Veronica Beach - Head of Production at Pereira O'Dell Agency

Veronica Beach is the Head of Production at Pereira O’Dell, a bi-coastal ad agency with offices in SF and NY. She has over 20 years of producing experience, specializing in Advertising Production. She has produced some of the most viewed and famous campaigns historically over her career as well as won over 100 Cannes Lions and other multiple awards. She came into my life in 2013 when I was raising finishing funds for my feature documentary, AUTISM IN LOVE. The subject touched her so deeply she corralled all of her industry contacts to help us raise a huge chunk of money to finish the film. She was one of those angels that was put on my path and helped me stay the course on what became my first feature producing credit.  Pretty cool, right? When we intersected, Veronica was at DAVID The Agency where she was a founding member and Global Head of Production for over 8 years. This stint challenged her on many fronts including a move to Sao Paulo, Brazil to open the offices in South America, learning Portuguese, and deepening her understanding of culture in LATAM. In the midst of a pandemic, Veronica re-launched, poolhouse a platform for Producers to connect, share information, resources, and find jobs. They currently they have over 3,000 followers on IG and over 750 producers on the platform. *Please note that this episode contains a very candid discussion on trauma, depression, and sexual abuse that begins around the 40 minute mark and lasts for about 10 minutes.* Veronica destigmatizes mental health issues in the entertainment industry by sharing her own struggles with trauma and depression. She speaks with openness and authenticity on how her mental health impacted her life and career, and how dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) helped her heal. If you are struggling with your mental health there is no shame in getting help. Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more. If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOME to 741-741, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.