“I always knew where I wanted to go. How I was going to get there – I wasn’t sure.” Says Farnaz Esnaashari, Creator and Co-Executive Producer of the animated Nickelodeon show, Shimmer and Shine whose duties include voiceover directing. So just how did she get to where few women do? “Tenacity.” She says directly. “Even though I may fail initially, my attitude is that you have to fail in order to succeed.”

Working as a post-production supervisor on Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, and Ni Hao, Kai-Lan, Farnaz, whose Iranian roots inspire and inform the look and content of her show, felt she had hit a glass ceiling. “I worked with wonderful people, but there was no more room for growth in the direction I was moving.” “I was happy, but I always need more. I have to challenge myself. I have to find a way to do something bigger.” She laughs self depreciatingly. “I struggle with that every day.” “I knew I didn’t want to stop growing, so I came up with a concept. I came up with five different ways of getting into another position even if it meant going in one direction that I didn’t necessarily like for a few years.” “Because I was at Nickelodeon, and worked with certain people, opportunity and doors opened, and I took them.”

That doesn’t mean it was easy, but she kept trying and kept pitching. “As somebody who was trying to put me down, once said to me, ‘Poor Farnaz, she climbs her way up to the top of the hill and then gets the rug pulled from under her.’ To which I said, without any hesitation, laughing, “The way I see it is development is like winning the lottery. It takes the right number, at the right time, and the right person. Everything has to happen the way that it happens. At least I have a ticket. I’m just waiting for my numbers to get called. There are lots of people who don’t even have a ticket.”

That sense of determination and optimism allowed her to create Shimmer and Shine, which is now in its third season. What is refreshingly notably absent on the show, is the sexualization of the characters’ costumes. No bare bellies. The other positives, besides a feeling of multiculturalism, are the sense of friendship and support amongst the girls.

“That was very important to me because I have kids.” Says the mother of two. “I believe in everything at the right time of your life. I wouldn’t want my little girl wearing a genie top in which her belly was hanging out. That was something that was very important to me. I felt that way, and the company felt that way. That is not something we want to push and have out there in the world. That is not something that I would buy for my daughter. If her belly was showing and she wants to buy the costume I would say, ‘No, you cannot have that one.’”

“The message I want to send to young girls is to be kind to each other and not to be catty to each other. There are some other girl shows out there that I watch with my daughter and the girls are not nice to each other, and it’s just not necessary. I know there are people out there like that in the real world but, why? Work together. Support each other. Be nice to each other. Be fun and friendly. That’s really what I want them to take away. In all our shows the girls never snip at each other. They love each other for who they are.

Inevitably the question arises of the balance between motherhood and work. “My husband understands and tells me how proud he is all the time. Yes, even as a mother I travel a lot for work. It’s not an issue for me. I really believe that I am lucky to be in this position. I’m grateful and I will go and do whatever is needed of me.” Does that mean she doesn’t feel guilty? Her voice waivers.

“You mean outside of living in suburbs where everyone is a stay-at-home mom? It is difficult. I do not think that the world is made for households with both parents working. It is very much geared toward homes that have a parent at home. For example, my son wants to be in soccer. Well, guess what? Practice is at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I cannot leave work once a week to be at practice. And their response is: Well maybe you should find another team. And my response is maybe you could find a time for practice that would work for everyone. It is difficult. And it is trying to balance all the time. You try to find people around you who will help you and support you. And not judge you. I have some friends who are also working moms. We will take care of each other in that way. Then I’ve got some friends who are stay at home moms, who are proud of me for what I’m doing and they helped me. They will say, ‘Hey, this is what’s going on at school right now,’ and I will say, ‘Okay, thank you.’ Because it’s hard to be on top of everything all the time. Whereas some of the other moms do judge you because you are not there all the time.’

She also admits it would be impossible without the help of her husband. “We both help in the mornings but alternate with who drops them off at school depending on which of us has an early morning meeting or something they have to do in the morning. In the afternoon I hired a babysitter who has been with us for a few years now. In the evening whichever one of us can get home faster relieves the babysitter.”

A team of more than 400 people locally and nationally work to create the series. “There were a lot of women who were drawn to the show just by the fact that there was a female creator and because of the content of the show.” She says proudly, but she’s also aware of being in a room where the questions can get addressed to the men. “I have to remind people, ‘Hey, back over towards me. We are all in this together.”

One of the most interesting differences she’s noted between men and women is the reaction to how men and women communicate. “My feeling is there is absolutely a difference in the way in which genders communicate, and people’s responses. In my case, I think I’m a clear and direct person, but sometimes when I say things it is apparently not as clear as I think it is or taken as being too direct, and I’m expected to have a gentler approach. So I am fighting with the feelings of not wanting to be abrupt, while trying to make sure I’m communicating precisely. Whereas I see a man saying things much more clearly and his directness is totally accepted. But if I do it the same way is not acceptable. It’s a difficult thing that I’m always trying to find the balance of, within myself.” “But I have great instincts and follow them. I don’t second guess myself.”

And for those women who would be show creators themselves one day? “My advice to people is that if this is something that you really want, then it just comes down to you. How much can you take? How much can you tolerate in general? And how badly do you want it? If you want it badly enough you can push yourself anywhere in general in life. It’ll just come down to you. Don’t expect anything to be handed to you. If you don’t have that drive, you should not have those expectations.