We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Abigail Tannebaum Sharon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Abigail Tannebaum below.
Hi Abigail Tannebaum, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
There is no question my resilience comes from my mom. She was different than all of my friends’ moms– she worked tirelessly as a nurse, never had the time to volunteer at my school, and often missed my sports games. Yet she managed to be loving but overbearing, sometimes erratic, and often intense. She carried the weight of a truly difficult childhood with her, and while she made sure my brother and I knew how lucky we were to grow up in a home more stable than hers, it was her modeling of what it looks like to move beyond pain and keep going that stuck with me most.
Some of her quieter, almost unremarkable moments were the most effective lessons in showing me how to push forward when life says “no.” For example, when I was applying to college in the late ’90s, some materials were still required to be mailed in. After a long day of work, she drove me to the post office right before closing time so that we could get the package postmarked and have it arrive by the deadline. Traffic was awful, and the post office wouldn’t stay open for us– even though we could see the staff still inside as we pounded on the door in desperation. I was sure my shot at McGill was over.
My mom was known for rattling off incredibly cliché lines, and this is what flew out of her mouth at that moment, “There’s always a back door.” I naturally rolled my eyes. Then she called every FedEx office in the DMV (remember, this was pre-Googling) and found the latest drop-off was about 30 minutes away. When we got there, the front door was locked. Without hesitation, she had us walk around back, where we found the back door open. She explained the situation, and they accepted the package. My application was postmarked on time. That is how I got to McGill, and I credit that moment with changing the course of my life. I would go on to be challenged to improve my writing by some of the finest and toughest professors in the world, to found, coach, play for, and manage the women’s lacrosse team, make lifelong friends, and meet my future husband.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My work sits at the intersection of business and storytelling.
A native Washingtonian, I fell in love with film at the age of two during a drive-in movie, and I have been telling stories ever since. Today, I feel fortunate to make a living doing what I love through my company, Real Pictures, a full-service production studio specializing in non-fiction storytelling.
Our focus is on sharing real stories– and it is our obligation to tell them with integrity while helping our clients make measurable impact. Taking on complex, demanding productions and making sense of them is what we do well, but there’s no project too small if the story matters.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? 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?
Looking back, I believe the three qualities that have been most impactful in what I like to call my “odyssey” are resilience, perseverance, and respect.
Resilience is the backbone of creative work– and, if I am being honest, of life itself. Things fall apart, people say no, projects stall, your heart gets broken. What matters most? How you respond. I have learned to see setbacks as data points, not verdicts: learn from them, improve, and move forward in a way you never could have if that setback had not happened.
Perseverance is what turns an idea into reality. When I built the women’s lacrosse team at McGill, or later launched my own production company, the only real difference between “impossible” and “done” was how long I was willing to keep going. Keep up the endurance and maintain your conviction– even when you’re the only one who can see the path forward.
And lastly, respect for the people you work with, for the story you’re telling, and for yourself. Respect keeps me grounded. Leadership feels inauthentic without it, and people can sense when it is missing, but they thrive when it is there.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Time is my eternal obstacle, and while I reluctantly accept that learning to bend it is a lost cause, I do my best to manage it. There is so much I want to do and achieve in the time that I have. I often think of another somewhat trite yet surprisingly profound saying my mom would utter in passing, “Oh honey, so much to do, and only one lifetime to do it in.”
I have learned that waiting for the perfect conditions is a lost cause. To put it simply: just start. Make small strides count: form that LLC you have been kicking around, send the follow-up email, sign up for the volunteer shift.
I do not have a cheat sheet, but here is what helps me solve for time. Professionally, creating OKRs and tracking KPIs keeps me accountable. For work that blends business and personal life, I use three analog/digital tools. On my desk sits a notecard with my most lofty goals that range from “write a book” to “develop a novelty item”. I break these almost unwieldy goals into weekly action items in my paper planner, while digital reminders flag the fire-alarm deadlines that must happen today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://real-pictures.net
- Instagram: real_pictures_real_stories
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realpicturesrealstories
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abigail-tannebaum-sharon-73a7926b/
- Twitter: https://x.com/RealPicsAbigail
- Other: https://medium.com/@abigailtsharon
Image Credits
EMBA – Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
Gail and Jonny – Josie Swantek Heitz
McGill Hall of Fame – Claire Holland
VHS – Peter Hutchens
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
