How James Cameron taught me to be fearless

Success for me — both in business and in life — has been about a willingness to take risks. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to work with James Cameron early on in my career, and he served as both a mentor and inspiration.

He’s an incredible storyteller and visionary, but what had the greatest impact on me was his enterprise and drive. I remember him telling me that he was going to make a documentary about the Titanic. “We’re going to go deep inside the wreck to film,” he said, “no one’s ever gone in there.”

But at that time, there wasn’t an apparatus that could withstand the pressure of those depths or capture footage the way he envisioned — the technology didn’t exist. So what did he do? He created it himself. James invented a robotic vehicle that allowed camera operators to film their surroundings while moving effortlessly through the water, giving them a new way to capture underwater scenes. He used this innovative way of thinking — creating what was needed to actualize his vision — during the making of Avatar as well, spending two years to develop and manufacture a more versatile 3D filming technology.

The way James operated hit me hard. It opened my mind to the idea that it didn’t matter what had or hadn’t been done before, or how seemingly insurmountable the task. If you really want something, you go after it. You create a new reality. Fearlessly.

 It’s a sentiment that has served me ever since, both in my acting career and in founding The Honest Company. James didn’t start off as an inventor or an engineer. But he found a way to fill the gaps where technology was lacking, resulting in groundbreaking advances in the film industry. I didn’t have a background in business. But I saw a need and felt compelled to act. I had the audacity to believe that the impossible was, in fact, not. And that challenges were opportunities for solutions that could change my life and others’. That, has been a true game changer.

In this series, we hear about the moments that can change everything. What was a game changer in your career? Write your own #GameChanger post here #TheWayIn #LinkedInTopCompanies