One-on-One with Edge of a Dream Co.’s President and Executive Producer

You’re a member of the Producer’s Guild (PGA). How does being a member of such a prestigious Guild shape your work?
Being in an organization with Academy Award© and Emmy Award© winning producers is an honor. But make no mistake – I’ve worked very hard to meet the membership requirements. There’s such a high standard for producing the creative content that comes from a PGA producer.

What’s your most eye-opening experience?
While working with the Act-1 Group, I had the opportunity to travel to Egypt with the Harvard Women’s Business League, and witnessed firsthand how women are viewed and treated in other parts of the world. That was a life-changing experience.

How is supplying content in today’s market different from how it was when you sold your first series?
In today’s global marketplace, everyone is a content supplier. My job is to utilize my collective network and cable TV production experiences to create content that educates, motivates and inspires, yet is still commercially viable.

Who is the one person in the world you would love to spend the day with?
Michelle Obama, because she elevated the way the World views women of color.

Who are your industry role models?
Debbie Allen, because we’re both Howard grads, and because she really came up through the ranks – dancer, actor, producer, director – and has proven longevity in the industry. The late Dr. Maya Angelou, because it was an honor to work with her and just be in her presence. Jonathan Rogers, former CEO of Discovery, who bought a series from me for Discovery Health Channel (Our Health Matters). That’s where I learned my crucial communication skills.

What makes you stand out?
I’m an avid reader (I still have newspaper subscriptions), a pop culture junkie and I’m very active in the industry in which I work. At the core of my success is the fact that I’m a risk taker, and for the most part, the risks have paid off. I also spend my clients’ money like it’s my own.

Do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on?
To My Sisters: A Gift for Life, which was a special about African-American women and breast cancer that included a host of top African-American female celebrities in television and film. The responses I received changed the trajectory of how I produce content. That’s when I knew how powerful providing vital information to an underserved audience could be.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My father always said, “it’s more important to be human than it is to be important.” In this business, everybody wants his or her 15 minutes of fame. But my dad is right – it’s more important to be human.

Where did the name Edge of a Dream come from?
The late Minnie Riperton and her husband, Dick Rudolph, wrote a song called “The Edge of a Dream.” That is my all-time favorite song, because it speaks to people that have big dreams and feel like the world is theirs for the taking. I truly believe that everyone’s dreams are possible.

What’s on the horizon for Edge of a Dream?
We have several projects on our development slate. One that I’m really excited about is called Work It Girls©, which showcases highly successful women that are behind some of the world’s most successful brands and shows the next generation what’s possible for women in the global workforce. At the same time, we continue to consult with major entertainment entities and CEOs providing media strategies and production services.