(Almost) Reckless | Episode 1.1
A conversation with Wendy Finerman & Samara Cohen, moderated by Amy Smilovic
The creative team at Tibi has been working on a special project for almost eight months and I am quite eager to share some insights about it with you all - it’s called (Almost) Reckless - and the first edition has just launched. Episode 1.1 features a conversation with Wendy Finerman and Samara Cohen, moderated by Amy, and was hosted at our Tibi NYC atelier in front of a small audience of friends and family of the brand.
When ideating and conceptualizing this series, we sought to answer a couple integral questions - really goals posed in a question format:
How can we strengthen our relationships with our clients by overdelivering in areas unique to our brand? Whether by intention or circumstance, we know we have cultivated a group of individuals that share a similar mindset of Creative Pragmatism. These are people who relish the notion of being many things at once, and who share a similar thought process with no guarantee of thinking the same thing. We are highly curious, crave discourse, and revel in understanding “the why” and “the how” behind “the what”.
How can we give people more opportunities to interact and surround themselves with others whose mindset deeply aligns with our discourse here at Tibi. We have come to realize that through the philosophy of Creative Pragmatism, we can lean into the opportunity to connect with many of the incredibly interesting individuals we have met through our DMs and brand events. It’s amazing that we can bring together people from all corners of the globe, from a variety of industries, from wildly different age groups, who all share a common way of thinking. A Creative, yet highly Pragmatic, way of thinking.
The substance of the (Almost) Reckless Podcast, and the framework under which we are producing the content, revolve around the deeply rooted principles of Creative Pragmatism and the keys to living a non-bifurcated life. At first glance, it may appear unlikely that the featured individuals could possibly share experiential commonalities, both in their professional and personal lives. How might a famous film producer and a CIO at one of the world’s largest financial institutions have anything in common? Well, it turns out they share quite a lot when you realize they have a mutual mindset. They value curiosity, hard work, and an unapologetic passion for everything they put their soul into. They have high expectations for themselves, Creativity fuels them, and Pragmatism guides them.
Our featured guests throughout this series have been ardently chosen with intent and purpose. They are people that are intriguing to us because of who they are, what they represent, how they think, and how they spend their time. As previously mentioned, we look to select individuals from disparate industries, and for Episode 1.1, the industries represented are that of Finance/Banking and Film Production/Direction.
Wendy Finerman is an independent Film & Television producer who founded Wendy Finerman Productions in 1988 and, in 1994, was the first solo female producer in the history of the Academy to receive an Oscar for Best Picture, Forrest Gump. Wendy has won 6 Academy Awards, a Golden Globe for Best Picture Drama, and produced one of the highest grossing films in Hollywood history. Some of her other most notable films include Fairy Tale, P.S. I Love You, Drumline, Stepmom, and The Devil Wears Prada. Fun fact - The Devil Wears Prada was actually our introduction to Wendy, as she used our first Tibi atelier on 56 Crosby Street to film the scene pictured below - Wendy has remained a very close friend of the family and brand ever since.
Samara Cohen is the Chief Investment Officer at BlackRock for ETFs and Index Investments, leading a team that manages roughly $6.6 trillion dollars. Samara has a storied career in finance, having been a Managing Director in Securities at Goldman Sachs before re-joining BlackRock in 2015. She is a member of BlackRock’s Global Executive Committee, was named Barron’s Most Influential Women in Finance for the years 2022, ‘23, and ‘24, and has been a close friend of the family and brand for several years.
The conversation, moderated by Amy, touches on topics ranging from their view on the elements that have conspired to make them who they are today - characteristics that, when examined individually, may seem unexceptional, but when combined create an unstoppable force - to the idea of self-promotion vs. being yourself, and what it means to live a non-bifurcated life.
I want to take a moment to thank our entire creative/marketing team for their help in the production of such an incredible first episode of our new series. From the audio/video capture and set design to the logistical production/coordination of the content and its consequential dissemination out into the world, this concept required deep collaboration throughout the company. We are also grateful to our beverage partners, Voss and Avaline, as well as our friends at The Goods Mart, who helped curate an array of small/local snack and beverage brands - Oddbird, BEHAVE Candy, Stellar Snacks, Tony’s Chocolonely - in support of the event.
Episode 1.1 of the (Almost) Reckless Podcast can be found here. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did putting it all together.
I love nothing more than observing and understanding how people’s minds work. This brings pure delight to my soul. Thank you.
Loved this. One of the key takeaways for me was when Samara talked about coming back together in the workplace after Covid restrictions, so important for any team collaboration. I think women were sold a lie about the benefits of working from home, doubling the 'work', none of the benefits really for their career. The growth comes from working as a team. Such joy to hear frm these fabulous, super succesful women. Thank you.