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4 Entrepreneurial Lessons From the 2019 Golden Globes Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh hosted the lively awards show.

By Nina Zipkin

Handout | Getty Images

The Golden Globes are known for being the freewheeling, slightly drunken start to Hollywood awards season. But amid the glamour, memes, occasionally left-field wins and the good natured hosting of Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh -- who was awarded for her best actress performance in Killing Eve during the course of the evening -- there were a few key moments that entrepreneurs can be inspired by.

1. Use your platform.

We're all familiar with the awkward moment when the orchestra plays off a winner whose speech is running long. But rare is the moment when the music stops based on the strength of what's being said.

Regina King, who is a TV director in addition to being an actress and producer, won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Barry Jenkins' adaptation of the James Baldwin novel If Beale Street Could Talk, and spoke about the importance of using the moment and her microphone to make a difference.

"I'm going to use my platform right now to say, in the next two years, everything I produce, I am making a vow, and it's going to be tough, to make sure that everything I produce is 50 percent women," King said. "And I just challenge anyone out there who is in a position of power, not just in our industry, in all industries, I challenge you to challenge yourself and stand with us in solidarity and do the same."

2. Don't give up on what is important to you.

Glenn Close took home the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture -- Drama for her role in the Meg Wolitzer adaptation The Wife, about a woman married to a lauded author who sacrificed her own career as a writer.

"It took 14 years to make this film," she said in her impassioned speech, which ended with an standing ovation from the crowd. "[My team said] this is a great story and we need to stay with it until it happens. It was called The Wife. I think that's why it took 14 years to get made. … I feel what I've learned through this whole experience is women, we're nurturers, that's what's expected of us … but we have to find personal fulfillment. We have to follow our dreams. We have to say I can do that, and I should be allowed to do that."

Related: 3 Key Lessons for Entrepreneurs From Oprah Winfrey's Golden Globes Speech

3. Recognize and honor what you have in the moment.

Since 1952, the Cecil B. DeMille award has been given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment." This year it was awarded to Jeff Bridges, whose speech was everything you'd want from The Dude himself. But 2019 was the inaugural year for a similar prize for work in television, the Carol Burnett award, given to, of course, comedy icon Carol Burnett, who asked upon receiving it from Steve Carell, "Does this mean I get to accept it every year?"

On a more heartfelt note, Burnett detailed in her speech the sheer amount of work it took to make The Carol Burnett Show for 11 years, noting how no network would do something like that now, just based on the costs alone.

"Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about being young again and doing it all over. And then I bring myself up short when I realize how incredibly fortunate I was to be there at the right time," Burnett said. "What has remained the same for every person that has been lucky enough to be on television is the belief that we've been given an opportunity to something special. We've been granted a gift, a canvas to paint with our talent. … I'm just happy that our show happened when it did. And that I can look back and say once more, I am so glad that we had this time together."

4. Celebrate your wins and keep striving for more.

Sandra Oh made history several times last night, being the first person of Asian descent to host the show, the first woman of Asian descent to win multiple Golden Globes and the first Asian woman to win best actress for television drama since 1980. And she was hosting on a night that saw projects such as Black Panther, Roma, Beale Street and Crazy Rich Asians up for big awards.

Closing out the opening monologue, she took a minute to step back from playfully "roasting" the attendees (sample burns included "Bradley Cooper, you are hot" and of multiple nominee Amy Adams, "Hey Amy, save some for the rest of us you mega-talented piece of dog crap) to explain why she decided to take on the unexpected hosting gig.

"I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I wanted to be here, to look out onto this audience and witness this moment of change," Oh said. "And I'm not fooling myself. I'm not fooling myself. Next year could be different. It probably will be. But right now, this moment is real. Trust me, it is real. Because I see you. And I see you, all these faces of change, and now, so will everyone else."

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

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