My No BS Mentality For Making It In The Film & TV Industry

This one is short, sweet, and to the point.I’m going to share with you the top 3 mentality shifts I've found most useful as a director, executive producer, and TV show creator working in the branded, commercial, film & TV industries.

My Top 3 Mentality Shifts

1. Be process obsessed, not outcome obsessed

It's easy to look at the highlight reel and get caught up in the reward and recognition that comes with having success in the film & TV industry.

The biggest misconception about my journey to creating and selling my first TV show is that I pitched the project and got it straight to a streaming platform.

The realistic timeline from ideation to TV? 5 years.

It's time to reframe your filmmaking goals. 

I've found that placing more value on the effort and hard work required to achieve success is the most beneficial mentality shift.

Every week, take small, consistent steps that contribute to your larger goal.

Reverse engineer it, and break it down into daily actions.

2. Have a high tolerance for pain and frustration

In my experience, filmmaking isn't just making films. 

It's entrepreneurial, it's interpersonal, it's political.

Just being creative hasn't cut it for me.

Most people use this as a reason to avoid pursuing the film & TV route.

But what if you tried anyway?

Tolerating anxiety and discomfort has become a part of the process that I'm now comfortable with. 

I do things without 100% confidence all the time. 

And I see the opportunity in the challenges others are unwilling to take.

This is the exact mentality shift that led me to creating and selling films & TV shows full time.

3. Outwork and outlast others

This one is actually easy to explain but hard in practice.

In my experience, making it in the film & TV business isn't about the speed of getting to where you want to be.

It's actually working as hard as you can for longer than you think it requires.

Many filmmakers have told me they want what I have without fully understanding what it takes.

I can give you all of the frameworks and tools, but at the end of the day it's up to you to execute and put in the time.

Be honest with yourself. What effort and time are you actually dedicating to achieving your goals?

On top of that, are you being consistent in the right direction?

What shifts do you need to make to align yourself with the direction of the industry?

I've been working on films in the women's sports space since 2016.

That's 8 years of hustle and counting.

Not only was I passionate about representation in sports, but I knew it was the next big opportunity.

Because of my deep passion, I don't think of my work as my career, I think of this as my life's mission.

So that's why I sign on every single day, earlier than 9 a.m. and later than 5 p.m. 

That's why I work on weekends. 

And that's why I write this newsletter, to help inspire and equip others with resources I wish I had.

Ask yourself, what are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your goals? 

Summary

Here is my no BS mentality list for navigating the film & TV industry:

1. Obsess over process, not outcome

2. Tolerate a broader range of emotions

3. Outwork and outlast others