This Really Cool Thing Happened 💙
Listen to the audio podcast of this post.
I’ve been sitting on a “secret” for a few months: I’m producing my first movie. It’s been under wraps as deals close, “t’s” are crossed, “i’s” are dotted. We finally announced the movie on Friday.
It’s called My Ex-Friend’s Wedding. My business partner Kay Cannon is directing from a script by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Ashley Rodger, with revisions by Kay. Chloe Fineman, Amanda Seyfried, Ariana DeBose and Meg Stalter are attached to star. Production will begin this summer.
The project was brought to us by Sister and Circle of Confusion with Sony distributing, and they have been amazing partners. I’m learning a lot and contributing a lot. It’s a dream scenario.
I’m really happy.
And guess, what? There’s no “but” here.
I’m really happy.
Today is an up day. And then something will happen and I’ll have a down day. It’s a natural part of life that we have ups and downs. It’s what I tell myself when I’m down too. I know I won’t stay here. The up day will circle back.
I feel like I’m finally learning to ride the rollercoaster of having a career and find equanimity with all the twists and turns that come with it. Easy to say on an up day! 🤪
Let’s break this rollercoaster metaphor down a bit more, just for fun!
🎢 Rollercoasters (aka your career) start out with the climb. On the coasters I’ve ridden, it’s really rickety. You can feel the machinery and the effort going into the near vertical ascent. You may have a sense of exhilaration and anticipation. Or terror.
🎢 Regardless, you’re going to hit “airtime” – that spot in which the climb is over, and the car flies down the hill. You’re literally lifted out of your seat while also being held in place by the restraints.
🎢 All your hard work is paying off and the scales have tipped and your career takes off. You begin to experience momentum that helps you quickly move past any dips. And that momentum carries you up the next big hill.
🎢 And inevitably there’s a downhill and it can be scary as sh*t or thrilling. I’ve discovered the key is to not fight it. Fighting it causes suffering.
🎢 The momentum from flying downhill takes you back up another hill at top speeds, feeling the wind in your hair, hitting even greater heights.
🎢 Of course you plummet again or perhaps you take a vertical loop. You know, go upside down. I can’t tell you how many times this has happened to me in my career … I think I’m going in one direction and then suddenly it’s topsy turvy.
🎢 Big drops, twisted tracks, inversions. The more there are, the more “thrilling” the ride.
At several points in my entertainment career I thought seriously about tapping out because of all the ups and downs. And while I’ve never fully left, there certainly have been times where I dialed things way back so I could get a better understanding of my professional losses and dis-enfranchised grief.
What’s helped me to move forward are four things:
➡️ Knowing my life purpose. Helping people across their finish lines has always been a driving force for me. I do it as a producer, as a moonshot mentor and as a professor. Hard truth is that on some days it was easier to live my life purpose as a moonshot mentor vs. producing.
➡️ Giving myself permission to mourn my professional losses even if people didn’t understand why I was so sad. Honestly, this didn’t come to me until about five years ago.
➡️ Exercise to produce endorphins and emotionally regulate.
➡️ Meditation to help me access my intuition.
Everyone is different and you may have different ways to keep moving forward. The key is to know what these things are and use them.
So today is an up day. 💙
Where are you at on your career roller coaster?
If you’re resonating with what you’re reading, please consider subscribing. What’s that mean?
🙌🏾 You’ll receive regular emails (with lots of heart and a bit of humor) that share a tool or insight from my coaching practice.
🙌🏾 Typically the email will have a question at the end to provoke thought that supports you in your growth.
🙌🏾 Updates on offerings, free stuff, recommendations, referrals.
If you’re having a down day due to career stuff, I may be able to help. I lead a support group called PERMISSION for people who are experiencing dis-enfranchised grief. It’s a confidential, intimate, sacred space in which we share our experiences, learn new tools and create community. Zoom and in-person options are available. Learn more and sign up here. Space is limited due to the nature of the group, and participants will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement.
Great news on producing the movie, Laverne! Congratulations!
Congratulations, Laverne, that's fantastic!