What movie inspires you for work?

9 Comments

1. Claudia Miani QuintanaAugust 12,2020 at 12:42PM UTC

   Working Girl! I love her use of creativity and tenacity to show people she could rise up to be more than a secretary, by taking on risks.

2. Holly JacobsAugust 13,2020 at 11:53PM UTC

   Claudia. That movie is fun and it’s about underestimating a how brilliant an intuitive, self taught, working class woman trust another with her thoughts, strategy and winning plan, only to have it stolen and how she in a very old Hollywood style takes risks, stands up for her self and traded places only to be seen in the true light of who she is.

3. Mandy KiernanAugust 12,2020 at 1:20PM UTC

   Hidden Figures. If you haven't seen it, you need to. This movie is so inspiring and reminds me to keep pressing on every day.

4. Holly JacobsAugust 12,2020 at 4:12PM UTC

   I haven’t seen it but will do so. Thank you for the recommendation and once viewed I’ll follow back up with you Mandy. In mean while I viewed you position and will be sending good vibes your way.

5. Lynne CoganAugust 13,2020 at 6:23PM UTC

   I love Hidden Figures. It shows pressing on and for me as a career coach, it goes deeper than that.

   Those of you who have seen it will understand my reasoning below. And maybe it will give incentive to those who have not to watch it.

   * Katherine Johnson (played by Taraji P. Henson. Johnson was urged to "go beyond." Think beyond what could be seen and done. She did. By doing so, she utilized an older form of math that made it possible to plan the trajectory for orbital flight--John Glenn's flight. She wasn't just a worker bee. She was a STAKEHOLDER in the work. Something that is important these days for those who want to ensure their jobs at forwarding thinking organizations.

   * Dorothy Vaughan (played by Octavia Spencer). Vaughan has been cited as possibly the smartest person at NASA. With all those rocket scientists, that is saying a great deal. What I see is someone who was forward looking. She saw that her world was changing; that an IBM mainframe would soon be doing the work of her team faster and better. She didn't lie down and let it happen. She learned learned FORTRAN how to make that IBM work--something that no one else who tried could. She taught her team how to use it--improving her position and that of all the women that she supervised (officially or not).

   Mary Jackson (played by Janelle Monae). Jackson was a born engineer. She was encouraged by one of the other engineers to take the required coursework so she could attain engineer status. In early 1960's, that was a challenge because the schools were segregated. But Jackson did her research and knew what she was going to say to the judge. She proved her right to follow her dream and pursue her happiness.

   But there single moment that really makes me smile. Katherine Johnson was working in a building that had no "colored" restrooms. She had to go about a half mile in all kinds of weather in order to find one. When her "boss," Al Harrison (played by Kevin Costner) finds out, he wastes no time in tearing down the "white" only sign on the women's restroom closest to where Johnson worked. He said something like, "Here at NASA, we all pee the same color." Maybe a lesson in diversity but more a lesson in how we are the same--in our humanity.

   I love Hidden Figures.

6. Holly JacobsAugust 13,2020 at 11:58PM UTC

   I skipped your thoughts on this Lynn, but I did sneak small peaks at what you wrote enough to be evermore inspired by Mandy’s original recommendation. Thank you for the insight.

7. Heather Isley-SalazarAugust 21,2020 at 4:15PM UTC

   There are so many, but the first to pop to mind is The Devil Wears Prada. My favorite phrase that I use constantly was from Stanley Tucci's character, Nigel, "...You just design to work". After this revelation, Andrea (Anne Hathoway) finds it in herself to be her very best no matter what is thrown at her.

8. Holly JacobsAugust 21,2020 at 8:30PM UTC

   Trying your best, learning as you go, making lifelong professional relationships and winning at life by being true to yourself, an excellent suggestion Heather. Thank You.

9. Keelyn SebenySeptember 3,2020 at 4:20PM UTC

   I have two thoughts: 1. I like movies where people are able to make a transformation, to change their lives... Pursuit of Happiness, Erin Brockovich; and 2. Movies that remind me what's most important to me as a human, and impact how I behave at work... like Just Mercy, or The Help