Optimize Yourself

Stephanie Filo, ACEis a two-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning TV/Film Editor based in Los Angeles, CA and Sierra Leone, West Africa. She earned an Emmy win for her unscripted editing on the Mental State episodeSeparated(making herself and Nzinga Blake the first Sierra Leonean women to ever win an Emmy award). Most recently, she won a Primetime Emmy award for her work on HBO'sA Black Lady Sketch Show, making her team the first all-women of color editing team to take home the award for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming. This is just a tiny, tiny smattering of the credits and accolades which Stephanie has earned in her very young career (which doesn’t even begin to cover her social activism work in the documentary space).In short, if you’ve ever wondered if it’s possible to successfully build a fulfilling creative career jumping between multiple mediums and genres - from scripted, to unscripted, to docs, and beyond - then Stephanie Filo’s story is for you.In this conversation Stephanie shares how she has climbed to award-winning levels of both scripted and unscripted television…despite a lot of the barriers that unfortunately come with being a black woman in a white-male-dominated industry. She candidly opens up about how she has had to work harder to prove herself but also her own challenges around work-life balance and the sacrifices she’s made getting to this level in her career. This is a wide ranging conversation appealing to anyone looking to make a career transition, find purpose and fulfillment in life, and wanting better strategies for choosing the right projects to match both your lifestyle needs and your creative needs.Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeHere's What You'll Learn:How the movieSeveninfluenced her decision to get into editingThe struggles she encountered growing up as a first generation Sierra Leone African in ColoradoWhy Stephanie as a black woman is a better fit for certain types of stories than I am as a white maleStephanie shares the struggles she's endured as a black female editorHow to avoid getting pigeonholedHow to transition from one genre or format to anotherHow to sell your skills as an unscripted editor so that they are valuable in the scripted worldIs scripted editing equivalent to paint by numbers?What Lee Daniels taught me about how my life experience informs my choices as an editorWhat the cost was to Stephanie in order to diversify her resumeThe toxic work-life balance culture that is pervasive in the industry and how to fight against itConsequences of putting up boundaries against unreasonable deadlinesAre scripted or unscripted editors respected more by producers?How scripted projects compare to unscripted projects in terms of pay and lifestyleKEY TAKEAWAY: You are interviewing the show as much as the show is interviewing youWhy Stephanie recently turned down a job that was offered to herStephanie’s go to interview questions to determine if a project is the right fit for herUseful Resources Mentioned:Cutting Comedy with "A Black Lady Sketch Show" - Frame.io InsiderEmmy & Peabody Award Winning Editor, Stephanie Filo: Episode 2 of Post in Black Season 2 - YouTubeBoris FX | Ask the Artist with Stephanie Filo, TV/Film EditorEp112: On Signing COVID Waivers, Kit Rental Fees, and Working Humane Hours | with Cathy Repola, MPEG National Executive DirectorContinue to Listen & LearnEp128: How to Have a Successful Career Without Sacrificing Family | with Farrel LevyEp168: Hollywood On the Record: What’s REALLY Happening On Set? | with Shay’La Banks and Nickolaus BrownEp113: The Importance of Setting Boundaries, Advocating For Yourself, and Asking For Help | with Janace TashjianEp134: Leveraging Your Skills to Get Hired (When You Don’t Have the Experience) | with Steve Lang, ACE (pt1)Ep135: The “Playbook” ...

“You are not networking to get jobs. You are networking to meet people. By knowing people you get jobs.” - Troy TakakiTroy Takaki, ACE is a Hollywood film & TV editor as well as the founder of the ACE Diversity Mentorship Program. His varied credits include feature films likeSweet Home Alabama, Hitch, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Hauland more recently the television seriesYouon Netflix andMr. Mercedesfor Direct TV. He is also the author of the bookDon't Miss Out On Any Avocado Milkshakes: The Art and Joy of being a Film Editor.As an editor, Troy has worked hard throughout his career to avoid becoming pigeonholed(Quick tip: You don’t actually get pigeonholed, you allow yourself to be pigeonholed…more on that in our conversation)such that he can go back and forth between cutting features, television, and even documentaries because as he says,"The more different kinds of stuff you edit, the better editor you will be."As a mentor (and one of the best in the business, I might add), Troy believes that mentoring is not only valuable for those who are being mentored, but arguably even more valuable to the mentor. We also dig even deeper into his meta concept of mentorship in which the mentees in his program are asked to become mentors from day one, no matter how little experience they might have. Because as I often like to say, “You are the world’s foremost ‘expert’ to whomever wants to do next what you are doing now.”If you struggle with building your network, finding a mentor, and reaching out to strangers you admire, this conversation will help you take your networking game to the next level so you can connect with any industry ‘expert’ in the biz.Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeHere's What You'll Learn:Troy’s roundabout way into becoming an editorHow much of a role did luck play in Troy’s career path?The best parts of the editing process for TroyHow to assess what is fulfilling workBecoming an extrovert and the skills Troy learned to save his marriageKEY TAKEAWAY: Learning small talk can be a lot of fun once you break through the nervousness.How Troy is able to switch from editing features to television consistentlyKEY TAKEAWAY: Always be thinking two jobs ahead before accepting a jobKEY TAKEAWAY: You have to let people know what you want to work on.How Troy was able to write a book while continuing his editing careerThe number one reason Troy continues to mentor people. HINT: It’s not about the menteePRO TIP: If you want to connect with someone who has a resource (i,e., book, podcast, etc.), do your homework first.Mentoring: It's not about findinganexpert, it's about finding YOUR expert.The ACE Diversity Mentoriship program and the three different types of mentorsKEY TAKEAWAY: Try to find someone at your level and one level above you to be your mentorKEY TAKEAWAY: Make sure you ask a question that gets you results.The most important thing you should NOT to do when looking for a mentor.Useful Resources Mentioned:Troy Takaki - IMDbDon't Miss Out On Any Avocado Milkshakes : Troy Takaki AceHow to Find the Right Type of Mentor For You (and When You Should Seek the Best)Ben Franklin effect - WikipediaContinue to Listen & LearnEp141: Michelle Tesoro (ACE) On Playing Chess With Your Career (Instead of Checkers) - pt1Ep134: Leveraging Your Skills to Get Hired (When You Don’t Have the Experience) | with Steve Lang, ACE (pt1)Ep135: The “Playbook” For Building a Successful Career in Scripted TV | with Steve Lang, ACE (pt2)Insider's Guide to Writing Cold OutreachEp106: On the Vital Importance of "Being Nice" | with Jesse Averna, ACEHow to Find the Right Type of Mentor For You (and When You Should Seek the Best)How to Go From Cold Contact to Your Ideal Mentor In Seven Simple StepsIMDbPro for Networking: The 10 Features That Will Take Your Outreach to a New Le...

Evan "Ultra-OCR Man" Perperisis an active duty Army Special Forces Soldier with 44 months of combat deployments who is now a professional Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) athlete. He is best known for running insane multi-day, self-created (!!!) OCR endurance challenges to raise money for charity (and push him to his physical & mental limits). If you want to know what it really takes to overcome obstacles (or hundreds of them in a row), whether it’s out on a legit race course or just the everyday obstacles you encounter in life, Evan has the answers.What’s interesting is that Evan hasn’t always been the overachiever and ultra-extreme athlete that he is now. In fact, he describes himself as a clone of the main character in the Goldbergs, the stereotypical nerdy teen who was in high school musicals and not at all athletic. But when he joined the military, he knew he had to get himself in shape, and that became the first of many more obstacles to conquer and defeat. So it just goes to show that you can’t judge a book by its cover…especially someone who could rip that book in half with his bare hands.Evan’s simple, no-nonsense approach to extreme OCR racing very simply translates to practical mindsets you too can apply to any obstacle you encounter in life (and if there’s one thing life is throwing at all of us right now, it’s a lot of obstacles). Whether it’s simply getting into better physical shape so you have more mental & creative energy to kick ass at your job or training for your very first Spartan Race or Tough Mudder, the advice Evan shares in our conversation today is invaluable to anyone trying to level up their fitness goals, their career, or their entire life.Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeHere's What You'll Learn:What drives Evan to do the crazy endurance events that he doesThe power he found in being outside of his comfort zoneWhen personal development becomes an addiction as dangerous as any otherHow to balance family life with career and work obligations, including training for racesWhy racing for charity is so important to EvanHear how Evan transformed from nerdy musical kid to Ultra OCR guyThe mindsets that Evan finds essential for reaching his goalsThe eerily similar American Ninja Warrior failures that I share with EvanManaging the disappointment of unmet expectationsHow to reframe failure to continue perseveringThe incredible impact the OCR community has had on his lifeThe double edged sword of the “never say quit” mentalityFinding meaning in the combat losses he’s enduredAdvice Evan offers anyone looking to do their first obstacle course race HINT: Don’t wait until you ‘get into shape’Useful Resources Mentioned:David GogginEp74: How to Master the Metaskill of 'Ultralearning' | with Scott YoungEp182: Staying True to Your Core Values (When Hollywood Tries to Steal Your Soul) | with Sean CorvelleContinue to Listen & LearnEp165: How to Overcome Doubting Yourself When You Know You’re Meant For More | with Sandy Zimmerman, ANWEp122: 'Superfood Hunter' Darin Olien On How To Be Healthy, Fit, and Eternally AwesomeEp98: P90X Creator Tony Horton on Covid-19, Staying Healthy During Quarantine, Boosting Immunity, & MoreEp120: The Ninja Warrior Mother-Daughter Dynamic Duo, Part 1 | with Ginny MacColl, ANWEp121: The Ninja Warrior Mother-Daughter Dynamic Duo, Part 2 | with Jessie Graff, ANWEp06: Defining Your Purpose and Living Large | with Tony HortonEp68: How to Go From Couch to the (Spartan) Course | with Rose Wetzel, ANWEp60: Getting 1% Better Every Single Day | with Westley Silvestri, ANWEp49: Mastering The Mental Game of Focus | with Kevin Bull, ANWEp67: How to Be 'Better Than Yesterday' | With Jimmy Choi, ANWGuest Bio: Evan Perperis Evan "Ultra-OCR Man" Perperisis an active duty Special Forces soldier and professional Obstacle Course Raci...

It was one of those things in my life that just clicked...boom. This is where I'm supposed to be, and I've been doing it ever since.- Sean CorvelleSean Corvellehas played a variety of different roles in his career as an actor, a comedian, and a television host. But for the last eleven years he has been inspiring and motivating athletes and weekend warriors across the world at the Tough Mudder starting line. He is also the host of Tough Mudder’s No Excuses podcast of which I was recently a guest on (you canhear my interview with Sean here.)Like most of us, Sean came to Hollywood with stars in his eyes hoping to build a career that would bring out the best in him - a career that fulfilled him while also allowing him to be creative, to perform, and to ultimately be successful. Similar to my own path, Sean discovered that the more success he attained in Hollywood, the further away he got from himself and his core values. The higher he climbed the ladder, the more it burned him out, and the less he wanted to be on the ladder at all. Tough Mudder became the unexpected calling that Sean never imagined.In today’s conversation Sean shares his advice, experience, and stories about what it took to listen to his soul in order to leave behind a career in Hollywood. If you have ever felt stuck or you’re unsure of the right path for you, get ready to be inspired and motivated to take just one small step towards forward progress today. Whether you have run an obstacle course race or not (or if you could honestly care less about mud runs), the lessons Sean shares in this conversation apply to every aspect of life.Want to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeHere's What You'll Learn:How does Sean answer the question, "what do you do for a living?"How he got the job as Tough Mudder's starting line inspirational speaker.What Sean's first ever Tough Mudder starting line speech was like and how it evolved.Sean discusses the audition process in Hollywood from his perspective.Why it's important to not let success define you.How he became known as "The Mirror Man".Instrumental quotes from Tough Mudder and what Sean learned from the requests for them.Lessons learned from Hollywood.Why Sean believes our souls don't change, instead they just expand.How Tough Mudder is designed to be done together and what people learn from that experience.The two common excuses people use to avoid signing up for a race.How to overcome your hesitations to race.The lessons learned in Tough Mudder apply to every aspect of life even if you just show up to volunteer and not race.Inspiring stories of Tough Mudder runners never quitting.Sean’s advice to his younger self in his darkest moment.Useful Resources Mentioned:No Excuses Episode 61: Zack Arnold on How to Optimize Yourself - Tough MudderCarlos Alazraqui - Comedian/Actor/ProducerContinue to Listen & LearnEp165: How to Overcome Doubting Yourself When You Know You’re Meant For More | with Sandy Zimmerman, ANWEp122: 'Superfood Hunter' Darin Olien On How To Be Healthy, Fit, and Eternally AwesomeEp120: The Ninja Warrior Mother-Daughter Dynamic Duo, Part 1 | with Ginny MacColl, ANWEp121: The Ninja Warrior Mother-Daughter Dynamic Duo, Part 2 | with Jessie Graff, ANWEp06: Defining Your Purpose and Living Large | with Tony HortonEp68: How to Go From Couch to the (Spartan) Course | with Rose Wetzel, ANWEp60: Getting 1% Better Every Single Day | with Westley Silvestri, ANWEp49: Mastering The Mental Game of Focus | with Kevin Bull, ANWEp67: How to Be 'Better Than Yesterday' | With Jimmy Choi, ANWGuest Bio: Sean Corvelle Born in Annapolis MD,Sean Corvellegrew up partly in Baltimore and the other half of his childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was soon after high school when he began his professional journey in the field of entertainment as a stand-up comedian. With his...

“With my life story, I could ask for any antidepressant I want and they would prescribe it to me. Instead, I chose to be an antidepressant.”- Christopher TitusChristopher Titusis quite simply one of the best and funniest comics working today. In addition to having ten stand-up comedy specials to his name he’s also an actor, a writer, a director, and producer of TV series, feature films, and he also produces his own daily podcast featuring his infamous“Armageddon Updates.”Though his list of credits and accomplishments may not show it, Christopher Titus has every reason to be a failure. He was raised in what he calls "total chaos" by "a mentally ill genius" who was his bi-polar and schizophrenic mom and an "alcoholic, hardworking badass" who was his dad. He was a D/F student, ran away from home at age 12, and was on a first name basis with the sheriff. Despite the numerous hardships in his earlier years, Titus has taken what most would use as excuses and flipped them around to be...

“If the pressure is building so much and you're just trying to 'keep it all together', at some point it's going to crack.”- Traver BoehmTraver Boehmis the founder of the UNcivilized Men’s Movement, the fastest growing men’s movement in the world. He is the author ofToday I Rise, andMan UNcivilizedas well as a two-time TEDx speaker, men’s coach, and podcaster. Traver’s approach challenges the stereotyped “Marlboro Man” we have been conditioned to believe is “masculine” and instead has men unpack the suppressed emotions that are dictating their unhealthy behaviors and destructive actions (that negatively affect all of us).I get it: If you’re thinking that a men’s movement is the LAST thing the world needs right now, I would have agreed with you 100%. I too was skeptical about two white guys talking about “men’s work,” but I’m always willing to entertain different viewpoints if there is a clear benefit to society at large (standing desks and shorter work hours come to m...

"I've been tuning into what feels right for me versus what I think I should be doing."Melissa Costellois a transformational eating coach who has spent the last 15 years helping people who struggle with emotional eating (including me, which you can hear all about inmy first interview with Melissa), but is now in the middle of what she calls “the messy middle” of a major career transition struggling to define the next stages in her career while managing an identity crisis along the way.The conversation today is centered around the feelings of doubt, confusion, and uncertainty that come with major transitions (imposter syndrome, anyone?). Once you get past the excitement of pursuing a new path, you get thrust into the messy middle of trying to navigate the challenges that come with building a new identity and letting go of the safety & security of the old one. Melissa speaks openly and honestly about refocusing her coaching from emotional eating towards empowering women through Equin...

"In this industry we are conditioned to believe that our voice is not important."Erica Wernick, former graphic designer and founder ofHollywood Success Coach, has always been goal-oriented, systems-based, and a Type-A personality (at this point I’m convinced we’re separated at birth). But when she found herself during the pandemic wandering aimlessly without a clear goal and unable to “fix it” with her usual strategies and frameworks, she quickly spiraled down into the dark holes of doubt, insecurity, and ultimately a deep depression.Identity can be a double-edged sword, especially when your livelihood is creative work. No doubt like me at one point or another you’ve said“What I do isn’t just a job, it’s who I am.”Yes your identity can help guide and motivate you to achieve the success you’ve always dreamed of, but it can also be incredibly dangerous when you completely define yourself by what you do, especially during unemployment..and especially during pandemics.It wasn'...

Eddie Hamilton, ACEis the editor ofTop Gun: Maverick, the last 3Mission: Impossiblefilms,Kick-Ass 1 & 2, andX-Men: First Class, just to name a few. And in my first interview with Eddie (here’s part 2where he talks about editingMaverickspecifically), he and I talk about his early career choices and how he was able to become one of the top feature editors in the world…without ever going to film school.With all the unique stories that come with ‘making it’ in Hollywood (or any creative career), it’s easy to assume the way someone else became successful could never happen for you. Which is why I’m always trying to boil the process down to simple, actionable steps that anyone can follow to get real results. And those steps include:Choosing the ladder you want to climb (with laser-sharp specificity)Learning, honing, and becoming awesome at your craftMaking sure the right people know you're awesome at your craftIn today’s conversation Eddie and I talk about his rise from runner to e...

“It’s your duty as a professional working with a director & producer that you tell them when it becomes impossible to do the job on your own.”Eddie Hamilton, ACEis the editor ofTop Gun: Maverick, the last 3Mission: Impossiblefilms,Kick-Ass 1 & 2, andX-Men: First Class, just to name a few. And in my second interview with Eddie (here’s part 1if you haven’t listened yet), he and I candidly discuss his experience editingTop Gun: Maverickand what drove him to asking for help before it was too late.The grueling work hours required to produce blockbuster content can literally be deadly if you don’t care for yourself properly. When your livelihood depends on your creativity, your mental health is no longer a luxury, it’s a job requirement. But many of us have spent so many years (maybe our entire lives), ignoring our self-care needs at the expense of our jobs - no matter the cost - we don’t actually know how to care for ourselves when the time comes we have no other choice. Eddie re...