We recently connected with Jen Proctor and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jen, 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?
Resilience is something I have known my entire life. As a child, I had a hard life at home- a mother who was an addict and suffered from immense mental disorders. The person who was supposed to care for me above and beyond anything else, was un-present and unreliable. At the age of 13, my mother committed suicide. Her pain was far too great to continue living and something that I will never fully understand or comprehend. Rather than allow my circumstances to show me that life is hard, I learned to take my life, my decisions and my future in my own hands. I learned resilience in the face of everything.
Every single person has a story and a series of circumstances that has happened throughout their lives. There is no way to measure what those circumstances mean to each individual- we all carry the weight of our own experiences and the light of our own futures. I live each day knowing that no matter what obstacles are presented to me, I will always find my way through. Having resilience is about believing in yourself and being your own biggest fan.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
The one thing that got me through the dark days was music. I loved music and was an extremely avid singer and dancer. Every day after school I would attend music classes, vocal lessons and dance classes. Through this experience I was able to express myself creatively and also learn discipline. I always knew I wanted to work in the Entertainment Industry- I was never shy in front of the camera or a microphone. I went to USC and studied communication and journalism- I wanted to be the next Katie Couric! I graduated in 2008, which was an extremely hard year economically. While I landed a part time job upon graduation, I wasn’t able to support myself with that salary, and thus, I sold my car and moved to the big apple to pursue my dreams.
While living in New York, I had amazing experience working across various sectors of Entertainment- tv production, network, agency and beyond. Prior to launching my company, I was Head of Talent at a large production company that handled unscripted series like talk shows, game shows and podcasts. I loved my job there, but was fatigued from being overworked. I wanted the opportunity to do things my way- to say yes, when I wanted to and no when I didn’t feel aligned with a project.
Fast forward to January 2017, I launched Cultivated Entertainment on my dining room table. Now, nearly 7 years later, we have offices in Los Angeles and New York and work on projects across the globe- talk shows, music festivals, brand campaigns, podcasts, award shows, documentaries and so much more!
As a business owner, my number one priority is doing work that we love and fostering a community of positivity. Life is much too short to not enjoy what we do every day.
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?
Patience: It’s always hard to have patience, especially when you can see what is possible in the future. While I didn’t love every single job I had in the past, all of those jobs, taught me lessons about myself and my career. Take advantage of any and every opportunity that comes your way and remember to be patient. Good things come to those who wait.
Gratitude: Being grateful for people and opportunities that come your way is key. Remember the folks who have taught you lessons and/or helped you get to that next place. Be grateful for circumstances, even when they don’t seem like the best. It is in those circumstances that you learn the most about yourself and who you are.
Relationships: Having strong relationships both personally and professional takes work. It’s important to put in the time to spend with those you love, admire and appreciate.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Cultivated Entertainment works in and depends on the greater Entertainment Industry. The last 6 months of both the writer and actors strikes have crippled a part of our business. It has been so hard to navigate completely uncharted waters and also to grasp that a situation is completely out of my control.
In going back to the theme of resilience, I know that we will make it to the other side of this. I know that our commitment and hard work in these uncertain times is not going unnoticed. We are nothing is we are not resilient and I very much look forward to the days when I can share stories of how we made it through this moment in Entertainment on top!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cultivatedent.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cultivatedentertainment/?hl=en
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-proctor-55405b10/
Image Credits
Paige Ray Creative (group shots and head shots) Jess Isaac Photagraphy (office images)
