“Don’t wait to be perfect” with Broghanne Jessamine — Fem Founder™

Broghanne Jessamine is an actor and the owner of Elemental Women Productions LLC. Originally from the North East of Scotland, Broghanne emigrated to the United States in 2012 to pursue her career in acting. Through her work as an actor, a need to truly explore and tell women’s stories grew. In December 2018, Elemental Women Productions was founded with the mission to amplify women’s voices and experiences through the arts.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I grew up in the North East of Scotland with three sisters and my parents. I started performing on stage at a young age and fell in love with the storytelling aspect, and dressing up. As I got older the prospect of making the arts my career became more and more focused. When it came to my final year of school, I auditioned for a college here in NYC and was fortunately accepted. I then moved across the world to pursue my dream.

College in the US was not what I expected. I was often misunderstood and repeating myself because I had a Scottish accent. After graduating I started working and auditioning for real, balancing survival jobs, auditions, and booking acting gigs. For 2–3 years, I tried to fit into what they told us in school about how to get jobs. I worked to lose my accent and tried to get roles they told me I would be good for, rather than ones that excited me.

Eventually, I began to adapt my own methods. It was gradual at first. I became more specific in my submissions and jobs I auditioned for, as well as which ones I accepted. I was looking for stronger, more rounded, and three-dimensional roles for women. In late 2018, I decided to give producing a try and Elemental Women Productions was founded.

Elemental Women Productions is a woman-focused production company based in NYC. We produce theatre, film, and more all with the mission to empower and amplify women’s voices and experiences through the arts.

What inspired you to start your business?

I had been working in the NYC acting scene for 4 years when I decided to start producing. That desire and need began fairly gradually before picking up steam. I was tired of auditioning for the “girlfriend” or “hot suicide girl.” Needless to say…