Netflix’s content material chief calls her public firing from final job a turning level: ‘Very liberating’ | Trending
Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content material officer, has performed a pivotal position within the firm’s evolution over the previous 9 years, main its enlargement into reside occasions, sports activities, and shaping globally profitable originals like Bridgerton and Emily in Paris. However lengthy earlier than her rise on the streaming big, she confronted a setback that she now describes as one in every of her biggest studying experiences, reported CNBC.
Earlier than becoming a member of Netflix in 2016, Bajaria was fired from her position as president of Common Tv after 5 years marked by robust inventive achievements, together with forging partnerships with celebrated skills like Tina Fey and Mike Schur.
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‘Huge public failure’
Talking on the 2025 Changemakers Summit in Los Angeles, she known as the expertise a “massive public failure,” however emphasised how a lot it taught her. “There’s wonderful books and quotes and all these things about [how] you study a lot from failure, and failure is vital, and also you’re not making an attempt arduous sufficient in case you’re not failing,” Bajaria mentioned in dialog with CNBC’s Julia Boorstin. “And all of that’s true, however then whenever you fail, no one desires to speak about it.”
She famous that the strain to be flawless usually stops ladies from acknowledging setbacks. “We’re speculated to be good,” she mentioned, including that being fired is seen as “a blemish.”
The months following her dismissal have been significantly troublesome. Bajaria struggled with the emotional fallout and commenced questioning her value. “All these wonderful reveals, all these nice relationships I constructed; I handled folks so pretty. We had quite a lot of success — it meant nothing,” she recalled pondering.
Nonetheless, the response she acquired from colleagues and the trade shifted her perspective. “I rapidly realised, because the telephone rang and I obtained job presents and everyone reached out and other people have been actually supportive, all of it mattered,” she mentioned. “The best way I handled folks, what I had completed, the influence I left, all of it mattered.”
She took consolation in understanding she may very well be pleased with her previous work. “I knew I might at all times take a look at myself within the mirror and [think] I preferred what I had completed. I didn’t have any disgrace round what I did. I assumed it was actually an excellent, profitable run,” she added.
Whereas Bajaria acknowledged that “the primary three months have been actually tough,” she now views the expertise in another way. “On reflection I’m so grateful that it occurred,” she mentioned. “I’m not frightened of getting fired. It’s very liberating, really.”
Beneath her management, Netflix has expanded its content material choices to incorporate main reside occasions like comedy specials, award reveals, WWE programming, and even NFL video games. The platform additionally dominated final yr’s awards season, incomes 107 nominations throughout 35 initiatives, the very best for any studio at each the Oscars and the Emmys.
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