Actor Jay Ellis is making his money work for him.
At Concordia University in Portland, OR, Ellis double-majored in finance and international business and attended on a basketball scholarship. As an athlete, he was drawn to theater students he felt had a more “full college experience,” he told AFROTECH™.
“I would walk by the theater and walk by the back door open all the time and seeing people load in the stages. And I actually got kind of jealous… I was like lifting in the morning and practicing in the afternoon and tape after that. And so at a certain point I pivoted, and I was like, ‘Oh, what if I did something in front of the camera,'” he explained.
After earning his degree, graduating summa cum laude, Ellis briefly considered working in financial news like MSNBC, but he pivoted to pursue acting seriously. Early in his career, he appeared on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “NCIS.” He has since appeared in “Insecure,” which ended in 2021, and his recent credits include “Rookie North” on ABC, “Running Point” on Netflix, and “How’d They Build That” on the Smithsonian Channel, according to his Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
As for how he is sustaining himself in the industry, Ellis got candid about finances and entrepreneurship. He notes that from the start he was mindful of credit — what affects it, the differences between mid- and high-credit scores, and ways to boost it.
“I’m fortunate that I had a mother who was in banking, if I’m being honest,” he explained. “I got a lot of these lessons kind of early and from her. But I very much went through this kind of education for myself.”
He continued, “Especially in my world, when you’re talking about multiple people or entities collecting commissions, that means that, though I may make $5, see $5, right [it’s not all mine]. And not just taxes, but because of commissions as well. So it was understanding like, ‘How much am I actually making? And then what do I do with it.'”
Business Moves
Ellis also puts his money to work as a part-owner of SWTY Studios, a small chain of Pilates studios. The wellness focus shouldn’t surprise anyone, since he says he’s always viewed his body as a physical instrument.
Ellis owns five SWTY Studios locations and says the company is raising funds to expand to 20 to 25 locations over the next five years.
View this post on Instagram
Black Bar Mitzvah
Ellis also launched Black Bar Mitzvah, a production company. It’s produced features, television, podcasts, and short films, with placements at Sundance, Netflix, and Amazon.
“I find my business brain, my finance brain, is kind of still always at work. And I think my ability for storytelling and my knack for storytelling in a lot of ways allows me to think about companies and brands a little differently,” he said.
Partnering With Citi
Ellis also reflected on one of his latest move — partnering with Citi. The collaboration aligns with his on-the-go lifestyle, which began long before he entered entertainment. Travel was a constant throughout his upbringing. Both his parents and his paternal and maternal grandfathers served in the Air Force, and his father has worked for American Airlines since 1991.
“I think I’ve lived in like nine different places in the 23 years I’ve been here [in Los Angeles]… Travel has just been a huge part of my life and in my DNA, and to some degree who I even am is fully based on all the places that I got to visit and experience as a child and live in as a child. So that definitely shaped my love of travel and gave me this kind of appreciation for the little things that can make a trip astounding and stick with you forever,” he said.
He appreciates the travel perks he’s received through Citi, which announced an enhanced Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Legend Mastercard in a press release.
“One of my favorite benefits of the card is the Admirals Club (American Airlines). You can grab a meal before you get on the plane. You can have a quiet place to kind of sit and regroup before you get on a plane, get work done… There’s more opportunities to earn loyalty points and reach status… I travel with a small army. I try to use them as much as I possibly can,” he said.
