Trust the Process

Growth is rarely the result of one moment, one opportunity, or one decision. There is no single breakthrough that carries you from one place in your career to another. Instead, it unfolds over time — when preparation meets opportunity, when persistence meets challenge, when trust is built and returned. It takes shape when you encounter an obstacle and push through it. When you put your trust in others — and earn their trust in return.

This past weekend, Carmen Bartolomé Valls (2025 Cohort – Editorial Resident) attended the Dublin International Film Festival for the premiere of The Slightest Touch, a new documentary feature from Rachel Fleit.

Her presence there was meaningful — not simply because of the milestone itself, but because of everything that led to it.

Being selected for the Experience Residencies program was an opportunity — one Carmen earned through hard work and commitment to her craft. Over the course of the Residency, she built trust with leadership at Union Editorial. Through consistency, curiosity, and dedication, she demonstrated she was ready to take on more responsibility. That trust led to the opportunity to work alongside editor Sloane Klevin on The Slightest Touch, becoming part of a tight-knit independent documentary team.

On productions like this, every contribution matters. Carmen became an integral part of the process. The team recognized her impact — and brought her with them to the premiere.

That is how growth works.

Opportunity opens a door. Preparation allows you to walk through it. Trust gives you room inside the room. Delivery keeps you there.

You commit to the process. You commit to the people around you. They invest in you in return.

And in that steady exchange — step by step — you grow.

Not because of one moment, but because of the process that shapes them all.

The Slightest Touch will stream later this year on HBO.