✨ In a small industry, reputations travel fast. Stories get passed around, and it’s easy to assume that if someone isn’t on the “big shiny gigs,” they weren’t good enough to be hired.

I’ve never believed that the obvious choice is automatically the right one. From the start of my career, I’ve valued meeting people, seeing their energy, and understanding who they are beyond a list of credits.

And my own journey reinforced that belief. I took a period of time away from London, which naturally impacted the projects I could take on. My CV didn’t feature those headline projects — not because I wasn’t capable, but because of personal circumstances and geography. It reminded me that an email or CV rarely tells the full story.

When you actually sit down with someone, you see what a CV can’t capture:
✨ Personality and drive.
✨ Passion for the craft.
✨ A genuine willingness to collaborate.

These “soft skills” aren’t soft at all — they’re what transform a group of individuals into a high-performing team. Hard skills deliver the work, but soft skills make people want to come back and do it again.

I’ve seen it play out with others too. One of the least “experienced” people I know is now an exec. Not because she had decades in the industry, but because she knows how to spot and empower brilliant people. She builds exceptional teams — and those teams deliver exceptional shows.

That’s why being open-minded as a hirer matters. If you only follow reputations or rely on what you’ve heard, you risk overlooking the hidden gems — the ones who bring resilience, empathy, and fresh thinking to the table.

The best leaders understand that the right choice isn’t always the obvious one. Sometimes, the real magic happens when you take a chance on potential.

And in this industry, fortune really does favour the brave. ✨