My
experiences in the film industry,
combined with raising a smart and curious child,
revealed many of life's secrets. It took me a while to figure
out that instead of making of living using these secrets, I could
make a life. Allow me to share what I've learned.
You
get what you pay for. Always.
The
most successful projects value each person's unique contribution.
Until
you establish trust, your word is the only thing of value you
own.
All
negotiations are built upon the integrity of your word.
Everything
is negotiable, so master the art of negotiating.
Humans
crave intense, authentic experiences together. Not planning for
them only guarantees they'll take you unpleasantly by surprise.
Pleasant
or unpleasant, what matters most is authenticity.
Passion
is fierce and inspiring.
Money
is only a tool in service to your dream, never the dream itself.
Every
problem has a YES for an answer.
True
capitalism is a self-governing system - but only if everyone is
playing by the same rules.
Change
is energizing. Too much change leaves you stressed; not enough
leaves you bored.
To
be masterful at change, you cannot spend any time bitching about
the loss of "the plan". You have to run with what you
have and let your instinctual genius break out.
You
can learn as much about a thing by doing it wrong as you can by
doing it right - sometimes more.
Excellence
comes with mistakes and experience.
If
you are excellent at what you do, you will always be in demand.
The
best businesses are those that invest in the past AND the future;
therefore they value the wisdom of experience together with the
passion of youth.
You
ALWAYS have a choice.
Teams
need a leader who knows how to hold the end result firmly in sight,
while trusting the team members to get there creatively and efficiently.
Resources
only come when you make a commitment.
Your
salary is limited only by your beliefs.
It
is vital to creativity to have a celebration when a project is
completed and a break before the next project. Did I say vital?
If
you're doing it for the money, it won't make you happy.
Never
present a problem without simultaneously offering a solution.
This moves you from a complainer to a creative problem solver.
Kindness
must never be confused with weakness.
We
are all playing the leading role in our story. If your supporting
cast is not involved in the script writing process, don't expect
them to play their part to your satisfaction.
Your
life is your movie. If you don't like the script, rewrite it.
