menu Home chevron_right
PHILOSOPHY

How rejection made Julie Plec an undeniable leader

Big Think | September 7, 2025



This is how rejection made executive producer and director Julie Plec an undeniable leader.

Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1
Watch the full Perception Box series ► https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5uULy4b0kV4iomWS7CzqCdOCwj0lFnLr&si=yCY6Ee7m6bpj7E-y

Creator of the popular series “The Vampire Diaries,” Julie Plec is proof imposter syndrome never goes away, no matter how big you make it. The writer and producer answered our questions about self-doubt, getting “blacklisted,” and how we can alter our perceptions to better appreciate our successes.

Read more from this interview ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/julie-plec/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

———————————————————————————-

Go Deeper with Big Think:

►Become a Big Think Member
Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more. https://members.bigthink.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

►Get Big Think+ for Business
Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business. https://bigthink.com/plus/great-leaders-think-big/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

———————————————————————————-

About Julie Plec:

Julie Plec is a creator, showrunner, executive producer and director, most notably responsible for the complete Vampire Diaries Universe (The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies), which spanned thirteen years and more than 300 episodes of television.
Plec is co-creator and co-showrunner of the upcoming series Vampire Academy, based on the popular book series, which recently wrapped production in Spain and is debuting September 15, 2022, on Peacock. She is also co-creator of the new series Dead Day, along with her Vampire Diaries partner Kevin Williamson, which was recently picked up to series at Peacock as well, and executive producer of Girls on the Bus, which was picked up straight to series at HBO Max.

Plec is creator and executive producer of Legacies, which recently aired its fourth and final season on the CW, along with serving as an executive producer of Roswell, New Mexico, which recently aired its fourth and final season on the CW as well. In addition, Plec served as executive producer of The Endgame, starring Morena Baccarin and Ryan Michelle Bathé, which recently aired on NBC.

She is currently under an overall deal at Universal Television, where she and Emily Cummins, president of her production company, My So-Called Company, are developing projects across all platforms for the studio. Plec and Cummins recently announced a new project at Peacock, Clifton, along with a slate of several other projects in development.
Along with directing multiple episodes of The Vampire Diaries, Legacies, and Roswell, New Mexico, for which she also directed the pilot, Plec directed an episode of the CW’s hit series Riverdale, and most recently directed an episode of her new series Vampire Academy.
Plec developed and executive produced Containment, which aired as a limited series on the CW in 2016.

She got her start as a television writer and co-executive producer for the series Kyle XY, which she produced for the show’s three-year run. Other television credits include Dawson’s Creek, on which she collaborated with creator/executive producer Kevin Williamson, and The Tomorrow People, on which she collaborated with fellow executive producers Greg Berlanti and Phil Klemmer.

In the early part of her career, Plec worked with both Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson during the run of their hit Scream franchise. She also co-produced Berlanti’s directorial debut film, The Broken Hearts Club.

Tagged as , , , , , .

Written by Big Think

Comments

This post currently has 37 comments.

  2. @Twenty10sMedia

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    I appreciate spirits like this. It helps with admitting to yourself when to pull away & step back. To really look at the big picture. Instead of always being right and not admitting when to take responsibilities for your own growth!! I am in a really beautiful & somewhat complex journey. I am present and doing the work!! Who knows maybe one day I get to work with Miss Plec.

  14. @bashirahmadnoori6750

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    NO FACEBOOK.
    NO WHAT'S APP.
    NO TWITTER.
    NO INSTAGRAM.
    NO YOUTUBE.
    BUT 2 BILLION FOLLOWERS.
    HE IS MY BELOVED FINAL AND LAST PROPHET
    🌹Muhammad مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّی ﷲُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم🌹
    FROM ALLAH اَللّٰهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.
    🌹اَشْھَدُ اَنْ لَّآ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اللّٰہُ وَحْدَہٗ لَاشَرِیْکَ لَہٗ وَاَشْھَدُ اَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُہٗ وَرَسُوْلُہٗ🌹
    I BEAR WITNESS THAT THERE IS NO GOD BUT
    ALLAH اَللّٰهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ, ALONE, WITHOUT PARTNER AND I BEAR WITNESS THAT
    🌹MUHAMMAD مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّی ﷲُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم🌹 IS SLAVE AND MESSENGER OF ALLAH اَللّٰهُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ.
    HE GAVE THE MIRACLE OF
    QUR'AN 🌹قرآن مجید فرقان الحمید 🌹TO HUMANITY.
    ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِۙ مَـٰلِكِ يَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ 🌹🌹🌹

  15. @signalfire15

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    She’s not an “undeniable” leader. We all deny it and anyone who has watched her shows deny it. Change the title Big Think. This channel is going to the dumps.

  20. @signalfire15

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    I’m not surprised that she struggled in her writing class. That would explain why she’s a horrible writer and has no clue what she is doing. She’s a disgrace, along with her buddy Caroline Dries. They both ruin everything they touch and I’m shocked that there are people in the world still willing to give these pathetic women shows to write.

  23. @MD-bu3xc

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    As income inequality continues to reach the highest level ever, these kinds of motivational talks will be more and more in demand. Outcomes for any of us are dependent on extremely complex variables many maybe most of which we have no control over. It’s the American myth. If it happened to me, it can happen to you.

  25. @ReginaJune

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    I like guessing before the video plays like a self quiz – my answer is: other people’s dubious judgment on who they think I am and what I’m capable and able to do. I can’t wait for AI to take over, I’m expecting complete social liberation to be 10x’s the dumbest thing in the room…. I could be like a dog and just be proud of being able to burp. If the AI buy me beer, I might take up day drinking 🍻🥂

  27. @jon6309

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    I think trauma is something that holds us back. We are taught from an early age not to make a mistake but the thing is mistakes help us improve the next round. I also realized that every situation is different and the outcome cannot be compared. Just because the job application you submitted was rejected, that doesn’t mean the next job you apply for will reject you as well. Just because your crush rejects you doesn’t mean the next crush you have will do the same. I always told myself I never ask for this existence but since I’m here anyway I might as well try to achieve what I want.

  28. @HobbesNJoe

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    When I swipe my card and my bank account is empty.

    First time? When I was told no, I couldn’t have something because it cost more than my parents were willing to pay. Better would have been to tell me how I could earn the item.

  31. @terrancekayton

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    Trippy. I think my greatest fear is to not have done some thing creative and memorable with my time here on earth but every time I think of moving forward, I talk myself out of it 😕😔 get mad at myself and freeze thinking of all the things I could’ve done by now…if I wasn’t watching someone else. 🥺🥶

  32. @doxide

    September 7, 2025 at 6:26 pm

    She could use more self doubt. Maybe then she wouldn't have fucked up the endings to vampire diaries and originals or made that dumpster fire show legacies.

Comments are closed.

Related
A GUIDE TO STOICISM: The Philosophy For Uncertain Times
Sisyphus 55 | April 20, 2026
Related
John Cacioppo on Loneliness | Big Think
Big Think | April 20, 2026
Related
I’m Not Afraid of Death – Richard Dawkins
Alex O'Connor | April 20, 2026

This area can contain widgets, menus, shortcodes and custom content. You can manage it from the Customizer, in the Second layer section.

 

 

 

Go to album
  • play_circle_filled

    92.9 : The Torch

  • play_circle_filled

    AGGRO
    'Til Deaf Do Us Part...

  • play_circle_filled

    SLACK!
    The Music That Made Gen-X

  • play_circle_filled

    KUDZU
    The Northwoods' Alt-Country & Americana

  • play_circle_filled

    BOOZHOO
    Indigenous Radio

  • play_circle_filled

    THE FLOW
    The Northwoods' Hip Hop and R&B

play_arrow skip_previous skip_next volume_down
playlist_play