Janet Pierson
South by Southwest
Austin, TX USA
"Start with the things that matter to you the most."
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Janet's work combines: Film, Business, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
After moving back to New York, I was at a sort of wall in my career. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. My mother connected me with a PR rep who told me I was in a good place financially to take some time to try things out and figure out what I wanted to do. That was really good advice but my mother thought otherwise. She told me I just needed to find a job. So I ended up working in a few conventional roles that just were not right for me. Fortunately, I eventually found my way back to film.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Film & Photography
San Francisco Art Institute
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I grew up in a New York suburb.
2.
I really had no idea what I wanted to do in life until I realized my love for film.
3.
I started studying film at Hampshire College, but the school wasn’t a great fit for me, so I moved to San Francisco and studied film and photography at the San Francisco Art Institute.
4.
One of my teachers urged me to take over a small distribution co-op because it aligned with my passion for experimental films—the job revolved around championing obscure, independent filmmakers.
5.
After hitting a career wall, I moved back to New York and tried a few different conventional jobs that weren’t great fits.
6.
Through some networking, I started working for a woman who was expanding a theater that regularly premiered films that didn’t already have distribution.
7.
I spent the next thirty years continuing to champion independent films and filmmakers in a variety of roles—a lot of which was in collaboration with my husband.
8.
After moving to Austin, Texas, I took a job as the head of film for the South by Southwest Film Conference & Festival.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Parents:
You just need to get a job.
How I responded:
After moving back to New York, I was at a sort of wall in my career. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. My mother connected me with a PR rep who told me I was in a good place financially to take some time to try things out and figure out what I wanted to do. That was really good advice but my mother thought otherwise. She told me I just needed to find a job. So I ended up working in a few conventional roles that just were not right for me. Fortunately, I eventually found my way back to film.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was really struggling financially when I started working in film again after moving to New York. It was a small non-profit and New York is expensive. I just kept at it because I knew it was a prestigious job and the struggle would be worth it.