The Imposterous Veronica Beach knows how to throw 500 guitars into a live volcano because finding the fun is more important than anything else

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The Imposterous Veronica Beach knows how to throw 500 guitars into a live volcano because finding the fun is more important than anything else

This week’s guest is the most decorated female in Cannes Lions history…she also knows that when you have a massive ego, nobody wants to hang with you. Veronica Beach is a producer in the truest sense of the word, she delivers. You might know her from the Stevenage Challenge, or The New York Times work, but you definitely know her for Dove Sketches.

 

In our conversation we find out that she believes that we are all devoured by pangs of self doubt from time to time, that nobody really has the magic 8-ball – but what we do have is the ability to know what we want. Because a true producer doesn’t just deliver exactly what the creative team wants, rather they combine in the process to make something even better. Because, as we all know, creatives can think of absolutely anything – but it’s the producers that actually make it happen.

Also joining us on todays chat is a long overdue new voice. Unlike Knoxy and Drew, Maria Paula Vera (pictured below) is at the other end of the Imposterous paradox – she’s at the start of her career and far more aware of what the teams are feeling today – as she’s right in the mix of it all as a planner at DDB Equador. She also happens to be a Young Lion, is far more insightful and quick witted.

The Imposterous Veronica Beach knows how to throw 500 guitars into a live volcano because finding the fun is more important than anything else

Veronica (pictured top) shares with us potentially the best anecdote ever – the story of dumping 500 electric guitars into an active volcano. It was her idea not to do it CG, but for real. Never mind the fact that due to bad weather they dropped them into the wrong volcano…. Which leads us to the heart of Veronica’s philosophy – that we all f&ck up, but ‘finding the fun’ is vital. As the holder of more lions than any other female creative – Veronicas ranks herself with maybe 10 successes amongst 150 ‘failures’. The danger being, can get so obsessed with ‘winning’ that we loose ourselves and the love for the work. To do it just because it’s great, not because it’s a metal magnet.

Veronica Beach is the original founder and now partner of the poolhouse, a social network for Producers in TV, Film & Advertising. Previously Veronica was the Director of Production at Pereira O’Dell from 2020 – July 2022. Prior to that, Head of Global Production at DAVID and was a founding member of DAVID and even moved to Brazil to open the São Paulo and Buenos Aires production departments. While living in Brazil, Veronica served a dual role leading Global Production for Ogilvy Brazil.

In Veronica’s first year at Ogilvy Brazil they won Agency of the Year in Cannes through the projects she produced, Dove, Real Beauty Sketches and Coca Cola’s, Crazy for Good. That year winning 29 Lions, including the Titanium Grand Prix as well as previously mentioned, Agency of the Year. To date, Veronica has won over 100 Lions, and multiple other prestigious awards.

With a new episode every week, The Imposterous is hosted by Michael Knox (ECD, Think HQ) and Graham Drew (CCO, Grey Malaysia) and as has been created to explore the theory that even the world’s most respected creative professionals suffer pangs of inadequacy that either stifle their potential brilliance or protect them from mediocrity. Tune in to find out how Imposter Syndrome might just be a thing that you don’t have to run from.

LISTEN TO THE VERONICA BEACH INTERVIEW

Scientifically coded to vibrate at the same frequency as a hummingbird’s wings, this podcast is flown together by Andrew Stevenson (We Love Jam Studios) and visuals hovered over by Cohan Banfield. The Imposterous is available now on itunes, Spotify, Google Play or imposterous.com

Listen to previous season two episodes with Jeff Goodby, Valerie Young, Damon Staplton, Mietta McFarlane, Brent Smart, Peter Nankervis, Pum Lefebure and Paul Middleditch here.

The Imposterous Veronica Beach knows how to throw 500 guitars into a live volcano because finding the fun is more important than anything else