TV Crew Talk - with Howie Zales

Tyrrell Baker fell in love with racing at age two, watching cars from a playpen. Twenty years later he is the voice in a driver's ear at 200 miles an hour. In this episode he tells Howie how thousands of hours in a racing simulator became muscle memory the day he hit black ice on the way to work. He gave himself three seconds to panic, then pulled the e-brake, drifted the car around the corner...

Rob Falzon reached the top of corporate finance as Vice Chairman of Prudential. Then he left to fund the entrepreneurs the system was built to skip. Host Howie Zales and AI co-host Athena sit down with Rob to unpack Bright Street, the microfinance company he built for the 95% of small business owners that traditional banks overlook. They get into the numbers that reframe the whole conversation: fo...

In this episode of Operator Mindset , Howie Zales sits down with Tina for a powerful conversation about identity, resilience, financial pressure, and what it really takes to rebuild when life changes without warning. After 20 years of service, Tina was given a two-week ultimatum following a medical condition that changed everything. Her income dropped, her home was at risk, her credit took a hit,...

In this powerful episode of Operator Mindset , Howie Zales sits down with Michael Holden, alongside co-host Jason Elliott, for a raw conversation about crisis, faith, family, health, and the cost of living out of alignment. Michael shares his journey from 25 years in corporate finance and senior leadership to the moments that forced him to rethink what success, security, and providing for his fami...

In this episode of Operator Mindset , Howie Zales sits down with Michael Hornby , Founder and CEO of Techmentum , for a practical conversation about cybersecurity, AI, business email compromise, and the risks most business owners don’t think about until it is too late. They discuss why cybersecurity is no longer just an IT issue, how attackers are using AI, why platforms protecting themselves does...

Founders often start by doing everything themselves. They build the product. They manage the systems. They handle sales, marketing, follow-up, operations, and every small detail in between. At first, that level of involvement feels necessary. It feels responsible. It feels like progress. But eventually, the same skills that helped you start the business can become the very thing holding it back. I...

At the beginning, waiting feels responsible. You want the right timing. The right setup. The right version of everything. But in reality, that’s what keeps most people stuck. In this episode, Howie Zales sits down with Wendy Van Besien to break down one of the biggest traps in business and personal growth: The illusion of being “ready” They unpack the real shift: From waiting to testing From overt...

Most people are told to follow a clear path. Chris Colton did the opposite. In this episode of Operator Mindset, we sit down with Chris Colton to break down how curiosity, not structure, became the foundation of his career. What looked like a messy, disconnected path was actually years of skill stacking, learning, and real-world repetition that built something rare. We talk about: • Why curiosity...

At the beginning, saying yes feels like progress. You take every project. Every client. Every opportunity. Because it moves you forward. Until you start to see what it’s actually costing you. In this episode, Howie sits down with Daniel Ross to talk about the shift most business owners go through — but rarely talk about: From taking everything to choosing intentionally From being busy to building...

What does it really take to reinvent yourself - more than once? In this episode of Operator Mindset , Howie sits down with Lori for a conversation about reinvention, mindset, and building strength, both mentally and physically, through different stages of life. From working in a high-pressure media environment to transitioning into education, writing, and now a new chapter, Lori shares what it mea...

Are you the bottleneck in your own business? In this episode of Operator Mindset , Howie Zales - founder of HJZ Productions and Viridity Entertainment Services- sits down with Athena (ACTi Agent) to explore one of the most common leadership challenges founders face: becoming the bottleneck in their own company. The conversation dives into leadership mindset, delegation, business systems, and how f...

From decades of hands-on broadcast experience to the realities of modern production, this episode looks at where the industry is actually heading. In this episode of TV Crew Talk , Howie sits down with Callie, an AI Influence Mastery Agent built for creators, production teams, and businesses focused on clarity, ethics, and results. They discuss how AI can support human decision-making, creativity,...

From driving 550 miles for his first gig to mixing audio for the biggest shows in sports, Charlie Cushing has seen the broadcast industry from every angle. In this episode of TV Crew Talk, Charlie and Howie dive into how the world of live sports is changing - from union growth and replay techs joining contracts, to training the next generation and navigating the rise of AI. It’s a real, unfiltered...

In Episode 8 of TV Crew Talk, Howie sits down with longtime friend Dan Reardon, a producer, editor, and designer whose career has evolved alongside every major shift in technology, from tape decks and Avid bays to DSLR cameras and now AI. From their college days at Plattsburgh to a decade-long partnership producing national content for Glamour magazine, Daniel’s story is about growth, adaptability...

In Episode 7 of TV Crew Talk, Howie sits down with longtime friend Brian Colton - an engineer and technical leader whose 30+ year career spans ESPN, MSNBC, MLB Network, FOX News, and NBC. From high school production classes to internships that revealed both passions and deal-breakers, Brian’s story shows why knowing what you don’t want can be just as important as knowing what you do. Blending care...

Welcome to Episode 6 of TV Crew Talk. Guest Darren Chiappetta (producer/director; WWE, ESPN/ABC, NBC Olympics, track & field) breaks down how live sports are changing — from REMI/remote workflows and centralized control rooms to cloud production and what it all means for crews, freelancers, and the next generation. What we cover WWE backstage: scaling a live TV “concert” every week Producer’s...

In Episode 5 of TV Crew Talk, Howie sits down with longtime collaborator Eric Bini, an audio engineer who has worked on everything from NHL Productions to HBO, Netflix, and all-access sports documentaries. Eric pulls back the curtain on the invisible craft of sound - wiring athletes, hiding mics, and managing the unpredictable challenges of live production. From the chaos of set environments to th...

In Episode 4 of TV Crew Talk, Howie sits down with Frank Campagna, a 2x Emmy Award-winning producer, director, and creative leader who spent over 30 years shaping children’s television at Sesame Workshop. From starting out in 1994 to leading teams across studio shoots, animation, and international productions, Frank’s story is one of constant reinvention. But what makes his journey truly powerful...

In Episode 3, Howie sits down with Matt Wachtel- U.S. Army veteran, elite trainer, and founder of Body Bank Fitness. Matt’s story is proof that the same grit and discipline that get you through boot camp can also build a thriving business. We talk about the lessons the military taught him about leadership, resilience, and staying mission-focused -and how those lessons shape every rep, every client...

 In this solo episode, I’m sharing the real story behind Howie. How it all began, what I had no clue about when I started, and the lessons that shaped the way I work today. From unexpected turns to figuring things out on the go -this is how I’ve made it work (and how I keep going even when things get messy). If you're building something of your own, or just curious about what goes on behind the sc...

In the premiere of Season 2, Howie sits down with the one and only Rabbi Brian for a conversation that goes far beyond community. When COVID shut down physical spaces, synagogues faced a new challenge: how to create connection without a building. What followed was a creative, emotional, and often chaotic journey into livestreaming, remote faith, and the unseen heroes behind the scenes. This episod...

This episode is sponsored by The Broadcast Sports Course learning how to break into the television sports industry from Emmy Award winning camera operator Howie Zales. The Broadcast Sports Course is a 2 day intensive bootcamp, you will learn how to build a successful career. Today’s guest is a camera operator with over 25 years of experience shooting broadcast sports. Todd is also a movie star!! W...

This episode is sponsored by https://www.broadcastsportscourse.com/ learn how to break into the television sports industry from Emmy Award winning camera operator Howie Zales. The Broadcast Sports Course is a 2 day intensive bootcamp, you will learn how to build a successful career. Today’s guest is a camera operator with over 38 years of experience shooting network Level sporting events. Craig’s...

This episode is sponsored by https://www.broadcastsportscourse.com/ learn how to break into the television sports industry from Emmy Award winning camera operator Howie Zales. The Broadcast Sports Course is a 2 day intensive bootcamp, you will learn how to build a successful career. Today’s guest is a camera operator with over 25 years of experience shooting broadcast sports. But Scott's experienc...

This episode is sponsored by https://www.broadcastsportscourse.com/ learn how to break into the television sports industry from Emmy Award winning camera operator Howie Zales. The Broadcast Sports Course is a 2 day intensive bootcamp, you will learn how to build a successful career. www.instagram.com/howiezales/ www.linkedin.com/in/howardzales howiezales.com