An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Creating a culture where your clients and the community feel welcome makes them feel safe to refer to your business because they know judgment won’t be dished out.
As a part of our series about “How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Diane Strand.
Diane Strand is the majority owner and executive producer of the multi-award-winning JDS Video & Media Productions, Inc., the studio producer at JDS Actors Studio, and the founder and executive director of the nonprofit 501c3 JDS Creative Academy. She is also the creator and executive producer of Spirit of Innovation, the first local news and information television show exclusively for Riverside County.
Diane’s expertise stems from working on hit shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and Joe Millionaire and producing live events at Staples Center and The Shrine Auditorium with superstar headliners including Barbara Streisand and Eric Clapton. She also led the live-streamed broadcasts of televised sporting events featuring legendary teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings. Diane is the founder of Digifest Temecula, the city’s annual film and media festival, which spotlights arts and excellence in digital media throughout the region.
Aside from retaining notable local clients, including Abbott Vascular, City of Temecula, TEDx, and California State University of San Marcos, Diane is also a community leader serving on the board of multiple organizations such as the Riverside County Workforce Development Board and Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business event committee. By combining her vast industry experience with her deep involvement in her local community’s economic development, she has built her business on creating opportunities for diverse individuals to gain experience and training for a career in the video production and entertainment industry.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive into the main part of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you share a bit of your “backstory” with us?
Once I took the entrepreneur leap and left behind my successful career in the entertainment industry, I knew I needed to figure out how to become a successful business owner. What I didn’t know at the time is that, when you’re an entrepreneur, every day is something new. I quickly learned that even things that seemed the same were, in fact, different, and it was up to me to figure out how to do something I’d never done before. Fear of the unknown is scary, but what’s scarier is not knowing where your next paycheck is coming from.
I set out into the unknown to build a business that could keep my family and me in the lifestyle we were accustomed to while living the Hollywood life. I knew video production, and I knew how to tell a story. All I needed now was a story to tell. So, my partner in life and business, Scott Strand, and I set out to drum up business. We started with old-fashioned techniques like knocking on doors, face-to-face networking, cold calling and word of mouth.
Despite my experience producing headliner concerts and hit shows in Los Angeles, corporate video production became the foundation of my business. During my short stint with Amgen Pharmaceuticals, I never really thought of corporate video as a medium for creative expression, but Amgen changed that for me. I became more creative than I had ever been. I got to be a part of all the steps of creating a video, from budgeting to pre-production to scripting, on-set production, and post-production, where the magic happens — and that’s where I knew my business would thrive.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us the lesson or take away you took out of that story?
JDS Actors Studio launched from our passion for preserving arts in education. At the time, our oldest was in fourth grade, and our middle child was in kindergarten. We realized there were no drama classes in Temecula’s elementary schools. Knowing that, as a young student with dyslexia, portraying the role of Betsy Ross in the second-grade play changed my educational experience and, ultimately, my life, I saw this as a missed opportunity for children.
So, Scott and I set out to bring this opportunity to the schools. We went to the principal at the school where our children went and presented the idea of offering an after-school drama club. We put together an eight-week class, got it approved, and pitched it out to the students at a morning Friday assembly.
We initially thought, “Okay, maybe we’ll get 15 to 20 kids max.” Well, more than 50 kids showed up, and we thought, “Holy moly, what are we going to do with 50 kids?”
We had to think fast. So we went over to the high school and enlisted the advanced acting students to come to the elementary school to help with our drama club in exchange for community service hours. We broke them up into groups and put our lesson plan together, thinking we’d figure out the rest as we went along. Well, the program ended up being so popular that parents started asking us if we could coach their child through private lessons and wondered where else we did this training. We didn’t have anything in place at the time, but we saw there was a need, and we could fill it. We knew we needed to act on it, to seize the momentum. So I set out to find a commercial location to host acting lessons, and JDS Actors Studio was born.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you tell us a story about how that was relevant in your own life?
“Do not wait; the time will never be ‘just right.’ Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.” George Herbert
Four years after establishing JDS Actors Studio as Temecula’s leader in actor’s training, I started voicing a dream of having a school and a “mini-network.” Scott and I knew we would need more than ourselves to bring this vision to fruition, so I gathered some creative individuals I knew had talents that could help put my plan into action. Together, we established the nonprofit JDS Creative Academy.
Looking back, if I had waited until the time was “just right,” it probably would have never happened. As a perfectionist, this was a challenge for me. I always want things to be exactly the way I envision — but sometimes you have to make your mess your message and just put it out there.
Someone once told me, “If you waited for everything to be perfect, you wouldn’t be an entrepreneur.” That’s what I came to realize about being an entrepreneur — it’s a frame of mind. You have to have that get up and go. Everything’s not going to be great every day, but when you’re a leader, you work through your mindset, stay grateful and put things into action. It doesn’t always have to be perfect, but always lead with the right frame of mind and intention.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
Early in my entrepreneurial career, I got involved in Economic Development in North County, San Diego. This experience gave me several business contacts, which helped us build our client roster to include companies like California State University of San Marcos, Palomar College, and BERG Orthopedic. These connections with high-caliber people supported our business and provided resources that helped our business grow. So when we moved from North County San Diego to Temecula, the first organization I joined was the Southwest County Economic Development Corporation (EDC). I made myself accessible to their staff to help with their efforts, which fostered our relationships with other prominent stakeholders in Riverside County.
I will never forget the day I sat in an EDC meeting, and the Senior Vice President of Abbott Vascular pushed his business card to me from across the table. On the back of the card, it said, “We’re looking for some video production work. Give me a call tomorrow.” Abbott Vascular has now been a fantastic client of ours since 2011 and still going strong.
Being part of the EDC also led me to be an executive board member of Riverside County Workforce Development and Chair of the Southwest Workforce Region, which is an appointment by our third district supervisor, Chuck Washington. The Workforce Development Board has inspired me and my business ingenuity, which motivated me to design a Title 17 job training program for our nonprofit organization and our paid internship program. These programs help break down barriers for those with challenges (developmental disabilities and autism) to find workforce opportunities.
Joining organizations that I’m interested in and passionate about has brought important opportunities to our business. Getting involved with the community has allowed us to build our business by reputation and word of mouth. Many people along the way have helped create opportunities, partnered on a project, made an introduction, and became some of our most valued ideal clients by putting faith in us — based on relationships. Our entire business success is built on relationships, which are essential as an entrepreneur. Some individuals who were key to our success include Calvin OneDeer, Gary Knight, Morris Myers, Ken Carlisle, Ann Shaw, Ray Evans, Christine Damko, Maryann Edwards, Johanna Lack, Lynn Cohen, and Beth Crane.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
Our company stands out because we are making a difference. We are women-led, women-owned, and the majority of our staff members are women. We strive to empower our employees, in addition to making a difference in equity, diversity and inclusion for women and other underserved populations. For example, with our California-state-approved curriculum and hands-on apprenticeship program, we provide college students and recent graduates an opportunity to step into a career in a very competitive industry with experience and confidence.
We also make a difference by training and providing career pathway opportunities for individuals who have challenges and barriers to employment. In 2018 my writing partner, Johanna Lack, and I created our Title 17 day service video production training program for Inland Regional Center’s special needs population, which includes Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Epilepsy, Autism, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through this program, we produce two broadcast television shows, Spirit of Innovation and SOI Update.
These programs provide news and information to an area of 2.4 million people who are considered residents of a media desert because the Inland Empire region gets lumped into coverage for the Greater Los Angeles media market, leaving many stories overlooked and untold.
Our viewers learn something new each time they watch our show. For example, we recently covered a local lake in Temecula that’s now a certified habitat. One of our viewers, who has been a resident of Temecula for years, told me she never even knew the lake was there. That is what’s unique about our show — you can’t watch our show and not walk away thinking, “Wow, I didn’t know that,” or, “I’m better because I now know that.” That’s one big way our company stands out — we’re focused on making a difference.
Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? How do you think that might help people?
We’re launching a paid internship program as part of our program that brings video production training to individuals with special needs. This development leverages business relationships I’ve made throughout the local community to provide opportunities for additional growth for individuals with special needs. Our goal is to go beyond the typical retail-type job options offered to adults with special needs and train them to work in video production, helping them achieve more success and satisfaction by working in a career of their chosen passion.
Developing this phase of the program was easier said than done. I had to find someone to cover all the workman’s compensation so the individuals can be paid and write addendums to our current program. Then I had to find businesses willing to work with this program. Our foundation rooted in the community is helping us bring this project to fruition because I can go to people and businesses who know us, trust us, and are willing to work with us.
In addition, my husband and I are currently writing a book on how to break into the acting industry. In the book, which will be published in January 2022, we share all the trade secrets we only share with our Industry Showcase students at JDS Actors Studio. This book is half show and half business, as that’s what Scott and I both bring — he is the show I am the business. He teaches the craft of acting, and I provide the expertise needed to get your business started as a professional actor. Together, we have launched more than 100 careers into the mainstream entertainment industry. This book aims to level the industry’s playing field by making this valuable information accessible to thousands of actors who may not otherwise have access to acting courses or business classes. We hope to help diverse individuals with drive and passion find their pathway to working as professional, paid actors by offering this information.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
The program I’m building teaches video production to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This work is more fulfilling and feels more successful than any hit show or big event I worked on in the entertainment industry because this is the work that directly makes a difference in people’s lives.
We teach collaboration and teamwork, and as a result, our participants gain self-confidence and public speaking abilities, learn to understand people, and become stronger communicators in written and oral forms.
Even our traditional visual, performing, and digital arts students see lifelong benefits. For example, our students learn hands-on production skills like sewing to make costumes, props, and building sets. While learning these skills, they discover talents and passions that they take with them wherever their future goes.
Another way we’re bringing goodness into the world is through our three-day festival and conference, DigiFest Temecula, which I launched in 2017. This event focuses on the digital media industry, providing a place where students, amateurs, and professionals can meet, network, and cultivate community. With its reach spanning from regional to state to national and international, Digifest Temecula brings people together to celebrate their passion for the arts, regardless of gender, race, disabilities, or other differences. By producing an inclusive and accessible event, we’re bringing goodness to the industry and the world.
Ok. Thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. This may be obvious to you, but it is not intuitive to many people. Can you articulate to our readers five ways that increased diversity can help a company’s bottom line. (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Diversity and Inclusion Boost Employee Engagement
Employees are happier and thrive in their roles when they cross collaborate by strengths and abilities instead of differences and disabilities. My team thrives on working with the special needs population because they accept each other’s strengths and talents. They aren’t separated by gender or disabilities but are brought together by abilities and experience, which increases team collaboration and employee engagement.
2. Diversity Leads to Greater Innovation
When employees engage with one another and feel welcome to share their ideas, it opens the door to incredible creativity and new ingenuity sparks. Employees get excited and take ownership of projects when they reflect their individual creativity for the organization’s benefit.
When putting on a three-day festival like DigiFest, we get some of the best ideas from the group, and partnering together energizes the team to do their best work. While emotional kudos and financial incentives are motivating, the feeling of inclusion is what the team remembers most. Focus on distributing equity throughout your team, and your business will continue delivering innovation to your clients naturally.
3. Diversity and Inclusion Demonstrate a Company’s Culture to its Clients and Community
Creating a culture where your clients and the community feel welcome makes them feel safe to refer to your business because they know judgment won’t be dished out.
I’ve learned how this is key because building relationships is what makes a business successful. I’ve been fortunate to develop many diverse, longtime relationships, but they took time to build. I always felt comfortable being one of a few women in the room years ago, but now it’s nice to have more women to network with within the community.
4. Diversity and Inclusion Deliver a Greater Range of Skills
I’m always looking for individuals who bring forth a range of skills and talents because everyone learns and produces quality products differently. Bringing diverse people together from different cultures and experiences inspires deeper and more creative collaboration to foster effective critical thinking and develop new ideas to solve problems.
5. Diversity and Inclusion Enables You to Communicate with Employees and Clients on Many Different Levels
In my world of storytelling and training others to become storytellers, having insight from different experiences allows us to provide the best perspective for marketing and communications campaigns that elevate our clients to their next level. The ability to carve out and communicate various angles ultimately helps us provide more to our clients.
What advice would you give to other business leaders to help their employees to thrive?
Cultivating culture is key. For us, creating a family culture was a significant advantage. I bring people together by having staff meetings often, and I also meet with my team one on one to understand where they are on a personal level.
We incorporate fun and team building into our workflow. We encourage open communication by listening to our staff and maintaining an open-door policy, which can be tough to do as a business owner but is important because it allows others to have a voice. Giving employees a safe space to feel heard is empowering, even if their ideas are not implemented. As a leader, it’s also important to listen and adapt to change when warranted.
What advice would you give to other business leaders about how to manage a large team?
In my experience as a leader, I’ve learned that I can’t always be the same. I can’t always use the same approach with each of my employees because they’re diverse individuals. To enhance my team, I have to treat everyone differently because everyone works in different ways. In the end, it’s all about building relationships. If you build a relationship with your employees, it helps you be a better leader.
I still make mistakes. Sometimes I shoot from the hip before I shoot from my head because I’m a creative and emotional person. I ebb and flow differently, and sometimes I might not be ebbing and flowing with all of my employees, and when you suddenly pull out a cut-and-dry decision, you have to know how to deliver it. I admit I haven’t always delivered decisions perfectly but being the leader of a group of any size is about learning, adapting, and continuously growing.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this 🙂
There are many powerful, dynamic, and talented women whom I would welcome a private or public meeting with, such as Diane Sawyer, Kelly Ripa, Robin Roberts, Amy Klobuchar, Tina Fey, Jane Pauley and Jen Gottlieb. These women leaders face challenges head-on, love their work, and do it with ethics, passion, honesty, and authenticity.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Instagram profiles include @dianestrand @jdsproductionstudios @jdsactorsstudio @soi_newsinfo @digifesttemecula and @jdscreativeacademy
Twitter accounts include @JDSProductions @JDSCreative @JDSActorsStudio @SOI_newsinfo and @DigifestTemecu
I’m also on LinkedIn, and each of our companies has its own Facebook page. Check us out!
Thank you for these excellent insights. We wish you continued success in your great work.
Diane Strand Of JDS Video & Media Productions On How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
