The Zack Arnold Podcast

Cold Outreach - Seriously... is there anything worse than that feeling when you’re about to send an unsolicited message to someone you admire or want to connect with to find work? “I’m probably bothering them.” “They’re too busy to pay attention to me.” “I feel weird asking strangers for help.” “I probably sound desperate.” “Why even bother? Nobody ever responds anyway.” There’s no question that i...

DISTRACTION is a word everyone is familiar with. When your livelihood depends on your ability to be creative and summon superhuman levels of hyperfocus for hours (or even weeks) at a time, there is no greater enemy to your livelihood than distraction. The problem in our 24-7 hyperconnected world of endless notifications, emails, text messages, and 100 other different forms of interruptions is that...

Finding a mentor in Hollywood is an elusive process that few really understand, but when you find a mentor that really understands your challenges and wants to help you succeed, it can change your career (and even your entire life). So then how do you find a mentor? In this episode I have the pleasure and honor of chatting with my very first mentor Academy Award nominated film & television edi...

Counting calories. Balancing macros. High fat/Low carb. Low fat/High carb. Going Paleo. Or Vegan. Or Vegetarian. Or Keto. Or Whole 30. Seriously. Shoot me in the face. In today’s hyperconnected world of endless information, you’d think it would be easy to figure out how to eat healthy… but it’s become harder than ever. It’s nearly impossible to decipher the latest science that tells us one day tha...

Without question sleep is the most important physiological process we require as creative professionals (and humans) to function at an optimal level…yet it’s what our work culture prioritizes the least. Proper sleep slows the aging process, keeps us lean, restores our immune system, and it protects our memory. Much to the chagrin of ‘Type A’ over achievers, quality sleep is every bit as important...

Michael Kammes   is the creator and host of the  5 Things  tech series as well as the Director of Business Development for the startup   BeBop Technology .  Michael has also fought a lifelong battle with depression. Recently after an extended hiatus from his ‘5 Things’ YouTube series Michael posted this video where he was incredibly honest and open about his most recent battles with depression and...

Tell me if you’ve either heard or said the following phrase before: “It’s all about who you know.” Unfortunately this has become an excuse for many who think the barrier of entry to success in Hollywood (and many other creative industries) is knowing the right people. And of course only the privileged are a part of those prestigious circles…so you might as well give up, right? My guest today,  Evi...

Here’s a hard truth few are willing to admit: Pigeonholing is not an accident. As frustrating as it might be to believe, “I keep getting pigeonholed,” the more accurate viewpoint is that you  allow yourself to become pigeonholed.  The process happens slowly over a period of years (or even decades) similar to the frog that doesn’t realize the water is slowly reaching a boiling point. But often by t...

Roger Barton   has edited and worked on some of the most iconic films of a generation such as  Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Titanic, World War Z, Terminator: Genesis,  and the last five ‘Transformers’ films (this is just the  ‘short’  list ) . He has lived many long days in the cutting room with directors such as James Cameron, Michael Bay, George Lucas, Joe Carnahan, and more. And that’s what this e...

Camille Virginia  is the founder of ‘Master Offline Dating’ (as well as a returning guest to the show… click here for her first interview ), and she’s the author of the brand new (soon-to-be) bestselling book  The Offline Dating Method . Camille has taught more than 100 live workshops, worked with clients across six continents, and has followers in over 100 countries. Needless to say, Camille know...

Hello and welcome to a special episode of the Optimize Yourself podcast where I provide my written articles in audio form so you have the opportunity to listen instead of read if that’s your preference. My hope is that you’ll use this opportunity to get up and step away from your desk to build the habit of moving more throughout your workday. Today’s reading is for an article I wrote for Frame.io...

Author and productivity expert Matt Sandrini believes that time has no intrinsic value and is “essentially worthless.” Given that I have been saying for years that “Your time is your most important asset,” you’d think we wouldn’t have much to talk about in this conversation, right? On the contrary, by the end of this conversation Matt not only convinced me that our time is in fact worthless, but I...

Let’s get real: Making a major career transition is hard. You’ve spent perhaps a decade or more honing and perfecting your craft, building a network of contacts and clients, and you’re at the top of the ladder...only to realize you’ve climbed the wrong ladder. If you ask ten different editors who work in narrative television & features about how they broke in or transitioned from a different m...

Gretchen Rubin  is a NYT bestselling author who has sold over 3.5 million copies of her books, some of those titles which include  Outer Order, Inner Calm ,  Better Than Before ,  The Happiness Project ,  Happier at Home , and the book that we discuss in-depth in today’s conversation:  The Four Tendencies . In my 10+ years of research, study, and implementation with productivity, focus, and human...

Scott Young   is the author of the soon-to-be bestselling book   Ultralearning .  He’s also a writer & blogger, a programmer, traveler, and as he puts it, “an avid reader of interesting things.” For the last ten years Scott has been experimenting to find out how to learn and think better. He is known for learning the 4 year curriculum at MIT (one of the toughest schools for science and technol...

Fil Eisler , one of today’s busiest and most diverse award-winning composers, has projects that range from big studio action pieces and comedies to gritty independent films and hit TV shows. I know Fil from working with him on the first two seasons of ‘Empire,’ and he has since exploded onto the scene working on multiple big studio productions. In this episode Fil and I talk a bit about his slow a...

How does someone go from retiring as an NFL player with over $300,000 in the bank to offering his time and services for free (and surviving off less than $25k per year) just so he can “get his shot?” If this story sounds crazy, then you’ve haven’t met Akbar Gbajabiamila. Akbar Gbajabiamila is the host of American Ninja Warrior (alongside Matt Iseman) who is also a former NFL player for teams such...

Today’s episode is part 2 of two-part case study ( click here for part 1 ) that dives deep into the question that plagues so many trying to land their dream job in scripted entertainment: To assist, or not to assist: That is the question! In part 2 of this case study I chat with Wellington Harrison , an assistant editor with nine years experience in the post-production industry who’s worked across...

Today’s episode is part 1 of two-part case study ( click here for part 2 ) that dives deep into the question that plagues so many trying to land their dream job in scripted entertainment: To assist, or not to assist: That is the question! In part 1 of this case study I chat with Chris Cavanagh , a television and film editor who specializes in long-form unscripted storytelling. He’s worked on numer...

Have you ever wanted be a fly on the wall in the edit suite of a high profile tv show to see what it’s really like working in the trenches? Have you ever wondered what it takes to get the attention of high profile producers and showrunners so you can build a relationship with them and possibly work on their shows someday? And if you do land the job working with your dream creators, have you ever w...

Rose Wetzel is a 2-time American Ninja Warrior finalist, a professional obstacle course racer, a personal trainer, and a new mom (as if she wasn’t running around enough already). She has spent her whole life pursuing athletic endeavors including trying out for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials (coming just seconds short of making it), and she has literally run hundreds of Spartan races and o...

Jimmy Choi is a motivational speaker, an advocate for Parkinson’s research, an ultra-endurance athlete, a Parkinson’s patient, and a 2-time American Ninja Warrior. But most importantly he’s a father of two, a devoted husband, and a friend to many. Jimmy was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s at the age of 27 (in 2003), and for the first 8 months he lived in complete denial. So much so, in fact...

Amber de la Garza , aka the ‘Productivity Specialist.’ Amber is a sought-after trainer, coach, speaker, writer, and she’s also the host of the ‘Productivity Straight Talk’ podcast. She works with entrepreneurs to help them take actions that will maximize profits, reduce stress, and ultimately make time for what matters most in life. Oh...and she’s also quite possibly as big of a productivity nerd...

Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University, and he’s also the author of six (amazing) books including Deep Work and So Good They Can’t Ignore You. You will NOT find Cal on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social media platforms. And if you’re wondering why, you’ll learn a lot more in today’s interview when we discuss his brand new book Digital Mini...

Chryss Terry is an Emmy-nominated documentary and unscripted television editor who began her career editing independent feature films (that have played at the Toronto, Sundance and Berlin film festivals). But after recently discovering her true life’s purpose - to use her challenging upbringing to create scripted television that inspires women worldwide to lean into adversity - she has begun the t...