#Duckumentary - Edison Jakupi

What did you do before your time at EDA?

Before I worked at EDA, I worked in construction management in Manhattan, NY. Aside from construction, I had also started a podcast called The Questionable Behavior, where I interviewed musical artists. The podcast is still active and has risen through the ranks to become listed in the Top 3% of all podcasts in the world and has been on the Top 100 Music Interview list in 15 countries.

What brought you to the construction industry?

At first, I didn’t see construction as my career, it was just a job in college. Eventually I became intrigued by how different every day on the job was. Every project had something that made it unique and had its own problem-solving opportunity. I liked that I was always on my toes.

Can you briefly explain what you do at EDA?

I joined EDA as an Assistant Superintendent, helping on our LaGuardia Airport projects by managing personnel on site. I’m currently a Project Manager, assisting with roofing and panel jobs in North Jersey.

What are some things that most people don't know about you?

There are a lot of things about me that not many people here at EDA know: I’m a war refugee from Kosovo that came to the USA at 9 years old. I’ve done modeling for a few smaller brands. I’ve also done acting, with most of my work coming from music videos. Most recently, I participated on a reality TV dating show called Five Guys a Week on the Lifetime network.

When Lifetime first reached out and asked if I would be interested, I thought it was BS. They kept calling me for like 4 or 5 days, so I finally answered and gave it a shot. The whole experience was super fun. They shot for about five days, but the episode is only 40 minutes long. So… they have a lot of footage to work with, and I’m nervous about how they are going to portray me, hahaha.

You can watch Edison's episode of Five Guys a Week here: https://play.mylifetime.com/sh...

How long have you been acting & modeling, and what got you into it the entertainment industry?

I’ve always been interested in the entertainment industry, as my dad is a famous Albanian singer (Remi Jakupi). I started modeling back in 2020 when an Albanian photographer (who has taken photos for celebrities like the Kardashian family and Halle Berry) convinced me to take some photos with him. From there I did some modeling for a few smaller brands.

Acting came out of nowhere, too. I was interested in acting when I was younger, but I didn’t really pursue it. It just so happened that a lot of the musicians I would interview on my podcast needed actors for their music videos, and I was down to help.

What has been your favorite opportunity in the entertainment industry?

My favorite opportunity that I’ve had so far is when I was invited to do press for the Sunny Hill Festival in my home country of Kosovo. Musical artist Dua Lipa and her family caught wind of my podcast and personally invited me to the event as press to conduct interviews. I had the chance to interview the artists and other notable guests like former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.

If you could work in any other trade or department here at EDA, where would you be?

If I could work in any other department at EDA, it’d probably be our Marketing & Communications Department. I feel like I’m a good talker, and I can be pretty convincing.

What is the biggest challenge you've faced in work? How did you overcome it?

When I started at EDA, I was introduced to a completely new panel system. It took a while to get the hang of it, and I’m still working on it today. I just don’t hold back and ask a lot of questions. In my opinion, no question is a stupid question.

What has been the best part about your experience working with EDA?

The people are my favorite part about working here at EDA. We always have a good time, and everyone is serious about their job and doing their part. People are always so happy to answer any questions I may have.

What is your favorite EDA value, and why?

My favorite value is Strive to Improve. I feel like I am always striving to improve my daily life, too. I tend to reflect on things I don’t like in my life and think of ways to improve.