Remember that scene in Forrest Gump when Tom Hanks runs so fast that he ends up running through a football game and lands a scholarship to college? What about the moment in The Devil Wears Prada when Meryl Streep delivers in her perfect monotone, “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.” Wendy Finerman is one of the women who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get these iconic movies made. She’s created some of the most-loved films of our generation, including Drumline, Stepmom, P.S. I Love You, and many more. She’s also a mother to four incredible children, founder and CEO of Wendy Finerman Productions, and sister of How She Does It host, Karen Finerman.
Listen in as Wendy Finerman opens up about the tragedy that shaped her formative years, and how processing that trauma changed her. “You have to find the good in all the bad; I can take care of anything and I can do anything,” she says. “I can put everything aside and be very goal driven. And I certainly would have not become the person I am today if I hadn’t had those challenges when I was younger.”
When Wendy was offered the job of Chief Financial Analyst for The Movie Channel at age 21, she says she knew she could do it — even if she had to take her finance and accounting textbooks into the office with her. From there, she worked her way up to being a producer in Hollywood, and was eventually credited as the person who got Forrest Gump made after pushing for it for 9 years. This earned her the nickname in the industry of “Blonde Ambition.”
Listen to hear more about Wendy’s philosophies for uniting differing opinions and getting everyone on a project behind a singular creative vision. She also shares insight on creating a personal brand that you believe in, and why The Devil Wears Prada is just the gift that keeps on giving.
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