Meet Jackie Poko | Story Producer, Unscripted Television

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

Hi Jackie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
As I begin pushing closer to 40 and further from 30, a realization I’ve proclaimed is my 30s are better than my 20s. On a personal level, I now know to suppress the periodic urge to get bangs, and on a professional level, I’ve recognized one of the biggest contributors to my overall happiness: work-life balance.

As a freelance producer in unscripted television, I was always hyper-focused on proving myself and moving up. So I would do whatever it took to meet a deadline, even if that meant staying in the office until after midnight and seeing the silver lining as not having to fill the parking meter when I got home because it was so late. But I also realized burn out is real and not sustainable.

During the pandemic, my position shifted to remote, and I was fortunate to land on a series that goes for a majority of the year, has a wonderful team of leaders and coworkers, and a fair schedule. This allowed me to have the balance I didn’t know was key — sleeping a healthy amount of hours each night, working out a few times a week (I just took my 330th beginner level pilates class; I’m not counting but the studio’s app is), and asking if I can stop working early one day to go to the Taylor Swift concert. Making the time for these things has made such a big difference.

When it comes close to approaching a deadline there’s inevitably still crunch periods, but I’ve gotten better at recognizing when to ask for help and accepting I don’t need to do everything, working out in the morning before the day gets jam-packed with work, and letting myself rest on the weekend if needed so I don’t burn out.

I know I might not be as fortunate on all projects, but I will now always be more intentional about creating the balance as best as possible.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a story producer in unscripted television, which basically means I go through copious amounts of footage, figure out what I think is the strongest story to tell, find the little gems that help separate the story from others, and very roughly build the scenes that an editor skillfully turns into a beautiful little episode of television.

I originally had aspirations of being a writer, but after being exposed to the unscripted world early on in my career, I learned I really enjoyed helping tell other peoples’ stories. My favorite episodes and stories I’ve had the privilege of doing have been ones that both made me laugh and cry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Breakfast – dim sum at NBC Seafood (the little drive to SGV is worth it)

Beauty – Take a few hours to put on some music, drive up the PCH, and stop at El Matador Beach (on an ideal day parking won’t be an issue. But even if it is, the beach is beautiful)

For tacos – Cactus Taqueria (ask them for the chipotle salsa – if they look at you confused let them know it’s stored in the fridge. It’s their best kept secret.)

For sunset – head to the Griffith Observatory with a beautiful cheese platter from DTLA cheese (if they have OG Kristal and/or Moliterno get them) and close the evening with the best soft serve in LA — CVT.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My second longer-term job in Los Angeles was being the assistant to Oscar and Emmy-award winning producer Arnold Shapiro. Not only did he give me the opportunity to do my first non-assistant job (and thus help launch my career) but I also witnessed him successfully run a company while still being incredibly kind, which is truly admirable.