Revolutionizing TV & Empowering Women: Leadership Insights from Vibika Bianchi

Dive into the captivating world of entertainment production with our distinguished guest, Vibika Bianchi, an esteemed award-winning Executive Producer with over three decades of industry experience. Discover how she has masterfully brought to life both her own visions, and those of others. From pioneering hit shows like 'Property Brothers' and 'Love It or List It' to her latest production, Carolyn Taylor's 'I Have Nothing' on Crave, Vibika’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.

Listeners will be captivated by:

• The challenges and breakthroughs in her journey, including the production of the Gemini-winning 'David Milgaard Story.'
• Her insights on advocating for innovative projects like 'Love It or List It' and 'Property Brothers.'
• The evolution of decision-making in the industry, blending creativity with business acumen.
• Vibika’s current focus on empowering women in content creation, highlighting her work with Catalyst and the Docs for Change initiative.

This episode is a goldmine for anyone interested in media production, leadership, and the empowerment of women in the entertainment industry. Join us as we explore Vibika's remarkable career and her profound insights on navigating and leading in the world of entertainment.

Follow Vibika on Instagram

Learn more about Catalyst: https://www.catalystforcreators.com/

Learn more:  aftermetoo.com 

For us for actionable tools & tips for your leadership journey
Instagram @Grit.Grace.Podcast
Follow our LinkedIn Page
Website: www.thegritandgrace.co

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

How do you advocate for something that's risky that hasn't been done? Joining me is Vipica Bianchi, an award-winning executive producer. She's pioneered lifestyle powerhouses like Property Brothers and Love it or List it. Her work has been seen around the world on platforms such as HGTV, Food Network, Own and many more.

Speaker 2: 0:22

Our goal really is to help give opportunities to women creators and help them get their ideas made, and often we look at it as ideas that wouldn't otherwise be made.

Speaker 1: 0:32

In this episode, we explore the importance of female storytelling, gain insights from her career arc in the entertainment industry and discuss leadership perspectives that come with age and wisdom. Let's dive in. So, Vipica, first of all, thank you for coming into the studio and being with us here today. You have been entertaining the global audiences for three decades now and you have been a powerhouse for shows that I personally love Property Brothers Love it or List it. The list goes on Hockey Wives. Your latest project has been on Crave, Carolyn Taylor's. I have Nothing, and I have so many questions about this one for you, so thank you so much for being here. Thank you, it's a pleasure to be here. Well, my first question, as we just kind of go through that backdrop three decades in the entertainment industry. What was the early start like for you? What was that journey like?

Speaker 2: 1:30

What I think was really important in a kind of pivotal moment was when I went to school. I went to Ryerson now Toronto Metropolitan University and when I went there and got the chance to really try out the craft, I knew I was in the right place and it was very exciting. And you know, I was a decent student prior to then.

Speaker 2: 1:51

But then I became a really good student because I was doing something I loved and I knew that it just was my thing, so got a degree there and then when I got out of school I was ready to produce. And you know, you just don't get a job producing right out of school. So I had to work my way up, and I actually think that was a gift.

Speaker 1: 2:12

What I'm curious about, because those of us who might not be that close to what does it mean to produce Like? When you say I knew I wanted to produce like, what does that actually mean?

Speaker 2: 2:20

Well, I mean the truth of producing is that it kind of is a catch-off phrase. It covers so many different things, but producing is really seeing something to fruition. I think it's ultimately, whether it's your idea or someone else's, it's taking that and seeing it come to life. Yeah, so that is really what the essence of producing is is like taking something, that you have the instinct or you know, just the gut feeling that there's something to this Seeing, believing in the vision whether it's yours or someone else isn't understanding that vision and then bringing it to life.

Speaker 1: 2:55

When you look back and through your childhood, were there any early influences that you were naturally creative Like? Did you have just kind of a knack for it?

Speaker 2: 3:02

I think one of the major influences and this is funny to me still when I say it, but is the Mary Tyler Moore show. Yeah, she was an associate producer and I just thought that's so cool what she's doing. And she just, you know, she was basically glorified secretary, but she did get to produce and when she did, it was really neat.

Speaker 1: 3:19

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 3:19

And I liked her as a character and I think that was sort of the early motivation. I knew I wanted to do it. I didn't know how to get there. How do I, this person with no connections and you know, you really kind of get that message a lot that you need to know somebody to get somewhere in this business. And I didn't have that. So I I kind of just looked around for opportunities, I volunteered, I did, I worked in as a production assistant on corporate videos. I did a whole bunch of things. I did Rogers cable 10. We would go in and record the city council meetings and that was a painful, painfully long. That's commitment to the craft, yeah, but it was. It was again. It was building that kind of belief that I knew what I wanted to do and understanding the business more, because I think that's part of my process is I need to. In order to do something, I feel like I have to get a good understanding of it, and that was my way of doing that.

Speaker 1: 4:17

What was the arc like, from, you know, being an assistant to really starting to have a level of influence and, you know, a seat at the table?

Speaker 2: 4:26

There were a couple of women that hired me at my first job and they were very much motivated to see me succeed, and so, as they were, you know, progressing in their careers, they were looking for opportunities for me. After a while I started to say, like, can I join? And you know, can I read that script?

Speaker 1: 4:43

and whatever it was, you know.

Speaker 2: 4:46

And I think for me, I just I don't know. I think a lot of people feel that way. When you're starting something new, you got to kind of build confidence first. But also I was frustrated for not being able to do it and I think that is a motivator when you see it happening around you and you're not part of it.

Speaker 2: 5:00

Yeah, I just was motivated by that kind of hunger to get involved, and so it would take a risk every once in a while and say, can I join, and you know? And then eventually I was leading. You know, and what was that first project that you didn't lead? I think the one that really stood out for me was it was the David Milgaard story.

Speaker 1: 5:18

It was a TV movie for CTV.

Speaker 2: 5:20

Yeah, I got to be involved in producing capacity and quickly kind of discovered that I knew what I was doing because I've all those years, I guess, of building towards it and I took charge to a large degree and, you know, oversaw the kind of execution through to the end and you know we won a Gemini. You know that was exciting, it was an exciting time and I really felt that that was again sort of reinforcing my gut that this is where I'm supposed to be.

Speaker 1: 5:50

When you were starting to get you know that spot in your career, and now you're like no, I'm going to pioneer for new and I'm a champion for new concepts. Right, how do you advocate for something that's risky, that hasn't been done? Yeah, yeah, like, let's go to that moment. And I don't know if it was property brothers or if there was a concept before that.

Speaker 2: 6:11

Levered List came before property brothers and well, I think there's you know, it's interesting because there's sort of different eras of that role, of that commissioning role, where you are the one that is saying, yes, I'm going to take this forward and get by in internally and, you know, let's see if we can get it made. But early on Levered List it was this project that came around because somebody internally at the channel not in the programming department had this idea essentially and that became the nugget of it. And then the team, the programming team, myself and two others, really sort of dove in and tried to turn this into a concept that made sense and it feels fairly straightforward now. But it was one of those things that was quite complex to work out. Some of those details, yeah, that kind of fell together in a really nice way. It wasn't. This wasn't met with any resistance. We just were like we're doing this and we know there's an idea here. And it was a different era Because we really got to play a little bit, we got to kind of use our gut and you know we've been doing a ton of property programming at that point.

Speaker 2: 7:20

So we certainly knew the marketplace. So, yeah, that's that's how those evolved and again, part of that was also selling those projects both to HGTV US, because those originated on Delby network. Then once it got the US presence, they blow up, of course, right. Yeah, it's sort of later on where there's that period of time where suddenly it was a lot more people wanted to be part of those decisions and wanted to talk about ROI and wanted to, and you're going. You know, the truth of the matter is there is no guaranteed ROI on these things. You never know what's going to work. So it's always an experiment and I think you know I'm going to speak frankly and just say there was a point where that ability to trust the programming team to really go with what they knew it was sort of very much shifted to a, to a bottom line focus. And how can we guarantee you a hit?

Speaker 1: 8:14

Was it a reflection of the times or do you think it's a function of success?

Speaker 2: 8:18

To be honest with you, I think it's a mixture, because I think the success brought more attention. I think it also was, you know, just a shift in terms of how the business was run. All of those things kind of conspired to create a little a different model for how we made decisions In my last couple of years. There we were doing math around these green light decisions. Right, and okay, I'll do your math, but it's not going to tell you anything. No guarantee there's no guarantee.

Speaker 2: 8:48

No guarantee. I mean, I will say, just going back to your previous question, on one of the projects that was really kind of that took a little bit more work to sell through and that was undercover boss Canada, which we did the Canadian version of and it was actually a CTV that had the American version and so they would have been the incumbent to have the Canadian version and they passed on it and I think CBC had also passed on it and you know this little cable channel was like got this opportunity to do this relatively big, you know, network show, and the way to do that for me had became to build, buy in individually, okay, Before you have that meeting, understanding their concerns, making sure we say, yes, we will have that will happen. We'll do that, we'll take care of that.

Speaker 1: 9:31

So what's fascinating about what you're talking about is this kind of consensus building and then having the courage to kind of present in a larger team meeting. Was there ever a point in your tenure where you didn't feel like you needed to do that that much?

Speaker 2: 9:49

I feel that way now in my career, but it became trickier to do that in that corporate environment where, again, we were doing math that is light on green lights. It just wasn't to me that was. You know, that's part of that is main reason why I left was that it was. It felt like it was getting in the way of the creativity, of the art, of the instinct, and I really I've stressed instinct and I think instinct is something that you earn and you gain over years of doing the thing and studying and just knowing your craft so well.

Speaker 1: 10:20

I want to kind of evolve a little bit and talk about what you're up to today. Can you share a little bit about some of the work you're doing today as it relates to catalyst? We'll talk a little bit about kind of women and content creation for women, Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 10:33

Yeah, I'm going to give a little bit of background first, which is that when I was, when I was at E1, I started also working for this nonprofit organization called After Me Too, which was advocacy for women who were women and people in the workplace who had experienced sexual harassment and sexual abuse and misconduct.

Speaker 2: 10:59

And it was a brand new charity and I helped kind of build it and turn it into a charity in fact, and it's gut wrenching work and you know you're competing against this vast array of charities that needs the money, you know, but it's rewarding in the sense that it's now a wonderful website where people can go to and get into it, and I think it's a great way to work with people and get help if they're experiencing that, and not just in the entertainment business, by the way. So I was doing the TV work and the charity work and then the pandemic hit and you know I found myself trying to figure out what I wanted to do next and came across this fellow producer, Julie Bristow, that I've always wanted to work with and we actually the very last meeting before the pandemic was the two of us that are, you know, having coffee, saying we should work together, and then lockdown happened.

Speaker 1: 11:47

So we were like oh.

Speaker 2: 11:49

So we stayed in touch and we kept talking, and she had this idea to start a company that was about creating content made by women and giving opportunity to women, and because in this industry it still is a disadvantage, and so I was like I am in you know whatever like count me in.

Speaker 2: 12:09

So I've been with her since the early days and it's been three years now that we've been in business and our goal really is to help give opportunities to women creators and help them get their ideas made and like and often we look at it as ideas that wouldn't otherwise be made, you know, and that's such a rewarding and exciting place to be.

Speaker 1: 12:31

When you do give women a chance. Is there anything in that dynamic that you have a unique perspective on, Like I see it in entrepreneurship? But I'm just curious of when someone does say, oh my goodness, you believe in our ideas, Like what has been your experience believing in a female content creator?

Speaker 2: 12:47

Honestly, I feel like there is a lot of gratitude, just appreciation for this opportunity that is giving women a kind of advantage that normally doesn't exist. So I see that I think I see a lot of women kind of going up and dying to take this to somebody, but didn't know who it would be until I heard about you. That is definitely coming up. People are feeling like there's a place for them and I think that's part of what we want to do as a company, as an organization, is creating sisterhood and being there for each other and supporting each other.

Speaker 1: 13:25

Well, I was on the website and I was checking out the Docs for Change initiative that you have in partnership with Nix. Would you mind just kind of giving a bit of a backdrop on what that is and where you guys are at in the project we're?

Speaker 2: 13:37

working with Nix on this initiative that is really geared towards future documentaries by women creators again, again, a space where there hasn't been a ton of opportunity. It's also really tough to make future documentaries and you'll talk to any woman who makes future documentaries, even if it's their 10th one. They're often doing it on their own dime and you know, just in their spare time and trying to figure out how to make that happen, because you have to kind of prove it before it's bought. It's often the case that men are given the chance by just talking loud about the idea and knowing the right people. Women have to prove it. We are. Well. We can't completely eliminate that need to prove. There still needs to be some work to be pitching something. What. We're looking at it as an opportunity to say I believe in you, you know you have a great track record, you've done some amazing work. Your idea, you're very passionate about it. You know your idea, let's go. Yeah, no, you don't have to make it first and then we'll buy it after. You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 14:49

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 14:50

Like it can actually be there from the beginning and help a filmmaker make their project from the beginning.

Speaker 1: 14:56

So with a lot of these submissions, have you noticed a kind of cultural themes on what's coming in?

Speaker 2: 15:01

Yeah, yeah, I mean, first off, I'll say we had over 50 submissions and from all kinds of creators, and it's really exciting and such great work.

Speaker 2: 15:13

So it was really really very moving to see the amount of ideas that were coming in, and the level and the quality of the work was also really impressive. Yeah, there were four themes that we kind of could see throughout the various submissions, and the first was women's health Everything from, you know, mental health to reproductive health, yeah, women's rights and advocacy. So, again, abortion rights, everything you know to do with women, and various rights that are still not granted to women in a lot of cases, yeah. The third was climate change and again, I think we've seen that a lot of women are very, um, yeah, kind of concerned and motivated to help in that cause. And then the last was wisdom and aging and, uh, and that was really interesting, there was a lot of kind of really interesting ideas about how often women are are kind of sidelined over 50. And that there is a whole lot more there that we are just not tapping into.

Speaker 1: 16:33

Well, this is the one we're going to tap into I am.

Speaker 1: 16:36

I've been itching to talk about the wisdom. So I'm 45. I think I am feeling the share. I am feeling like I am moving into the chapter of 30s. For me was there was a lot of ambition, I would say proving energy. Something changed for me at 45. Right, I found that I was like, well, if it's not now. When Right First thought, if I don't do it now, wait, what am I waiting for? That was kind of this rising up. Then I had this, you know, realization that I think I've been caught in this pattern of like well, somebody else must know more and better. But I think you get to start an age of like, no, I'm kind of the adult here. Like then, you've seen enough, it's time to step into it.

Speaker 2: 17:22

This is why we're here.

Speaker 1: 17:23

We can talk about wisdom for you. As you think about aging and wisdom, what are some shifts that you found inside of yourself that have impacted you professionally?

Speaker 2: 17:36

I'm sure I'm not even going to begin to scratch the surface, but I'll do my best here and say that there are a few things that stand out for me. One is is kind of knowing what battles to choose, knowing where your energy is best spent and not like just walking away from the stuff that's just not worth it Because you're not going to win every battle. I think that's been really, really important for me is just and not also putting the pressure on yourself to know everything, to complete everything, to succeed at everything, to whatever. It's just not going to happen, and if you do that you start to spread yourself tooth in. So it really is about focusing. I think it's about giving yourself that permission to choose and to be selective about where your best results are going to be. Results are going to come from where you're more. The biggest reward is going to come from where your satisfaction is going to come from, where you're going to feel like you're going to succeed. In the sense, of this matches my the gifts that I have to give.

Speaker 1: 18:49

I keep hearing the word in my head, discernment, as you talk about that because discernment is the art of being able to see many, many things at the same time.

Speaker 2: 18:59

Right, your ability to really put the energy and the right kind of energy into things. I think you get so much better at that and why wouldn't you want to use that? That's a gift and I think also we're really good at. I think we just have a better understanding at this age.

Speaker 1: 19:18

I guess we don't underestimate the power of charisma and passion as we communicate and narrate our visions and tell our stories. If you were to kind of look back on that early PA assistant and think about your arc, what would you have?

Speaker 2: 19:35

told her First, I would say you'll get there. Hmm, trust, trust, keep going, move forward, You'll get there. Don't resent the seemingly menial jobs that feel like they are slowing down your progress to getting there, because, as I was saying before, producing is a job that really covers so many different things, and the more you know about how, what it takes to make something, I think the better producer you are.

Speaker 1: 20:04

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 20:05

You just have a better understanding of the picture and what it takes and how people's roles work and all of that, and I think you know, just value each of those experiences as part of a building block to what you're going to be. And then I think the other thing I say is that you're going to when you're in your early career, you're going to be given projects before you get to make your own that you're not getting. You're like no, find something to love in it.

Speaker 1: 20:36

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 20:36

If you can find something to love in it, you're going to make a great show.

Speaker 1: 20:40

And what's exciting you about what's next, like, what's in the horizons, what's the vision for you for 2024? Well, you did such a loaded question when I asked people.

Speaker 2: 20:52

Well, you know what I mean. The truth is, we want to do another season if I have nothing. Oh yeah, it's going to be a totally different adventure, and so so we're in the process of trying to see if we can get that happening.

Speaker 2: 21:03

I've got some other projects that I'm really excited about in the documentary True Crime Space. Yeah, really, what I feel excited about just personally, not just the projects is just, I feel more connected. I feel like at this stage in my career I'm more connected to these projects. I am very hands on, I'm very involved, I'm very collaborative, I'm part of that process more than maybe I had previously been helping to elevate other people's projects. Now I feel like I'm part of that team more, yeah, and my voice is part of that, what you finally see on screen. And so there's something about finding ownership, I think also happening at this point.

Speaker 2: 21:41

How does it feel telling your story here today. That's good, Actually a lot less scary than I thought it would be.

Speaker 1: 21:46

It's like I'm afraid, I'm like the executive producer is like on the show and oh my gosh, not at all, not at all.

Speaker 2: 21:54

You guys have a great thing going here it feels, really good and it feels like thank you for making me feel comfortable and because you're doing a great job and I really do like I've been listening to your show and it's like you've got a lot of wisdom to share too.

Speaker 1: 22:09

So I know doing this every week, I feel like I'm in a masterclass of growing and evolving as a human to do this.

Speaker 2: 22:17

So, yeah, I can only say and I'm genuinely mean this that you belong here. You are doing what you should be doing and you're doing an incredible job and you are natural.

Speaker 1: 22:26

Oh, thank you, Vivica. If people wanted to find you, where's the best resource for them to follow along?

Speaker 2: 22:31

So you can reach out on our website, which is catalystforcreatorscom.

Speaker 1: 22:38

Instagram okay, vivica B. Okay, and we'll link everything into the show notes. Well, that's a wrap. Thank you, vivica, for being on the show. This has been an amazing treat. Thank you for joining us. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, where we transform the wisdom from our podcast into practical tips, tools and takeaways for your leadership journey. Find us at gritgracepodcast. See you next week.