The Founder
Elizabeth Durand Streisand is the genius behind Broadway Roulette, a both female-founded and female-funded company. With Broadway Roulette, you pick a date, number of tickets, and eliminate up to 6 shows that you've already seen or don't want to see. Then, they "spin the wheel" and match you with a show that fits. Every show is included in the Roulette, which means you could pay $49 and end up at Hamilton.
Can you tell us about a mentor figure that has played a significant role in your life? What did they teach you?
Winner of this title, no contest, is my mother. She became a plastic surgeon back when that wasn't a job women had. In fact, she was the first female to complete a plastic surgery residency at NYU -- ever. She never sat me down and said, "Do this," / "Don't do that," but she showed me that women can have a serious career and a family (and a dog!). She has always lived her life with a "go big or go home" approach and when I was trying to get the courage to launch a startup, she told me to go big.
What is something you wish you had known when you were beginning your career?
How unimportant your first few job titles are. I was way too focused on what the business card said and not nearly focused enough on what I was learning (or not learning).
I don't think there is an ideal path, to be honest. I think you make your best decisions using the information you have in the time that you have to decide. I do think there are ideal careers. There's a saying that you can't be successful at anything you don't think about in the shower. When you're thinking about your work while washing your hair -- because you can't shut the idea factory off -- you've found it.
What is your view on failure?
It's only a failure if you didn't learn something from it. But that doesn't mean it isn't painful. Have a glass of wine, take the lesson, try again.
How have you mentored/supported other women? What advice do you give other women in your field?
I try to introduce women to each other when there's potential for them to work together or help each other. Some of my best collaborations have been with female entrepreneurs who were introduced to me by mutual contacts. As an added bonus, these intro's can usually be made with one email and require almost no time. It's a lot of bang for the buck when it comes to paying it forward.
As for advice, I'd say no matter what field you're in, if you want to be your best at work, you need a life outside of work. You need to see your friends and family; eat good meals; watch movies and go on dates and sleep. These breaks, however brief, fuel problem-solving, creativity, and sanity. Trust me on this one.
