A key ingredient to success, I learned, is relying on not only the kindness of strangers, but the kindness of colleagues.

I think in television you have an ever-closer bond to the audience because they're inviting you into your living rooms and their bedrooms 16 hours a year. And they have that relationship with the characters and with the creators. And now, because of social media that's even a more significant connection.

Generally I try to be on set as much as possible, especially during the early part of a season. I read all of the outlines and scripts and look at the auditions and the cuts for my other shows and give notes on all of that. There's a lot to do, but I enjoy nothing more than being on set because that's where the magic happens.

I think there is nothing that can replace your emotional response. The biggest mistakes I have ever made in my life are when people told me, "You really should produce this. It's a guaranteed hit." I would read the material and I would go, "I don't get it, but okay, I'll produce it." You're giving up that much of your life, your time with family and friends, to something that you're not really committed to - and they did not pan out the way everyone said they would, even though I worked just as hard.

I'm gut all the way, which is why I think I'm so connected to shows like Falling Water and even The Walking Dead, which is all about the mortal consequences of our actions. Generally, we act first and realize the consequences later.

When you realize there are geniuses out there and you'd be a journeyman... that's not good enough. I'd rather be the person helping those who are one in a billion get their vision out.

The people green-lighting films or TV series often want household names, but the smart ones realize that there are lightning rods who can make things happen, and they aren't necessarily the ones who are celebrated.