Invisible Roadmap

For decades, Laura Brown and Kristina O’Neill sat at the top of the media world, running two of the most powerful magazines on the planet. Laura was the Editor-in-Chief of InStyle, known for her irreverent wit and celebrity savvy; Kristina led WSJ. Magazine, shaping the cultural conversation with quiet precision. They’d made it. And then they were fired. What came next wasn’t the end of their story, but the start of a new one. Together, they turned their shared experience into a book, All the Cool Girls Get Fired, a smart, funny, and surprisingly hopeful roadmap for anyone whose career has come undone. Equal parts manifesto and survival guide, their book redefines what success looks like in a world where change is inevitable. In this candid and laugh-out-loud conversation, Laura and Kristina sit down with Bruna Papandrea to talk about the climb, the crash, and the freedom that comes after the fall. They unpack ambition, ego, and identity, and remind us that sometimes, getting fired isn’t failure at all. It’s your cue to start again.

In this powerful and revealing episode, Marvin Putnam, one of America’s most respected entertainment litigators and a partner at Latham & Watkins, joins Bruna Papandrea to share the invisible roadmap behind a career built on truth, storytelling, and the pursuit of justice. From one of the lowest socio-economic communites in America, Marvin reflects on the once in a lifetime opportunity that afforded him access to the best academic instutions in the country. From loving the study of literature and theatre to becoming the go-to lawyer for some of the world’s most high-profile media and entertainment cases, Marvin’s path has been anything but traditional and how long the kindess of others is the thing he cherishes most.

Ceci Kurzman has built a career most people have never heard about, yet her influence runs deep through the worlds of music, fashion, and business. A Harvard graduate who began in the record industry, Ceci rose through the ranks at Arista Records and Sony Music’s Epic Records, guiding the careers of some of the world’s biggest artists. She later founded Nexus Management, which began as an artist management company and evolved into a global investment platform bridging culture, capital, and technology across the consumer, media, and tech sectors. Today, she serves on the boards of Warner Music Group, Lanvin Group, Man Group, and Revlon, quietly shaping how creativity and commerce intersect. But behind her success is a story of love, loss, and resilience. When her husband fell ill, Ceci stepped back from her career to care for him. And when he died, she began again. In this moving conversation, Ceci and Bruna Papandrea explore the power of reinvention, the responsibility that comes with influence, and the quiet satisfaction of substance over spotlight. This is Ceci's invisible roadmap.

PART TWO: In the second part of this conversation, James Cameron picks up where we left off. He had been fired, humiliated and convinced he might have destroyed his one chance at directing. But out of that moment came a dream that reshaped cinema. The Terminator. James walks Bruna through the behind-the-scenes story of writing the script under impossible deadlines, the studio threats and the moment someone actually shouted “you will never work in this town again.” From there, the trajectory is unstoppable. Aliens, The Abyss, Terminator 2 and True Lies. And then Titanic, a film James pursued not because anyone asked him to, but because he could not get the story out of his mind. He shares how the idea struck while watching a VHS of A Night to Remember, why he risked everything to make it, and the moment the world of Avatar was born from a coin toss and a desire to inspire people to care about the planet. This episode charts the rise of a filmmaker whose imagination changed technology, storytelling and what audiences believe is possible on screen.

PART ONE: Before The Terminator, before Titanic, before Avatar, James Cameron was a college dropout driving trucks and dreaming big. He was fuelled by a stubborn belief that “why not” was reason enough to try. In Part One of this two-part conversation, James sits down with Bruna Papandrea to retrace his early years: the physicist-in-training with a rebellious streak, the kid building submarines out of TV boxes, and the young man whose father did not believe filmmaking was a real career. We follow the winding road from tool machinist to special effects prodigy to the moment everything fell apart when he was fired from his first directing job on Piranha II after only a few days on set. Broke, sleeping on a friend’s couch and questioning everything, James thought he had reached rock bottom. What happened next would change film history. This is the unlikely beginning of one of the most influential filmmakers of all time.

From government housing in Elizabeth, South Australia, to the boardrooms of Hollywood, Bruna Papandrea's journey is anything but ordinary. The daughter of a single mother who raised four children under the age of one, Bruna grew up with very little except love, community, and an unshakeable belief that the world was bigger than the place she came from. In this deeply personal and revealing episode, Bruna sits down to share her own invisible roadmap for the first time. She opens up about the teachers who saw something in her, the breakups that led to bold moves, the $1,000 loan that got her to Los Angeles, and the moment Sydney Pollack offered her a job that would change everything. From producing her first independent film to co-founding Pacific Standard with Reese Witherspoon and creating cultural phenomena like Gone Girl, Wild, and Big Little Lies, Bruna reflects on the grit, curiosity, and courage it took to build a career without a roadmap. She also speaks candidly about living with Lupus, the clarity that comes with motherhood, and why she's never been afraid to bet on herself, even when the path ahead wasn't paved for her. This is Bruna's invisible roadmap.

Asher Keddie has spent her life telling other people’s stories. But behind the roles, she’s quietly navigated her own invisible roadmap. From her first days on set as a teenager to becoming one of Australia’s most beloved actors, Asher’s career has been defined by discipline, instinct, and heart. For the first time, she opens up about living with Lupus, a condition she and Bruna share, and how it has shaped her perspective, her work, and her sense of resilience. Together, Asher and Bruna reflect on the link between life and performance, the courage it takes to keep showing up, and the art of listening to what truly moves you. This is Asher's invisible roadmap.

Dr. Swamy Venuturupalli is one of the most respected rheumatologists in America, known for his groundbreaking work treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory muscle diseases. In this episode, he sits down with Bruna to reflect on his journey from Mumbai to Los Angeles, and how a childhood shaped by discipline, curiosity and a deep love of learning ultimately led him to reimagine what modern healing can look like. He shares the pivotal moments that pushed him to question traditional medical systems, the philosophy that guides his patient-centred approach, and the creation of Attune Health, a clinic built on precision, compassion and innovation.

In the small town of Freedom, Maine, The Lost Kitchen has become one of the most celebrated (and hardest to book) restaurants anywhere. Each season, tens of thousands of people mail postcards hoping for a reservation at its single, candlelit dining room tucked inside a converted mill. But its origins are rooted in heartbreak and hope. Erin French’s journey began in her father’s diner and wound through addiction, loss, and rebuilding before she found her way back home, transforming ruins into beauty. Together with her husband and creative partner, Michael Dutton, Erin built The Lost Kitchen from the ground up. In this moving conversation, they talk with Bruna Papandrea about second chances, the healing power of food, and why simplicity can be the most radical act of all. This is Erin and Michael's invisible roadmap.

When you picture someone who works on Wall Street, Joan Solotar probably isn’t who comes to mind. She grew up in Queens, New York, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and a self-taught mechanic. But with grit, intellect, and determination, Joan built a career at the top of global finance, becoming Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Private Wealth Solutions at Blackstone. From her first analyst job on Wall Street in the 1980s to leading a multibillion-dollar business, Joan has redefined what leadership looks like in a male-dominated industry. She speaks with Bruna Papandrea about the mentors who shaped her, the sacrifices along the way, and why lifting others has become her life’s mission. This is a story about ambition, empathy, and what it means to keep climbing, and reaching back to pull others up. This is Joan’s invisible roadmap. Invisible Roadmap is a podcast from the Brunaverse.

When Naomi Watts first moved to Hollywood, she couldn’t get a break. Casting directors barely looked her in the eye. She was told no more times than she could count. And just as she was about to pack up and return home to Australia, a call from filmmaker David Lynch changed everything. In this candid and deeply personal conversation, Naomi sits down with Bruna Papandrea to trace the long, uncertain road from Sydney to Mulholland Drive. She opens up about the years she spent denying her love of acting, the rejections that almost broke her, and the quiet resilience that kept her going. Now, with decades of success behind her, Naomi reflects on the discipline it takes to build longevity in Hollywood, balancing motherhood with ambition, and the power of reinvention again and again. This is Naomi's invisible roadmap.

Invisible Roadmap is a podcast from award-winning producer Bruna Papandrea (Big Little Lies, Gone Girl, The Undoing) that explores the unpredictable journeys behind remarkable lives. Growing up in housing commission in Adelaide, South Australia, Bruna knows firsthand that success doesn’t always start with privilege - and now she’s sitting down with others who’ve built extraordinary careers from humble beginnings. From litigators and doctors to chefs, magazine editors, actors, and directors, these are raw, revealing conversations about failure, resilience, and the courage it takes to keep going when the road ahead isn’t paved for you.