SEASON TWO: EPISODE eighteen
Want to listen to the podcast while you read? Click here to listen to episode eighteen now.
There’s something no one really tells you about starting.
Whether it’s a story, a project, or a new version of yourself, you almost always hesitate first. You stop. You question. You ask yourself if you’re ready, if you’re enough, if anyone will care.
I’ve lived in those moments, and so has recurring guest Anna Campbell.
Anna has spent years working in a system that often limits how women, especially women with stories that don’t fit neatly into a box, are portrayed. In this episode, we talk about the decision to start anyway. About how long it took her to give herself permission to tell a story that wasn’t tidy, polished, or expected. She did that just that with the release of her first feature length film, NORA. She is the producer, director, writer and actor in the film and it is an intimate portrayal of motherhood and finding a way to not lose yourself the role of motherhood, to find a way to still live for you too.
One moment that really stuck with me? Anna said she wishes she hadn’t hesitated for so long… but she’s so glad she finally took the step. With every step forward, she found more confidence. More of her voice.
This episode touches so many layers:
The pressure to be “ready” before you create
The way Hollywood and today’s media often default to sexualizing male-female dynamics (and how rarely we see them just exist in respectful, non-romantic spaces)
The complicated truths of the mother-child relationship, and how not everyone’s story looks the same
What it means to protect yourself in a world that doesn’t always feel safe, and what we pass down, especially to young girls
What I love most about this conversation is how real it is. It’s not about having it all figured out. It’s about choosing to move, even when you’re scared. Especially when you’re scared.
So if you’ve been hesitating on your story, your dream, or just that next step, I hope this episode reminds you: you’re not behind. You’re just building up the courage to begin. And that’s not a weakness. That’s power.
🎧 Take the journey with us. Listen to the finale wherever you get your podcasts.
Don’t miss out on future episodes. Subscribe to WAIT. HOLD UP… WHAT? Available on your favorite podcast platforms for the latest discussion concerning women, career journeys, storytelling, and more.
OUR GUEST
WRITER | DIRECTOR | PRODUCER | ACTRESS
Anna Campbell was born in Portland, OR. After attending Vassar College, she moved back to the west coast to pursue her dreams of being an actor in Los Angeles, with her first speaking role being on Veronica Mars and her most recent on NCIS.
It took a few years before realizing that producing and directing were an essential part of having a significant voice in the stories being made, at which point she fully embraced being a hyphenate. NORA is her first feature film.
GUEST: Anna Campbell | INSTAGRAM: Anna Campbell
Host: Dawne Hanks | IG: @dawnehanks & @eliminate_girl_hate & @wait.holdup.what
Sound Editing & Mixing: Epiphany Recording Studio | IG: @epiphany_recording_studio
