcase any of due to the lack of resources. I hope to bridge that gap by providing services that count in the lives of every individual we touch.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well depending on the friend we would first have to stop at its so vegan, they have some bomb nachos and I love the mac and cheese. Then Texas Live depending on the night it can be a turn-up. Shopping would be at the outlets maybe Northpark but most of my friend’s orders of the line. Nights would be bar hopping in uptown, chilling a hookah or karaoke spot, or out shooting pool.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Melanie Verdell is my sister and business partner, she is an author, corporate trailblazer, and boutique owner. This woman has been my right hand and listening ear on this journey. We have known each since 2013 after meeting at church where we both worked as stage managers at the Potter House Main Campus. When troubles arise we are there for each other seeing things through praying for each other and spiritual partners, so neither one of us has a nervous breakdown. Both of our businesses work in the area of personal career development so we collaborate on a lot and have both built models that will last for years to come. She is currently working on a movie from her book The Sample Sale Suicide that I hope my production company will have an opportunity to work on.

Website: www.jdhsolutions21.com / www.newnationcenter.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdhsolutions

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JDHSolutions