Women in CO is about the women I meet, know, love, and admire—those who inspire me daily with their wisdom and strengths but also their vulnerabilities, complexities and humanity. Their voices offer insight, encouragement, and the kind of quiet reassurance that reminds us: We are not alone.
1. WHAT IS YOUR ROLE, AND HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK IN THIS FIELD?
I see myself first and foremost as a storyteller and that takes many forms. I've been a film producer for two decades and have recently started producing television. I started as a freelance reader for American Playhouse as a college student in New York and eventually became an executive for Universal Studios.
2. IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR WORK SHAPED YOUR IDENTITY AND PERSONAL GROWTH?
Stories shape our understanding of ourselves and others. My work allows me to think deeply about behavior and to stay in a mindset of empathy.
3. HAS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS EVOLVED OVER TIME?
When I started out, success meant simply being allowed to do my job, to be trusted to produce. Now that I'm established, I have a track record to lean on, but it is not easier. Each project feels like a miracle, a series of miracles. So many things must align for a project to go, but there's a kind of magical alchemy necessary for it to be great. This is not to say that films work well by accident. It takes an enormous about of attention on every detail throughout the process. But over time, I've come to appreciate the hidden force that makes something undeniable and able to enter the zeitgeist in a larger way.
4. WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED AND MOTIVATED TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING?
Film is a deeply collaborative art form and business. I love the way it feels to be in a mind meld with my collaborators. Also, of course, seeing great work from the past and present inspires me. Los Angeles has a vibrant revival movie theater scene, such as the American Cinematheque and The Academy Museum film series. I brought my son to Charlie Chaplin's 1931 CITY LIGHTS recently. Genius.
5. DO YOU HAVE A ROLE MODEL, FEMALE OR OTHERWISE? WHAT LESSONS FROM THEM HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR PATH?
My mother is my role model. She has a huge heart, a generous spirit, and moves through life with elegance and grace. She has taught me the importance prioritizing integrity and authenticity.
6. HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED CHALLENGES/RESISTANCE THAT PERTAINED TO YOU BEING A WOMAN IN THE WORKPLACE? HOW HAVE THESE EXPERIENCES SHAPED YOUR APPROACH TO WORK OR LEADERSHIP?
Absolutely. SYRIANA was the first film that I produced with a capital P. It was an extremely complicated and ambitious production both from a creative and logistical standpoint. The enormous crew was 97 percent male and I'm sure they questioned my authority and ability. I had a brilliant, courageous, and fierce female partner on the film, a line producer Georgia Kacandes. She was completely unafraid to embrace the audacious and untraditional approach to the film. I'm forever grateful for her faith in me, her confidence, and willingness to push through difficulties. I try to do the same for other women in leadership roles wherever I can.
7. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN THE WORKPLACE AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME IT? COMMUNICATION? MANAGEMENT? TIME MANAGEMENT? MOTIVATION? WORK/LIFE BALANCE?
Work and family balance are always challenging. My family, my children, must always come first. And I hope that when I am away from them working, I'm still nurturing them by setting an example of a tireless work ethic and passion for what I do.
8. WHAT UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES OR QUALITIES DO YOU THINK WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO THE WORKPLACE, AND HOW DO THESE INFLUENCE TEAM DYNAMICS?
I love working with other women. I find them to be collaborative, authentic, empathetic, and nurturing in their approach. I have one project in particular that's practically only women, and I feel particularly inspired whenever I'm in it with them.
9. WHAT'S ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WISH SOMEONE HAD SHARED WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE STARTING OUT?
Find your own voice and trust yourself.
10. WHAT'S ONE THING YOU HOPE YOUNGER WOMEN ENTERING YOUR FIELD FEEL EXCITED ABOUT?
More stories about women, for women, made by women.
11. WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED PIECE OF CLOTHING?
I have a set of pink "Colours by Alexander Julian" pajamas that belonged to my brother, JR. They aren't fancy! They're probably from about 1986 and super soft cotton. JR died of AIDS in 1990 when I was 20 years old. He was tall, skinny, and in the 1980s, he loved to wear pale pastel shirts with Levi's. Every now and then, when I'm missing JR, I sleep in these pink pajamas and remember him.
12. WHAT PURCHASE RULES DO YOU HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO CLOTHING?
I feel best in classic, timeless, minimalist design, in neutral colors with great tailoring. My wardrobe is a sea of black, white, off-white, and beige. I don't buy anything that I can't imagine myself wearing for years.
13.WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS MISSING IN YOUR CLOSET?
I wish I had more of the same classic pieces in multiple sizes, depending on my mood as well as my weight fluctuations. For me, five pounds feels like it changes my silhouette significantly. And I go through phases of wanting to wear a piece oversized or more fitted.
