Learning and growth with a woman’s signature

Each of these women, from their spaces and experiences, have left their mark on the lives of those who have had the opportunity to work with them. By being creative and determined, they have reached positions and achievements that make us feel so proud to share the same gender with them.

For them, being a woman has not represented any obstacle to inspire others, to exercise leadership, and to build spaces for growth. They were nominated to receive our Woman of the Year award in 2020, and with their trajectory and professionalism within the audiovisual industry, they invite us to continue working to achieve all possible goals.

Cynthia Hudson, senior vice president and general manager of CNN en Español and Hispanic strategy for CNN/U.S, has been recognized with numerous awards throughout her professional career. She is one of the most influential Latin American personalities in the world, but she is also warm and friendly. Her most recent award was WAWA Woman of the Year 2020.

“I was really honored to be nominated alongside a group of women that I admire. They all have remarkable careers; we have all overcome the barriers and obstacles we have encountered in our professions. That day I felt very privileged to be part of that group, and being honest, I was surprised to hear my name. I didn’t expect it at all” says Hudson while she recalls the moment she received our most important award. Then she continues “I will share this recognition with all the other nominees because we all deserve it. I am very grateful”.

Cynthia remembers that the first time she came to MIP in Cannes, she noticed that not so many women were working in important positions as sellers, creators and buyers. But year after year, our events have more female participation. It is inspiring that WAWA has become an institution that supports the growth of women in the audiovisual industry. She thinks that “this organization is very important to continue promoting opportunities for women in the industry.”

Keeping the good work during a pandemic

“I believe the keys to move forward in this crisis are three:

The first key is continuous communication. We have to take advantage of digital tools to communicate, like we have already done it with Zoom! Without these tools, the virtual office would not have worked.

The second key is creating a routine that fits in with the dynamic of your personal life. I confess that I am working harder than ever, I never stop! So my new routine is to have breaks and work-free spaces.

The third key is to take time to say ‘thank you’. We have to realize how precious time and friendship is and we need to learn the value of a gesture of gratitude. In the ‘pre-pandemic’ world we might have thought about this, but we never said thanks. I have now decided to always express it. It seems to me that as colleagues, human beings and friends, it is very important to express how much you value the support of others. This pandemic made us realize that we cannot do anything alone. We need help. The greatest resource of companies is investing in people. Without people, a business simply does not work”.

A project that caught her attention

“The journalism world is very demanding, but at the same time we are witnessing the course of history. We are living in a moment when the work we are doing is crucial; I feel like I have a great responsibility on my shoulders because we cannot make a mistake informing people of what is really happening in the midst of a pandemic and a global crisis, of situations of great social and cultural changes. So at this moment my most important project is that people can communicate through the different means of the multiplatform world and that they know the differences between truthful information and propaganda. We are living in a moment where different platforms are being used to misinform. This is very dangerous for society, for democracy, and for the future of our children. CNN’s role is to continue being the journalism model and to encourage people to understand their responsibility as citizens as well.”

Carmen Larios, Senior Vice Presidency of Content for A&E and Lifetime, likes to work calmly and smartly. In her job, she directs the flow of ideas to generate interest, inspire and motivate thousands of viewers. Her trajectory, strategic vision and perseverance in making a difference, led her to this list of nominees for the WAWA Woman of the Year Award 2020. This makes her proud and pleased with herself.  She says that, “Being part of this group has been a great privilege. I am excited because I know the nominees and everything they have done at WAWA. It has been a great surprise to see all the things that had been achieved in such a short time. They worked very fast and they did not stop developing projects, launching initiatives, and bringing together a large group of women”.

In this sense, Carmen reflects on the true role that organizations such as WAWA should have. In her opinion, these kinds of organizations should contribute more to the work of women in the industry. This is precisely what she has seen in WAWA Association and what motivated her to be part of it. She thinks that, “The spirit of WAWA on this matter is unique, because they like to show the work of companies run by talented women as distributors, filmmakers, or executives. During this pandemic, it has become very clear that their greatest interest is to make public the work of every person who is contributing to common growth”.

Keeping the good work during a pandemic

Larios highlights the value of networking, collaboration between everyone to achieve goals, and relying on business needs and opportunities. “That is unique and fantastic. In WAWA we have noticed that in the past few months a sorority has formed. A very inclusive sorority that welcomes executives, opinion leaders and other professionals, all with the common aim of showing our work to the world”, she adds.

On this matter, Larios thinks that constant communication and being very organized is something positive to overcome the challenges that we are dealing with right now. “In this period, good communication and clear objectives had been a key to use time wisely”, she says.

A project that caught her attention

“I am dedicated 100% to both channels, A&E and Lifetime. I am invested in the campaigns that we are currently doing and in developing relevant multiplatform productions for our audience. All of this has caught my attention, and I am excited about all that we have achieved despite how long this pandemic has been. We have launched so many products and we continue to develop others despite the fact that the market has been very stagnant. I am also excited because we have not lost the capacity for enthusiasm and to move forward with a coordinated team that carries out everything successfully”.

Three words to grow in this industry“The first is balance, as it is very important, especially between your personal life and your work, between your aspirations and your achievements. Also, to be grateful to belong to an industry that is so rewarding, entertaining, stimulating and fun. Finally, creativity: you always have to reinvent yourself in order to grow”.

Fidela Navarro’s life has always been full of great challenges. From creating the Journalism career at the University of Guadalajara; to developing audiovisual projects that have deeply enriched the already prolific Mexican television, giving it a new approach.

Navarro’s commitment at work as an admired executive and her capacity to overcome challenges with success led her to be a nominee for the WAWA Woman of the Year award 2020. “I was very excited about the nomination, I did not expect it. It is a great honor to share this nomination with talented women whom I have always greatly admired”, she says.

Fidela Navarro is part of WAWA because she likes the possibility of opening new paths for those women who are taking their first steps in the industry. “I am motivated by how necessary it is to recognize and support ourselves as professional women, paving the way for the new generations. We have to make life easier for those who will follow us”, she explains.

Keeping the good work during a pandemic

For Navarro, some practices that this industry has learned and acquired during the pandemic must be maintained over time. “Professional solidarity, creativity without physical or mental barriers, the use of technology to talk and see each other more often and the possibility of being more at home, combining family and work” are some of the examples she gave us.

Currently Fidela Navarro is dedicated to filming and pre-producing four series, which translates into a huge challenge in the face of the continuing pandemic. In this sense, she emphasizes that for an audiovisual project to have a good chance of success it must have three characteristics: “distinction, quality and relevance”. In this way, she is extremely excited to continue creating and bringing exciting stories to the screen, and “to continue being part of an evolving industry, full of challenges”.

With almost 30 years of experience, Patricia Daujotas’ career has gone through different phases within the areas of business, programming and production. After a journey that has led her to work in companies such as Telefe and Fox International Channels, today she is the Director of Contents of Saeta, Channel 10 of Uruguay.

Today, Patricia shares that being part of the candidates for the WAWA Woman of the Year award 2020 makes her really proud because “being nominated by all my colleagues in the industry, encourages me to continue doing my job better every day and renews my commitment to go after excellence”.

Daujotas adds that she values being part of WAWA because here women really like to work together. Then she adds that “This is very important in today’s world, no matter what business you are in, and WAWA makes it easier and promotes these links between colleagues and the different artists in the industry”.

Keeping the good work during a pandemic

This pandemic has forced us to learn many things, but some things more than others had been vital to our industry, like the “Constant adaptation to changes. This pandemic has made us extremely resilient and, I think that, at least in that aspect, we are going to come out stronger from this crisis”, she adds.

The forced breaks and interruptions have not stopped Patricia. Her character is of a restless nature, which is why she is always carrying out projects that connect her with the constant search for activities she is passionate about.

An advice for those taking their first steps in the industry

“I would give a lot of advice! –She laughs– but the first one would be to be humble and act in good faith. This is a beautiful industry that, at least in my case, has brought me many satisfactions, great friendships and amazing connections”.

An impeccable trajectory of more than 20 years of experience make Patricia Jasin, VP of Azteca International & Azteca Pay TV Networks, one of the most renowned and respected personalities in the industry; not only for her great professional capacity but also for her energetic and cheerful character. And she made sure we noticed her genius and sympathy during this interview.

“Recognitions are difficult for me. They are rewarding from a professional point of view, but they always leave me thinking that there are so many people that also deserve an award. For me, this time every one of us is the woman of the year. We all had to change so much our routines, our dynamics, change how we are in every way. This has been so challenging that we are all women of the year. In this case, being recognized by your colleagues is very significant. They are voting for you because they really know who you are. That is very rewarding and something to be proud of”, she says.

Regarding being part of WAWA, Patricia mentions that the best scenario is to combine work with personal gratification and that is exactly what she finds in this organization. Then she adds, “We have the privilege of working on something that we love so much that it is part of our lives, and when these two things can be combined in this way, you don’t feel like you are really working. Being part of WAWA makes me believe that we are much more than a group of colleagues, but a group of people who interact on many levels. Working with people that you also love and with whom you share so much more than the professional career, is the best way to live”.

Keeping the good work during a pandemic

“In my case, I have lived the pandemic without confinement because we have not stopped going to the office. It has been a different challenge. Although we have had to support others to stay at home, we have not stayed there. Personally, 2020 left me with this feeling that anything is possible. When you really know what you want and need to do, you find the ways to do it. Some people have failed because they cannot adapt, and in my case I am really proud that I was able to do it. There have been many challenges for everyone, and the key was to find new ways to achieve your goal.  We need to learn from this”.

A project that caught her attention

“We have just launched Azteca Estudios, a production center. Originally, Azteca Estudios was almost exclusively supplying for TV Azteca, but today we are transforming it and we opened it 100% to third-party services. This is our greatest current project for 2021”.

Patricia Jasin concludes her interview by sharing with us two keys to a successful balance in this career: being honest and working with joy. “I work very honestly. I am not interested in earning more money if I have to be dishonest, and on the other hand, joy: everything I do with pleasure, with joy, with passion and honesty, always leaves me positive results”, she concludes.

Silvana D’Angelo has worked for more than 20 years in the international television industry. She is a model to the different phases of the international content business. Her achievements include the running of successful businesses within the field of international distribution, something that led her to consolidate Argentine production outside its borders. She currently runs her own company, Glowstar Media, and is an active part of the WAWA Association.

“I have been part of it from the beginning. I think that to gather together under one organization is very positive. Sometimes we would like to have more time to participate even more, which is why I always admired the work and commitment of the board executives. It is a space for exchange and enrichment that must remain egalitarian and open-minded, and in that sense I believe that women are more flexible and open than most men. This founding group achieved the goal of bringing together more than 400 female executives under its roof! And without a doubt it is a great challenge to get the best out of it so that we can learn and be inspired by other women. And I believe that everyday than passes we are closer to that goal.”

D’Angelo is very happy about her nomination for the Woman of the Year award, especially since this nomination came from her colleagues. According to her, this makes it more valuable and special because “This shows the great generosity that there is among the women of this industry. Besides, this is an amazing and satisfying nomination because it makes me feel that all my effort and years of work in this industry are being recognized. It was a great moment full of surprise, and a joy”.

Keeping the good work during a pandemic

For D’Angelo this has been a year of great learning. She says, “First of all, I think adaptation was the most important thing this year. Although it is already a characteristic for all of us in industry, this pandemic forced us to be adaptable more than ever. We realized that it is possible to work in a different way. The home office became some usual, when before it was an exception, and it was not that bad at the end. Although we need to get out of the house every now and then, of course”.

“Informality was also something that determined the encounters and made them more human. I really liked that image breakdown that was ultimately useless. We no longer see the executives behind a sumptuous desk, but in their houses, with their families, their dogs, something that makes us feel more like equals. Although we already were like a family, all equals, this made it stronger. I do not think that will change. Formality has no added value and it does not make you more professional”.

“We also learned to be more efficient at time management, and by not having to move from one place to another, to evaluate if personal meetings are really necessary or not. That will undoubtedly change as well. Some meetings will be needed, others will not, or at least we will not need to attend to all of them. Another interesting observation is that we have rejected paper contracts, if there were any left. Everything has become more technological and practical. The pandemic has been very long and I believe that all changes it brought were not just temporary, because they have already become habits. And if you make something a habit, it lasts over time”.

A project that caught her attention

Silvana explains that, perhaps due to having more time for the co-development of original content, she has discovered that the intervention and collaboration in the creative area contributed to the achievement of the objectives set in 2020.

Success is not accidental. There are some principles to achieve it, and Silvana has put them into practice and shared them with those who are new to the industry. “The first principle is that there is no economic interest that can break a promise, a contract, or business ethics. This is a business relationship and only executives who are believed and trusted get wonderful projects. The second principle is to learn, to research and to constantly update your knowledge. Industries that put faith in technological advances will grow and succeed at transformation. And the last one: resistance, patience and perseverance, that is the secret”.