Cyndi Bemel

I attribute my success to my insatiable curiosity and enormous capacity for wonder. These qualities have driven me throughout my career as a storyteller, whether through photography, radio, or film. I've also been fortunate to have had influential women mentor me along the way. Shelly Morrison at KZAM radio station was incredibly supportive and secure in who she was. She put her arms outstretched to me and said, 'Cindy, this is what I know, take it and do with it what you want.' That experience shaped my whole career trajectory. I've taken what she gave me and passed it on to other women who have interned with me and whom I've helped along the way. I also made important choices about prioritizing my family, stepping back from my demanding development career to raise my kids. I wanted to be the one to teach them that every flower has a name, every cloud has a name, every rock has a name, and a nanny wasn't going to do that. I told myself that I'd know I did a good job with my kids if I taught them how to problem solve, because that's the real key to life. If you can problem solve, you can do anything.

I would tell young women to seek out mentors who are secure in themselves and willing to share their knowledge openly. I learned this from my own experience working under two very different women early in my career. One woman at King TV was very nervous about me and thought I was going to take her job, so she wasn't supportive at all. But Shelly Morrison at KZAM radio was the exact opposite - very secure in who she was and her abilities. She basically put her arms outstretched to me and said, 'Cindy, this is what I know, take it and do with it what you want.' That made all the difference in my career trajectory. I've taken what she gave me and passed it on to other women that have interned with me and that I've helped along the way. Don't underestimate the power of women supporting other women - it can change everything.

The most important values to me are curiosity, wonder, and giving back to others. I have an insatiable curiosity and an enormous capacity for wonder, which has driven my work as a storyteller throughout my life. Family is also incredibly important to me. I made the conscious decision to step back from my demanding career in film development because I wanted to be present to raise my kids. I saw a lot of women who were directors and producers having kids but not raising their kids, and I didn't want that. I wanted to be the one to teach my children that every flower has a name, every cloud has a name, every rock has a name. I cherished the time I spent with them, even just driving to practice - that time was like gold. Giving back is also central to who I am. People gave me a lot along the way, and now I'm at the point in my life where I've got a little bit of time to pass that on. As a cancer survivor, photography was my spiritual medicine during my journey, so I really want to pass that on to other people going through their journey. I teach photography to cancer patients because it's very dear to my heart.