How did you discover your passion for what you do?
When I was about 12 years old, my best friend started acting. While I wasn’t interested in being in front of the camera, it inspired me to consider what other jobs might exist in the movie industry. I was fortunate enough to have parents who supported and encouraged me to explore my interests. So, I started taking photography classes at the community college, which lead me to taking summer seminars at colleges across Southern California. I lived at these colleges most summers in high school studying all aspects of filmmaking. In one film history class, I learned about “The Suits,” otherwise known as film executives, during the Golden Era of film. I immediately thought, “I want to be that.” I knew I wanted to be a film executive since that time and relentlessly perused it.
What words of wisdom do you live by?
There are a couple of mantras I live by. One is, “Our days are happier when we give people a piece of our heart instead of a piece of our mind.” I use this to remind myself to be patient, to have empathy and to embody compassion when dealing with others. We never know what someone is going through. Their behavior might not be about us. The second one is, “We are the change that we seek.” I actually have this as a tattoo. I use it to remind myself to move forward fearlessly through my life; as they say nothing ventured is nothing gained. I also use to remind myself to be true to the vision I have for my life, my relationships, the company I work for, what I want to contribute to the world, etc.
How do you continue to grow and be a lifelong learner?
I love learning. I love reading and listening to podcasts. I especially love classes and books on emotional intelligence. The more you understand about yourself, your own personality strengths and weaknesses, the more you learn to master your own emotions and mind. Mastering your own mind, helps you better serve not only yourself, but others. Likewise, the more you understand other personality types, what people need to perform well, why they might behave the way they do, the better you become at giving them what they need, helping them to perform at their highest capacity and leading a team.
