The Zack Arnold Podcast
Hi I'm Zack, and the purpose of my work is to help you find meaning and purpose in yours (without burning out...or selling your creative soul).
If you've built your entire career around your creativity like I have, you may be asking the same question I am: Is there a future for us “creatives,” Or is it game over? I can't promise that I know what the future brings, but I do promise few are more dedicated to helping you find the answers than I am.
You're in the right place if:
- You live to create. Your work isn't just a job but an expression of who you are.
- You create to live. Your livelihood depends on your creativity.
- You love making cool shit.
Whether you identify as introverted or neurodivergent (or both, like me)...
No matter if you're a misfit, a rebel, an outlier, or a troublemaker...
If you've been called weird, nerdy, dorky, quirky, or awkward...
Or if you’re an over-thinker, procrastinator, or perfectionist…
You are welcome here. 😊
Come join me as I have honest, authentic, and candid conversations with NYT bestselling authors, Oscar and Emmy winners, experts across many different industries, and ordinary humans achieving extraordinary things.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 57 minutes
- Episodes
- 455
- Years Active
- 2017 - 2025
Managing Fear and Overwhelm When You Have to “Start Over” | with Anna Holtzman
What do you do when the life and career you’ve built no longer work for you?
In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Holtzman, a former reality TV editor turned therapist, now life coach, who helps creati…
What We Can Learn From Prisoners About Applying Emotional Intelligence In The Real World | with Sunil Joseph
What if the emotions you’ve been taught to hide are actually the key to deeper connection?
In this episode, I’m joined by Sunil Joseph, mindfulness instructor, empathy coach, and former software devel…
Emotional Intelligence: What It Is, How to Improve Yours, and How It Makes You a Better Creative | with Robin Hills
How can emotional intelligence give you an edge in a world full of AI?
In this episode, I talk with Robin Hills, Director of Ei4Change and an expert in emotional intelligence, positive psychology, and…
SUMMIT TOP 5: Amie McNee on Moving Through The “Messy Middle” (Without Losing Your Mind)
At its core, I organized my 5 day virtual summit about Navigating the Future of Entertainment to help us creatives, artists, and storytellers answer two key questions:
What the hell is happening to ou…
SUMMIT TOP 5: Jay Clouse on Creatives & Creators, The Future of Entertainment?
At its core, I organized my 5 day virtual summit about Navigating the Future of Entertainment to help us creatives, artists, and storytellers answer two key questions:
What the hell is happening to ou…
SUMMIT TOP 5: Selena Soo on Creative Careers In Crisis
At its core, I organized my 5 day virtual summit about Navigating the Future of Entertainment to help us creatives, artists, and storytellers answer two key questions:
What the hell is happening to ou…
SUMMIT TOP 5: Kylee Peña on Creativity In the Age of AI
At its core, I organized my 5 day virtual summit about Navigating the Future of Entertainment to help us creatives, artists, and storytellers answer two key questions:
What the hell is happening to ou…
SUMMIT TOP 5: Ted Hope on Navigating the Future of Entertainment
At its core, I organized my 5 day virtual summit about Navigating the Future of Entertainment to help us creatives, artists, and storytellers answer two key questions:
What the hell is happening to ou…
Masterclass: Navigating the Next Act Pt2 | with Zack Arnold
What would happen if you finally got the clarity and coaching you needed to take the next step in your creative career?
In today’s episode, part two of the live masterclass from my recent virtual summ…
Masterclass: Navigating the Next Act Pt1 | with Zack Arnold
What does it really take to build a sustainable creative career in an industry evolving faster than ever before?
For today’s episode, I’m sharing something different—a live masterclass I hosted at the…
Navigating the Future of Entertainment | with Zack Arnold
Ever feel like your creative career is becoming an uphill battle you’re no longer sure you can win?
Budgets are tighter, opportunities are fewer, and AI is rewriting the rules. But this isn’t a conver…
From Five Emmys to Trader Joe’s: The Realities of Working In Hollywood In 2025 | with Mark Keefer
What happens when your creative career no longer pays the bills—but you’re still called to create?
In this episode, I talk with award-winning editor Mark Keefer, whose nearly 30-year career spans Disn…
What It Really Takes For Creatives to Become Successful Content Creators | with Sven Pape
How do you build a creative career that lasts when everything keeps changing?
In this episode, I talk with Sven Pape—professional editor, filmmaker, and the creator of This Guy Edits, one of the most …
On Vulnerability and the Courageous Act of Creating From a Place of Truth | with Allison Sweet Grant
What if creativity isn’t just self-expression, but a way to heal and connect?
In this episode, I talk with Allison Sweet Grant, an author, former psychiatric nurse practitioner, and mother of three wh…
Mastering the Art of Doing Scary (and Often Hilarious) Shit | with Paul Beckman
Ever feel stuck between playing it safe and going all in on your dream?
In this episode, I talk with filmmaker, actor, and real-life action hero Paul Beckman—whose story is equal parts hilarious, outr…
Turning Adversity Into Opportunity and Suffering Into Purpose (a Superhero’s Perspective) | with Aaron Welty
What if the way you see your struggles is the key to overcoming them?
In this episode, I talk with motivational speaker and all-around awesome human Aaron Welty—moderator of the Council of Nerds film …
How We are “Wired to Create”, What It Means to Be a “Creative”, and How We Can Leverage Our Unique Gifts | with Scott Barry Kaufman
What if your greatest creative strength is the part of you that never quite fit in?
In this episode, I talk with Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, psychology professor at Columbia University and host of The Ps…
Are we becoming Generation Xtinct?
Hey there, it's Zack. And for today's mini episode, I'd like to share with you an audio reading of a recent article that I wrote on Substack titled, Are we becoming Generation Xtinct?. If you enjoy t…
Why the Pursuit of Success Is Making Us All Miserable (and How to Flip the Script) | with Jackson Kerchis
What if happiness wasn’t the reward for success but instead the foundation for it?
Jackson Kerchis is here to share the science and psychology of happiness—not as an abstract, feel-good concept, but a…
Why Optimization Isn’t the Answer (and How to Make the Most of the Four Thousand Weeks We Have) | with Oliver Burkeman
What if striving for more is actually giving you… less?
In this episode, Zack sits down with bestselling author Oliver Burkeman—known for Four Thousand Weeks and Meditations for Mortals—to unpack the …