We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sharon Fredrickson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Sharon thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.
Corporate America underestimates the audience’s hunger for authenticity, favoring the safety of formula instead.
Too often, studios and networks play it safe. They recycle old formats, focus-group creativity to death, and prioritize ROI over risk-taking. But audiences are evolving faster than execs are willing to pivot. They want stories they can feel, stories that reflect their lives, their chaos, their beauty. They crave nuance, complexity, messiness, and a deeper connection to what they’re watching. And they want to support creators who reflect their world, not a sanitized version of it.
That’s why I created Big Shar Productions. We’re blending the raw immediacy of reality with the emotional depth of scripted storytelling, creating series that don’t just entertain but resonate. We’re pulling back the curtain on traditional storytelling and inviting audiences to help shape the plot, and choose the characters they’re about to fall in love with. And we’re flipping the funding model while we’re at it. No more gatekeepers. We’re building with audiences, brands, and investors from the ground up, giving them real access and real ownership in what we make.
Since COVID, the industry’s go-to excuse has been: “It’s not what it used to be. We’re waiting for the rebound.” But what’s actually happening is this: traditional studios are doubling down on what they already own. That’s why we’re drowning in reboots and spin-offs, because control feels safer than innovation.
I finally got tired of waiting for change. So I’m building the production company I wish existed.
Sharon, 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 the Creative Force & CEO behind Big Shar Productions, a bold new independent production company that’s shaking up the way stories are made, funded, and shared. I started this company because, as a viewer, I was tired of scrolling through endless reboots and recycled plots. Nothing felt fresh. Nothing felt real. At the same time, I was working closely with Millennials and Gen Z and witnessing firsthand how their viewing habits, attention spans, and expectations were completely different from anything the traditional industry was acknowledging. It was clear: the old system wasn’t built for the new audience.
Before launching BSP, I was a writer, actor, and personality on a massively popular YouTube channel. That experience was pivotal. I saw what audiences truly connected to – rawness, vulnerability, humor, truth. They wanted to feel seen, not sold to. And I realized the only way to give them that was to create something from scratch. A productions company that actually listens to its audience, values its creators, and dares to take risks.
BSP is still in its building phase, but already doing things differently. We’re finalizing three original scripted series that will drop early next year and our approach flips the traditional model on its head. Instead of waiting for networks or studios to green-light our work, we’re securing upfront funding and then building community powered revenue through Patreon and YouTube. That means our audience isn’t just watching our stories, they’re shaping them. This is storytelling with the curtain pulled back and the people front and center.
What I’m most proud of is the slate we’re creating. These are stories that matter. Self Helped is a comedy about a woman trying to fix her chaotic life through 3 minute TikTok wellness hacks instead of the therapy she desperately needs (relatable, right?). Under One Roof is a bold sitcom where three Gen Z women of color chasing their dreams in L.A. end up renting rooms from a Gen X homeowner. Cheap rent, high drama. And In The Company of Strangers is a drama about a woman fleeing abuse and finding chosen family in the most unexpected places. They’re funny, raw, reflective, and relevant. They’re also unapologetically original.
Right now, we’re actively looking for investors who believe in creator-led, audience driven content. Big Shar Productions isn’t just making shows, we’re building a movement.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Absolutely, and it starts with the fact that I came into this industry late. I was 42 when I took my first improv class at the world famous Groundlings. Most of the time, I was the oldest person in the room, even older than some of the teachers. In an industry that often sidelines women after 35, I was just getting started. And I didn’t just dip my toe in, I dove all the way in.
Coming from the corporate world – startups, specifically – I was no stranger to reinvention, risk, or thinking outside the box. But the entertainment industry is a whole different beast. Still, I showed up, stayed curious, and kept going. I studied, I worked, I learned. I didn’t wait for permission or for the perfect opportunity, I made myself undeniable.
When I joined a massively popular YouTube channel, I was once again the oldest talent in the cast. but instead of trying to fit in, I leaned into my authenticity. And what happened? I became the most-requested, most-loved personality on the channel. The audience didn’t care about my age, they cared that I was real, relatable, and unafraid to be myself and that resonated with them.
That’s the kind of resilience that has defined every step of my journey. Not the loud, dramatic kind, but the consistent, quiet kind that says “I’m still here.” BSP is built on the belief that authenticity shouldn’t be dimmed, strength doesn’t need softening, and we don’t shrink to make others feel tall. We celebrate the messy, the bold, the questions, and above all, the fun.
They say the industry isn’t built for women over 50. Good. I’m not trying to fit in to what already exists, I’m building what’s next.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my audience by doing the one thing social media doesn’t always reward but people crave, I just showed up as myself. No filters (unless they make me look or sound ridiculous), no pretending, no carefully curated aesthetic. Sometimes I’m glammed up and headed out. Other times I’m covered in mud, digging a drainage system in my backyard. It’s all me. And the more I stopped trying to look like everyone else on the internet, the more my audience grew.
During COVID, I leaned into the chaos. One of my early TikToks went viral when I stuffed sandbags into pantyhose, hung them around my neck like saggy boobs, and ask, “So bras after quarantine…what did we decide?” Another time I duct-taped a beer bottle to my garage door and tried to drink it as it opened. (Side note, it did NOT work). Goofy nonsense, but it works because it was honsst nonsense.
Today, I post life updates (I got a new puppy), laughs (sourdough starter failure), and behind the scenes content from Big Shar Productions. The goal is simple: grow my community and bring them along for the ride as I build this studio. When we launch our Patreon, I want people to feel like they’re not just supporting content, they’re part of something being built from the ground up.
My advice? Be you! Don’t chase the algorithm, connect with the people. Let them fall in love with your realness, not your filter. Your audience will grow if they see something they don’t have to decode. Show up, be consistent, and let the mess be part of the magic.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sfredrickson/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/livinfree/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YoullBFine
