Somebody saw something in you before you saw it in yourself. Think about that for a second. There was a moment in your career where someone took a risk on you – gave you a responsibility you weren’t fully ready for, put you in a room you hadn’t earned yet, or handed you an opportunity that changed the entire direction of your life. And you rose to it. Not because you were the most qualified person in the building, but because someone believed you could be.
That is how careers are actually built in this industry. Not just through talent, but through access. And access is controlled by people.
I’ve watched incredibly talented people stall in their careers not because they lacked skill, but because nobody vouched for them. Nobody pulled them into the right conversation or said “trust me on this one” to the right decision maker. The difference between someone who breaks through and someone who doesn’t is often not ability – it’s proximity to someone willing to open a door.
Here’s where it gets uncomfortable. Too many people in leadership positions in this industry get to a certain level and start protecting their seat instead of creating new ones. They forget the version of themselves that needed a chance. They mistake gatekeeping for standards. And in doing so, they quietly drain the next generation of the opportunity that shaped them.
If you are in a position to give someone a shot – give it. Be specific about what you see in them. Put your name behind them. Yes, it carries risk. It’s supposed to. That’s what real investment looks like.
The opportunity you withhold might be the one that changes everything for someone else. And the culture you build by opening doors will outlast any production you’ve ever worked on.
Stay Positive.
-A
A Wright Network
Thanks again to Aubrey Wright
