We’re back with another Women’s Month spotlight, continuing our series highlighting the incredible women in the Coda community.
Each conversation has brought a different perspective on how people build, think, and solve problems, and today’s is no exception.
Up next, we’re excited to introduce @Shannon_Bradley
A film industry production coordinator who built a fully custom system to run entire productions, from back-end databases to team-facing portals. In this spotlight, she shares how Coda helped her elevate her workflows, the feature that completely changed how she builds, and why sometimes the best way to solve a problem is to step away and laugh (occasionally with a banana-costumed goat involved).
Let’s get into it!
1. What drew you to Coda, and how has your use of it changed over time?
I work in the film industry as a Production Coordinator, specifically for small and indie projects. The commonly used software products were either too expensive or not flexible enough for my needs. I had been using Airtable for a number of years and had built a decent enough system there, but the lack of a good ‘front-end’ for my team members was very frustrating. In searching for an alternative, I found Coda! It was EVERYTHING I wanted — a robust back-end database with the ability to build user portals that my teams would actually use. I now have a fully custom film production system that handles nearly everything for a show, making me valuable to indie producers. I have said that moving from Google Sheets/docs to Airtable was like drinking a cup of coffee instead of water, and moving from Airtable to Coda was like pouring a Red Bull into your coffee and adding a bit of glitter.
2. What’s a doc or project you’re really proud of that you built with Coda?
My biggest system is my custom Film Production Hub. This amazing community has helped me build this into something no other coordinator in my region can offer, enabling me to help make indie films a reality. That said, I use Coda for everything, from household to hobbies to actual work!
3. Was there a specific “aha” moment where Coda really clicked for you?
I started, like many people do, by importing my existing systems from another product. I started by just cleaning things up using the amazing port guides - and during that, discovering HOW much cleaner the whole system could be. Then Cross-Doc appeared. And holy moly, life-changing! I created user portals for specific parts of my teams and made them look like simple websites that were easy to use. I’ve never looked back!
4. Do you have a favorite Coda trick, formula, workflow, or small build you love sharing with others?
My biggest piece of advice to anyone I have introduced to Coda is to join THIS community. Spending time reading through older threads, seeing the amazing things others have built, and trusting that for every problem I can create, there will be 2 solutions in here somewhere. My builds improve because everyone here is amazing.
5. What’s a tool, habit, or ritual that keeps you grounded when things get overwhelming?
Take a step back and do something that makes you laugh or smile! Right now, my go-to solution to being stressed out is to play some Goat Simulator….seriously, when you are laughing so hard you can barely breathe because your goat is dressed up like a banana, it really helps! Then, when you come back to a problem, look at it from another direction.
6. When you start building something new, are you more structure-first or chaos-first?
I am absolutely a chaos goblin. Throw a bunch of the things I need into the doc and connect them up. Identify the biggest challenge and figure out how to make THAT work, then smooth out all the bumps. Then make it pretty!
7. What do you do outside of work that people might not expect?
I am a professional nerd and spend a good part of my time dressing up as a Star Wars character to help raise money for charities. Because I like to be organized, I have been a command staff member for many years, and of course, I use Coda to help keep things under control.
8. If you could teach a 30-minute workshop or TED Talk on anything (not work-related), what would it be?
I think it would be the “Art of being a Radioactive Ray of Sunshine”. In anything I do, I try to be the most positive person in the room. I want my teams to know they are appreciated and valuable, because work feels less like work that way!
9. Finish this sentence: “I build because ______.”
“…only I know what will work best for ME.”
