Who Do You Know?

Talent matters. Craft matters. Persistence definitely matters. But in the film industry, relationships matter too.

Writing jobs rarely come from simply sending in a great script. They often come because someone knows your work, trusts you, likes working with you, or thinks of you when an opportunity appears.

That’s why networking isn’t about collecting business cards or cornering executives at parties. It’s about building genuine relationships over time.

And here’s the best part: those friendships are valuable even if they never lead to a job. Having people in your life who understand the highs, lows, rejection, excitement, and insanity of this business makes the journey a lot more fun.

Some of my biggest opportunities came through friendships.

I wrote Cursed for Fox because of a friend from high school. Years later, our kids were the same age, we started having playdates, and that friendship unexpectedly led to a professional opportunity.

My Hallmark movie With Love, Christmas happened because a friend from my writers’ group knew how much I loved Hallmark movies and introduced me to an executive there.

I became a co-producer on Lifetime’s Against the Wall through a friendship that began years earlier on CSI: Miami, when Annie Brunner was an assistant to the showrunner.

The lesson? Don’t network only with people who can help you today.

Make friends. Stay in touch. Help people when you can. Enjoy knowing them.

Careers are long. The person sitting beside you today may open a door ten years from now — or simply become a lifelong friend.