"There Are No Lucky Accidents" — Natasha Lyonne on Authenticity, Advocacy, and Imposter Syndrome
“An admission of inner brokenness is OK. That’s the stuff that makes us who we are.”
We were beyond excited to host Natasha Lyonne as our keynote speaker in Austin this year! As the co-creator, director, executive producer, and star of the Netflix hit series Russian Doll, Natasha knows what it means to hustle. With more than 30 years and 70+ movies under her belt, she’s not just an industry powerhouse, but a role model for any woman who’s chasing her dreams. Below, we’re sharing some of our favorite mic-drop moments from Natasha’s keynote panel.
On hiring an all-female writers’ room for Russian Doll:
“The people that were best for the job happened to be women. It was really about surrounding myself with allies.”
“My hope is that we hit a tipping point where we’re restored to a point where men and women can work together as equals, where we all learn to work together beyond gender.”
“I felt additionally empowered to be the most 360 version of myself when working with a group of women.”
On imposter syndrome:
“An admission of inner brokenness is OK. That’s the stuff that makes us who we are. And Michelle Obama’s recent book helped me recognize that—because I was like, ‘Surely this woman has cracked this.’ But her experience of ‘Am I enough?’ is healing to read.”
“My goal in making a show like Russian Doll would be that it allows me to continue to speak very transparently around my own experience and acceptance. That’s our grit. That’s what makes us who we are.”
“At every level, everyone is constantly experiencing imposter syndrome and asking ‘Am I enough?’ and ‘Am I taking up too much space?’ It’s just necessary to push past it.”
On being your true self:
“I was afraid of not letting it all hang out in all its messiness. I think we embrace it and celebrate it in someone else, but as soon as it’s our own, it’s like a deep shame spiral.”
On finding your tribe:
“Find something safe in this life and let it tether you.”
“Something I love about working with women is that we spend so much time unpacking things like having kids that there’s something very fun about getting to get in the zone and watch them crystallize in this other pocket.”
On social media:
“The one thing I would caution the kids is compare and despair. Don’t buy the lies of social media. Everyone is architecting a make-believe life.”
“Proceed on social media with caution. Spend the time having human interactions. Life experience can’t be beat.”
On shining light on real issues through her work:
“I’m glad to have been a part of OITNB, but I’m happier that there was some attention or awareness brought to the prison industrial complex. The heavier aspect of working on the show for years as as team has been intense, processing what we’re really doing.”
On changes in Hollywood:
“It’s complex to know what’s changing. We’ve had good news in Hollywood, but let’s see how it tracks into the new world.”
“It’s a good time to be a woman in film, but the numbers aren’t there yet. These are early days.”
On work, success, and looking back:
“Directing an episode of Orange is the New Black was very healing around my own self-doubt, worthiness, and steadiness—there was something about the fact that the producers, and Netflix, and the cast were all open and inviting to it. I would be at the monitor just weeping. It was healing for me.”
“We work hard in life. There are no lucky accidents.”
Advice she’d give her teenage self:
“You’re in the war, but the war will be over. I promise. Hang tough, babe.”
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“Be Each Other’s Wing Woman” — The Showstopping Moments You Missed From Our Austin Pop Up
“When you do get a seat at the table, know your stuff.”
Yesterday. Was. Amazing. If you were one of the lucky attendees at our Austin Pop Up, you know it’s true. For those of you who weren’t, don’t worry: We’re sharing all the fire advice and amazing insight from each and every one of our speakers (like the inimitable Tan France and Natasha Lyonne!) below. Huge shoutout to all our moderators and panelists for making it a day full of learning, laughter, and tweet-worthy inspo. We’re still riding the high!
Read on to hear our speakers’ thoughts on finding your niche, forming your tribe, and following your passion.
Marketing Masterclass: Growing a cult following & building brands people love
“When you do the work you believe in and are passionate about, the money comes.” - Adrienne Bosh, Founder, Sparkle & Shine Darling
“You cannot fear your executive team. Understand their goals.” - Erin Silver, Head of Social Media, Volvo
“When I saw my female and minority friends not getting the same opportunities as the white boys, I decided to do something about it.” - Sarah Kunst, Founder of Cleo Capital
“When you’re starting new things, you’ll always need your tribe of women with you.” - Adrienne Bosh
“Don’t try to be like anyone else in the room. Be you. You’re there for a reason.” - Carrie Colbert, CEO of CarrieColbert.com
“Brand matters. I’ve worked on a team that canceled an entire campaign because one small element wasn’t on brand.” - Sarah Kunst
“When you do get a seat at the table, know your stuff.” - Carrie Colbert
“It’s not about numbers for me—it’s a question of ‘is this working toward my purpose?’” - Adrienne Bosh
““Don’t try to be like anyone else in the room. Be you. You’re there for a reason.” ”
Content Economy: Meet the influencers making waves in the creator universe
“It’s so much better to be your authentic self.” - Genevieve Padalecki, Founder, Now & Gen
“I push myself and my team to ask, ‘How is this person or this recipe showing our readers they can be more intentional and present?’ It all has to go back to that core vision, and that’s what’s helped up define a unique point of view.“- Camille Styles, Founder & CEO, Camille Styles
“I wish [that when I first started,] I knew that my failures would add to my strength as a creator.” - Paola Mathe, Founder, Finding Paola & Fanm Djanm
“Figure out what your niche is. How is what you’re doing different from everybody else?” - Reesa Lake, Partner, Digital Brand Architects
“If you have something you’re passionate about, you can make it work. Reaching out to other people was a lifesaver for me, because I was able to build a community and learn what I wanted to learn.“ - Dani Austin, Founder, DaniAustin.com
WorkParty The Podcast: In Conversation with Tan France
“Be each other’s wing woman. Men are doing enough tearing you down—don’t make their jobs any easier.”
“Call her out if she’s being negative.”
“Being the first of anything is hard. People look to you for representation of every community you’re part of. I don’t want to be the only one.”
“Keep your payroll tight. Make sure you know every facet of your business.”
Real Time, Real Talk: How brands are keeping up with the digital day to day
“The more you blend in, the more you get lost in a crowded marketplace.” - Maxie McCoy, Author & Speaker
“Navigate life the way you choose to.” - Bruna Schmitz, Roxy Pro Surfer & Ambassador
“Fuel what your soul is craving. That’s what I make time for.” - Jessi Afshin, Founder, The Darling Detail
“One way I’ve been trying to incorporate balance into my daily life is time blocking. When I’m working, I’m working.” - Courtney Shields, Founder, Bring Your Own Beauty
Keynote Panel: In Conversation with Natasha Lyonne
On hiring an all-female writers’ room for Russian Doll:
“The people that were best for the job happened to be women. It was really about surrounding myself with allies.”
On imposter syndrome:
“At every level, everyone is constantly experiencing imposter syndrome and asking ‘Am I enough?’ and ‘Am I taking up too much space?’ It’s just necessary to push past it.”
On being your true self:
“I was afraid of not letting it all hang out in all its messiness. I think we embrace it and celebrate it in someone else, but as soon as it’s our own, it’s like a deep shame spiral.”
On work, success, and looking back:
“Directing an episode of Orange is the New Black was very healing around my own self-doubt, worthiness, and steadiness—there was something about the fact that the producers, and Netflix, and the cast were all open and inviting to it. I would be at the monitor just weeping. It was healing for me.”
Advice she’d give her teenage self:
“You’re in the war, but the war will be over. I promise. Hang tough, babe.”
#StartSomethingPriceless: How these women risked it all to build their dream
“As females, we need to build multi-billion dollar companies. Let’s all think at that level.” - Payal Kadakia, Founder & Executive Chairman, ClassPass
“You have to stick it out. If you believe in what you’re doing, stick it out.” - Sonja Rasula, Founder & CEO, Unique Markets
“When you’re self funded and a client says ‘I need you to cover the cost of this,’ you don’t say no—you say ‘yes, no problem’ and figure it out.” - Jaclyn Johnson, Founder & CEO, Create & Cultivate
“It’s about finding people who have the ‘can-do, going-to-learn’ attitude.” - Payal Kadakia
“We noticed that there was no place for black people to find out about the men and women in politics supporting issues they care about. So we’re launching Blavity Politics.” - Morgan DeBaun, Founder & CEO, Blavity
““You have to stick it out. If you believe in what you’re doing, stick it out.””
“We need more women handing out the capital.” - Payal Kadakia
“My executive assistant was the employee that made the biggest impact for my company.” - Morgan DeBaun
“You have to be willing to sacrifice. The worst thing that could happen, is you go bankrupt. OK, big deal. Thank you, next.” - Sonja Rasula
Create & Innovate: Build a one-of-a-kind brand in a crowded marketplace
“Know your purpose and what you want to share with others.” - Camila Alves, Founder, Women of Today
“We really try to marry the experience of leading the brand and what we do if we’re following the brand.” - Sami Fishbein, Co-founder and COO, Betches Media
“As women, it’s in our DNA to manage crisis.” - Julie Smolyansky, President & CEO, Lifeway
““Know your purpose and what you want to share with others.””
“How am I am going to add value to the communities I want to connect with?” - Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of North American Whiskeys Portfolio, Diageo
“We have something for everybody while staying true to who we are.” - Paige Adams-Geller, Founder & Creative Director, PAIGE
“We’re able to speak to women in the way they speak to each other.” - Sami Fishbein
“Whenever there’s a crisis, I tend to run right into the fire.” - Julie Smolyansky
Shoutout to artist Emily Eisenhart for creating our amazing ATX mural. The future IS bright with talented ladies like her in our corner.
Don’t wanna miss out on more mic-drop moments from our events? Get your tickets to our New York conference now!
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