Bossing It: Leading by Example with Kim Wildenburg
Kim Wildenburg is the founder and executive producer of Sedona Productions, an independent creative production company based in Sydney. With a career spanning over 25 years in the United States and Australia, she is committed to producing films that celebrate traditional filmmaking and innovative craft through the utilisation of cutting-edge design, animation, visual fx and emerging technology.
Kim is a multi-faceted producer, having gained invaluable experience over the years, in her roles as managing director of Exit Films, executive producer at Psyop and Mill+, and in her early days as VFX producer at Method Studios in Los Angeles and Fin Design in Sydney. She’s produced campaigns for most global brands including Coca Cola, Nike, Honda, the OSCARS, the White House, Qantas, Penfolds, Pepsi, Samsung and many more.
With the most notable being an innovative interactive campaign, titled Google Through the Dark’, being the most successful digital interactive project of the year, receiving over fifty accolades at major international award shows and festivals, including 7 Cannes Lion, several D&D, AWARD, Ciclope, One Club, London International Awards,
Webby, FWA, MMA, Amy, Innovation finalist at SXSW and six awards at Spikes Asia, including the coveted Grand Prix.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Kim> My first mini experience was standing in for the managing director of Psyop in Los Angeles whilst she was on maternity leave. I was a new mum myself, with a 3-month-old baby and had to take on a huge amount of responsibility, running a large team of directors, designers, animators and live action productions.
I had been working at Psyop for many years prior as executive producer, so the trust, respect and relationships were all solid and their culture was excellent. From there I led the directing division at Mill+ In Los Angeles which was a phenomenal experience.
LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?
Kim> This came naturally over the years as I observed and learned what resonated with my teams and what didn’t. Authenticity, honesty, trust, good communication, mutual respect and fairness are crucial attributes. I’m a very positive person, with a can-do problem-solving attitude. Morals and integrity have always been important in how I lead and run Sedona. Therefore, hopefully leading by example, instils a similar attitude in the people that I work with.
Regarding what not to do, I think that everyone has experienced a leader at some point in their career that they didn’t relate too. Someone who was not supportive, too busy to listen, relentless in their demands and taking glory without giving the people the credit that they deserve. By observing and experiencing how these actions effected people, was a very good indicator and lesson in regard to how to lead differently.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Kim> Heading up The Mill+ Los Angeles gave me a huge lesson in being a team player. We had such an incredible ensemble of directors, producers, designers and artists. We all respected each other immensely and were aware that each person in our team all brought invaluable ideas, experience and knowledge.
We produced everything from The Oscars show package, Superbowl commercials, experiential activations to gaming cinematics. Having the confidence to surround yourself with people smarter than you, who compliment your offering and you’re able to learn and grow from is paramount. Given the scale of the company, it was important to treat every person equally and fairly, regardless of hierarchy, status or responsibility.
I had observed some managers in the past who were only interested in reporting upwards and ignoring others. The runner, PA or client service is just as important as everyone else and plays a crucial role in the success of the team or production.
LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?
Kim> I think I had the desire in me since I was quite young funnily enough. In primary school I was elected as the Prime Minister in our year and in high school, I was elected prefect. I’m an extravert and quietly confident through years of training and learning in my profession. So, it was a natural progression for me starting out as a producer, and make my way to executive producer, managing director and now founder of Sedona Productions.
LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?
Kim> It certainly helps if leadership is instinctive, however a lot of leading can be taught and learned. I had a sensational mentor in Los Angeles (Neysa Horsburgh) who initially sponsored my move to the US and we worked together for over a decade at various companies.
She’s still one of my dear friends today and is by far, the most exceptional leader that I’ve ever worked with. She’s fun, smart, firm, proactive, supportive, business savvy and creative. The very best corporate cheerleader with amazing traits that I was able to learn from and aspire to.
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Kim> A lot of the younger generation expect to be promoted and achieve large pay rises rapidly. When I was starting out, we worked tirelessly for very little money. Never asking to leave early, rarely taking sick days and observing how we could always do better. Naturally we were promoted for working hard and showing dedication.
We also have our fair share of unique personalities in the creative arts, so managing this requires that you’re a good listener, ensuring that people feel heard, you are fair, whilst firm and have lots of patience.
LBB> Have you ever felt like you've failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?
Kim> I took over a management role with a company that was full of challenges with a fair number of unhappy employees and challenging financials. This was not what I had opted in for and as you can imagine it was an extremely difficult time and position to manage.
We managed to turn the business around, however in hindsight, I was probably too focused on the bigger picture strategy surrounding the business and should have taken the time to build trust and respect first with the team, listening and working closer with them to implement changes more slowly and considered.
LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be as transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?
Kim> 100% you need to be authentic and honest. Transparency is crucial and I find that this leads to better collaborations with both in-house teams and clients. I’m always known for my direct honesty, and I believe that if everyone is open to hearing various perspectives, it helps streamline the process and we can find solutions faster.
With that said, without a doubt, you must be considered and empathetic to all situations and personalities.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Kim> Stay calm, positive and be resourceful.
LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your work force?
Kim> I’m a huge advocate for seeing more females succeed in the production industry. Advertising in Australia and directors are very much a male dominated industry. Supporting female talent and helping them achieve more of a voice is important to my ethos, with my company name Sedona meaning ‘strong dependable woman’.
I also think ageism is quite prevalent in our industry. Quite often people want to work with the young, hot director, however, with age comes invaluable experience and wisdom. So the mature folks should not be overlooked.
LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?
Kim> Having worked in the industry for over 25 years, my goal with Sedona is to work with nice people. That includes everyone from my directors, artists, producers and clients. Kind people who respect each other, lends itself to a lot of repeat business, plus ongoing and new friendships.
Of course, it’s very rewarding to win awards for projects that you’ve created, however it’s less about achievements now that get me excited but being able to genuinely enjoy the process and be grateful for the amazing opportunities that we’ve encountered over the years. Waking up each day energised and excited is the key to a healthy, long life and successful career.
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Kim> People and in particular my father have been a tremendous support. We are consistently learning, and all make mistakes in one way or another. If I’m producing a campaign that is out of my depth, I will own that and do as much research as possible or surround myself with people who can add value.
I also love a podcast ‘How I Built This’ by Guy Raz. It’s shares experiences from entrepreneurs who share their journey: from wins to failures. They are fantastic lessons of inspiration, perseverance and resilience. And the various conferences are extremely insightful, learning about different cultures and leaders, from SXSW, Cannes and Spikes.
