The Zack Arnold Podcast

Have you been grinding it out, "paying your dues" on the job, sacrificing social and family life, hoping that one day it will pay off and you'll finally land the top level, “tentpole” gigs you've been dreaming about your whole career? Or maybe you're just starting your career and you're wondering how much you need to sacrifice in order to achieve your lifelong dream of winn...

For my regular readers & listeners I know I may sound like a broken record at this point, but when it comes to forging your career path in any field it comes down to the same basic components: You need to clearly identify the right ladder to climb. You need to focus on becoming awesome at your craft. You need to make sure the right people know you are awesome at your craft. Having natural tale...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

"We work to live. We don't live to work." - Tom Grane When I first began my career in Hollywood the concept of life outside of work was completely foreign to me. I assumed the only way to reach my goals was to sacrifice my health and sanity for the sake of a great résumé, only to discover those early habits become lifelong habits if you’re not careful. Once this mentality sets in and y...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

When it comes to health and wellness there is no shortage of information on the interwebs. I would argue that there is way too much information, and trying to sift through what's true and what's garbage is enough to make anyone throw up their hands in despair. (And don’t even get me started on the number of “thought leaders” and “influencers” complicating things even further). Because it’s...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

For a long time now I’ve wanted to sit down and do an interview with my mother to ask her the big questions about life that we seldom (if ever) really discuss. So for this Mother’s Day, I decided it was time to prioritize this conversation, even if it meant having to suffer through the perils of recording on Zoom as opposed to chatting face-to-face. This episode is a very special and personal one...

For a long time now I’ve wanted to sit down and do an interview with my mother to ask her the big questions about life that we seldom (if ever) really discuss. So for this Mother’s Day, I decided it was time to prioritize this conversation, even if it meant having to suffer through the perils of recording on Zoom as opposed to chatting face-to-face. This episode is a very special and personal one...

If I were to ask you what your greatest asset is in producing quality creative work on a consistent daily basis, you would most likely say your computer, right? Despite technology being incredibly important for your work, ultimately it’s your brain that is responsible for every function you perform and how well you perform creatively depends on the overall health of your brain. Yet as a creative p...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

When editor Jim Page  recently tweeted about getting fired for requesting a single mental health day, it caught a lot of people's attention. Depression, long work hours, and burnout are all too common in the entertainment industry. The gig economy and being a freelancer instills fear and insecurity in creative professionals leaving us feeling undervalued and pressured to outperform and outlast...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

You would think that being nominated for an Eddie Award for your first feature documentary credit would be a dream right? For David J. Turner , the editor of  Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound  it absolutely was...but making it the finish line of a grueling project that took years to complete came at a pretty steep price, not the least of which was ending up in the emergency room just weeks...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

When filmmaker Paul Del Vecchio  reached out to me six months ago, he had a successful career as a high-end commercial editor, director of photography, and colorist. He had climbed to the top of the ladder in his corner of the world - the trouble was that he was at the top of the wrong ladder and didn’t want to be there anymore. How did he end up there like so many others do? Simple - Paul said ye...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

Last year writer/director Sam Lavin  came to me because she had never felt more scattered. Amidst unemployment and managing the pandemic she said to me:  “I’m typically a very ambitious person, but I’m finding it hard to stay on projects and get things done. I’m not motivated because I don’t know what I should be doing.” As an award-winning DGA director, assistant director, and writer who has work...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

In my Optimizer coaching & mentorship program  I teach my students that in order to enjoy their work (and not end up burning out) it’s imperative that they learn  how to work smarter and not harder.  Most people who teach “productivity” are simply sharing strategies that allow people to run on the hamster wheel faster and more  efficiently . I prefer to teach people how to be more  effective  ...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

“Chess teaches you that losing is learning.” - Misha Tenenbaum To master anything, whether it's actually playing chess, training for (and becoming) an  American Ninja Warrior , or climbing to the top of your chosen career, you have to know that failure is a HUGE part of the equation. And in fact failure should be embraced as part of the fun of achieving any difficult goal in life. Chess is not...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...

How many times have you finished a job and felt like you had nothing left in the tank? You gave it everything you had 24/7 thinking to yourself,  “I’ll start taking care of myself when the next hiatus comes”  only to be cursed by the fact that you’re good at what you do...and that hiatus never appears. You repeat the cycle for months, years, or even decades wondering where all the time went. When...

In this episode, I 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 live session with an Optimizer student where on the Hot Seat we tackle various questions about career transitions, productivity, workflows, networking, burnout, habit formation, resumes and websites, an...