Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Gibbons. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hannah, appreciate you joining us today. Is there a historical figure you look up to? Who are they and what lessons or values have you learned from them?

He may not be a textbook historical figure, but for me, it’s Geno Auriemma, head coach of the UConn Women’s Basketball team. Watching as a kid UConn WBB was my blueprint for sustained excellence.

Geno didn’t just recruit stars; he created a culture where the standard was non-negotiable. Winning wasn’t the goal, it was the standard. His players would go on to the WNBA or Team USA, say nothing was harder than his practices. His teams trained like champions before they ever competed. What I admire most is how clear and consistent he was: if you weren’t running the floor, rotating on defense, or practicing like it was the championship game, the drill stopped. Because the habit mattered more than the outcome.

One of his core philosophies: “We don’t recruit players to make them stars. We recruit players who want to be part of something bigger than themselves”—has stayed with me. He didn’t build around ego; he built around execution. Around precision, clarity, and collective elevation.

I bring that mindset into every room I’m in. Whether I’m working on a script, building a workflow, or assembling a team, I don’t chase flashy. I chase functional excellence, systems that raise the floor and sharpen the ceiling. Geno taught me that greatness isn’t about talent. It’s about discipline, standards, habits, so than you create an environment where excellence is inevitable.

Hannah, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a creative strategist and development executive-in-training with a dual background in economics and producing—trained at Wharton and USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program. I came up through Division I athletics, which wired me to thrive in high-performance, high-collaboration environments. That foundation drives how I approach creative work: disciplined, adaptive, and always in service of the bigger picture.

Right now, I’m part of the feature team at Universal Pictures, where I support one of the studio’s development executives. I sit at the intersection of creative and strategy—reading scripts, evaluating submissions, tracking emerging voices, and shaping projects at the earliest stage. I’ve also built internal systems to streamline how we surface material, make decisions faster, and stay focused on what moves the needle.

What makes me different is that I think like a producer, but operate like a strategist. I care about taste, voice, and tone—but I’m also looking at scalability, financial upside, and how something fits into the broader cultural landscape. I bridge intuition with analysis, story with system. My long-term mission is to help build the creative infrastructure that allows bold, commercial storytelling to thrive—and sustain.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Offering help.

People assume you need a polished product, a perfect brand statement, or a full-service offering before you start. And sure, when capital’s involved, clarity matters. But at the minimum value product (MVP) stage, the most effective strategy is just showing up with value. If someone asks you for something directly, congratulations, you already have a brand. You’re seen as reliable. If you do a good job, they’ll ask again or refer you to someone else. That’s the start of real growth.

If you can’t help (or don’t want to), pivot. Try a new MVP. Pay attention to the patterns: what people consistently ask for, what you enjoy delivering, what problems you’re naturally good at solving. That overlap becomes the core of your business or brand. It’s less about selling something, more about proving you’re worth trusting, again and again.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’m building a reputation as a strategic connector. I pay close attention to entertainment professionals, what people are uniquely good at, what they want next, and where the gaps in the ecosystem are. Then I move quietly but deliberately: an introduction, a recommendation, a well-timed pass of the right script. It’s not about volume, it’s about precision.

That approach reflects how I operate across the board: high standards, long view, and a focus on systems that serve creative ambition. I’m not just gathering information, I’m actively building a network that functions better because the right people are in conversation. And that’s helped me earn trust, spot potential early, and become someone people look to when something, or someone, needs to move to get momentum behind a project.

Contact Info:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahgibb