Meet susan johnston

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Susan Johnston. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Susan, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
I’ve been on my own since I was 16. You have to move forward, no one else is going to go it for you. You learn quickly to assess, people, situations, etc. Even so, I often got snookered. What i chose to do was, figure out what worked, what didn’t and why and then adjust.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
what i do – I’m CEO of an award winning production company that has many divisions. Those divisions were born from needs we found were missing for the people and creators we were working with. For example, if someone wanted to be considered for an EMMY ®(I am a judge of the blue ribbon panels since 2010) they need to broadcast within a certain time window. This can be daunting and very had to do if you don’t know how. So, we created EMMYS® broadcasting and consulting for those that wanted to move in that direction. We could do this because we have been distributing since 2011, starting with micr-content and Yoko Ono’s The Sun is Down. Distribution itself was started because we realized there were these great storytellers that completed a project and were not monetizing it. The challenge with that is, you need to reimburse your investors so they most likely we refund into your next project and then hire those that had great business accumen from that project to your next one.
what I feel is most exciting or special about the above.
We took all that we knew when the 2008 financial crisis happened and we saw seasoned Industry players lose their homes and move out of state. That is when www.NewMediaFilmFestival.com was born, to offer a platform for all ages, all cultures and all media to thrive. We knew how important story was, so our main focus from then on and our mandate is Honoring Stories Worth Telling. We are very proud of all of the opportunities we have created for people and companies all over the world.
anything new
we are excited to showcase 106 New Media Films & Content 32 World, 8 U.S., 23 L.A. Premieres in June 2024

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey?

1- picking myself up each time and moving forward every step of the way
2-approaching people when i felt i had a win/win vs asking them to do something for me
3-being appreciative

What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1-learn business accumen (being on time, being polite, being honest, communicating well, doing what you say you will, show up)
2-have kind boundaries. saying no is perfectly ok for life / balance, it is how you say it
3 – be pro-active. having to be micro managed is exhausting. you are an adult now so people working around you are colleagues not parents

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I’ve always looked for collaboration with people that are innovative, fun, kind, and get things done. It would be lovely if someone felt the same about what i have done, or am doing and what that looks like to them if we collaborate or work together. It could simply be, come speak to our team or we’d love you on our think tank (i love these) we want you to visit our state and bring some business here. Please contact through the website that you feel is the best fit for what you are thinking.
www.NewMediaFilmFestival.com for story & technology
www.SelectServicesFilms.com for production, speaker/panel series and our library of “films”
www.SusanJohnstonCasting.com for casting.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
susan johnston

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