Your Career, Unscripted

Be Opportunistic and Be Open. Vicki Dobbs Beck is a veteran entertainment executive with more than 30 years of experience driving innovation and digital transformation in support of storytelling. In 2015, she co-founded Lucasfilm’s award-winning Immersive Storytelling Studio, ILMxLAB (now ILM Immersive), and has since been at the helm.Under Vicki’s leadership, ILM Immersive has produced a robust portfolio of groundbreaking experiences including CARNE y ARENA, directed by Alejandro Iñárritu and awarded a special Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series, winner of the PGA Innovation Award in 2020; and most recently, the Emmy award-winning “What If…? An Immersive Story” with Marvel Studios, the first-ever interactive Disney+ Original story for Apple Vision Pro.I am honored to have had Vicki on this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted (and to be able to interview Vicki for a second time). Thank you Vicki for your generous support and time throughout the years.If you are someone pursuing a career in media and technology and want to learn from an incredibly talented, kind, humble, and creative leader - this episode is for you.Learn about…Vicki’s journey cofounding Lucasfilm's immersive storytelling studio ILMxLAB (now ILM Immersive) and stories of hurdles along the wayThe benefit of “intrapreneuring” (setting up a new business inside of a large established company)Failing quickly and moving onThe process of creating worlds and characters that “felt authentically Star Wars”“Vader is probably the most iconic character in the Star Wars universe. So it was I think we were all humbled by the fact that Lucasfilm entrusted Vader with us in a unproven brand new space. And I think we were always very aware of that pressure”Listen to Your Career, Unscripted in all major podcast platforms and support Jane Bernhard! https://www.instagram.com/janebernhard/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-bernhard-mba/https://substack.com/@JANEBERNHARDThis content is made possible thanks to the Texas Immersive Supporters! Consider making a small donation so we can provide more thought leadership content to our community! https://give.utexas.edu/?menu=OGPTII Follow Texas Immersive!https://www.instagram.com/texasimmersive/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-immersive https://immersive.moody.utexas.edu/

When I asked Pearlé Nwaezeigwe about her career journey, she told me:“One day I woke up and I was like, ‘I want to be the Beyonce of my industry.’ So I ran with it, and I really wanted my goals and my values to just be around that: what it means to stand out, what it means to run the world. And I think I've kind of run the world having lived in four countries now. So it's been very much trying to take up space in every country that I've lived in and staying true to who I am, most importantly as a Black woman.It's not easy being in a lot of spaces that don't look like you… So just having that personality and that alter ego called Beyonce has made it easier to navigate the spaces. And, most importantly, just stand out.”Pearlé isn’t just bold; she embodies what it means to own your story, stand out, and thrive in your authenticity. As the founder of Wae Collective, she is empowering female professionals to make their mark by building strong personal brands and expansive networks. Her career in Law and Trust & Safety has taken her across TikTok, Twitter, and Meta's Oversight Board. Her work has been highlighted by renowned institutions, including UC Berkeley, Oxford University, and the World Economic Forum.✅ Want to break into a competitive field? She once landed an interview at Twitter by tweeting a VP. (Fear? Yes. But she hit send anyway.) ✅ Building a personal brand feels “cringe”? She’s been there. Her advice? Check out the episode ✅ Introverts feeling intimidated by networking? Pearlé’s outgoing energy isn’t about pretending to be someone else—it’s about finding a style that feels true to you.Her message is clear: you don’t have to look, act, or sound like everyone else to take up space. You just need to own who you are and take that first step—even if it’s scary. Pearlé’s journey reminds me of this: Confidence doesn’t mean you’re fearless. It means you do it anyway.If you’re wondering where to start with personal branding, networking, or even just finding your voice in your career, check out this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted, in collab with Texas Immersive Institute at the University of Texas at Austin💡Listen to Your Career, Unscripted in all major podcast platforms and support Jane Bernhard! https://www.instagram.com/janebernhard/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-bernhard-mba/https://substack.com/@JANEBERNHARDThis content is made possible thanks to the Texas Immersive Supporters!Consider making a small donation so we can provide more thought leadership content to our community! https://give.utexas.edu/?menu=OGPTIIFollow Texas Immersive! @texasimmersivehttps://www.instagram.com/texasimmersive/https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-immersivehttps://immersive.moody.utexas.edu/

Kasia Borowiec is a Director at MediaLink - and a great friend. We have always bonded over career pivoting out of performing, since our time at Columbia Business School. In this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted - we talk about her journey navigating a career shift from being an opera singer, to getting her MBA, to working as a Director at MediaLink, a boutique media and marketing consultancy.If you’re someone trying to make a change in your career - I recommend checking out this episode for some inspiration and actionable advice.We discuss…The challenges of pivoting out of a career that you have invested your entire self intoThe life changing benefit of daring to try something completely newHow a background in performing can be a secret sauce and superpowerBouncing back from rejection (#artists)Her experiences in opera, business school, Audible, Paramount, and why she landed at MediaLinkWhere she hopes to take this chapter of her careerHer story is a testament to drive, resiliency, and a willingness to take risks. Thanks Kasia for your support and kindness, and for trusting me to share your story.This content is made possible thanks to the Texas Immersive Supporters! Consider making a small donation so we can provide more thought leadership content to our community! https://give.utexas.edu/?menu=OGPTII Subscribe to my Substack to get these interviews to your inbox https://substack.com/@JANEBERNHARDIf you'd like to support, I would appreciate it if you share this with your network and rate our show!

Honored to have interviewed Victor Pineiro, Director of Digital Innovation at HBO | Max for this week’s episode of Your Career, Unscripted.Victor an award-winning digital marketer, author, documentary filmmaker and game designer. Victor’s team has launched emerging tech activations like the House of the Dragon Raise Your Banners AI poster generator experience and DracARys app, alongside brand and series-focused influencer campaigns. Before Max, Victor spent a decade leading YouTube, Skittles and various other brands' social presences.He also wrote, produced and marketed the award-winning metaverse documentary Second Skin, SXSW '08's opening night movie. He followed it up with the documentary that launched Motherboard, Vice’s tech channel. He’s also designed games and toys for Hasbro and is a kidlit and YA author. He wrote Time Villains, a Kirkus & Amazon best book of the year and winner of the International Latino Book Award.Thank you Victor for all of your support and inspiration!In this episode, we dive into:Victor’s unexpected journey from writing & filmmaking to social media marketingHow his early days as an elementary school teacher prepared him for the rest of his careerHow forcing himself to write every day on the train led to his first bookImposter syndrome and why "no one really knows what they’re doing.”And of course, so much incredibly specific and creative career adviceListen to Your Career, Unscripted!Spotify | Apple | YouTubePlease subscribe to my Substack to stay posted on episodes https://substack.com/@JANEBERNHARDand share this post and episode with anyone who you think may find it helpful!I am creating this show as an Industry Explorer in collab with https://www.instagram.com/texasimmersive at the https://www.utexas.edu/ thanks for your support and collaboration!If you like the content, check out TXI’s Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/texasimmersive for more thought leadership on the immersive field!

🎙️ I’m very excited to share Episode 3 of Your Career, Unscripted featuring two-time Emmy award winner Seth Shapiro! 📽 Seth is a global leader in media and technology, and he has built an insanely unique and successful career at the heart of disruption.💡 Seth's journey is a masterclass in anticipating industry shifts, taking calculated risks, following your intuition despite what everyone else thinks and says, and embracing change. If you want to learn about these industries from someone who not only lived and worked through decades of dynamic innovation, but also spearheaded it, I recommend checking out the episode.Here's a glimpse of what we covered:- Seth’s strategies in navigating his career in the evolving landscapes of music, television, gaming, tech, and digital media- His experience launching groundbreaking digital products like TiVo and NFL Sunday Ticket- His early advocacy for blockchain in media- Why media companies are struggling right now, and what Seth believes media companies can learn from tech companies- Advice for young people on “falling down the well, landing hard, getting up, and figuring out how to climb out of the well.”Seth is bold, resilient, and innovative. He has worked at and with some of the most prestigious companies in the world. He is both an investor and entrepreneur. I am very much inspired by his dynamic and varied career - and I hope it inspires young people to believe they can do more than one thing - and that with a growth and fail forward mindset - you can engineer changes in not just your own career, but in entire industries.My favorite quote from his episode - In talking about figuring out the early part of his career Seth thought “where's their room?” and concluded “The place that there's usually room is the thing that hasn't happened yet.”Thank you Seth for your time and insights. Editing credit: Courtney E Edwards of Transcended VisualsListen to Your Career, Unscripted in all major podcast platforms!-Jane Bernhardhttps://www.instagram.com/janebernhard/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-bernhard-mba/https://substack.com/@JANEBERNHARD***This content is made possible thanks to the Texas Immersive Patreon members! Consider pledging a small donation so we can continue providing FREE content to our community! https://www.patreon.com/TexasImmersiveFollow Texas Immersivehttps://www.instagram.com/texasimmersive/https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas-immersivehttps://immersive.moody.utexas.edu/

I could not be more excited to kick off this podcast with Shawn Layden, former Chairman of PlayStation Worldwide Studios for Sony Interactive Entertainment and former CEO of SIE America. I knew I wanted to start this podcast off with a guest who had an incredibly interesting career and someone who was kind, empathetic, and dedicated to giving back to younger generations. Shawn is all of those things and more.🎮 Not only has he been a top Executive at one of the most interesting companies in the world, but he has dedicated much of his time to supporting young girls in gaming, and is a founding board member of the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund.💭 Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be a CEO? Wondered how a leader balances stress with inspiration, and pressure with responsibility? Listen in as Shawn discusses his incredible career journey, how he learns from failure, his most proud and his most challenging moments, imposter syndrome (everyone has it), what leadership is, and of course so much career advice for young people hoping to make a career in gaming and entertainment, alongside his best tips on negotiation and storytelling.🛣 So many young people coming out of school are afraid of what is to come - and I think this episode will help those people know that that feeling is common and universal - hear it from one of the most successful people in the entertainment industry.📖 Shawn is honest and vulnerable and talks about whether if he could do his career over again, he would probably do parts of it differently.💪 Shawn is a testament to a growth mindset and embracing new challenges. I continue to learn a lot from him, and I hope you will too!🙏 Thank you Shawn for your support and for (again) being so incredibly generous with your time and insights - and for your insanely high level of humility, self awareness, humor, and storytelling ability. I hope this episode reaches as many people as possible and gives hope to anyone feeling lost in their career, or anyone who wants to move into leadership someday.Please share this episode (and post) with anyone you think may find it helpful and interesting!To stay posted on when episodes are out (which will be twice a month on the first and third Tuesday!) please subscribe to my Substack, and follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn and Texas Immersive on Instagram and LinkedIn. And if you like the content, check out TXI’s Patreon at patreon.com/texasimmersive for more thought leadership on the immersive field.