Listen to feedback about how others perceive you: It kind of doesn’t matter how you see yourself. It’s building the ability to get *other* people to see you as you see yourself.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lauren Zalaznick.
Lauren Zalaznick is an award-winning trailblazer in film and television, known for her transformative impact on media and entertainment. She began her career in film, producing acclaimed movies such as ‘Kids,’ ‘Poison,’ and the iconic ‘Zoolander.’ In television, she grew Bravo Media into a top 10 Nielsen-rated network with hits like Project Runway, Top Chef, The Real Housewives, and Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens: Live! Zalaznick’s TED talk has been viewed and shared close to a million times and her interviews have been catalogued at The Smithsonian.
Curating and editing “Letters From The Corporation…” has been one of the most difficult and rewarding accomplishments of her life. She hopes that by reading it, it is a reminder that we cannot truly know each other’s stories until we take the time to listen.
For the past decade, she has published her popular weekly newsletter about women in the news, The LZ Sunday Paper, which you can find on Substack.
She currently lives in New York City.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory? When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
When I was younger, books like Charlotte’s Web, The Secret Garden, and Maurice Sendak’s Pierre were my most cherished. They were books I turned to again and again, either as they were read to me or later, when I could read them myself. Charlotte’s Web, in particular, left a lasting impression on me. I was captivated by the friendship between Charlotte and Wilbur, and the way Charlotte used her intelligence and kindness to change Wilbur’s world, even for a little while, while the world was presented as a place with some unchangeable rules and, sometimes, tough realities.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
I definitely made my share of mistakes when I was starting out and to be honest, like most of us, I probably keep making them! Hopefully not the same ones over and over again.
When I started managing larger teams, it was challenging to establish standards that reflected my own management style, work ethic, and expectations, while also allowing individuals with different working styles to thrive. I had to focus on fostering a culture of trust and transparency, where people felt empowered to take risks and learn from their mistakes, on their own terms.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book, Letters from the Corporation of Brown University?
Letters from the Corporation of Brown University is both a set of personal reflections and a call to action. Through the book, I explore the intersection of the value of higher education and societal impact. The stories and reflections in the book aim to spark a conversation about how institutions, particularly those that have historically held power, can evolve to foster greater inclusivity and diversity even as they honor past traditions. I hope that by sharing my experiences — from navigating corporate environments to reflecting on my education at Brown — I can encourage others to think critically about the systems they operate in and challenge them to build more equitable spaces. I want my book to inspire readers to engage with their own institutions and workplaces in a way that leads to meaningful, lasting change.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
The most interesting stories in the book, to me, are those that speak to the same themes of individuality and, ultimately, growth, over the course of decades. As I read and reread the letters, certain themes began to emerge. Trustees and fellows frequently reflected on the differences between the cultural era of their undergraduate years and that of their Corporation tenure.
A mid-1970s graduate confessed that the first thing she thought at her initial Corporation meeting was that she “was now officially part of the establishment and not on the outside of University Hall protesting some earth-shattering issues.” It was nearly impossible for one fellow to believe that he “had finally become one of ‘them.’”
The stories of similar journeys experienced decades apart reveal hidden bonds of the Brown community. One alum expressed incredulity at his “unlikely” status as a trustee, his ability to attend Brown made possible through the financial scaffolding of an NROTC scholarship and work as a dormitory proctor and waiter throughout school — in 1946.
More recent Corporation members who had been first-generation and low-income students as Brown undergraduates conveyed similar sentiments in their letters of resignation, decades later.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
On Friday, May 22, 2015, I was finishing the fourth year of my six-year term. The tradition of the Corporation is that the Secretary reads each letter aloud at the group’s spring meeting on the eve of Commencement Weekend. As usual, the letters were utterly enjoyable.
The next letter began. I started to feel a sense of heightened emotion. It was devastatingly personal. Was it just me? I looked around the dignified room. From recent alums to CEOs of major corporations, I saw teary eyes and heard muffled sniffles. This letter was from a person I had known and admired for nearly thirty years. Yet I had never listened to his story. I had a flash of an idea: these letters deserved to be read, the stories heard, by others. As the readings continued, I began to visualize a patchwork quilt. Each letter was beautiful on its own, but when stitched together a remarkable image of Brown’s significance in a changing world emerged.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
One specific moment that stands out to me occurred when I was reading through the historical records of Brown University for my book, Letters from the Corporation of Brown University. I came across a particularly poignant story from the 1960s, when students and faculty, deeply involved in the civil rights movement, transformed Brown’s campus into a hub for activism, dialogue, and change. This wasn’t just an isolated moment — it was part of a broader tradition of universities serving as crucibles for democratic engagement and social progress. That was when it hit me: these institutions, often underappreciated, have been central to shaping our nation’s core values.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Re-define the value of higher education. The value of universities is to educate students and, in the process, train future leaders. When graduates enter the workforce, they become the artists, innovators, professionals, and policymakers who shape society. Colleges must be able to, according to their own principles, prepare students to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected future. The “cost” of the education does not equal its “value,” however the cost basis must be re-aligned so that signing up for a four year education is not signing up for a lifetime of debt.
- Invest in education and leadership programs that prioritize diversity and inclusivity. The future leaders of every industry should have the tools to navigate a complex, multicultural world.
- Demand accountability. Institutions, whether in business or higher education, must be held responsible for creating environments where all voices can thrive. Without systemic change, individual efforts will fall short.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is about inspiring and empowering others. It’s not about authority, but about cultivating an environment where people feel safe to express their ideas, challenge the status quo, and take risks. Develop a vision, articulate it clearly, and get folks on board to help make it happen. One of my favorite examples from my career is when I was overseeing the development of new content for Bravo. We pushed boundaries with new definitions of what non-fiction and reality content could look like. Leadership, in my view, is about fostering collaboration and trust within a shared ethos: create, innovate, have fun, and win.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
The first two are things I think are good advice now — no one gave me the advice when I was starting out but they have served me well:
- Be “afraid” to fail. It’s more than okay to make mistakes and it’s certainly inevitable, but today, “failure” is a hot concept. Entrepreneurs are quick to say “don’t be afraid to fail — I did!” But if you look closely, only (very) successful people say that.
- Think about how to be a true contributor. When you’re starting out, you are at the bottom of a very tall pyramid. Assuming most people are going to get the basic job done, think about what else is of real value to your boss or the organization at large. What can you take off someone else’s plate that enables growth or fosters relationships?
- Trust your gut. There were moments when I had to make decisions based on intuition, even when others doubted me. My instinct led me to embrace new and innovative content that changed the game.
- Speak up for yourself and others. Early on, I was hesitant to challenge ideas I disagreed with. Over time, I learned that leadership involves advocating for change — whether it’s your own career or a broader social cause.
- Listen to feedback about how others perceive you: It kind of doesn’t matter how you see yourself. It’s building the ability to get *other* people to see you as you see yourself.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Especially as it relates to Letters From The Corporation of Brown University, one of my favorite life lesson quotes is from Walter Benjamin, who said “A secret appointment exists between past generations and our own…Our arrival on earth was expected.” Alex Ross, in the New Yorker, recently expounded on that quote, saying “The past is not a fixed, eternal image; it is shaped by present concerns.” Taken together, I think those are words and insight that would get us through most any situation, as fellow humans.
How can our readers further follow your
Like most people — I’m in a bunch of different places in the virtual world:
Please follow me at @LZSundayPaper for great pop culture recommendations, Lauren.Zalaznick.com to find out so much more about the book (also look for Letters From The Corporation of Brown University at Amazon.com), and I’m Lauren Zalaznick on LinkedIn!
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Author Lauren Zalaznick Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.