Rising Stars: Meet Jillian and Jeremy Hinskton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jillian and Jeremy Hinskton. 

Hi Jillian and Jeremy, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Jeremy and I have an unusual and wonderful story!

First, we’ve known each other since we were small children. In fact, our moms were good friends in the US Air Force and each mom babysat the other kid regularly. We attended the same elementary, middle, and high schools. A few years older than Jeremy, Jillian lost touch with him in high school.

After high school, Jeremy moved to California and Jillian to Boston, and then Seattle, where they each led very different lives.

— Jillian climbed the corporate ladder as a Chief of Staff for top executives at The Boeing Company and had amazing opportunities traveling the world in corporate jets, staying in 5-star hotels, schmoozing with the aerospace industry upper-echelon. The ultimate business gal.

–Jeremy is the epitome of an artist (musician, photographer, videographer, poured acrylic painter). His formal training is in audio engineering, and this profession has provided him incredible opportunities to meet and work with music legends such as Stevie Wonder, Metallica, Eric Clapton, U2, Lady Gaga, The Eagles, Jay-z, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Rihanna, and countless other popular musicians/bands. He also had the unique opportunity to be an audio engineer at the 60th Anniversary of The Grammy Awards.

Jeremy and Jillian reconnected in 2015 (thanks Facebook!) and have been inseparable since. Jeremy moved from California to live with Jillian in Seattle. The pair moved to the Washington, DC area in late 2017 to support Jillian being offered a once-in-a-lifetime position at The Pentagon as the Director of Operations for the Deputy Secretary and Secretary of Defense. This was a Presidential Appointment, meaning Jillian’s position was temporary and based on the Presidential term.

After a trip to Fiji in January 2020 where J&J visited a local village to volunteer and bring school supplies, the pair decided to take the leap and try the digital nomad lifestyle. The idea was to visit every country and volunteer / fundraise while building their YouTube channel “The Adventures of Jinx and the Tiny Ninja”.

Jillian’s job concluded February 28, 2021, and then the pandemic hit. Although (like the rest of the world), the pandemic disrupted our life plan and made us worry how a new travel YouTube channel could survive in the midst of a global lock-down, we persevered and were able to safely and responsibly travel to Mexico and Brazil July – December 2020 (following all safety recommendations, guidelines, and good common sense).

Then another unexpected “bump” in the proverbial road – Jeremy became bedridden by his hidden plague – Hidradenitis Suppurativa (learn more about that story here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSk4dlNeHN/)

After nine months, Jeremy slowly recovered and gained his life back. Now more than ever, Jeremy and Jillian appreciate and value everything life has to offer. Every place is a little more beautiful, every experience a little more special.

Since recovering in mid-2021, Jeremy and Jillian have stayed in the US absorbing as much as possible while staying close to Jeremy’s medical team. They’ve taken a road trip to the mid/west visiting 18 states in 20 days, experienced fall in northern Vermont on a 1-week tour, flew to San Diego for family/sightseeing, drove to Yosemite and Mammoth Lakes for a 10-day adventure, and recently began a month-long trip around Switzerland since Jeremy’s health remains stable (fingers crossed!).

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not exactly a smooth road, but each obstacle has made us more resilient. Our “bumps” in the road include;

1) Starting digital nomad life and a travel YouTube channel at the beginning of a global pandemic.

2) Deciding to give up a stable career and paycheck for one of spontaneity and uncertainty (but freedom!).

3) Navigating two foreign countries during a pandemic.

4) Battling Jeremy’s Hidradenitis Suppurativa – specifically – the nine months he was bedridden and a shell of his normal self. More on that story here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSk4dlNeHN/

5) Figuring out how to travel internationally in between Jeremy’s necessary two-month medical appointments/medicine infusions.

6) Building an audience in an extremely saturated market where everyone is consuming short-form video and there are multiple platforms to juggle.

7) Bringing awareness to HS, which impacts up to 4% of the global population yet there is no cure.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We run a YouTube travel channel called “Jillian and Jeremy – The Adventures of Jinx and the Tiny Ninja” and are very proud of the nearly 50 videos we’ve completed since starting our channel in mid-2020. Despite a nine-month hiatus to get Jeremy healthy, our audience is slowly growing and we are learning how to refine our editing style and tailor our content to add value and include more of what people want to see. It’s a definite learning process, but one we enjoy and view as learning a new profession.

In between running their YouTube channel, Jillian and Jeremy spend their time honing their individual crafts:

* Jeremy as a photographer – he has an amazing eye! His photography, SiK Imagery (www.sikimagery.com) has been featured twice in National Geographic and countless magazines, local news outlets, and social media.

*Jillian provides freelance management consulting services and has been commissioned by one of America’s top management consulting firms to provide her expertise in running large-scale administration for government and corporate senior leaders.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Cafe Acoustic Concert Hall (St. Joseph, MO) is a terrific little concert venue. The management and staff were fantastic and so friendly. We went to a show there in August and loved the humble exterior, ability to order food from the bar (the fries were tasty), friendly owner and staff, and the cozy inside (with an itty-bitty stage!). Oh- and a signature cocktail named after one of the songs from the band playing. 

Also, we are HUGE fans of KC BBQ and the lovely (and oh-so) friendly people. Always so welcoming and we never leave hungry. 😉 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://jillianandjeremy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillianandjeremy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jillianandjeremy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2043u82GIwZ6dn0tVmdx2Q
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/officialmusik
• Other: https://www.sikimagery.com/

Image Credits
Jeremy and Jillian Hinskton