Veronica Beach

Opening Up about Failing and fighting Mental Health stigmas as producers

Please note that this episode contains a very candid discussion on trauma, depression, and sexual abuse that begins around the 40-minute mark.

Veronica Beach is the Head of Production at Pereira O’Dell, a bi-coastal advertising agency with offices in San Francisco and New York.

She has over 20 years of producing experience, specializing in advertising production. She has produced some of the most viewed and famous campaigns historically over her career, as well as won over 100 Cannes Lions and other multiple awards.

She came into my life in 2013 when I was raising funds for my feature documentary, Autism in Love. The subject touched her so deeply, she corralled all of her industry contacts to help us raise a huge chunk of money to finish the film. She was one of those angels that was put on my path and helped me stay the course on what became my first feature producing credit.

Pretty cool, right?

At the time of our intersection, Veronica was at DAVID The Agency, where she was a founding member and Global Head of Production for over eight years. This stint challenged her on many fronts, including a move to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to open the offices in South America, learning Portuguese, and deepening her understanding of culture in LATAM.

In June of 2020, in the midst of a pandemic, Veronica re-launched poolhouse, a platform for producers to connect, share information, resources, find jobs, and much more to come. Currently, they have over 3,000 followers on IG and over 750 producers on the platform.

Veronica destigmatizes mental health issues in the entertainment industry by sharing her own struggles with trauma and depression. She speaks with openness and authenticity about how her mental health impacted her life and career, and how dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) helped her heal.

If you are struggling with your mental health, there is no shame in getting help. Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more. If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free, and you'll reach a trained volunteer.

You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOME to 741-741, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Stay safe,

xx cg

“I have failed. Believe me, I failed with my first company, I fail on a lot of things. But I'm not afraid to fail.”

- Veronica Beach

Episode Transcript