Twenty years ago, I packed my 2-door Honda and moved from Wichita, KS, to New York City. With my freshly printed journalism degree and the audacity of a young woman with nothing to lose, I walked through the doors of CBS News on West 57th Street. I would spend the next 13 years at the network chasing dreams that ultimately led me to Hollywood—which wasn’t originally part of the plan. From there, I went on to produce alongside an Emmy Award-winning director.

These past three years, I have made the transition to independent producing, and the Stage 32 family has played a massive part in allowing me to continue to do the work I love. I’ve been incredibly blessed and fortunate to ride the waves of this crazy-ass industry. Some weeks I want to pull out the few edges I have left, lol.

Old School Roots, New School Realities

I cut my teeth within the studio system, building relationships with creatives and storytellers the traditional way, but things have changed. While that system still exists, albeit much different than when I began, the new school era of storytelling is among us, and it's a scary and exciting time for me. One thing that remains constant is that genuine relationships and stories STILL matter.

When I speak about relationships, I don’t mean the “who do you know?” kind of relationships. I’m talking about the real ones. The relationships you build over time. The people you meet early in your career who somehow show up again later. The mentors who open a door. The colleague who becomes a friend. The friend who becomes a creative partner. And now, it’s the people you meet on Stage 32, an Insta DM, Zoom, or a random introduction that somehow turns into something much bigger. Meaningful connections can happen anywhere.

You no longer have to be in LA to get your story told–we should all be thankful for that. Hell, I would know; I recently moved back to the Midwest after 2 decades away. The way we connect has changed. The way we discover talent has changed. The way stories get made and distributed has changed.

IT’s ALL ABOUT Humans

But one thing hasn’t changed. People still matter. And stories still matter. This business is Really About people and their stories that matter. When I think about my journey, I don’t just think about the jobs, the projects or the titles. I think about the people and their stories. Not only the stories they want to tell, but their personal story. We all have one.

Hollywood has changed a lot in 20 years. The way we connect has changed. The way we discover talent has changed. The way stories get made and distributed has changed. But one thing hasn’t changed. People and their stories still matter.

Old School. New School. Both Count.

I’ve come to appreciate that there isn’t just one way to build relationships anymore. There is still something incredibly powerful about sitting across from someone at lunch, grabbing coffee, picking up the phone, and actually talking. But there is also a whole new generation of relationship building happening online. I see it every time I log in to Stage 32 or peruse around TikTok. A Stage 32 pitch can turn into a shopping agreement down the line. Guess what, I’m in pre-production on a feature now with a Stage 32 creator I met during a pitch. A DM can turn into a meeting. A social post can introduce you to a filmmaker you never would have crossed paths with. A virtual room can connect you with someone sitting thousands of miles away.

Old school. New school. Meaningful and authentic connection across both timelines. At the end of the day, the technology may change, but connection is still connection. However it’s done, one thing has never and will never change, the importance of telling stories that matter!

We All Have a Story

That’s the part that keeps me coming back: Your stories. After all these years, I’m still fascinated by the human experience. Why do we love? Why do we hurt? Why do we forgive? Why do we hurt people? Why do we hold on to things that no longer serve us? Why do we make the choices we make? Why do we become who we become? Those are the questions that make me passionate about television and film. These are the questions you should ask of every character you create, every story you tell.

One of the greatest things about working in this business for so long is realizing that everybody has a story.

The executive has a story. The writer has a story. The actor has a story. The director has a story.

The person sitting quietly in the back of the room has a story. And sometimes the person who seems like they have nothing to do with your journey ends up being connected to it in ways you couldn’t have imagined.

Where the Connections Happen Now

In this new world we find ourselves in, communities like Stage 32 are invaluable. This is a place where writers can meet executives. Where filmmakers can meet collaborators. Producers and execs like myself have access to talent we otherwise would never meet. Did I mention the 2 TV projects and 3 features and counting I’m attached to as a producer?! Those are Stage 32 connections made right here on this platform. These are stories that will prayerfully one day make it to some kind of screen.

20 Years Later, Still Curious

During this career, I have seen a lot of changes within the industry. I’m grateful that 20 Years Later, I’m Still Curious. I get so excited when I connect with a storyteller who’s dope and has a great story to tell. A lot of times, I pick up the phone and call friends who are colleagues and say you have to meet this person and read them. I still get hype when I read a great script. I’m still moved by characters and the worlds they live in. I’m still interested in meeting the person who has a perspective I’ve never heard before.

The connections I’m able to make with storytellers is what has kept me going from the old school business model to the Wild Wild West we’re in right now. Name another career where you get to keep meeting amazing people? You get to constantly hear stories that speak to the human experience? And if you’re lucky, you get to help a few of those stories find their way into the world.

What Keeps Me Here

Hollywood can be a complicated place. I’m not sure if it’s ever been more difficult to tell our stories and earn a living doing so. We all know that. But underneath the business, underneath the titles and the deals and the meetings and the ever-changing ways we connect, there is something incredibly simple at the center of it all: People want to be seen. People want to be heard. And people want to tell stories that make us feel something.

That’s what keeps me here. That’s what keeps me excited and gives me hope. The people. The stories. The human experience. And all the beautiful and unexpected ways they connect us.

The Final Muster: Creative Army Week 5

Whitney describes picking up the phone to tell a colleague, "you have to meet this person and read them." That instinct is why this community works, and this week's mission puts you in the room with exactly that kind of reader.

Monday, September 28 through Thursday, October 1 at 11:59 PM PT

This is the final mission of the Creative Army Drive, and it's the shortest week of the month, so don't sit on it.

Your mission: register for Stage 32's free live breakdown of the script that just made Emmy history.

On Wednesday, October 7th at 4:00 PM PT, Nicholas Bogner, Head of Literary at Affirmative Entertainment, will break down the WIDOW'S BAY pilot live on Zoom, the script behind the most Emmy-awarded freshman comedy series in history. He'll walk through it the way a manager reads it: what he looks for in the first ten pages, how the pilot holds horror and comedy together without breaking either, and what gets a script requested.

Click here to register for FREE!

Can't make it live? Register anyway. That guarantees you the full recording.

Then invite someone to join you. Your writing partner, your development group, the actor or producer friend who watched the whole season. Anyone who'd want to see a professional take an Emmy-winning script apart.

How to claim: comment "Registered!" on this week's Creative Army post in the Producing Lounge and name who you invited.

Click here to claim your place in the grand prize drawing!

There's no weekly prize code this week, and that's deliberate. This week belongs to the Grand Prize, and to the event itself.

Last Chance: The Catch-Up Window

Missed a mission earlier this month? This is your window.

Complete any mission from Weeks 1 through 4 by Thursday, October 1st at 11:59 PM PT, and it counts toward your Grand Prize eligibility. You won't receive the weekly prize for a mission you missed, but it will count toward the three you need to be in the running.

• Week 1, Raise the Call: share Stage 32 with one of your creative communities
• Week 2, Bring Two: personally invite two friends or collaborators to join Stage 32
• Week 3, Welcome Week: invite someone to introduce themselves in the Introduce Yourself Lounge
• Week 4, Report for Duty: register for the Community Open House recording and share it with your creative circle

To claim a catch-up mission, comment on this week's Creative Army post, the same one you'll use for Week 5, and tell us which week you completed and what you did. You can claim several in one comment.

Click here to claim your place in the grand prize drawing!

The Grand Prize

A free Stage 32 Career Development Call: a one-on-one conversation with an industry professional about your career, where you are, and what your next move should be.

The weekly prizes went to everyone who completed the mission. This one is different. Complete three or more missions across the month, and you are in the running; the members who showed up all month are the ones we'll be looking at. We'll award the Grand Prize to a standout Creative Army member, and if the field is strong enough, more than one.

Week 5 counts toward your three.

Winners announced in the Wrap Blog on Friday morning, October 2nd.

Your Move

Whitney wrote about the people you meet early in your career who somehow show up again later. So tell us in the comments: who's the person who came back around in your creative life, and what happened when they did?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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