Wisdom Unlocked 🔓✨ Career Lessons from Leading Women: A Conversation with Patty Lenahan Ishimoto

1. Could you start by introducing yourself — your name and what you do?
My name is Patty Lenahan Ishimoto, and I’m the Executive Producer of Miss Scarlet and The Duke, a period crime drama set in Victorian London about the first female private investigator.
2. How did your career begin, and how did you get to where you are today?
When I graduated, it was one of the worst job markets imaginable. With a degree in Business, French, and International Relations, I dreamed of a role that would take me overseas. Instead, I started at AT&T in marketing for network systems — very much a desk job. However, it was a fantastic foundation. I worked with incredibly smart people who became invaluable mentors, and they even helped me transition to the international marketing division. That shift led me to Geneva to work on a major trade show and eventually to multi-cultural marketing, where I managed sponsor partnerships with iconic brands like Cirque du Soleil!
After moving to LA, I hit a career lull but decided to network strategically. That led me to DIRECTV, which was in its early days at that time. I knew little about television content but enough about events to get hired. What followed was a 17-year journey with DIRECTV, growing alongside the company as it evolved from a scrappy startup to a corporate giant. I spearheaded exciting initiatives — live TV launches, original programming, and even the launch and management of their first original channel.
Eventually, the corporate environment became stifling, so I decided to take a leap and go out on my own. After exploring a few different paths, I landed squarely in the scripted space but pivoted from buying content to selling it. It was tough — my overly optimistic goal of selling three projects in a year took much longer — but persistence paid off. Within five years, I was producing our first series, Miss Scarlet and The Duke.
Now, five seasons later, I’m not just the Executive Producer but also the on-set series producer — a role I couldn’t have imagined myself in 10 years ago. It’s been an incredible ride, and I wouldn’t trade the journey for anything.
3. How have you seen the workplace shift since you started your career? What are the most significant changes you’ve observed?
One of the most heartening changes I’ve seen is the increased representation of women in leadership roles in production. My team on Scarlet is a great example — in addition to partnering with a local, female-owned production company, our writer/creator and many of our department heads are women. During a recent production meeting, I noticed that 8 out of our 12 key contributors sitting around the table were women. It’s incredibly inspiring to see such talented, independent-minded, and creative women leading with confidence and shaping the industry with their vision.
4. Conversely, what aspects of the workplace have remained constant in your experience?
While I’ve been out of corporate America for some time, it’s clear that women still face significant challenges navigating environments that remain predominantly white, and male-dominated. Progress has been made, but there’s still much work to be done to truly level the playing field and unlock the benefits of genuine equality.
5. Storytime! We’d love to hear about a pivotal moment or decision that shaped your career.
After successfully producing the first season of Miss Scarlet and The Duke in Ireland in 2019, the series premiered during the early days of COVID and became a ratings hit! Our broadcasters were eager for more, but the challenges of producing during the COVID lockdown and inflated costs made continuing in Ireland impossible. To make matters worse, our financing vaporized.
We were left with a successful series but no financing and no country to produce in. It was a daunting moment, but gratitude for health and life during the pandemic kept me moving forward. Through persistent outreach to prospective partners in other countries, we discovered that Serbia offered both strong production infrastructure and appealing incentives. With the support of our broadcast partners and a newly improved production and financing model, we have gone on to produce four additional seasons.
It has been an absolute privilege to collaborate with such an extraordinary and talented team, and their dedication shines through in every frame of the show.
6. Navigating work-life balance can be challenging and often more difficult for women. How have you managed this throughout your career?
Work-life balance is never easy! Work can be all-consuming, whether you’re in an office or working from home. Early on, I realized I needed to schedule what I call my “non-negotiables.” These were things like a lunch break, a workout/yoga, or even time to “pump” after my daughter was born and I returned to work just eight weeks later. Protecting those moments was key to maintaining both my sanity and my productivity. These days my work and life are very much “blended” (rather than balanced) with the main ingredient being joy.
7. We encourage everyone, particularly women, to seek mentorship and guidance from leaders in their fields. Who has been your mentor along your journey, and how have they influenced your career?
I’ve been fortunate to have so many mentors — some of whom probably didn’t even realize they were mentoring me! So many have shared their experiences and their expertise with me. Much advice has been imparted and some of it so seemingly simple like “We know what we know, but we don’t know what we don’t know.” “Time is always on your side.” Take time to “sharpen the saw” (i.e., your mind). Approaching every connection and interaction with an open mind and a willingness to learn has been one of the best lessons of my career.
8. What’s one piece of advice you would give your younger self when you were starting?
Trust yourself. Listen to your heart and your own mind — not just the voices of others. You know more than you think you do, and you’ve got what it takes to succeed.