Unstoppable: How Filmmaker Sara Hirsh Bordo Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society with Chronic Autoimmune Illness
An interview with Kelly Reeves
More women are being diagnosed with an autoimmune than breast cancer and heart disease combined. Our research showed that 1 in 4 women have at least one.
As a part of our “Unstoppable” series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sara Hirsh Bordo.
Sara’s is the researcher and creator of Autoimmunity and the “GOOD GIRLS,” the first sociological survey at the intersection of female empowerment and autoimmunity in American women. Named as an “Architect of Change” by Maria Shriver, Sara previously held positions in media and entertainment eventually becoming a director. Sara’s directorial debut, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Vasquez Story premiered at and won the 2015 Audience Award at SXSW and awards at all 11 festivals it played, received two WEBBY Awards and was globally distributed in over 35 countries. Sara is currently developing her first book with Thompson Literary.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! It is really an honor. Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
I’m a born and bred Austin girl, and the oldest daughter and granddaughter from a large Texas Lebanese family. After living in New York and Chicago, mostly in advertising and marketing roles, I moved to Los Angeles. I transitioned into digital marketing for the film studios and co-founded and CEO’d a live streaming start-up. But my heart was always in mentoring other women and girls at different stages of their careers. After being told by a female boss in Hollywood that I “should be in an apron, not an office,” I knew I wanted to be a part of changing the paradigm of women competing against other women- so Women Rising was born. I didn’t know what “she” the company would be but she started as a mentoring company. It wasn’t until I got asked to direct and produce the first TEDxAustinWomen that Women Rising became the empowerment production company it is today.
Do you feel comfortable sharing with us the story surrounding how you became disabled or became ill?
Within three months of getting divorced and moving from Chicago to LA, I was sexually assaulted. It was two years after that trauma, that I couldn’t fight how exhausted I had become. Or the brain fog. Or the inflammation. Running a team at a Hollywood studio was taxing, but this was another level. Multiple doctors later, I met an integrative doctor who diagnosed me. I had Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease that meant my thyroid wasn’t working as it needed to. And I was told there wasn’t a cure.
What mental shift did you make to not let that “stop you”?
For a couple of years, I just leaned on the daily medication. But after that, it was clear that I needed to start living a bit differently. There’s a heightened level of responsibility required that no one can have but me. I can’t push myself like I used to, I can’t go full throttle as long as I used to be able to. I think the mental shift was going from feeling like a victim, into taking control of my own empowered living.
Can you tell our readers about the accomplishments you have been able to make despite your disability or illness?
The first TEDxAustinWomen which I was fortunate enough to direct and produce became the year’s most live and on-demand viewed TEDxWomen event globally. My first film, A BRAVE HEART: THE LIZZIE VELASQUEZ STORY premiered and won the 2015 Audience Award at SXSW and awards at all eleven festivals it played, received two WEBBY Awards, and secured global distribution via National Geographic, LifetimeTV, Amazon Prime, and iTunes. My second film, PROTECT HER, was a first-of-its-kind project, aimed at protecting girls on campus by activating the power of the schools’ male athletes premiered at Carmel Film Fest and was acquired by Amazon Prime. I’ve been very lucky to champion other female filmmakers as an Executive Producer, including the animated short TIGHTLY WOUND, acquired by Condé Nast and this year’s 5x award-winning feature documentary SIGN THE SHOW, available on Apple.
In live experiences, I directed and produced Prevention Magazine’s Health and Wellness Summit, The Women’s March of Texas, which became the largest gathering of women in Texas history, the Official Women in Football Weekend at Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, and directed The United State of Women Summit at the Shrine in Los Angeles, keynoted by Former First Lady Michelle Obama.
I’ve loved the client work I’ve been invited to collaborate with including eight short films for Toyota, ESPN, and Hiring Our Heroes. I’ve consulted on many Hollywood film marketing campaigns including Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman franchise and I’m currently an executive producer of ConnectHer International Film Festival.
What advice would you give to other people who have disabilities or limitations?
Don’t let your fear of disappointing others stand in the way of taking the care you need for yourself.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?
I’m grateful for every single person who has gone out of their way to champion me and my commitment to making things a little better for women and girls than how I found them.
How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world?
I have just spent a big portion of my savings to fund the first sociological survey at the intersection of empowerment and autoimmunity in American women. A few years ago, I had a relapse, as well as a handful of new diagnoses simultaneously. I might have learned early on how to live around a chronic condition, but all of us are tested in ways that force us to forge even more into our own sovereignty. I learned even deeper that the permission to put myself first had the power to keep me well. And I wanted to show that insight at scale- so I funded the research myself in hopes of supporting other women like me. That research, AUTOIMMUNITY AND THE “GOOD GIRLS”™ just released and with the endorsement of our former US Surgeon General.
Can you share “5 things I wish people understood or knew about people with physical limitations” or in your case autoimmune illness and why?
- More women are being diagnosed with an autoimmune than breast cancer and heart disease combined. Our research showed that 1 in 4 women have at least one.
- Whether it’s autoimmune, neurodivergence, mental illness, or the things you’re too afraid to share, everyone right now has their something.
- I’ve found in the women that I work with or coach, most women were hard-wired as girls to be “good” by being in service of another’s needs before their own. That means we might need a little extra encouragement to receive help.
- Part of being a “good girl” also means we learned to hate disappointing others or in any way feeling like a burden. I’ve found for me, that living with a chronic condition has gifted me with an opportunity to override that original operating system and give myself permission to have needs like everyone else.
- When I get on set to direct, I now communicate at the crew welcome that I may have a special need or two of the day, and ask if anyone else might have their own. When you ground a collaborative experience in a vulnerable, human way, the ego can be shown the door.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this 🙂
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Instagram @sarahirshbordo, LinkedIn, and anyone can download the free Key Findings for AUTOIMMUNITY AND THE “GOOD GIRLS”™ at autoimmunesurvey.com
Thank you so much for the time you spent with this interview. We wish you continued success and good health!
Unstoppable: How Filmmaker Sara Hirsh Bordo Has Redefined Success While Navigating Society with… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.