An innovator in 4K, Thomas intends to grow Vubiquity’s studio market segment tenfold within the next few years. Hearing Geena Davis Institute head Madeline Di Nonno recently discuss gender in the workplace hit home. “She said that when women see a job description with 13 qualifications, we don’t even consider applying for the opportunity unless we have at least 10 of the 13 qualifications. Men will apply for the opportunity if they feel they have 2 of the 13 qualifications… It is vital for companies to cultivate women within their organizations and establish a clear path for senior positions.”
What specifically does your company do to support and elevate the women who work there?
As a woman, I value inclusion, flexibility and a sense of autonomy in the workplace. These are often cited along with getting promoted, paid and assessed fairly as requirements for creating gender equality at work.
I’ve been at Vubiquity for almost five years and I have recommended to many women that I highly respect to join the organization. Vubiquity works hard to ensure women and men are equally supported. Women are encouraged to take leadership roles within our organization and given the autonomy to use their expertise to build a path to success for their teams.
How can the industry do a better job of recruiting women and ensuring they have a path to senior positions?
Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, spoke on a panel I attended and her remarks have stuck with me. She said that when women see a job description with 13 qualifications, we don’t even consider applying for the opportunity unless we have at least 10 of the 13 qualifications. Men will apply for the opportunity if they feel they have two of the 13 qualifications.
Women self-select out of the recruitment process creating a smaller pool of potentially great candidates. To that end, I think it is vital for companies to cultivate women within their organizations and establish a clear path for senior positions. If we create company cultures that encourage and reward risk, women are more likely to thrive. Invest in the women within our organizations that show promise.
What advice would you give your 13-year-old self?
I would tell my 13-year-old-self to be fearless. There are so many experiences and opportunities you will pass on in your life because you are scared you will fail or you aren’t good enough or people will make fun of you. None of that is true. You will waste so much time worried about outcomes that will never happen.
Trying and failing isn’t as scary as you think it is. You can achieve more in your life than you think is possible if you learn to embrace the fear. It is a sign that you are going in the right direction.
Which current shows best reflect the kind of women’s roles you like to see and why?
There is so much great TV available for consumption today, it’s hard to narrow down my favorites. Two shows come to mind, “Fleabag” (Amazon) and “PEN15” (Hulu). Both created by phenomenal women storytellers who dared to write quirky, layered and flawed characters that we can’t help but root for the more we get to know them.
The second season of “Fleabag” is a masterpiece. Certainly, the relationship between Fleabag and the Priest is beautiful and heartbreaking, but in the end, “Fleabag” is a story of sisterly love. Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s brilliance is giving us women we don’t often see on our screens.
Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle create a world with “PEN15” where you think what the heck am I watching and why are these two thirty year old women playing 7th graders when all the other actors are actually preteens. But watch one episode and you are transported back to relive your most awkward, relatable embarrassing middle school moments. Hulu took a risk with these creators and the pay-off is pure entertainment.