Emmy Award-Winning Trishtan Williams Gets Real About Fame, Motherhood & Running the WNBA's Life in the W

Emmy-winning director, executive producer and showrunner Trishtan Williams joins Joy Taylor on Two Personal! From directing Life in the W and Starting Five to producing America's Next Top Model, The Amazing Race, and Love Is Blind, Trish has run point on some of the biggest sets in TV. She opens up about earning the trust of A-list athletes, her directing philosophy, raising her son while running major shows, and why vulnerability on camera is more important than people know. 

0:00 Intro & meet Trishtan Williams
1:57 Welcome to Two Personal
2:09 Why Trish almost became a doctor instead
4:25 How she got into production in 2005
6:03 Advice for young women breaking into the industry
8:03 Her first big shows: ANTM & The Amazing Race
9:34 Her directorial style: "I lead with honey"
10:33 Dealing with people who take advantage of kindness
13:23 Has the industry overcorrected on sensitivity?
14:11 How she earns trust with A-list athletes
16:02 "I'm the queen of talent"
18:59 Crew acting like fans: "You're not talent"
20:43 Why reading the room (and customer service) matters
23:14 There's no secret to success
24:46 Inside Joy's 2 years on Undisputed with Skip & Shannon
26:46 The sacrifice she refused to make as a mom
29:11 Turning 40 and becoming an empty nester
30:01 Life in the W and the CBA storyline nobody could script
32:16 Why storytelling turns athletes into cultural icons
34:50 Directing A'ja Wilson through a real vulnerable moment
37:16 The conversation she has with talent before filming
38:36 Every story needs a villain — sometimes it's the weather
39:14 "I don't need to create drama, life is drama"
40:44 Real anxiety after filming: the Caitlin Clark/Fever tension
43:22 Why athletes are the new celebrities
43:52 Vulnerability isn't rewarded — and that's the problem
45:38 Why it's harder to talk about yourself than someone else
46:17 We'd never say online insults to someone's face
47:42 Your environment shapes how you think
51:07 What's next
52:57 Birthday plans & where to follow Trish

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