RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CALIF. Octavia Spencer always knew she would make it.

The thing to me, making it is just being paid to do what you love to do, she told Gloria Steinem in front of an audience of hundreds at the MAKERS Conference on Monday night. And that could have been dinner theater, and I would have been happy with that. Quite honestly, I think we need to change the scope of how we dream.

And today, Spencer says she is expanding her dreams to include a new role: the role of Hollywood producer.

During the Q&A portion of her conversation with Steinem, a young woman in the audience asked Spencer if she had a dream role, or a role that she felt destined to play that felt terrifying to her.

The role Im destined to play is to be one of the greatest producers in Hollywood, Spencer said without hesitating, to huge cheers from the audience. Its terrifying because its a huge undertaking, but I want to be a conduit for storytellers men, women, gay, straight, black, white, Asian, latino, Indian, native. All those stories deserve to be told, especially if theyre compelling.

In the role of producer, one she has already begun exploring , Spencer is very clear on the types of projects that she wants to work on. (She is currently set to produce and star in a limited series about African-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Madam C.J. Walker.)

I choose things that touch me or resonate within my heart, said Spencer, and thats what I want to put out into the world: things that will inspire, things that will enlighten, things that will educate but will also allow for some escapism, because God knows we need some right now.