Jillian Lee, the Founder and Creative Director of JIL & Associates is a lifelong learner and serial entrepreneur in the Calgary business scene. 

Jillian showed an aptitude for business management early, launching her first business in the clothing industry while she was still a student at Mount Royal. Since then, she has steadily expanded her professional and educational portfolios, most recently completing the official rebrand of her film production company in April 2020. 

With a diverse background in history, languages, political science and business administration from the University of Alberta, University of Calgary and Mount Royal, Jillian’s education and credentials highlight her passion for life and learning. Now working full-time in the film industry as the Founder and Creative Director of JIL & Associates, she feels she is exactly where she is meant to be. 

Jillian credits her broad educational background for influencing the approach she takes to her current work. “It’s done so much to inform how I exist in this industry,” she says, “I’ve always had a strong sense of curiosity and an interest in people and the world around me, and with client projects I get to learn something new every day.”  

Having worked with clients in a variety of industries, including health and wellness, biographical portraits, oil & gas and more, Jillian is committed to using her abilities as a producer and creative leader to provide a platform for others to be heard upon. A big believer in the art of connection, with a passion for storytelling, she is most interested in telling human interest stories that expose and highlight the commonalities and shared experiences of humanity. “I like to tell stories about people,” she says, “for no other reason than to inspire and entertain and to make people feel connected.”   

As a small business owner, Jillian has felt the negative impacts of COVID-19 in recent months, particularly being unable to complete any filming until recently when the Government of Alberta launched Phase One of the provincial reopening strategy. She remained productive during her downtime, however, using the pause in client work to “deep-dive” into her existing business plan and really work out what the coming year will look like for JIL & Associates. “I’ve laid out an official business plan, created company value statements, policy and procedure documents and planned an entire years worth of marketing in advance,” says Jillian, “COVID has allowed me to set up for success in the coming months.” 

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