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Home » A Guide to Believing in Yourself (But For Real This Time): Catherine Reitman (Transcript)

A Guide to Believing in Yourself (But For Real This Time): Catherine Reitman (Transcript)

Full text of TV star, Catherine Reitman’s talk: A Guide to Believing in Yourself (But For Real This Time) at TEDxToronto conference. In this talk, she shares her lessons learned in seeing ideas through to their completion, not allowing others to reshape your vision and a little bit about family dynamics.

TRANSCRIPT:

Catherine Reitman – Producer, Workin’ Moms

I feel so fortunate to be here, you guys.

I should let you know I’m not an academic – hell, I barely have a university diploma – but I have found myself in a very fortunate seat.

I’m the showrunner of my own series. “Showrunner” is industry talk for a boss lady, hence the blazer.

And even as I say it to you, it feels strange because it wasn’t so long ago – four years now – that I felt completely powerless, and unqualified, and specifically like I didn’t have a choice.

Have you ever felt a tingle inside? That you were meant for more, that something outside of your prescribed life was calling to you, but you didn’t feel entitled to it?

If so, don’t sweat.

I want to talk to you about the choice you have to grow outside of your comfort zone.

See, I spent the majority of my adult life feeling like I had no choice. I lived in a constant state of rejection. I’m an actor. I spent my career going into rooms desperately trying to convince someone that I was the perfect version of that character, only to be told “NO.”

I’m sure you’re all thinking that acting is a very glamorous career. And the irony is the majority of creative types work a very small percentage of the time – if at all. So I got fed up.

I mean, look, if I was trying to sell you this jumper and you said “no,” I could blame the jumper.

But when the product is yourself, it becomes harder and harder to sleep at night.