Ep 28: Media executive and entrepreneur Gerry Laybourne on Encouraging Others

'The Teacher'.

Gerry Laybourne has spent her life unlocking the creativity of others. From her early beginnings as a teacher and film-maker, she created not one but two game-changing networks. First, Nickelodeon, which placed the care and nurturing of children at the heart of its DNA. And then the Oxygen network, a revolutionary and innovative commitment to the voice and needs of women.

Along the way, she was named the most influential woman in the entertainment industry and one of the 25 most influential people in America by Time magazine.

She is a visionary, a business builder and an audience advocate.

I talked to Gerry about calling out the strengths of people, about the importance of giving yourself credit for the things you do well, about the challenge of hiring 750 people all at once, and about the management approach she’d use building a company today.