Two Trailblazers, One Unforgettable Night
Lessons in Resilience, Reinvention, and Creative Courage.
The evening was a powerful celebration of reinvention, mentorship, and storytelling, led by Hollywood powerhouses Risa Gertner and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas. Drawing on decades of experience, they shared personal insights and a shared message: success comes not from a straight path, but from curiosity, commitment, and the courage to shape your own story.
The Evening Opened with Risa Gertner
A respected former talent agent and longtime executive at Creative Artists Agency, Risa has represented many talented A-listers during her 27 years at CAA, from Seth MacFarlane to Ron Howard.
Today, she’s an executive leadership coach and strategic consultant for major studios. Feeding her passion for service, Risa also mentors first-generation college graduates through Ready to Succeed, helping them navigate and thrive in the complex landscape of entertainment careers.
Risa shared practical wisdom drawn from decades in the industry:
1. Write what you know—and what lights you up. Don’t chase trends or try to reverse-engineer what might sell. Instead, write from passion and experience. Audiences can feel authenticity.
2. Plot matters, but people matter more. Great stories are powered by unforgettable characters, their relationships, and crisp, resonant dialogue. Risa pointed to American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, and Michael Clayton—none of which can be summed up in a single sentence. Their impact comes from complexity, not concept.
3. Never share an early draft with industry professionals. Friends, teachers, and critique groups are fine. But agents, directors, or publishers should only see your strongest, most polished work. First impressions are often final impressions.
4. Do your homework. Before a meeting, learn everything you can about the industry, company, and individual you're meeting with.
5. Keep pitches short and sharp. Brevity is power.
6. Success = Talent + Discipline + Charisma (or Confidence). One without the others is rarely enough.
7. Dependability and perseverance matter more than most people think. Being someone others can count on consistently will open more doors and keep them open.
Inspired by Risa’s commitment to mentorship, David Kirkpatrick—the founder of Story Summit—shared advice he received from one of his mentors, Michael Eisner, who was chairman of Disney for twenty-one years:
“The secret of life is to HAVE a mentor. And the second thing is to BE a mentor.”
The Wisdom Continued with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas
As if Risa’s insights weren’t powerful enough, the evening continued with a knockout conversation featuring Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas. A literary and entertainment powerhouse, Elaine has shattered barriers throughout her career. Starting at the William Morris Agency, she went on to represent Hollywood icons such as Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Spike Lee, and Nicolas Cage—to name a mighty few!
See a Penny, Pick It Up
Elaine’s father—through his love of storytelling—gave her permission to see beyond her circumstances:
“I remember once, he picked up a penny off the street and asked, ‘What do you see?’ I said, ‘A penny.’ He said, ‘I see every life this penny has touched. It’s metal—it holds their souls.’ Then he told me stories about each imaginary person. After that, I never saw a penny the same way again.”
This helped Elaine develop the skill of imagination, which she would use many times in her life to go beyond what culture and society often reflected back to her.
Her Zamboni Philosophy
She also shared a theory she’s developed over the years—that sometimes, image is more powerful than reality:
"You can ‘Zamboni’ things—just like that guy smoothing out the ice. Slide things over a bit, reshape your truth. Then your life starts to match your dreams. It’s not a lie. It’s a Zamboni."
You shape your own narrative, and that narrative can shape your reality.
The Power of Reinvention
At one point, Elaine made a bold career pivot, transitioning to a successful stint as a studio head, writer, and producer, responsible for hits like Maid in Manhattan, Mona Lisa Smile, Hustlers and Marry Me. Today, as producing partner to Jennifer Lopez and president of Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions, she continues to drive groundbreaking projects, spearheading a compelling array of television series and films, including one of the top 10 films ever to be streamed globally on Netflix, The Mother.
Most recently, she transitioned to published author—not a break from her past, but a culmination of it:
“I’ve always been a writer. I started my career as an agent because I was good at selling people I believed in. But writing made me a better agent. Being a writer and agent made me a better producer. And being all three has now made me a better author.”
It Doesn’t Stop There
Elaine’s first novel, Climbing in Heels, has just launched in bookstores everywhere, and is being turned into a series by Peacock, co-produced by Elaine and Darren Starr (creator of Sex and the City and Younger).
In her novel, inspired by her own journey, the author traces the rise of three ambitious secretaries navigating the cutthroat world of a 1980s Hollywood talent agency. When asked why she chose fiction over memoir, she explained that the freedom of fiction gave her room to breathe creatively.
“There’s a bit of me in all the characters,” she said, “but especially in Beanie.” By stepping into fiction, she was able to blend truth with imagination—amplifying certain moments, inventing others, and carefully curating which pieces of her life made it onto the page.
The evening wasn’t just about two successful women. It was about possibility. About creating, not waiting, and choosing to live boldly every single day.
Both women emphasized that your career is a journey—less a leap, more a climb.
As Elaine put it:
“Just keep one metaphorical heel—or wide-toed flat—in front of the other, and be willing to figure it out.”
What’s Coming Up at Story Summit?
Here are a few of our upcoming classes and events. Check out the complete schedule at www.storysummit.us.
July 3: TONIGHT is the final evening of Build Your Story Like a Pro with Margaret South
If you want to be a writer, you need this class—period. Whether you're writing a novel, a memoir, or a screenplay, story structure isn’t optional. It’s essential. Without it, even the most brilliant characters and beautiful prose will fall flat. The class structure is broken down in a way that’s accessible, energizing, and designed to move your writing forward
July 8 & 22: Through an Agent’s Eyes—Becoming a Standout, Marketable Client
In this insightful session, literary agent, Rachelle Gardner will share her expertise on how to present yourself in a way that agents value and remember. You’ll receive a rare glimpse into the agent-client relationship, helping you understand what it takes to not just land an agent but also build a lasting and successful partnership.
July 9, 16, 23 &30: Christmas in July
Holiday movies have become big business, with more of them in demand every year. And that means producers are looking for new material year-round.
In this class, Joany Kane, the writer of The Christmas Card—the only Hallmark Christmas movie to earn an Emmy nomination—as well as sixteen other holiday movies, will lead you through the holiday screenwriting process.
Story Summit was founded by David Kirkpatrick, the former president of Paramount Studios and former chief of production for Disney. From the beginning of Story Summit, his dream has been to help make writers’ dreams come true. It’s happening in big ways, so from time to time we’ll feature Summiteers whose work is being published or produced and let you know how they did it.
We hope that one of those writers will someday be you. Please reach out, leave a comment, and check out our links. And most of all, please join us! We’d love to welcome you to our Story Summit community.