New to the Podcast? Start Here!

Quickly find exactly the right interview for your needs with this helpful index.

If we haven't met before, hey! I'm Zack, an award-winning Hollywood editor and documentary director turned writer, speaker, and career coach who is fascinated by humans, especially the oddball, introverted, and often neurodivergent "creatives" like us who see the world just a little differently. If you're new to the podcast, I've provided the best of the best from my interview archive to get you started on the right learning path. And if you're looking to solve a specific problem, head over to zackarnold.com/episodes to search our entire library.

Required Listening

• Oliver Burkeman | Why Optimization Isn’t the Answer (and How to Make the Most of Our Four Thousand Weeks On Earth)
• Amie McNee | Why the World Needs Your Art (Even When It's On Fire)
• James Clear | How Tiny Changes Can Create Remarkable Results
• Cal Newport | Becoming a ‘Digital Minimalist’
• Greg McKeown | The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
• Jay Papasan | How to Accomplish Your ‘One Thing’ Every Day
• Gretchen Rubin | Using ‘The Four Tendencies’ to Better Understand Yourself (and Others)

The Future of Creativity

• Jay Clouse | The Intersection of Legacy Hollywood and Next-Gen Content Creators
• Kylee Peña | Creativity in The Age of AI
• OpenAI’s Chad Nelson | How Artificial Intelligence Could Shape the Future of Creativity and Collaboration (and How We Can Survive)

Navigate Your Career

• Christina Wallace | How to Future-Proof Your Creative Career, Avoid Burnout, and Build a Life Bigger Than Your Résumé
• Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar | How to Pursue Fulfilling Work and Find Your ‘Calling’
• Annie Duke | How to Know (Without a Doubt) If It’s Time to Quit
• Mauro Guillén | Redefining Your Career Path in a Post Generational Society
• Philippe Danielides | How to Know What You Actually Want (and Find Support to Make It Happen)

Build Your Network

• Chase Jarvis | Building Your Network of ‘A-Gamers,’ Designing the Life You Want, and Fulfilling Your ‘Creative Calling’
• Selena Soo | How to Build 'Rich Relationships' (Especially For Introverts)
• Carole Kirschner | How to Leave an Impression, Build Your Network, & Get Hired
• Troy Takaki, ACE | Networking (the Right Way), Mentorship, and Connecting with ‘Experts’
• Scott Davis | [CASE STUDY] Why People Don’t Respond to Your Cold Outreach (and How to Get a Response)

Do Your Best Creative Work

• Joey Cofone | What Creativity Is, How It Works, and the Laws to Learning It
• Scott Barry Kaufman | How We are “Wired to Create”, What It Means to Be a “Creative”, and How We Can Leverage Our Unique Gifts
• Allison Sweet Grant | On Vulnerability and the Courageous Act of Creating From a Place of Truth
• Nir Eyal | How to Become ‘Indistractable’
• David Allen | The Zen-like Art of ‘Getting Things Done’
• Cal Newport | FOCUS: The Superpower of the 21st Century

Take Care of Yourself

• Dr. Edison de Mello | Understanding the Difference Between Integrative & Traditional Medicine
• Dr. Azure Grant | Optimizing Sleep, Productivity, & Creativity Using Ultradian Rhythms and Self-Tracking
• Shawn Stevenson | How to Sleep Smarter
• Dr. John Ratey | How Regular Movement Makes You Smarter
• Dr. Joan Vernikos | How Being Sedentary Is Damaging You (According to NASA)

Be Inspired!

• Dr. David Fajgenbaum | What Five Near-Death Experiences Can Teach Us About Living
• Bevin Farrand | From Setback to Comeback: Finding Strength in the Hardest Moments
• Shane Burcaw | Rewiring Your Brain to Be Happier
• Sandy Zimmerman, ANW | How to Overcome Doubting Yourself When You Know You’re Meant For More
• Jimmy Choi, ANW | Using Fitness to Overcome Parkinson’s and Become a Ninja