05/29/2025
Dear Dreamers,
Exposure Plus TV
The road ahead might not be easy, but it’s for those who know that winning isn’t just a goal, it’s a necessity. Sure, it’ll be tough, but along the way, you’ll discover what truly pushes you to the next level. Not everyone will be there to cheer you on, but you can’t let their negativity hold you back. Sometimes, the best way to achieve your dreams is to go it alone.
ABC denied her a Disneyland pass—so she bolted for Netflix.
And in the process, she built her own magical kingdom.
We often talk about Shonda Rhimes the showrunner.
The creator behind the longest-running medical drama.
The architect of a prime-time takeover:
1️⃣ Grey’s Anatomy
2️⃣ Scandal
3️⃣ How to Get Away with Murder
All hits. All on the same night.
If the NFL owned Sundays, Shonda owned Thursdays.
But apparently, that still wasn’t enough for Disney.
One day, Shonda asked for an extra all-access Disneyland pass—so her sister and nanny could take her kids.
At first, a Disney exec told her no.
Even said her own pass wasn’t transferable.
But eventually, they relented for their biggest talent.
Yet when her sister and nanny arrived?
They were denied entry.
Shonda made a call to fix the situation.
The response?
“Don’t you have enough?”
Turns out, she didn’t.
❌ Not enough respect.
❌ Not enough control.
❌ Not enough compensation.
But she’d had enough.
So she left, passed go, and collected $100m from Netflix.
That move made her the highest-paid showrunner in television history. (Yes, a Black woman did that! 🔥)
But here’s the thing:
Like Disney did, Netflix still owns her IP.
Because Netflix isn't in the “creator ownership” business I preach.
They’re in the "own and aggregate all the content" business.
So Shonda made a strategic shift.
She couldn’t own the shows.
But she could own everything around them.
Since joining Netflix, she reimagined Shondaland, her production company, into a creative empire:
✅ Negotiated unprecedented backend participation
✅ Scaled to 30+ full-time employees
✅ Launched a podcast network (in partnership with iHeart)
✅ Took ownership of product distribution tied to her IP
✅ Designed real-life experiences based on her shows (events, merch, fan culture)
Leaving Disney wasn’t a petty walkout.
It was a power play.
This was never about making remote-control-stopping TV.
It was about taking control...of her business!
Today, her business model looks like this:
➡️ Create IP for Netflix (e.g., Bridgerton)
➡️ Expand it with extensions (e.g., Queen Charlotte)
➡️ Monetize around the IP (merch, events, experiences)
➡️ Bottle it inside the Shondaland brand
➡️ Distribute across platforms (podcasts, newsletters, branded content)
She doesn’t own the content.
She owns the context.
If this model sounds familiar, it should.
In today’s world—where streamers buy up all the IP—the savviest creators are building like Shonda:
📦 Own the infrastructure
🌐 Have multiple distribution points
🧠 Cultivate brand trust
💬 Build audience connection
Because media in 2025 isn’t just about owning IP.
In an AI-driven world of endless content, it can be about owning:
✅ The narrative.
✅ The brand.
✅ The platform.
✅ The community.
✅ The culture.
Whatever it is—own something!
And most importantly?
Be like Shonda...
And make sure nobody owns your creative freedom...
Or your Disneyland all-access passes! 🤣
