Threads
From Anti-Memoirs by Andre Malraux (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1967), pp. 6:
War puts its questions stupidly, peace mysteriously. And it is possible that, in the realm of human destiny, the depth of man's questioning is more important than his answers.
Over the last two weeks, a multitude of thoughts have occupied my mind, which has unfortunately made it hard to write. Yes, I know I occasionally ramble in different posts; today, however, I have been unable to connect the theme running through these thoughts. I have been reading, listening, and watching different things, and I am also knee-deep in various commitments. I will share with you some of my thoughts, and maybe, just maybe, we can make sense of them together. Amongst many others, first, I am thinking about Hello Sunshine, a company that Reese Witherspoon — the actress who starred in Legally Blonde, Wild, and Big Little Lies — started and then sold a part of for $900 million in 2021. Second, I am thinking about information diversity and cross-group friendships; third, I am considering not only pace in execution but also creative and physical endurance. Fourth, I am thinking about how people build things that endure. I’ll pull on any of those threads and see where the spirit leads. 👣
Although I had read about the sale of Reese’s company to BlackRock a while back, I had kept it in the back of my mind to learn all about it. However, I never found the chance to explore further. Despite this, the question didn’t stop intriguing me: How did she turn a book club into the media powerhouse that it is today. In 2011, Reese found herself underwhelmed by the scripts coming her way, particularly the quality of writing for female roles. Instead of addressing the problem by trying to fix each script, she met with studio heads including the majors (Sony, Warner, and Universal) to ask what they were developing for women. Shockingly, out of the seven studios she visited, only one had a project in the works focused on a female lead. As if that was not discouraging enough, this studio told her they could only make one film starring a woman that year. Instead of just complaining about the lack of quality scripts or roles for women, she decided to actively address the issue. She shared her frustrations about the problem with her husband, who was working at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), a sports and talent agency, at the time. He suggested that since she read more books than anyone he knew, she should option some of the books she read that had great female characters and produce them herself. Optioning a book means acquiring the rights to adapt the book into a film or television series, allowing her to bring these strong female characters to life on screen. He also advised that she should avoid taking money from others and instead finance the movies herself. This approach would ensure she retains full creative control over the projects. The first two books she optioned, Wild and Gone Girl, both turned into successful films that not only received Oscar nominations but also earned significant profits relative to their production budgets. Wild earned nearly four times its production budget, while Gone Girl surpassed that by making over six times its budget. Following these successes, the company has continued to grow stronger and more successful. 🛁
As for the book club, Reese selects a new book each month, totalling 12 books picks a year. From these 12, she chooses two or three books to adapt into movies or TV series. This strategy not only promotes literature but also provides a pipeline of content for her media productions. Her book club is popular, with 2.8 million followers on instagram, which means that any book she decides to adapt already has a potential audience. This pre-existing audience from her book club can significantly boost interest and viewership for the adaptations, making them more likely to succeed. It’s a perfect mix of holding a strong vision for what you want to see in the world combined with sharp business acumen. Wouldn’t you agree that her approach is nothing short of genius? I know the word “genius” is thrown around so carelessly now, but in the case of Reese Witherspoon, I believe it is justified. After reading up on her business, a few things came to mind. First, it confirmed what I already believed which I have hinted at in other posts. If there’s something you believe is missing in the world, or if you’re dissatisfied with how things are, you should create or change it yourself. This desire, whether it’s from frustration, anger, or uneasiness about the current state of things, could actually be a sign of your calling. Pursuing one’s vision of the world and financial success are not mutually exclusive. The latter actually makes the former easier to accomplish. A compelling vision attracts support, resources, and people who share or believe in the same ideals. Besides, having a unique vision serves as a source of motivation and direction, especially during challenging times. When you feel exhausted or discouraged—when you "run out of steam"—you can look back at your original vision to remind yourself of why you started the journey in the first place. Second, a thought, rather a humorous one, since there are memes on the internet about this: the uncertainty about what a woman expects when she shares her frustrations with her man. 🎥
We often wonder if she’s seeking practical advice or simply wants to be listened to. Because men tend to jump to offering solutions without considering if emotional support or validation is what’s truly needed. I have been guilty of this; to past partners, I apologise — I should have known better. Third, the importance of having an understanding and supportive partner who can perceive and appreciate qualities and potential in you that you might not have recognized in yourself. This doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to romantic partners, in my opinion; friends qualify too. They can point out ways you can combine diverse skills or interests to birth something great. It goes without saying that you should avoid those who diminish your hopes and dreams. Seek out those who offer criticism in a kind and constructive manner. Unlike those who criticise to belittle or discourage, these individuals critique with the intention of supporting your growth and improvement. In essence, they genuinely want to see you succeed. Fourth, despite big film studios doubting the commercial viability of female-driven stories, Reese believed otherwise and was confident in their potential success. There are things that you intuitively understand or convictions you hold about certain trends, which can't easily be articulated or justified using conventional industry metrics or expectations. Often, these convictions contradict the dominant views within an industry. The interesting part is that betting on these convictions can bring substantial benefits that far outweigh the risks. If you lose, your loss is minimal, but if you win, the rewards can be immense. Fifth, in one of her interviews, Reese mentioned that she and Nicole Kidman were both interested in optioning Big Little Lies. Instead of competing for it, they decided to collaborate on adapting the book into a TV series. I found this fascinating because our first instinct is usually to outcompete the other person. We often assume that competition is the default, yet, in reality, we collaborate to compete — we agree on rules and laws that guide how we compete. The fact that she collaborated with Nicole only proves that she practices what she preaches. 🥤
That’s all for now folks! I might continue on this thread or might pull another next week-ish. Sending you all loads of love and light. ⛑️
Thanks for reading. If there's anything you'd like to chat about, or if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you. :) 🍿