We’re looking forward to introducing you to Rebekah Smith . Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Rebekah, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I’d say anxiety. Both conscious and unconscious. Yes, we live in crazy times and are recovering from a Global Pandemic however despite this anxiety creeps in everywhere whether it’s a presentation, job interview or first date. It’s a hidden disruptor and I’ve been battling with it all of my life.
Now I’m determined to change that around and instead change my perspective on the thing I’m worrying about. Instead of wasting time thinking about the ‘what ifs’ I’m focused on taking action and changing my approach to the worry and surrounding myself with different energies and looking at things differently. I recommend this to everyone as you’ll feel so fresh and rejuvenated
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My mission is to help filmmakers get their films seen in festivals around the world so they can gain visibility, get their films sold, win awards and create more opportunities for their careers.
I am the founder of The Film Festival Doctor and I am committed to nurturing filmmakers in order to help them secure film festival screenings, win awards, and a positive recognition within the film industry.
I am my brand, my company is called The Film Festival Doctor and this is what I am known as my nickname is ‘The Film Doctor’. When people say that I’m the best person to work with to get the results that my clients want this is the pressure that I feel I am under. If I can’t take on a film because it’s not what festivals want, I don’t take it on for the money. If I know I can’t get the results that the client wants then I won’t take it on. I care about every one of my clients and ensure that they get results.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Believe it or not but if you looked at my Instagram feed; @rebekahfilmdr you wouldn’t believe that I do not ask for help when I need it. I soon learnt that admitting you need help does not mean that you’ve failed, instead, it opens the door to new solutions, helps you to grow as a person, and to raise your vibration.
I was doing everything in my business as I thought that to get it done right I might as well do it myself. But that is not true. This hit me when I got so burnt out I couldn’t get of bed for a week and I wasn’t putting myself first. As soon as I asked for help and showed my vulnerability, I didn’t feel like I was stuck. Moving away from carrying around full of limiting beliefs and instead being introduced to new possibilities
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes I was getting so overwhelmed with tons of emails, clients to care for and a lot of responsibility that I just didn’t know if I could run my business anymore.
This moment of crisis actually helped me to learn that delegating is essential. I used to be extremely controlling to the point where I believed that no one could run my business except for me which did not make running it a smooth process at all. I had a lot of limiting beliefs running through my mind that was not helpful to grow a business and to enjoy working. I stopped believing it when one of my coaches said ‘how can you grow your company if you think you can do everything by yourself?’ As soon as he said that I knew that I was blocking hundreds of opportunities from coming towards me. I starting trusting my team and delegating more work to them which soon saw the company grow and gave me more time to spend doing other productive and more inspiring things.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes, although I think like any Instagram page it’s edited highlights I’m not putting on pictures of the days when I’m having a stressful day or just venting as that’s not positive or inspiring. But everything that I post on my socials comes from bottom of my heart and is true
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
When what I’m doing becomes very stressful, it feels like work and a heavy chore. And a grind.
When I feel this feeling I need to stop immediately and delegate or recommend someone else to complete the task. I thought I also wanted to become a film sales agent but soon realised that was not my area of expertise or strength and that this type of job was intense and demanded a different type of skill set to what I had. I was much better at being a festival strategist
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thefilmfestivaldoctor.com/
- Instagram: @rebekahfilmdr
- Youtube: @rebekahfilmdr
Image Credits
Rebekah Louisa Smith
