Opinion | ‘Women in Focus’ panel lit a flame in me

Mady Dever, Opinions Editor

Last Friday, I sat in a virtual roundtable surrounded by women who are passionate about the entertainment industry, their careers and telling meaningful stories. Chapman and Glamour magazine partnered to host an incredible panel of women from the entertainment and political industry for the “Women in Focus: Women, Big Tech and the Future of Hollywood” event. 

These women are some of the most powerful people in our industry. Yet, it was so welcoming, it felt like I was in a book club discussion with my girlfriends — all we were missing was a glass of wine and a charcuterie board. This was a very unrequited feeling, I’m sure, given the fact that the panelists couldn’t see me in this webinar-style format until I was called on to ask a question. But hey, a girl can dream, right?

In covering the event for The Panther, I was able to personally interview both Dana Walden, the chairman of Walt Disney Television, and Samantha Bee, comedian and host of the talk show “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.” These opportunities were both exciting and so, so terrifying. I’m pretty sure I kept my cool. I think.

But, as Jennifer Salke — head of Amazon Studios — said during the panel, you should do a little bit of something terrifying every day. I could certainly check that off my list that day. I look up to Walden and Bee so much, along with every single other panelist. I only hope my career will follow in those same footsteps.

Yet besides simply going starry-eyed with admiration, and likely embarrassing myself with rosey cheeks, I received advice from these women that I will carry with me forever. 

During my talk with Bee April 9 — while casually sweating through my shirt — she told me a great story about a moment in which she was helping her son with a problem at school. 

“Sometimes when you meet a problem, and you want to step away and you want to run from it, the greatest, best thing you can do … is to run full force directly into that problem,” she said.

I often fear what’s to come next in my life. I always calculate, try to plan, or think of a reason not to go for something. But this panel showed me, and fellow students entering the workforce, that we have much to look forward to. Despite my apprehension of post-college life, with graduation quickly approaching, I’m excited to start my career in entertainment. 

For once I was told it’s not all grim on the other side; making movies and creating really is about storytelling at the end of the day and it’s OK if you don’t fall into the exact path you envisioned at the outset. I can’t wait to begin working with people who care as much about storytelling and creating — and having fun while doing it — as I do.

I can only hope that my workplace conference meetings in the future will look exactly like this panel — a room full of women who love to create and are passionate about their work.