Melvina Hayes was four years old when she first appeared on television, and she never looked back. Three decades of performance and two-plus decades of writing later, she runs The Mpower Mint—a creative storytelling business with two distinct arms: a service engine producing marketing collateral for brands and corporations, and an IP division where she writes, directs, and produces her own work.

Her current flagship project is DFW Hype, a micro-drama series set in Dallas following three women navigating power, loyalty, and ambition. She produced the pilot over the past year with cinematographer Timothy Alexander White and is now heading into production on ten vertical episodes.

In this conversation with Jeff Crilley, Melvina talks about:

- Her creative philosophy of asking clients "how do you want people to feel?" and why that question shapes everything she writes
- The story behind a stoic animation CEO who finally cracked a smile and told her "we really feel heard"
- Her role as project manager and host at the Denton Black Film Festival, now in its twelfth year with 60-70 events over three to four days
- Building an ensemble cast like a family rather than running a turnkey production, and why she spends significant time rehearsing with her actors
- The Audacity of Belief, her upcoming vision-casting event launching in Houston to connect actors, directors, producers, and investors

Learn more: shempowerslit.com
Follow DFW Hype on Instagram: @dfwhype_tv