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
![[CASE STUDY] How a Single Outreach Email Led to a Dream Job at Marvel | with Matthew Farrugia](https://media.redcircle.com/images/2022/9/5/7/d8cffdd8-52b6-4eeb-bb37-ef48634454f4_opt_podcast_artwork_3000x3000.jpg)
[CASE STUDY] How a Single Outreach Email Led to a Dream Job at Marvel | with Matthew Farrugia
Matthew Farrugia is an assistant editor in Hollywood who’s recent two projects are both so high profile and high security, I can’t name them yet (Hint: They’re for Apple+ and Marvel). What’s crazy is…
[BONUS] Mastermind Q&A: How to Successfully Be a “Specialized Generalist” | with Michael Addis
“Do whatever you can to have the power to take a break or say no.”
- Michael Addis
Michael Addis is a man who wears many successful hats as an editor, writer, director, and showrunner. If you’ve ever e…
Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace | with Simon Smith, ACE
“I hope that we can all become more compassionate and empathetic towards other ways of thinking.”
Simon Smith, ACE
Simon Smith, ACE is an award-winning editor whose most recent credits are the HBO seri…
Transforming Your Disabilities Into Superpowers | with Erik Stolhanske
“I never wanted anything to stop me. Not even having a wooden leg.”
- Erik Stolhanske
Erik Stolhanske is an actor, writer and producer probably best known for his role as ‘Rabbit’ in Super Troopers 1 a…
Optimizing Sleep, Productivity, & Creativity Using Ultradian Rhythms and Self-Tracking | with Azure Grant
“The idea that resting is productive sounds silly, but I think a lot of people in our hard working culture need to hear it.”
- Dr. Azure Grant
Dr. Azure Grant is a researcher in metabolic and hormonal …
How Your Gut Health is the Key to Unlocking a Healthier & Happier You | with Dr. Edison de Mello
“The brain and the gut work like a key and a lock. One cannot function without the other.”
Dr. Edison de Mello
Dr. Edison de Mello is a Board-Certified Integrative Physician and a licensed psychotherap…
![[Hollywood On the Record] How to Create Your Dream Job by Setting Healthy Boundaries | with Jerilynn Stephens & Kimi Messina](https://media.redcircle.com/images/2022/8/2/4/1186d05e-c609-46d1-9316-54bd157b062b_opt_podcast_artwork_3000x3000.jpg)
[Hollywood On the Record] How to Create Your Dream Job by Setting Healthy Boundaries | with Jerilynn Stephens & Kimi Messina
“If you get to a point where you’re not happy doing what you’re doing, you need to find something different. We all should be doing what we love to do.”
- Jerilynn Stephens
Building a Fulfilling Career Across Multiple Mediums (Without Getting Pigeonholed) | with Stephanie Filo, ACE
Stephanie Filo, ACE is a two-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning TV/Film Editor based in Los Angeles, CA and Sierra Leone, West Africa. She earned an Emmy win for her unscripted editing on the Mental…
Networking (the Right Way), Mentorship, and Connecting with ‘Experts’ | with Troy Takaki, ACE
“You are not networking to get jobs. You are networking to meet people. By knowing people you get jobs.” - Troy Takaki
Troy Takaki, ACE is a Hollywood film & TV editor as well as the founder of the AC…
Pushing Yourself to Your Limits (When Quitting isn’t an Option) | with Evan Perperis
Evan "Ultra-OCR Man" Perperis is an active duty Army Special Forces Soldier with 44 months of combat deployments who is now a professional Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) athlete. He is best known for r…
Staying True to Your Core Values (When Hollywood Tries to Steal Your Soul) | with Sean Corvelle
It was one of those things in my life that just clicked...boom. This is where I'm supposed to be, and I've been doing it ever since.
- Sean Corvelle
Sean Corvelle has played a variety of different role…
Overcoming a Dark Past (and Managing the Voices In Your Head) to Become Successful In Hollywood | with Christopher Titus
“With my life story, I could ask for any antidepressant I want and they would prescribe it to me. Instead, I chose to be an antidepressant.”
- Christopher Titus
Christopher Titus is quite simply one of…
What Is a “Men’s Group?” & Why “Men’s Work” is Beneficial for Both Men & Women | with Traver Boehm
“If the pressure is building so much and you're just trying to 'keep it all together', at some point it's going to crack.”
- Traver Boehm
Traver Boehm is the founder of the UNcivilized Men’s Movement, …
Navigating The ‘Messy Middle’ of Life & Career Transitions | with Melissa Costello
"I've been tuning into what feels right for me versus what I think I should be doing."
Melissa Costello is a transformational eating coach who has spent the last 15 years helping people who struggle w…
How to Manage An Identity Crisis (Especially When You Know You’re Meant For Something More) | with Erica Wernick
"In this industry we are conditioned to believe that our voice is not important."
Erica Wernick, former graphic designer and founder of Hollywood Success Coach, has always been goal-oriented, systems-…
![Mental Health is Not a Luxury…Even For “Top Guns” | with Eddie Hamilton, ACE [Pt 2]](https://media.redcircle.com/images/2023/2/20/12/45f10978-99bb-48b7-b90a-475eff7cd526_f28-771b6c7a14ba_opt_podcast_artwork_3000x3000.jpg)
Mental Health is Not a Luxury…Even For “Top Guns” | with Eddie Hamilton, ACE [Pt 2]
“It’s your duty as a professional working with a director & producer that you tell them when it becomes impossible to do the job on your own.”
Eddie Hamilton, ACE is the editor of Top Gun: Maverick, t…
![Why You Don’t Need to Go to Film School to Be Successful | with Eddie Hamilton, ACE [Pt 1]](https://media.redcircle.com/images/2023/2/20/12/50ca895b-cc32-4313-be63-f92f3e206927_591-e7b82631d342_opt_podcast_artwork_3000x3000.jpg)
Why You Don’t Need to Go to Film School to Be Successful | with Eddie Hamilton, ACE [Pt 1]
Eddie Hamilton, ACE is the editor of Top Gun: Maverick, the last 3 Mission: Impossible films, Kick-Ass 1 & 2, and X-Men: First Class, just to name a few. And in my first interview with Eddie (here’s …
Hot Seat Friday: From outreach emails that get responses to having a mentor | with Jonathan Hodges
What I’d love to do is give you an insider’s glimpse into the world of my Optimizer coaching & mentorship program and what we call the ‘Hot Seat.’ What you’ll hear today is a recording of an actual l…
Hot Seat Friday: The Key to Writing Outreach Emails That Get a Response| with James Crouch
What I’d love to do is give you an insider’s glimpse into the world of my Optimizer coaching & mentorship program and what we call the ‘Hot Seat.’ What you’ll hear today is a recording of an actual l…
Hot Seat Friday: Negotiating your true value (not just the hours you work) | with Denise Chan
What I’d love to do is give you an insider’s glimpse into the world of my Optimizer coaching & mentorship program and what we call the ‘Hot Seat.’ What you’ll hear today is a recording of an actual l…