We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emma Evans. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emma below.
Hi Emma, thanks for sitting with us today to chat about topics that are relevant to so many. One of those topics is communication skills, because we live in an age where our ability to communicate effectively can be like a superpower. Can you share how you developed your ability to communicate well?
Effective communication and the art of conversation is crucial in my career. I have recognized in recent months how my ability to talk comfortably with a whole variety of people will position me as a leader. Delegating and motivating and inspiring people is not something you can learn in a classroom. I think I learned most of my communication skills from naturally assuming leadership positions throughout my life. It’s what comes to me without effort, which I think is crucial to being a leader; you must feel comfortable in yourself as a communicator in order to communicate well.
I learned most of my communication skills in high school, working on independent films. I was always eager for opportunities and constantly pushed myself out of my comfort zone to get them. I set up meetings with many professionals (which I was usually very nervous about) that often turned into jobs. With a goal in mind fueled by passion, I was able to overcome the nervousness of not knowing my way around adult conversations by simply keeping the goal in the front of my head and always wanting to learn. Curiosity is important as well, to be an interesting and effective communicator. I am able to meet such a variety of people working on TV and film productions, always a reminder of how wide this world is. It’s really both fun and enlightening to actually take the time to get to know those people you wouldn’t encounter in your life otherwise.
Sometimes people get too hung up on what they’re going to say rather than focusing on what they need to express. When I used to do plays, I memorized my lines by memorizing the arc of the scene. I would know my next line by knowing where my character needs to get to, and just keep building to that. Same goes for every small conversation contributing to a bigger picture of a career. Think about your arc. Recognize where you are in your timeline, and it helps you focus and achieve highly in the present.
But knowing how to do it outside of the context of a career is the most important thing, ultimately. Whether you’re on the clock or not, we’re all just people, and the special connections we make along the way are what makes it worth it. I became much more empathetic after struggling with my autoimmune diseases, which really put it all into perspective.
People sometimes keep a clear divide between networking chat and personal chat. That’s obviously an important distinction, but I enjoy bringing snippets from my own life into my work conversations. These special little things often make the most important connections click.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a recently signed agency model and actress – finally, woohoo! So a lot of my focus is on that side of my career right now. I have learned tons about the fashion business already and am enjoying working a variety of jobs. However my core career focus is still the same as it was before – producing content. I say content because that’s becoming more various than it used to be. In the past my producing has been films, but my experience is now branching into television, as well as many opportunities that are appearing in the online/social content space. I am working on post production for a few things with my production company, Neon Shark Media. Some things will be running through the festival circuit in the coming year, and shoots are always popping up, the next happening in January. I still mostly shoot in Dallas, as my main production collaborators are there, and take care of the business side of things in Los Angeles. I love that balance and hope to continue working between the two cities for years to come.
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?
Three things that have helped me get a leg up in life: 1- Conversation and friendship. Not being fake, but be good to people and people will be good to you. We’re on a floating rock and the only thing that makes us special and different from any other plants are all the people around us! 2 – Academia. Deep learning inspires you to continue that and betters your perspective of the world. 3 – Move. Lots of people argue that diet is more important than exercise. However, nothing in the world feels better than when you get your body moving and the blood pumping full of endorphins. It’s a real privilege to be physically capable of that. I am far from disabled but during the times where I’ve been dealing with health flare ups and unable to dance, run… those are always the worst times for my mental health.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I am always looking to collaborate with storytellers and business minds to give a voice to interesting, important stories. The creative industry is broad and I want to participate in all types of projects. Always feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or via my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: theemmaevans.com
- Instagram: @theemmaevans
- Linkedin: Emma Evans
Image Credits
@daniel.iso, @j.coreimages, Koltin Sullivan, Maria Flash, Shutterstock
