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
Hot Seat Friday: How to Reconnect When the Conversation Has Gone Quiet
In this Hot Seat session, I sit down with community member Saarang Vinodh, who’s navigating a delicate challenge: reconnecting with a producer he had previously reached out to. Their last conversatio…
Hot Seat Friday: Trimming down and streamlining your resume to clearly tell your story
In this Hot Seat session, I sit down with community member Brett Williams to help him refine his resume and align it with his career goals. Brett is targeting broadcast promos and marketing agencies …
Hot Seat Friday: Identifying the right relationships to build to help you achieve your goal
In this Hot Seat session, community member Stephen Lehman opens up about his goal to edit narrative projects consistently while working as a film teacher. Stephen is trying to navigate the challenges…
Hot Seat Friday: How to reach out cold to a gatekeeper and get a useful response
In this Hot Seat session, I sit down with community member David Spragg to tackle the challenge of reaching out cold to a gatekeeper. David wants to connect with a YouTuber known for creating high-qu…
The future of Optimize Yourself (a painful lesson in branding)
Today’s mini-episode is the latest edition of my Case of the Mondays newsletter, a free newsletter I send out exclusively to my subscribers every Monday morning with my latest thoughts, strategies, a…
Hot Seat Friday: How can I show employers I'm the right match even with a different experience?
In this Hot Seat session, longtime community member Tonianne Fleig tackles the challenge of pivoting from film into the brand and agency world. Although her recent years have been in film, Tonianne i…
Hot Seat Friday: Crafting a thoughtful follow-up when your first email goes unanswered
In this Hot Seat session, community member Mark Carr is looking to re-engage a valuable contact he reached out to a few months ago. Knowing the person was previously too busy to respond, Mark wants t…
Hot Seat Friday: Better managing your time and energy so you don't have to "steal" time
In this Hot Seat session, community member Leonardo Oliveira seeks guidance on refining his weekly planning. He often ends up not being able to finish everything he planned for the week and finds him…
Hot Seat Friday: Crafting a pitch deck that draws your audience in
In this Hot Seat session, community member Michael Addis brings his series pitch deck to the table. He wants to refine it so he can capture the interest of the executives. Together, we crawl into the…
Hot Seat Friday: How do I answer the 'tell me about yourself' interview question?
In this Hot Seat session, I sit down with community member Tristan Felberg for a mock interview to help him craft a compelling response to the classic "tell me about yourself" question. We explore wh…
Hot Seat Friday: Identifying your 'one thing' and having enough runway to take a year off
In this hot seat session, I sit down with community member Kalika Sharma, whose work has kept her creatively fulfilled. But with so much happening at once, Kalika has lost sight of what her future lo…
[CASE STUDY] Overcoming Procrastination and Getting Focused | with Moni Salazar
Want to continue learning from the world’s experts on time management, networking, career development, better sleep, overcoming burnout, and so much more?
Hot Seat Friday: How do I make a career pivot (while still making money along the way)?
In this hot seat session, community member Brett Williams tells his story of how he lost his creative job and is now working a temporary role to support his family. Brett is eager to return to the wo…
[CASE STUDY] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, Better Managing Your Time, And Making the Most of This Pandemic | with Ariel Fujita, Kristi Shimek, and Maxton Waller
Want to continue learning from the world’s experts on time management, networking, career development, better sleep, overcoming burnout, and so much more?
Hot Seat Friday: I landed my dream job! Now, I need help to solve the problems that came with it.
In this hot seat session, community member Mitch Rosin shares how a single email landed him his next dream job. We dive into the strategy he honed during the industry's downtime, getting better at hi…
[CASE STUDY] Navigating a Difficult Career Transition | with Sam Lavin
Want to continue learning from the world’s experts on time management, networking, career development, better sleep, overcoming burnout, and so much more?
Hot Seat Friday: How do I make my website tell the right story and attract the right people?
In this hot seat session, community member Ted Husband wants to workshop his website if the layout is attractive enough to his target audience. Rather than focusing on layout alone, we dive into a st…
[CASE STUDY] How to Make the Most of Slow Work Periods and Make a Career Pivot | with Malinda Zehner Guerra
Want to continue learning from the world’s experts on time management, networking, career development, better sleep, overcoming burnout, and so much more?
Hot Seat Friday: How do I figure out what my unique skill set is that makes me stand out to potential employers?
In this hot seat session, community member Debra Weinstein is looking for guidance on how to better define her unique value and stand out in her career search. While she’s been making progress with t…
The Art of the Pivot: Going From Freelancer to Entrepreneur | with Nick Milo
Want to continue learning from the world’s experts on time management, networking, career development, better sleep, overcoming burnout, and so much more?