The Secret to Serenity:

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Kim Tannenbaum, co-creator of The Tannenbaum Co. and executive producer of many television shows including Notes From the Underbelly and Two and a Half Men, the highest rated comedy series on the air. 

Kim and her husband/business partner, Eric have recently ended their contract with Warner Bros to form a new production company based at Sony Pictures. The venture will include an additional business partner, Emmy winning producer, Mitch Hurwitz who is best known for creating the television show Arrested Development. 

Industry media sources are hailing the venture as one the biggest TV pairings of the year. 

Kim served as executive vice president of Creative Affairs for Artists Television Group and was the senior vice president of Comedy Series Development at Columbia TriStar Television.

All of the experience under her belt has made for a seemingly natural transition from employee to business owner. I hope you enjoy the interview. The topic is television…so I’ll let it unfold like a drama. Grab a snack!

Adventures in Century City

My Interview with Kim Tannenbaum

12:00 p.m. I left early for my interview with Kim. We weren’t scheduled to meet until 2:30, but if you’ve ever been to southern California and seen the wreckage that is our freeway system you’d understand. 

1:00 p.m. I’d gone 6.32 miles and made good headway. As I drove, I wondered what exactly I was going to say. I wasn’t unprepared. Like any good interviewer, I’d maxed out Google, Wikipedia, and every other stalkish website in the name of research. Combined with what I already knew about Kim Tennanbaum, there was plenty of material to cover. But did I really want it to be a fact checking session? Example:

            Me: So, I read that you were with Artists Television Group for five years…

            Kim: Yes. 

            Me: And you own a monkey?

            Kim: No. 

Boring. I remembered hearing a successful motivational speaker say that he rarely prepares his speeches. Instead he asks questions and gages what the audience needs. I decided to shelf the idea of impressing Kim with my web searching abilities and instead learn by engaging her in conversation like a normal person.

1:45 p.m. I pulled into the parking garage at Sony Plaza. So this is where the big shots park, I thought. I quickly learned that it is normal for luxury cars to take up two spaces.

2:00 p.m. I walked up to the large amusement park-esque Sony lot. I should rephrase that. You just don’t waltz past the security box. After a full body search and retinal scan, I was in. It was quite a surreal experience to stroll around the grounds. It looks like a bunch of movie sets converted into office space. 

2:20 p.m. Upon entering the office it was obvious by the boxes that everyone was still getting settled from the Warner Bros move. Despite the packing supplies, the atmosphere was light and professional.

2:30 p.m. Kim is as pretty as her images on Google Photos. It only took a few minutes of us talking for me to appreciate her communication style. Not many people can manage the art of casual professionalism. 

The interview was full of insights that any entrepreneur can draw from.

On Getting What You Want: When Kim was pitching the quirky, baby-centric comedy Notes From the Underbelly to the studios, they didn’t “get it� initially because no one had kids! Eventually a combination of Kim’s persistence and Mother Nature pushed the project forward. When bundles of joy began appearing in the lives of people who had said “no�, suddenly a show about couples navigating through parenthood became a little more interesting.

Lesson: Don’t give up on your vision just because you’re hitting brick walls. If you’re confident that you have something of value to offer, keep knocking on doors until you get a yes. 

On Being a Working Mom: As any entrepreneur mom knows, there is no compartmentalizing in our lives. The breast pump in Kim’s office is evidence. She assured me that there have been days when the diaper hits the fan and she considers what life without the work/life juggle would be like. Those moments are always fleeting. 

Lesson: Don’t beat yourself up for not being a perfect super-person. Everyone is taking it day by day and doing their best. Entrepreneurs have good days and bad ones so when you’re winning, right it down so the rainy days don’t feel so wet.

On Being Innovative: One of the goals for the new production company is to nurture television writers in a way that hasn’t been undertaken before. The Tannenbaum-Hurwitz trio has plans to serve as advocates for the writers as well as foster creativity through group interaction and a collective work environment. 

Lesson: There is always a new way to deliver a tried and true concept. In your business, separate yourself from your competition by brainstorming news ways to transform your industry.

On Loving What You Do:  When I asked Kim about her goals and future career aspirations, she answered clearly. “If you’d asked me a long time ago I would have said that I wanted to run a studio or network. (But) I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I’m working for myself.� Spoken like a true entrepreneur.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 2nd, 2007 at 12:19 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Lessons for Business and Life: Television producer Kim Tannenbaum Speaks”

1. adrian d griffin Says:
   July 7th, 2007 at 9:21 am

   Wow! Spoken like someone who has not only vision but an understanding that we(humans) are ever evolving and can’t be stopped.

   The purpose of life is to bring life. I feel more attracted to navigating through the terrain with a smile, with a knowing that I’m creating for the betterment of others.

   Thanks. I’ll keep you posted on the ever evolving transformation.

2. adrian d griffin Says:
   July 7th, 2007 at 9:23 am

   The progressions of life for the benefits of the next generation.

   Thank you for teaching passion by example.

3. Nadine Says:
   July 7th, 2007 at 6:14 pm

   This is a very encouraging article. I have just started living my dreams by starting my own business, unfortunately it took me 20 years of working in State Government to realize it. I will call that my prep time. I am so grateful for what I am doing now. It’s also addictive. Thanks for the great article.

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