We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Julia Schemmer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Julia below.
Julia , so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
As a young professional, imposter syndrome is something I’m constantly working towards defeating! My professional experience began when I was only 17 years old. I grew up in a small town in Southern California, about an hour away from Los Angeles. Every day after school, I would drive to LA and host red carpets, interviewing A-List celebrities and reporting on entertainment news. I would come home, quickly do my homework, go to sleep, and then start all over again! I was often the youngest reporter on the red carpet, and I had to always remind myself that i deserved to be there just as much as anyone else. As I started sharing my journey online, people would reach out to me and tell me that I inspired them to start writing, and even though imposter syndrome will always be a reoccurring theme in my life, I feel empowered knowing that taking these scary, bold steps outside of my comfort zone can help inspire other people to do the same!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
When I was younger and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had about 3-5 different answers, depending on the day! I’ve always believed in leaning into the complexity of your passions and that being interested in multiple things is the most human thing we can do. I’ve taken this into my professional career as well – I’m an author, a production professional working in television, theater, and live events, and even spent two years working as a disaster relief respondent for natural disasters throughout the country!
I believe each experience informs the next. My time working in disaster relief helped me later understand basic construction when working on a theater set. Interviewing celebrities on the red carpet helped me develop the journalistic skills I use in my graduate school research today. Telling jokes on a boat as a Jungle Cruise Skipper at Disney World made me a more confident person, and even helped me as a comedy writer and producer in NYC. Every path, every pit stop, every journey intersects and informs the next one!
These days, I am working on my seventh book, which I’m hoping to release at the end of 2024. It’s a book about grief. I started writing it during the pandemic as a means to process my own grief, and it’s felt incredibly cathartic and healing to put together. I’m also a student – I’m pursuing my Master’s in Business Administration. In my day-to-day, I’m a freelancer working on television production, live events, and Broadway shows, and having the best time doing it!
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?
1. A willingness to learn: I work in theater, and it’s an incredibly collaborative environment. Everyone, from the actors performing on stage to the carpenters building the sets to the dressers mastering the art of the quick change, has worked incredibly hard to get to where they are today. Learning from their wisdom and experience navigating the industry has been paramount to my growth as an artist and a theatermaker; Every month, I challenge myself to shadow someone in their role and to see the show from their perspective. Although they may be working in an entirely different area of theater than me, it’s amazing how all the pieces of the puzzle connect and make the show possible 8x a week. It makes me want to do my job better, and it helps me understand the intricacies and moving parts of the show in a more nuanced way.
2. A strong sense of self: In my graduate program, I took a leadership class that involved weekly assessments of our personality, our openness to change, our leadership styles, etc. The class was incredibly useful to me because it gave me a strong understanding of my skills, strengths and areas to improve upon. Taking the time to understand what fills my cup as a leader has been so important to combating burnout and to making my work more enjoyable. For example, although I am very personable, I am still introverted, so knowing when my social battery is low or when I need to take a break has been so helpful for me to continue doing this work full-time.
3. The Fun Approach: One of my favorite quotes comes from puppeteer Jim Henson, who said, “The only way the magic works is hard work. But hard work can be fun.”I love this quote because in every job that I’ve had to do, I’ve tried to approach it with a positive attitude and a willingness to make even the mundane parts fun and engaging.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo is one of my favorite books ever! I read it in high school, but rediscovered it during the pandemic, and it was exactly what I needed. It’s a wonderful read about following your dreams, and knowing that the universe has your back. At a time where my job was halted and the state of the world was uncertain, I loved reading this book and being reminded of the power of a dream!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msjuliadarling
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-schemmer/
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