I recently spoke to producer Lisa Freberg about leading at a time of uncertainty in the entertainment industry, her journey and her best advice on a range of topics. Lisa career began in commercials, where she produced hundreds of spots, some award-winning campaigns and pop culture phenomenon for brands like Nike, Budweiser, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Verizon and more. Lisa went on to produce and direct multiple documentaries before moving to Dreamworks in 2008, where she served as Vice President / Head of Custom Animation Content. Some of her noteworthy franchises include How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda, and Penguins of Madagascar. One of the highlights of her time was the groundbreaking Pepsi / Monsters vs Alien stereoscopic Super Bowl TV spot.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your success and growth?

Lisa: I grew up in south Texas in a large family of seven kids; I am number five! My dad was an Army veteran, and my mom worked outside of the home. After many failed attempts starting a business and much financial hardship, my parents eventually built a strong small business and had moderate success. My siblings and I always had summer jobs, were active in sports and academics. I was into drama competition, one-act plays the whole gambit. To this day, we are a competitive, hard-working, and hard-playing bunch! During my senior year of high school, my dad died in an airplane accident. I developed tenacity, empathy, and the value of failure at a young age that have become the bedrock of my career. 

For much of my career, I worked as a freelance producer making commercials. I eventually became very burned out because I discovered I was dedicating my time, talent, and energy toward an end product I did not care about. I transitioned and dedicated five years of my life and resources to making a documentary film that I could not get picked up. This was an enormous setback; however, I eventually landed an amazing job at Dreamworks. 

Adam: You spent close to eight years as an executive at Dreamworks. What are your best lessons from your time there?  

Lisa: It's hard to answer this question. I learned so much working alongside some of the best filmmakers, marketing executives, and studio execs in the business. My two top takeaways: Creatively, I learned so much from receiving notes from JK (Jeffrey Katzenberg ). Jeffrey's uncompromising pursuit of delivering the best creative is incredible. As a Producer, I had the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business. I learned from JK to understand the spirit of a note, be prepared to support creative choices without taking things personally, and always pursue the best creative to entertain our audience. Working with Jeffrey really built my confidence. 

Secondly, Marketing and great storytelling go hand in hand - learn to work together! I think this is key to the success of any project. There are amazingly creative people on both sides, and we can have tremendous success when working together. Respect and creative collaboration bring fantastic results. 

Adam: In your experience, what are the key elements to building and running a successful production company?

Lisa: Great question! I am a newbie running my own production company. It's a big risk. So far, I'd say – listening is one of the most important tools in the toolbox. Listen to my team, listen to our clients, listen to the filmmakers we are working with to tell stories and pay attention to what’s happening in the world around us. What’s relevant. Be smart and don't get out ahead of yourself.

Adam: You've produced award-winning commercials for some of the best-known brands. What are the key elements to a great commercial?  

Lisa: Trust, fearlessness, and focus. Sometimes a brand will try to accomplish too much, and the concept becomes very muddied. I've found the best commercials are the result of clients who trust the creative team(s) they've hired and let them do their thing. 

Adam: What inspired Heads or Tails and the decision to engage Joey Sasso as the host of the series? 

Lisa: One of our clients is Singleton Foundation for Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship. When COVID-19 lockdown hit our country, our OGM creative team was eager to help their peers navigate these difficult times and the overwhelming information coming at everyone from all sides. We thought, 'we can't make heads or tails of this stuff, other people probably feel the same.' We knew we had access to smart experts through the foundation, but we wanted someone who could relate to our millennial audience to make it approachable. It so happens, one of our producers, Malcolm Freberg, was on SURVIVOR (3 times) he was watching The Circle on Netflix. He recognized Joey's appeal and has first-hand knowledge of the loyal fan base for reality stars. He suggested Joey because he was real, charming, and relatable. We love working with Joey, he's a total pro and truly a wonderful person. 

Adam: In light of the new restrictions in place, how do you envision the film production business operating going forward? What tips do you have for those in the production business on how to best push forward despite the challenges? 

Lisa: Filmmaking is a collaborative endeavor. We're in the middle of editing our film, Alex / October. It's a challenge to finesse the storytelling with our editor and composer working remotely, but we're finding workarounds like Zoom meetings to discuss notes, etc. 

Great creative storytelling and concepts translate. Use the tools we can (Zoom, iPhones, Ring lights, etc.) to create concepts that this organic approach serves. Use social media platforms for distribution. It has been a fun way to think outside of the box. 

Adam: What are the best lessons you learned from pivoting your business during this pandemic? What advice do you have for leaders and entrepreneurs on how to navigate best this crisis and other periods of change in the future? 

Lisa: Look outward, not inward. Don't wait for permission, and try to resist the temptation to become paralyzed by fear. Take care of each other. I reached out to other small businesses to see how we could collaborate to pull together our skill sets and resources. We got two new clients as a result and are working with other amazing entrepreneurs. If we can stay calm in the chaos, we will see the opportunity. Over the years, I've learned this the hard way. I've had plenty of times I "freaked out." This time, I tried to stay calm, and it paid off. 

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Lisa:

1. Don't ask anyone to do anything that you will not do yourself.

2. Be a decisive leader. Wishy-washy creates insecurity and stifles creativity. 

3. Be collaborative, cultivate an environment that fosters the creative flow of ideas, and instill a problem-solving culture. You can do this by listening, brainstorming, challenging team members to do things they did not know they could do, and recognizing skillsets. 

4. Curiosity is key to leadership.

5. Admit when you make a mistake. 

6. Always have your team's back. Absolutely never point back to someone on your team as 'having dropped the ball' to protect your own "butt." In the same regard, this is also why decisions are ultimately yours, so make and standby them. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders? 

Lisa: Communication, honesty and transparency. 

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Lisa: Communication, humility and trust are the key. Building these forms of community come from honesty, transparency, and allowing people to make mistakes.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Lisa: Chaos breeds opportunity, stay calm, and clarity will come. 

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Lisa: I work very hard, and I am very driven. I've had to learn not to press people as much as I press myself. I love what I do. Not everyone is going to be as focused as I am, and that is okay. They may find joy in other places, and that's okay. Don't be a taskmaster; be an inspiring leader.