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The red carpet premeire for Alice Through the Looking Glass rolled out last week and I had the opportunity to interview one of the most accomplished women in Hollywood, producer Suzanne Todd.
You may or may not know her name, but you likely know her work. She's a powerhouse Hollywood producer with films credits including, among others, the Austin Powers Films, Memento, G.I. Jane, the new film Bad Moms, and, of course, Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass. She's also worked in game development on titles like Call of Duty and Skylanders.
So I was particularly looking forward to meeting her, and when she arrived with a huge smile, I knew this was going to be not just interesting, but also pleasant. She was kind and open about both the film and her own life. We talked a bit about how important the concept of Time is in Alice Through the Looking Glass, and she said something that caught my attention, “The older I get the more precious I find my time is to me.”
Suzanne's a mother of three, so she knows the working mom's joys and challenges. She knows the daily struggle between giving the best to her work and the best to her kids, while understanding the importance of treasuring each moment with her family. So we asked her how she manages it all, and this is what she shared.
7 Motherhood Lessons from Hollywood Producer Suzanne Todd
- Suzanne says technology was supposed to be created to give us all more leisure time, but instead it has turned us into 24-hour workers. That's why she doesn't answer her phone after 8, in order to spend time with her kids.
- It is important to spend time with your kids together, but it's also important to spend special time with each of them individually. Because kids are different and unique in their own ways.
- Avoid negative thoughts, like telling yourself that something is harder than it really is.
- Don't be hard on yourself, like thinking that you could have done more. Even in small things like making the best lunches.
- Don't sweat the small stuff, and avoid situations, people or things that bring unnecessary drama and conflict to your life.
- Learn to say NO.
- Meditation is a great way to focus. To keep you on track, try 20 minutes twice a day. Once you focus on what you need, be brutal about it.
Great advice, right? How many are you doing already? I'm going to try the meditation and turning off my phone after 6.
Thank you Suzanne, for your time and your sage words. And thank you for producing a movie that explores important values. Watching Alice Through the Looking Glass with kids is a great way to start a conversation about respect, learning from mistakes, respect for time, and treasuring family.
When I asked Suzanne about her favorite scene, she said, “I love every scene, but there is something about that sister story line, you know because I have two sisters, that is very special for me… I love that scene at the end where they have a little tiny bit of reconciliation…”
I'm not telling any more, you have to go to the movies and see it for yourself.
See you at the movies!
Thanks to the Walt Disney Studios for their invitation, lodging, and transportation to the premiere. All comments, opinions and my love for Disney movies are my own.
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