Believe In HERstory | Celebrating Women’s History Month With Believe Limited

March marks the celebration of Women’s History Month, a time to reflect on the achievements, contributions, and stories of women throughout history. At Believe Limited, we take this opportunity to honor the impactful projects that have amplified female voices and the influential women who have shaped our lives. We asked a few folks at Believe to share stories and reflections highlighting the profound lessons learned from the women who have influenced them.

What initiatives or projects have you undertaken to uplift and amplify the voices of women in your circle or broader society?

I ran a summer camp for kids with bleeding disorders in Colorado. Historically, the camp didn't allow girls once they reached high school, as "women don't have hemophilia". A group of teenage girls advocated for several years to be included and when I finally got over the comfortability of "this is how we always do things" to invite them to come to camp - it was incredible. - Amy Board, Head of Patient Engagement

I’ve worked with women since the beginning of my career. As a freelancer in New York City, I worked with mom bloggers to create video content about style, crafting, interior design, and processing the various stages of being a mother on projects like Mom Trends, Project Nursery and The Baby Book to name a few. I am a proud ally of women, having marched in the #MeToo movement here in LA. I’ve even had the opportunity to photograph two incredible births! Most recently have been acting as a producer on a documentary about Black Midwives. - Joshua Sterling Bragg, Creative Director

I've shot and directed several projects with Sarah Anne Masse. Sarah is the founder of Hire Survivors Hollywood, an org working to end career retaliation against survivors of sexual violence in the entertainment industry by encouraging those in positions of power to pledge to Hire Survivors and Silence Breakers. We've worked on countless comedy sketches together (written by her and her partner), often satirizing gender roles and the female experience. - Ed Ballart, Creative Producer

Reflecting on the women in your life, can you share a story about a pivotal moment or lesson you've learned from a mother, sister, partner, or friend?

My mother demonstrated the importance of hard work and a woman's value in the workplace. Balancing the responsibilities of a single working mom with three kids, she made many sacrifices for our family. Even so, her example taught me that as a woman, I can succeed in my career and still be a fantastic mom! - Leslie Snipes, Director of Marketing

My mom has always given good advice, but one line in particular has always stood out: "The squeaky wheel gets the grease..." Any time I had a complaint or a goal, and felt like I was not getting what I want, she would remind me that instead of her solving the problem for me, it was my job and my opportunity to fix things myself. - Ryan Gielen, Co-Founder and CCO

So much of becoming an adult is the process of unlearning. In the past (thirty something) years so much progress has been made in how we think, act, and interact with other humans on this planet. My wife Courtney has been a monumental influence on how I process things, unlearn bad societal mentalities and systemic barriers. - Joshua Sterling Bragg, Creative Director

About 9 years ago, I was the only man on our crew for a commercial project where I learned so much about how challenging the production world can be for women. There were anecdotes of being overlooked for jobs, men behaving inappropriately and stories of outright misogyny. Since then, I've emphasized hiring more women and providing a set where everyone is safe and respected. - Ed Ballart, Creative Producer

Describe a talent or skill that you admire in a woman you know, and how it has inspired you.

I am constantly inspired by the exceptional talent women possess in articulating facts and opinions with clarity. Despite the unfounded stigma that women are deemed 'too emotional,' their ability to communicate effectively and logically disproves such stereotypes. - Hanna Beary, Patient Advocacy Manager

Dr. Donna DiMichele is a world renown hematologist, researcher, leader, and author who I'm lucky to say was once my doctor and is now my friend- and colleague! I have long, long admired Donna DiMichele for, amongst many other things, how deeply connected she is to whom she's speaking with and what she's speaking about. This is a person of great mindfulness, preparation, reflection, and humanity. There's a reason boards and entities everywhere are falling all over themselves for her services. Yes, she's brilliant. Yes, she's expertly-studied, but it's her deep connection to people and serving people that, from my point of view, is her secret sauce. - Patrick James Lynch, Founder and CEO

Our editor Kay Vermeil is a fierce talent within our company. Her proclivity for storytelling is unique and remarkable. Watching her tackle our most recent feature documentary has been a delightful experience and has inspired me to think outside the box with our production team when it comes to capturing b-roll and other dynamic storytelling devices. - Joshua Sterling Bragg, Creative Director

My sister lives with Spina Bifida and I aspire to her strength. Surgeries seem to pop up sporadically and every time one does, she faces it without fear or complaint. The same can be said of my mother, who cares for her, deals with our flawed medical system and has advocated for people with special needs for as long as I can remember. I recall my mother fighting to have ramps and other accessibility features installed at my elementary school in the early ADA days of the '90s. Strength and tenacity. - Ed Ballart, Creative Producer

Share a story about a time when a woman's influence helped you see a challenging situation in a new light.

Watching single working mothers (my own included) is a consistent example of the total strength, capability, and tenderness women possess. - Isabella Gadsby, Creative Producer

The second birth that I photographed was a traumatic event where the mother’s life and the life of the baby were at risk during a home birth. I ended up putting down my camera and assisting. I saw things that were traumatic, and I was the one to call 911 and wave down the firetruck and ambulances. It took debriefing with the doula and midwife, the mother and the help of a therapist (all women) to process the event and move past it. Without the perspectives of everyone involved it easily could have become a purely bad and traumatic memory. But now it’s a moment in my life that made me stronger and more compassionate to the complexities of creating, preserving and nurturing life, and the sacrifices we all make for each other. - Joshua Sterling Bragg, Creative Director

I am in constant awe of my wife's "nothing is impossible" attitude. She is, without exaggeration, one of the most resourceful people on the planet. It's difficult to pick a single example because I can't count the number of times that I've presented her with some dilemma I've deemed "too complicated", only for her to find a solution that would have never come to me. She is a guiding light that influences me every day. - Ed Ballart, Creative Producer

If you could collaborate on a project with any woman, living or deceased, who would it be and what would you create together?

Billie Eilish hands down! Her creativity and musicality makes every single one of her projects so unique and her brand so easy to fall in love with. Outside of her unique style, siren-like voice and eerie energy, her vision for the music videos that accompany her music are so artistically done and cleverly thought out. I would love to create a campaign with her using AR and AI to really immerse fans into the unique imagination of Billie via social media and pop-up experiences. - Jade Everage, Digital and Social Media Manager

I’d love the chance to work with Annie Leibovitz. Her early environmental portrait photography has been a tremendous influence on how I capture people in still photography and documentary filmmaking. I would lean on her expertise and creative eye to collaborate on Believe’s next documentary film to help show people and their lives in ways that make the viewer cherish every moment, and want to sit and study each frame of the film as a well composed photo. - Joshua Sterling Bragg, Creative Director

My snap reaction is director and cinematographer Reed Morano. I'm always impressed with her relentlessly thoughtful cinematography and I'd squander that talent on creating sketch comedy. - Ed Ballart, Creative Producer