Work By Faith: Jaeson Ma, Entrepreneur, Producer, Missionary (PART II)
Tell me about your spiritual journey into the media and entertainment industries.
So, it was January 2nd, 2012. I was at a prayer meeting in the evening and it was the first day of Chinese New Year, which I believe was the year of the dragon. A producer who was at that meeting gave me a prophetic word, and she was like, you’re going to New York soon and it’s going to change your entire life trajectory. What she didn’t know was that I had booked a flight out to New York, to JFK airport the next morning. When she said that, I was undone. God was telling me that as much as the East was going to the West, there was going to be a shift of the West moving to the East, and also with that I had a vision of Bruce Lee telling me “Get Ready!” Then I came out of my vision.
So, I got on a plane to New York to meet my best friend Phil Chen, who was HTC’s chief content creator at the time. I told him that I was going to have dinner with Jeremy Lin on January 30th, which mind you, was 2 weeks before Linsanity broke out. We were trying to get Alan Houston who is a committed Christian and was a GM for the Knicks at the time to join the dinner in order to convince him to keep Jeremy on the team (on behalf of Christ haha), basically trying to save Jeremy’s career.
So, on Jan 29th, which I believe it to be a Sunday, we visited Redeemer Presbyterian Church, which is Tim Keller’s church. He was preaching about spiritual revival in New York City and I bumped into Phil and Jeremy at the service. Then I go to Hillsong for their worship service and I bumped into Phil again not knowing he was attending! And turns out, the message was on revival in New York City, which was interesting that both Pastor Tim and Pastor Carl were preaching on the same subject matter. 4 hours later and I am at Shake Shack and I bump into Phil again with his entire HTC content team! So as we were just saying how crazy it was to have bumped into each other 3 times in a day, Phil and I were talking about video content, and Phil asks if I have thought of setting up media content on a digital platform focused on east with the west. I mentioned that I’ve tried with my last start up but was back at the drawing board.
Next day at dinner, it was just Jeremy, Phil, and me. Alan Houston didn’t show up. Jeremy was pretty nervous about his first game with the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and it was his 1st game with the Detroit Pistons, so he was like, would you guys want to come to my first game and support? We were like yeah for sure. So, he goes to practice, and I was telling Phil about me praying this morning and seeing a vision in regards to the Asian digital media platform. And I saw the vision unfolded in different levels.
Level 1. I see Asian pop music being a global phenomenon, hitting global charts across the world. Phil was like K-Pop? And I said I wasn’t sure. It was about a year later PSY “Gangnam Style” becomes the first YouTube music video to hit 1 billion views. Then level 2 was Asian content taking over social media. This was before WeChat/Weibo and Asian American channels on YouTube started taking over. And then level 3 was about really premium Asian content on network TV level. Now we’re seeing Asians on primetime TV, we’re talking about Fresh Off the Boat, Dr Ken, Into the Badlands, and all that. And that’s when the China Wave took over Hollywood. Level 4 was seeing Asian languages and the English language being broadcast overseas, something like Al Jazeera on a digital TV network.
Phil then explained to me at the time that HTC had over 150 million handsets worldwide and the biggest markets were in China and US. He said technically HTC invented the first smart phone but technically there was not much more to advance upon. What was needed was more premium content for mobile as the smart phone had become the most watched screen and personal device across the world. He was like, “We should start a digital media platform focused on east and west but for digital mobile.”
And so I was like, let’s pray to God and let this not just be a good idea, but a God idea. So that night we prayed to God if this is really from God and if God wants us to go in that direction. As soon as we prayed, Phil got a text message from his wife, and it was a picture of her and baby Miles in IFC mall in Hong Kong. And right behind her was these big words that spelled out “Asian TV.” We got the chills, and Phil called his wife and asked her where she was. Turns out she was right in front of a place called Asian Twist Restaurant, and whoever took the picture cropped the W letter to make it look like a “V” letter. We were stunned and felt the presence of God. We knew it was a confirmation we were to move forward with the Asian TV or media platform vision.
Next day, the prophecy was confirmed that God was about to impact through Asian’s from the west back to the east. I went to a major US network prime time late show performance of the then biggest South Korean KPOP girl group. I won’t say the name of the girl band from South Korea, but it was an honor for me to be a witness and pray for them before they performed on network television. And most of them are believers who lead good examples of faith through their lives. In USA, Christianity many times has a negative stigma, but in Asia, Christianity is the minority, so the primary way you share the gospel is through your values and principles and how you live them out, whether you’re a teacher, artist, business executive or whatever.
After I prayed with the KPOP girl group and saw their impact on prime time late night US television send waves across South Korea and Asia, I went to Jeremy Lin’s first basketball game at Madison Square Garden. We were at his game and it was already the 4th quarter and coach decides to put him in the last 5 minutes of the game. Jeremy scores 4 points 4 assists and the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was electrifying. I mean, you could hear people cursing, but in a good way, saying things like, “Put this freaking Chinese kid back on the court!” and the whole stadium was going crazy. At that moment I looked to Phil on my right and I said, “You feeling what I’m feeling? This is an Asian American moment!” I could then feel the Holy Spirit in MSG and I looked over at Jeremy’s mom and dad that I was sitting with, and I told them I had this strong sense that Jeremy was going to start for the Knicks, have multiple 30 point games and be used by God to bring revival to NYC and the nations. Everyone thought I was crazy when I prophesied that, but that night we prayed in the green room together and we could all just feel the Holy Spirit’s witness that something powerful was about to happen in Jeremy’s life and testimony.
(Prayer with Jeremy Lin after first NY Knicks MSG game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbO2icBiPp0)
Next thing you know, “Linsanity” breaks out the next game against the Nets. And to me that was such a powerful confirmation, Jeremy Lin hypothetically did more in spreading the gospel to Asia and specifically China within 72 hours than Billy Graham attempted in the past 50 years. Seeing how times have changed, the internet and online media really changed the way people take in stories and talent that can change the world, inspiring Asian stories to have a global platform and have a voice.
The question is, how did you make the switch from being a revival minister to being a producer and managing people and talent?
It’s crazy how I recently co-produced a Bruce Lee film, Birth of the Dragon, linking it back to the vision I had of Bruce Lee earlier on before I went to NY (the vision of Bruce Lee telling me to get ready).
Jesus was essentially a talent manager. He took in 12 disciples who became rock stars who went on and changed the world. He was also a storyteller, and I bet that if He was alive today, He’d be making movies bigger than Avatar or Titanic. The thing about Jesus was that he always spoke to the masses in parables. With his disciples it was different, but with crowds and other people, it was always through a story, a parable. And what is a parable? It is a culturally relevant story that has an element of wisdom to be taken away from hearing the story.
You think about movies like Shawshank Redemption and Blindside and the impact those movies have made, and that’s what storytelling does. God uses the power of storytelling, talent, and human capital to talk to the masses in their own language and their own culture. What are our modern day parables? They are called Hollywood movies, billboard hit songs, television series, etc. The biggest church attended every weekend is called the “cinema” or movie theater where millions pay to watch and be entertained by talent and stories.
We are called as believers to be the greatest story tellers the world has ever heard or seen.
It was after this sequence of events that Phil Chen and I started EWA (East West Artists) together with HTC to focus on changing east and west through story and talent with a digital focus. We went on to represent top tier talents from Asia entering into Hollywood and vice versa Hollywood talents entering into the Asia market. Between 2012–2015 there was a tidal wave of capital and partnerships between China media and entertainment industry and Hollywood. It was a divine convergence of the world’s two most powerful nations connecting and collaborating through soft power — culture. China would soon become the largest film market in the world and Hollywood would follow that trend to the point China and Hollywood entertainment industries would converge and become one market. We see that with franchises like Fast and Furious, Avengers, Transformers doing bigger numbers at times in China then in the US.
So how did EWA and 88rising start?
Leading up to 2015 digital media environment continued to rapidly evolve and dominate, and I saw this white space where there was no digital platform for Asians globally. Looking at the market in greater China especially, MTV was no longer there, it has become legacy. It was all about timing, with digital media globalizing the markets and you know, changing the way media content is being created and consumed. That was when I met Sean my co-founder who at the time was still working at VICE Media, and I knew with his background and experience we could create a digital media platform that would focus on celebrating and catalyzing Asian culture to a millennial — generation Z audience, which ultimately became 88rising.
With our story I went out to raise the initial seed round of capital and we began to execute on our mission to not only cover culture, but create culture at the highest level from Asia for Asia to the rest of the world. So 88rising is all about becoming a voice to and for the young people, a whole new generation of Asians who are saying “Hey, we’ve got talent and we’ve got stories to tell & deserve to be heard at a global standard.
Speaking from an Asian perspective and having studied in USA, I think it’s just super awesome to have Asians representing our culture through good music and rap. It’s crazy seeing the recognition they get overseas and in Asia too.
I want to break false perceptions of Asian culture that’s been around for centuries and I want to show that Asians are capable of creating quality content as Asians are choosing to embrace their identity instead of being ashamed of it. So much of Asian culture has been misrepresented and I didn’t have Asian icons to look up when I was growing up, but now Asia is the new cool culture, and that’s just the beginning. It’s all about wholeheartedly following your passion and making incredible global standard content. It’s what the Bible says about the kingdom advancing, we’re tearing down ceiling and walls between cultures.
I was a co-founder of 88rising but non-operational after I focused on raising the first two rounds of capital and set up our China expansion offices. My next venture which I can’t reveal publicly yet is going to be media, entertainment and technology platform scale-wise that’s incredible — it’s presence will be felt on a mass scale in Hollywood and Asia.
I look back and I see everything leading up to this point as a stepping stone, with everything building up to a bigger crescendo, towards something greater. Already we see and hear of China taking the world stage and has become the next superpower on equal footing with the United States. And it’s all about having a wider range of how you see everything, even in being a witness to the world. If you think about how to reach people in the 10/40 window, we can’t do it using the old school methods anymore. We gotta go in through the marketplace and not traditional routes. So whether you are called to government, business, education, media, arts, family or ministry use that platform God has given you to serve your missionary purpose.
Are there any resources or advice you have some of our more conservative readers who are new to the work you’re doing, especially with what you have done with your media and entertainment companies in bringing the West to the East?
That’s a good question, there is a book I’m reading now called Ekklesia by Ed Silvoso that I highly recommend. It defines the true definition of “church” which in Greek is “ekklesia”. Essentially, church is not a place we go to on Sundays, church is about the people not the building. We don’t go to church, we are the church.
It was that revelation early on in my faith walk that led me into making an impact in media and entertainment today. I did not see a model in the church that really represented being a light to the world in modern culture, so I had to step outside of traditional thinking. Jesus says in the Bible (Matthew 5:15), “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”, meaning God values good works over good words, He’ll recognize the works of His people during judgment day. When we ask ourselves, who’s changing society and culture, we think of people impacting culture, we think of people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, but we do not think of Christ followers when we think about people changing the world. This needs to change if we are to make an impact for God’s kingdom.
We need more great works that people can look to and point and say “that has to be God’s work!.” Whether it is Jeremy Lin or the Philadelphia Eagles, they are a testimony to show that great work is a witness to the Jesus that we serve. The church is called to action and to show action, but right now I see a gap between church and culture, and we got to step into the world, bring change through innovation and impact, and that for me is to transform media and entertainment. If we’re thinking about change only through the construct of Sunday services and religious ministries, we’ve completely missed the point.
What are you doing right now? What are your dreams, visions and ideas? Take it and run with it versus letting the world do it first. And we have the benefit of having all access of revelation through the Word of God & the power of the Holy Spirit to change and transform culture.
I also recently preached a message called “Change Makers” that speaks to the subject of the church being called to impact culture.
Change Makers — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSP7bgYrU3s
Do you have any final thoughts on your journey so far and what God has taught you?
It’s all about hearing God and obeying His Word, and being out there fulfilling God’s calling for us, because we’ve got nothing to lose and nothing to prove. We reveal and manifest God’s glory through calling and purpose in the marketplace, and not just by serving within the context of a Sunday gathering. If you are called to serve in a local church full time that is a special calling, I did that for many years, but the reality is the majority of believers are not called to full time ministry within the context of a local church or para church ministry, they are called to impact changes society.
Success is accomplishing what God has called you to do.
It is not about acceptance, because we already have that unconditional love through Father God being His beloved children. So instead of just bringing people to the church, we gotta start bringing the church to society and to the people. And that comes with obeying God and loving God, but God will hold us accountable on the last day with the time, treasure and talent that He’s given to each one of us to steward.
Do you have any advice to that kid who’s making his own music, doing his own thing and wanting to make a difference in changing culture with his craft?
The number 1 reason for inaction is excuses. When you want something, you have to do it with all your heart and work at it with everything, and that comes with being highly focused and self -disciplined. There’s this theology where we think that success comes if we do our part then God will do His part, but that’s wrong. Everything that God created is His best, and He has created you with everything you need to be the best that you can be. When you wanna play basketball at the NBA level, you gotta practice to play at that level. You think about Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry, and you see they’re willing to put in their 10,000 hours to master their craft.
Excellence requires hard work. Do what it takes to be a champion. Another person we see is Elon Musk, you know, who used every minute and every second of the day to put in that work day in day out. He built PayPal, then took his fortune to invest into Tesla and Space X instead of wasting it on vanity he wasted it all on his God given purpose. You’re not gonna go anywhere with laziness, you can’t just go to Hollywood and say I’m gonna be a superstar, because that’s 100% not gonna happen if you don’t work for it.
Greatness comes from sacrificing earthly pleasures for a greater higher calling and purpose.
Whatever you’re called to do, compare you only to yourself, you can only be you, so start being you, doing you and be the best you God created to make a difference in this world. Love God, love yourself, be humble and serve others with every gift and talent God has created you with to make a real difference. That is how the world is changed.
Jaeson Ma
We would like to appreciate Jaeson Ma for availing himself and his time to contribute to our project.
Follow East West Artists and 88rising for more updates and recent happenings.
This is a collaborative project between Ray Chung and Li Yen Chong.
Li Yen Chong is a recent international business undergraduate from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She currently works in Malaysia. You can find her @ Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
