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
It’s Never Too Late to Get Stronger (and Become a Ninja) | with Ginny MacColl, ANW
Have you ever wanted to pursue a passion your whole life that’s well outside your comfort zone…but felt like you missed your opportunity and now you’re “too old?” Maybe you always dreamed of running …
![[Case Study] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Better Managing Your Time, And Making the Most of This Pandemic | with Ariel Fujita, Kristi Shimek, and Maxton Waller](https://media.redcircle.com/images/2022/6/12/23/d18ead06-3f80-44c5-932e-d7f605f754b2_4d16f85f2ee6_11920ariel2c20kristi2c20maxton_01.jpg)
[Case Study] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Better Managing Your Time, And Making the Most of This Pandemic | with Ariel Fujita, Kristi Shimek, and Maxton Waller
Having spoken to and worked with hundreds of people worldwide over the last six months, if there’s one constant to the ever-changing landscape of 2020, it’s that this global pandemic has been a magni…
I Said No to a Job (A Good One)…During a Pandemic
This episode is a reading of guest author, Debby Germino's article: I Said No to a Job (A Good One)…During a Pandemic
Continue to Listen & Learn:
Legendary Editor Walter Murch On Optimizing Creativity, Productivity, and Well-Being In Hollywood For 50+ Years
When you think of film editors, let’s face it - healthy habits and good physical conditioning are not images that immediately come to mind. But with a pandemic upon us, and with the high cost of the …
The Secret to Surviving 40+ Years Working In Hollywood | with Carol Littleton, ACE
It’s an understatement to say Hollywood is undergoing major changes right now, but are these circumstances unprecedented? I argue things have changed a lot less than we want to believe over the last …
The “Passion Tax” – Why Artists and Creatives Are Exploited, And How We Can Start Saying ‘No’
The following is an episode where I provide my articles in audio form so you have the opportunity to walk and listen instead of sit and read if that’s your preference. My hope is that you’ll use this…
Maintaining Boundaries, Well-Being, and Sanity on Hollywood Blockbusters | with Jeffrey Ford, ACE
No matter the rung of the ladder you happen to be on in the entertainment industry, making it in Hollywood is no easy feat. And with how our world is evolving post-pandemic, you might think it will b…
Work Remotely With Your Team In Real-Time Using Evercast (A Game Changer)
Today’s interview is a little bit different than you might be used to where I’d like to introduce you to the newest sponsor of the Optimize Yourself podcast: Evercast. If you’re a content creator or…
How to Be So Thorough You Can’t Be Denied | with James Wilcox, ACE
For some reason there seems to be this fallacy in Hollywood that someone has to “give you your big break” in order to make it in the industry, and in the meantime you’re just waiting for your big bre…
Breaking Into (and Making It) In the Industry as People of Color | with Mirra Watkins, Ariel Brown, and Isaiah Cary
Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in?
Have you ever struggled to find role models that looked like you and had similar life experiences?
If you’re a person of color in Hollywood (specifically post…
The Importance of Setting Boundaries, Advocating For Yourself, and Asking For Help | with Janace Tashjian
"It’s important not only to empower ourselves, but to empower each other. We are 200% stronger together than we are as an individual in our common endeavors.”
Imagine a Post Department where you feel …
![Dear Hollywood: It’s Time For An Intervention About The Hours We Work [Change.org Petition Inside]](https://media.redcircle.com/images/2022/5/11/9/ddce1e6b-233b-4cc5-857b-6917cfbcc2c8_312_45-Hour-Workweek-Hollywood.jpg)
Dear Hollywood: It’s Time For An Intervention About The Hours We Work [Change.org Petition Inside]
» Read & Share the full article HERE
When I published my article Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to ‘Go Back to Normal.’ Normal Wasn’t Working I was absolutely floored by the response as I watched it …
On Signing COVID Waivers, Kit Rental Fees, and Working Humane Hours | with Cathy Repola, MPEG National Executive Director
In case you missed it, my recent article Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to ‘Go Back to Normal.’ Normal Wasn’t Working ignited a firestorm of conversation, social media messages, and a barrage of email…
Parenting In a Post-Pandemic Hollywood | with Natalie Boschan, Bari Winter, Yvette Amirian ACE, and Monica Daniel
With work in the entertainment industry slowly beginning to trickle in and productions ramping up over the coming weeks and months, you’d think we could all just “go back to normal,” right?
WRONG.
The …
Dear Hollywood: We Don’t Want to “Go Back to Normal.” Normal Wasn’t Working.
Dear Hollywood, I have something I desperately need to share with you. You might find it surprising coming from a 20-year veteran who owes his livelihood to you. But it needs to be said. I apologize …
From Out-of-Shape to Running a 240 mile Ultra Marathon | with Wes Plate
“It’s all about how you get to the starting line. That’s the real story.”
– Wes Plate
There aren’t many of us working 12 + hours a day in a dark room in post-production that think about running 240-mi…
20 Questions to Ask Your Father on Father’s Day Pt2 | with Al Arnold
If you’re listening to this now, my hope is that you’ve already listened to part 1 of this conversation with my dad. If you haven’t yet it’s available on your Podcast app of choice or CLICK HERE.
As I…
20 Questions to Ask Your Father on Father’s Day Pt1 | with Al Arnold
It’s amazing how global pandemics, worldwide protesting and riots, and the general upheaval of society as we know it can make you think. It certainly helps to lend perspective on what’s really import…
Recognizing, Mentoring, and Promoting Diversity In Hollywood | with Monty DeGraff, ACE
“This moment is necessary as much as it is uncomfortable.”
- Monty DeGraff (Comments on diversity in Hollywood June 2020)
According to a 2019 survey of 1700+ post-production professionals (thanks to Bl…
On the Vital Importance of "Being Nice" | with Jesse Averna, ACE
Be nice.
Could it possibly be that simple?
Given everything happening in the world, all the hatred, all the cynicism, all the distrust around the globe in every corner of society...is it possible that …