Meet Maggie Hartmans and Brittany Zampella

We were lucky to catch up with Maggie Hartmans and Brittany Zampella recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maggie and Brittany, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
As a sustainable production company that has made documentaries about climate change, we often get asked how we can remain hopeful. Our entire philosophy is based on being “farsighted” – if you have farsighted vision, everything up close is blurry, but you can see far ahead. We are adamant about not letting current setbacks hinder the hope for the future. We’ve seen firsthand how innovative ideas can transform challenges into opportunities, igniting change and fostering growth. Our faith in the future is fueled by the passionate individuals and communities we engage with daily, like Lucy Molina, the subject of our latest documentary. Lucy is a single mom who fights racism and environmental injustice in one of the nation’s most polluted zip codes. Lucy’s story is a poignant reminder that hope for a better future is not just a dream, but a possibility made real through determination, kindness, and collective effort. This collective drive towards improvement and the shared vision of a better world is what keeps our optimism alive.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Farsighted Creative is a dynamic video production studio committed to telling meaningful stories that inspire empathy for today and a hopeful vision for tomorrow. Through producing compelling narrative films and documentaries, utilizing eco-friendly filmmaking techniques, and creating promotional content for ethical and sustainable brands, our work is grounded in the belief that Good content can inspire positive change and lasting impact. We’re excited to announce that our documentary, “A Good Neighbor” is available for educational and community screenings through Good Docs. Anyone can host a screening for their community by going to https://gooddocs.net/products/a-good-neighbor.

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?
The biggest quality is empathy. It allows us to build a people-oriented business to care for each other as co-founders and partners, extend that care people we work with and hire, and impact our communities with the stories we tell.

The skill that has been most impactful is problem-solving, or a willingness to learn the skills required to do a job. Whether it’s learning the legal ins and outs of the documentary world, or teaching ourselves new skills, we’re always open to challenging ourselves and not letting road blocks get in the way. As one of our favorite directors David Fincher says, “Give us a weekend and a case of red bull and we’ll figure it out.”

However, this willingness goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to rest. Even though we’re willing to try new things, wear a lot of hats, and work a weekend every once in awhile, we’ve also learned the necessity of putting our hats back on the shelf and taking care of ourselves. In the world of filmmaking and advertising, hustle culture is not only the norm but a badge of honor. But burnout isn’t healthy. We want Farsighted Creative to be an example of how you can be a successful creative and entrepreneur without running yourself into the ground.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
“Powers of Two” by Joshua Wolf Shenk was an early staple in our library as creative partners and cofounders. It’s a great book about famous creative partnerships and what we can learn from them. We especially loved the chapter about C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien. The author highlights the concept of one person in a partnership being an “idea generator” and the other being an “idea resonator,” and how pairs will often take turns in these roles. It gave us great language for presenting ideas for one another to support or provide helpful criticism.

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