For Los Angeles-by-way-of-Louisiana journalist Jay Ticker, The Mr. Helpful Show is not another livestream.
Launched at a time when media is struggling to find it’s place in the future. The Mr. Helpful Show is a response to what he believes is broken in traditional media: limited ownership, weak accountability and too little collaboration among Black journalists.
The platform, which Ticker is launching on Kick, blends journalism, entertainment, community service and entrepreneurship. Its central idea is straightforward: media can inform audiences while also helping the communities it covers.
Ticker’s philosophy was shaped by professional setbacks, including a failed collaboration with another Los Angeles journalist. He said the experience forced him to reconsider how journalists build careers and control their work.
“I was put in a place where I was, if you really believe in this type of thing, blacklisted or blackballed from the industry,” Ticker said to journalist Bryson “Boom” Paul during an interview on August 6, via Zoom. “But what I was doing was learning from all my mistakes. And then I was turning those negatives into positives. Now when I make my comeback, it’s going to be realer than what you ever thought it was.”
That comeback is The Mr. Helpful Show.
Ticker envisions four- to six-hour livestreams featuring musicians, influencers, celebrities and other prominent figures. Viewers will follow guests through a “day in the life,” from recording studios to restaurants, community events and other stops.
“What you’ll get is you’ll see me hooking up with a social media influencer, a musician, a celebrity, or someone who has strong influence in the media,” he said. “We’re going to essentially conduct a day in the life of that person.”
The format also incorporates what Ticker calls random acts of kindness. The goal is to turn entertainment into tangible community engagement.
“We would then hop in the whip, go to a Black-owned restaurant, go support them, by conducting random acts of kindness,” he said. “We would catch it all on camera, and it’s all being produced on livestream.”
The concept reflects a larger philosophy Ticker calls the Helpful Community, or “the Helpfuls.” Viewers will not simply watch the programming. They will help shape it through Discord conversations, livestream chats and discussions about future episodes.
“After our streams, certain days out of the week, I’m going to have livestream chats with my Discord, along with my audience,” Ticker said. “We’re going to sit down and create ideas, topics, shows, and that’s going to be called the community. It’s called the Helpful Community. The Helpfuls.”
For Ticker, accountability is equally important. He wants audiences to see the mistakes behind the polished moments.
“I’m going to make mistakes probably every single livestream,” he said. “It’s just showing my human element and that I am not Mr. Perfect.”
That philosophy connects directly to his admiration for NBA icon Kobe Bryant, whose career Ticker views as a blueprint for reinvention and discipline.
“What I love about Kobe’s mission is because he always wanted to be great,” Ticker said. “Kobe knew his purpose. He was driven. He had the work ethic. He worked towards getting better.”
Ticker also points to Bryant’s willingness to acknowledge mistakes as a model for modern media.
“Even when he made mistakes, he would always make sure he took accountability,” Ticker said. “I feel like that is one of the biggest problems that we have.”
The same principle informs Ticker’s criticism of traditional media. He argues that journalists must understand the business behind journalism, particularly as layoffs, shrinking newsrooms and technological changes reshape the industry.
“They don’t know the business, and they have lack of financial literacy,” Ticker said. “You thought you understood the business because you were, quote-unquote, the talent that they were using to connect with the other talent. But you’re just, unfortunately, a pawn until you can gain ownership.”
Ownership sits at the center of his vision.
Ticker wants The Mr. Helpful Show to eventually house multiple journalists under one umbrella, giving independent reporters their own channels and opportunities to earn from their work.
“The goal with creating The Mr. Helpful Show was to create a platform where I can have multiple channels of journalists create their own channel under the umbrella of The Mr. Helpful Show,” he said. “I want to push ownership.”
That model also explains his decision to use Kick. Ticker sees livestreaming as part of media’s next evolution rather than a threat to journalism.
“Traditional journalism is no longer what it was, and it hasn’t been that way in the last 15 years,” he said. “We have to stay with the future. We have to continue to elevate, and we have to continue to understand the innovation and the evolution of technology.”
Ticker says Kick’s creator economics make the platform particularly attractive to independent media entrepreneurs. He sees streaming as a way for journalists to bypass some of the institutional barriers that have historically controlled access, distribution and revenue.
The community mission extends into Black-owned businesses. One early activation centers on Marathon Burger, connected to the legacy of late Los Angeles rapper Nipsey Hussle. Ticker plans to visit its locations, support families, speak with customers and recognize employees.
“We’re going to help out these families, purchase food, have conversations with them, get some questions from Q&A time with them,” he said. “And then we’re also going to bless the workers as well.”
Ticker stresses that the relationships began before the cameras arrived.
“I’ve bonded and I’ve created a relationship with these people by supporting their business,” he said. “I do that off camera.”
His wife has also been part of that journey. Ticker credits her with supporting his earlier community work and the launch of his latest venture.
“My wife has been with me since day one on this,” he said.
That history includes Sports Nation CA, a youth-focused organization Ticker operated in 2014. The program recognized young athletes who excelled academically and partnered with Subway to reward students.
Now, he wants to expand that philosophy through media.
Ticker believes Black journalists should not have to wait for established institutions to validate their work.
“I like smaller platforms because that’s where I started,” he said. “I understand the need in terms of funding and support and the knowledge and information on how to build a mainstream platform.”
His invitation is direct.
“If we’re all like-minded, and if we all know how to work together as a team, and if everybody can understand their position, we’re more stronger and powerful as a unit instead of me just doing this on my own,” Ticker said. “That’s what I want to promote.”
The long-term ambition is even larger. Ticker eventually wants The Mr. Helpful Show to become its own streaming destination.
“I’d like to just stick to the streaming platforms right now and ultimately create my own streaming platform,” he said. “That would be the gig right there.”
For Ticker, the future of media is not about choosing between journalism, entertainment, technology or community. It is about building a model where all four can coexist — and where the people producing the work have a stake in what they create.
“The need is there for us,” he said. “Come join me. And we can do this together.”
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