For Margaret Ward, the More You Know, the Better You Lead

Margaret Ward is a managing director and executive producer at Therapy Studios, where she has spent over a decade producing award-winning content across commercial, TV, and feature projects.

With more than 15 years in the industry, Margaret manages a permanent staff and a network of freelance artists and producers, overseeing every aspect of post-production – from editorial and design to sound, colour, and visual effects.

Her credits span high-profile campaigns for global brands such as Netflix, Spotify, Beats by Dre, Google, Virgin, and Uber, as well as acclaimed documentaries and series including ‘Dancing For the Devil’ and ‘Skywalkers: A Love Story’ (Netflix), ‘Kids Are Growing Up’ (Amazon Prime), ‘Periodical’ (Peacock), ‘The Big Con’ (Apple TV+), and the Emmy- and Grammy-winning ‘Sonic Highways’ and ‘Sound City’.

Margaret is known for her commitment to combining creative excellence with meticulous production oversight. She believes the best work happens when teams feel supported and energised, and that laughter is an essential part of the pipeline.

Margaret recently sat down with LBB to chat about why the industry will always have a need for those with a genuine love of their craft, and the creative spirit you can always find at the heart of productions…

LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?

Margaret> Treat every project – no matter how small – with the same level of care and professionalism you would bring to the biggest job of your career. Your reputation is built on the details, and the set of skills you are building now in your career will be the same skills you utilise for a lifetime.

LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?

Margaret> A great producer is curious about every role that makes a project possible. As technology evolves and teams adapt, so should you. Stay curious, keep learning – whether that’s new equipment, software, AI tools, or simply understanding what motivates your crew. The more you know, the better you can lead.

LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?

Margaret> I learned very early on that having passion about your job is contagious – no matter the position, but especially when you are leading a team. When I was younger and worked with producers who didn’t have that passion, it was felt at all levels of the job. It’s always important to remind yourself how much you love what you do.

LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this? And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?

Margaret> Breaking into this industry is often the hardest part, so it’s vital that we create clear, viable pathways for new voices to enter.

At Therapy, we’ve always believed in investing in our internship program, which helps emerging talent build experience that can lead to a real career here or elsewhere. It’s on all of us to ensure the next generation sees a door open, not closed.

LBB> There are young people getting into production who maybe don’t see the line between professional production and the creator economy, and that may well also be the shape of things to come. What are your thoughts about that? Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy’ or do the two feed into each other?

Margaret> The core principles of producing are shared amongst all different levels of production.

There is always a new way a problem can be addressed. And having a new and diverse point of view, overall, is a good thing; it helps give us all a new perspective and pushes us to think differently.

To me, that cross-pollination is a good thing – it keeps the industry evolving.

LBB> If you compare your role to the role of executive producers when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes?

Margaret> Fifteen years ago, we had more time, bigger budgets, and – in some ways – more fun! Longer timelines meant teams bonded deeply and built real loyalty.

Today, we do more with less and move much faster, which makes it harder to carve out that same space. But what hasn’t changed is that creative spirit and relationships are still at the heart of the work – even if they happen over tighter deadlines and leaner budgets.

LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your production company like to approach this?

Margaret> We always joke that we’re a ‘teaching hospital’. The best training is hands-on experience – diving in, learning from seasoned team members, and growing through real work. We believe in giving people room to learn on the job while being supported by a team that wants to see them succeed.

LBB> It seems that there’s an emphasis on speed and volume when it comes to content - but where is the space for up and coming producers to learn about (and learn to appreciate) craft?

Margaret> No matter when you entered this field, it’s usually because you fell in love with the craft first. That passion should be your North Star as you grow. Even when things move fast, there’s always space to champion the details and quality; that’s how you build work you’re proud of.

LBB> On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills?

Margaret> Keep learning, and keep listening. The best teams blend experience with fresh ideas, so the learning should flow both ways. I think staying curious, asking questions, and never letting yourself become jaded with experience is the real secret to staying sharp.

LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?

Margaret> Some things never go out of style: genuine love for the craft, the drive to stay up late to get it right, and the ability to lead a team through the highs and lows. Production will always need people who care deeply and can inspire that same dedication in others.