I thought about the theatre, events, and film students. I thought about young high schoolers trying to find their way. I thought about the recent grads stepping into their first internships, and the interns looking for their first paid gig. I wanted to reach back, pull them up, and give them the roadmap I wish I had when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my career.

But as a Millennial (technically an Xennial which sounds better than “elder millennial”) who has been in the production and corporate trenches for a while, I’m noticing a massive, unaddressed crisis happening further up the ladder.

It’s happening to my peers and friends in the “messy middle” of their careers.

While climbing the corporate ladder isn’t my personal play right now, so many of my friends & peers thrive in that environment. They love the long-term consistency, the large-scale impact of the products & services they build, and the security of corporate benefits and sometimes pensions. They are doing everything right on paper.

Yet, time and time again, I hear the exact same heartbreaking stories:

• “I got passed over for the promotion AGAIN.”

• “My performance reviews are amazing, but I didn’t even make the short list for the interview.”

• “They are bypassing internal people again and looking outside the company for leadership.”

If you are nodding your head right now, you are not crazy, and you are not bad at your job.

When I was in the corporate world a handful of years ago, I found myself stuck in this exact loop over and over again. When I would ask my manager for feedback, I wouldn’t get very much. Sometimes it was “keep doing what you’re doing, it’s amazing” OR “I think you need more responsibility so here are more projects to help push things along”. Neither worked or felt accurate. Also, notice I said managers, not leaders. I believe true leaders look out for both the company’s well-being and yours but instead, many of us have dealt with insecure managers who actively work against us, piling on extra responsibilities without ever offering the corresponding title or pay bump (but that’s a conversation for a different post).

For the longest time, we’ve been told the solution to this is to “find a mentor.” Go grab coffee, setup up a meet & greet, go to a networking event, get some advice, edit your resume, take another eLearning.

But there is a dangerous trap here. The hard truth of the corporate world is that people (because while this is a bigger issue for women, it is a universal problem) are constantly over-mentored but severely under-sponsored. Advice over coffee does not write checks or sign off on promotions.

Mentorship means someone is giving you advice; sponsorship means someone is actively advocating for you in rooms you aren’t in yet.

A few weeks ago, I was having coffee with Erica Cocilova. Erica is a powerhouse consumer goods executive leader (yes, she’s a leader, not a manager), and since she actually sits at the tables where these decisions happen, I asked her: “Is this whole concept of sponsorship a real thing or is it just another corporate buzzword?”

Yup, it’s 100% real.

And here is the universal truth: The corporate ladder is exactly the same whether you are in live entertainment, theme parks, beauty brands, or consumer goods.

Once you reach a certain level, hard work alone stops being the metric for advancement. To break through the messy middle, you need executive advocates who will drop your name, defend your capability, and fight for your budget when you are not in the room to defend yourself. That is sponsorship.

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When we were building the concept for Women in Production Collective, our goal was simple: to prove that your production skills translate into other disciplines & areas, and to make sure none of us ever have to be the only woman in the room again.

To kick off this series, we wanted to sit down with someone who is currently in the trenches, asking the exact questions that keep so many of us up at night.

Meet Mylka Rosado Ortiz, a rising second-year stage management student at the University of Central Florida (and the current PSM for Pegasus PlayLab’s Between Shadows and Lightness).

Mylka and Alisa sat down to record an unscripted, authentic conversation about surviving the pivot from backstage to corporate, taking up space in male-dominated industries, and why the “Broadway or bust” narrative is actually a trap.

f you’ve ever wondered how to explain what you do to a corporate hiring manager, or if you’ve ever had your ideas dismissed in a meeting only to hear someone repeat them five minutes later, this conversation is your exact roadmap.

The 4 Core Takeaways from the Interview:

1. The “Broadway or Bust” Trap

We are conditioned to believe that if you aren’t working on Broadway, you aren’t successful. In reality, stage management and production skills are the exact operational framework needed for lucrative careers in events and tech product management. Your skills are a massive, high-paying asset.

2. The 5-Whys of Translation

Corporate hiring managers do not know what “calling cues” means. You have to strip away the theatre jargon. When we use the “5 Whys” framework, we realize that Stage Managers are actually translators, crisis managers, and the human shields for their teams. (Hint: change the word “assisted” to “managed” on your resume today).

3. Infiltrating the Boys’ Club

Taking up space in a male-dominated room requires more than just confidence; it requires strategic advocacy. It is the responsibility of women in positions of influence to create space for others; to literally point out when a woman is being spoken over, and to ensure that credit is given where it is due.

4. The 15-Minute Cheat Code

Graduating into this job market is terrifying, but networking doesn’t have to be. The ultimate career hack is the “cold outreach” for a 15-minute phone call. Professionals will almost always say yes to a brief call (especially if it saves them from another Zoom meeting), and it is the fastest way to build a real relationship.

The Collective Action Item:

Mylka asked some brilliant questions about knowing when to step forward in a meeting, and when to step back and observe the culture.

And if you are in the Orlando area, go check out Mylka’s show, Between Shadows and Lightness, running June 11-12 at UCF!

https://events.ucf.edu/event/4118268/between-shadows-and-lightness-pegasus-playlab-2026/

We are sitting down with Lou Woelcke who is pulling back the curtain on what it is actually like to navigate the corporate and creative worlds with a late diagnosis of Autism and ADHD. We are talking about the exhaustion of ‘masking’ in professional spaces, how to turn neurodivergence into an operational superpower, and the tactical boundaries you need to protect your peace. If you’ve ever felt like you were playing your career on ‘hard mode,’ this conversation is for you.

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Join us for our next virtual session with Chelsey Johnson and Shelby Sullivan, the powerhouses behind Golden Magnolia Studio. After years of working for a company providing hair and makeup for video shoots and personal events, they decided to bet on themselves, step out on their own, and build their own highly successful studio.

If you’ve ever found yourself daydreaming about leaving your current gig to start your own agency, freelance business, or studio, this conversation is your exact roadmap.

What We’ll Cover:

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Join us for a virtual session with Janell Borrero, a former state auditor, Enrolled Agent, founder of SHEfo, creator of the MoneyPOP app, and PhD student in Business Psychology. Blending financial strategy, behavioral psychology, and real-world entrepreneurial experience, Janell speaks to both the creative mind and the business reality behind freelance life.

Whether you are balancing side gigs, building a creative brand, or running a full-time freelance business, this session will help you create financial boundaries that support long-term sustainability, confidence, and freedom. Because as we know: all money isn’t good money.

What We’ll Cover:

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Join Emma Oliver, show writer, narrative designer and director of experiences as she covers the basics of written communication, from emails to cover letters, and why it benefits everyone involved when AI is…not.

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We have all been told that the secret to success is finding a good mentor. But if you are navigating the middle of your career, advice over coffee isn’t going to get you promoted: you need a sponsor. You need an executive advocating for you behind closed doors in the rooms where the titles and budgets are actually distributed.

In this discussion, we sit down with powerhouse consumer goods executive brand leader, Erica Cocilova to break down the mechanics of true sponsorship. You will learn how to identify the real decision-makers, how to communicate your undeniable operational value, and how to confidently make the “ask” so that executives actively want to attach their names to your success.

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We built this network to break down industry silos, master our transferable skills, and leverage our non-linear career paths as the massive strategic advantages they are.

Why a Paid Network?

We intentionally charge a $5/month membership fee for full access to the Collective. Here is why:

• Quality Over Noise: A small financial barrier acts as a filter. It ensures that the people inside the network are genuinely invested professionals, keeping our comment sections free of spam and focused on actual, tactical career strategy.

• A Sustainable Hub: Running a network requires resources. Your membership directly funds the platform, allowing us to bring in top-tier subject matter experts for our info sessions without ever relying on ads or sponsored content.

• Accessibility: We kept the price point strictly at $5 a month (the cost of a latte) because our mission is accessible networking. We want to help as many women as possible elevate their production careers without the high barrier to entry of a traditional mastermind or coaching group.

What You Get Inside

By joining the Collective today, you immediately unlock:

• The Hub: Full access to our on-demand library of expert video interviews, tactical articles, and show notes as well as invites to join these conversations live and ask questions directly to the experts.

• The Network: Direct access to our community chats for peer mentorship, sharing resources, and solving roadblocks alongside badass professionals who actually get what you do.

Subscribe now

The House Rules

To ensure this space remains a highly effective professional network, all members agree to the following when joining:

1. Share your insights freely, but what happens in the network stays in the network. Do not share another member’s career roadblocks outside this platform.

2. This is a space for collaboration, not unsolicited sales pitches.

3. Bring your full operational background to the table. We view diverse career paths as assets.

4. This is a platform for shared learning. The strategies, advice, and opinions shared by members, guest experts, or moderators are their own and do not constitute formal legal, financial, or professional consulting advice. Women in Production Collective is not liable for any business or career outcomes resulting from information discussed within this network.

Ready to get to work? Grab your subscription! I can’t wait to meet you.

— Alisa Zinovoy, Founder & Moderator, Women in Production Collective

At WiPC, we know that a non-linear career path isn’t a liability, it is a massive strategic advantage. We exist to break down industry silos, strip away the corporate veil, and provide a dedicated, actionable space for women to connect, advocate for one another, and grow. We are taking the principles of production and using them to elevate our own careers.

What You Get Inside the Network

This is a living professional hub. By joining the Collective, you get immediate access to:

• Expert Chats: Every other Friday, we drop exclusive, recorded conversations with subject matter experts across various fields. No fluff, just real talk, timestamped show notes, and tactical strategies you can implement immediately. Want to join these chats live? Join our community and we will send you the link.

• Mastering Transferable Skills: Focused discussions and resources on how to translate your unique production expertise into any room, role, or industry.

• The Network: A low-BS, high-value community chat for peer mentorship, sharing resources, and solving operational roadblocks alongside badass professionals who actually get what you do.

About the Founder

I’m Alisa Zinovoy. I’m a career producer, operational strategist, professional coach, and speaker. I built this network because I wanted a space that offered real advice and genuine connection for the women making things happen behind the scenes.

To grab your subscription, head over to the “Join Us” thread, and let’s get to work.