When I interviewed Broadway, television and film star Ashley Bell about her adventure producing, directing and writing her new documentary “Love and Bananas: An Elephant’s Story,” and the plight of Asian elephants, last week, she gave heartfelt career advice and her own choices reflect important career lessons to highlight too. We were at the Earth Day Network gala,where she won the Women in the Green Economy Leadership Award.
Producing this six-year documentary project required Bell to shake up more than her schedule. It also required her to risk being uncomfortable and scared and to stretch herself in unexpected days, so there are lessons in her experience and choices for all of us.
The story she told of the plight of these majestic animals, from being in the wild to being captured and beaten into submission, all for the “entertainment” of tourists, was gut-wrenching and crucial, especially as the Thai government seeks to overturn a ban that currently provides some protection for the elephants. Lifting the ban would create open-season on these elephants, who are already endangered, with only 35,000 to 40,000 Asian elephants left in the world. She’s now producing a docu-series about it as well.
Here are my career-related takeaways from my conversation with Bell, including direct advice from her:
- Juggle your passion with your career: “During the making of this film, I did 10 movies and a Broadway show,” Bell explained, adding, “there’s downtime … and you have to stay creative…it was still in the realm of art, writing, producing, directing.” So, you too can find a way to tackle a massive or not-so-massive project that could move you forward and/or support your passion.
- Let your passion propel you to try new things: Bell expanded her repertoire into writing, producing and directing more deliberately with this inspired project, because she was so passionate about the project itself. Her passion helped fuel her perseverance.
- Use your talents to make a difference: As an actress, she’s a storyteller, so she used her storytelling skills to help these endangered mammals and the remarkable, female conservationist who risks it all to save them, Lek Chaillert. How can your current skills help you make a difference?
- “Trust your gut. Tell your story,” Bell said immediately in response to my request for career advice for women. She added, “you will get everyone in the world saying ‘no’ to you, and all those people will be the first people to call you” when you’re successful. Trust yourself."
- Push through the fear: “It’s going to be terrifying. There are going to be moments when you don’t know what you’re doing. And there are going to be moments where it’s scary to do things a little bit different,” Bell explained, sharing her own experience.
- “Blend (your) advocacy with (your) passion,” Bell emphasized, adding, “because then something truly incredible happens.” It engages all of you in a more fulfilling way.
- “Don’t give up,” Bell concluded with: “I attribute these elephants to helping me find my voice, as a writer, as a director, even as an actress, to help me find a stronger voice.”
“So, I encourage you, no matter how scary, to trust in that and don’t give up.”
Read more about Bell’s documentary and what you can do to help the elephants on my Forbes blog about it here.
