Optimize Yourself

As of this week’s episode I have now recorded over 130 interviews with people all over the planet in many different industries with their own unique stories. But with all due respect to every single person I’ve ever interviewed, I can confidently say that talking today with Shane Burcaw was one of the highlights of my life. Rarely do you come across a human being that radiates such positivity, clarity, and confidence. If you don’t walk away from this interview feeling like you can overcome more than you thought you could, and if you don’t feel like you have a clear set of tools to make yourself happier without having to change the circumstances in your life at all, I recommend getting your ears checked because clearly you weren’t listening closely enough.

Shane Burcaw is a co-founder of Laughing At My Nightmare, Inc., an organization dedicated to teaching people how humor can help them overcome their challenges, while also providing vital equipment to people living with muscular dystrophy. Shane is an award-winning author, Emmy-winning producer, and writer of a blog with over 600,000 followers. His nonprofit is responsible for over $60,000 in equipment provided to people living with muscular dystrophy. Shane and his business partner, Sarah, travel the country sharing the powerful idea that a positive mindset and a sense of humor can help anyone effectively overcome their challenges!

And in case I haven’t mentioned it yet, Shane has lived with spinal muscular atrophy since shortly after birth and he’s quadriplegic. For those that don’t know what this means, we’ll talk about it more in today’s episode, but in short...Shane has little to no control of any of his four limbs and he has never walked.

For my listeners that know my history, it’s probably no surprise that I’m so excited about having Shane on my show because I dedicated eight years of my life directing and producing the documentary film GO FAR: The Christopher Rush Story (narrated by Mark Hamill) about the first quadriplegic to become a certified scuba diver who was also one of the national poster children for the Muscular Dystrophy Association alongside Jerry Lewis back in the days of the Labor Day telethons. Christopher was not only the subject of this documentary, but he was also one of my closest friends who stood next to me at my wedding which unfortunately was the last time I saw him alive. But chatting today with Shane brought back so many memories of conversations I used to have with Christopher.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• The power of a willful mindset in the face of adversity
• "Everybody has a disability"
• How Shane uses humor to overcome difficult circumstances
• Enabling yourself to realize when you are creating your own obstacles
• Shane's successful and occasionally unsuccessful athletic stories
• Processing hurtful media portrayals of physically handicapped individuals
• Recognizing when you have the power to improve your own situations
• Accepting circumstances you can't control, so they don't end up controlling you
• Learning to ask yourself, "Is this going to matter in ten years?"
• "Why not spend time loving as much as we can and exploring our passions? It's a hell of a better time to try and do good in the world."
• You don't have to feel guilty for not saving the world.
• What one thing made you smile today? When you are mindful of your joy, it will show up everywhere.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

GOFAR Movie

Shane Burcaw: Laughing at My Nightmare

Muscular Dystrophy Association

Our Generous Sponsors:

This episode is made possible by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone interested in moving more at their height-adjustable workstation. Listen, standing desks are only great if you’re standing well, otherwise you’re constantly fighting fatigue and chronic pain. Not like any other anti-fatigue mat, the Topo is scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase...

“How can I break into Hollywood or advance in my creative career if I don’t know anybody?” is a common question I receive via e-mail, when I speak at events, or when I teach at USC or online. Whenever someone sends me an email or Facebook message and asks, “Can I buy you coffee and pick your brain?” this is inevitably their reason for reaching out.

Unlike doctors or lawyers, the path to being a successful film editor, writer, visual effects artist, animator, actor, or any other creative career is not a linear path, but here’s the secret nobody tells you: There are very specific steps you can follow to be successful, but you have to be willing to put in the time and take action consistently. The key is not discovering the path and following it, the key is learning the proper steps to forge your own unique path.

In this episode I dive deep into the topic of networking and what it looks like to do it right. My guest today is my assistant editor Chris Visser whom I met at a networking event a little over two years ago, and since then he has said all the right things and taken all the right steps to slowly build a relationship with me over time. And when the time was right he got “lucky” and ended up becoming a part of my team. But if you know me at all, you know I don’t believe in luck and think it’s simply when hard work intersects with opportunity.

If you’ve ever thought to yourself “It’s all about who you know, and I don’t know anybody, so I just give up!” then this episode is great place to start because Chris and I break down the key steps to networking the right way so you don’t waste your time and end up walking in circles wishing you just magically knew people. It’s time to get out there and build your network.

When you’re done listening to this episode, if you haven’t already I highly recommend checking out episode eleven, my two hour marathon interview with Norman Hollyn, former head of the editing track at USC.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• How Chris made it to Hollywood
• Eliminating excuses and finding your own path to success
• How to make an impression at your industry internship
• Processing and evaluating big career risks
• How a brat and cheese gift basket got Chris a job in Hollywood
• Building a post-studio from the ground up
• When Chris met Zack at EditFest LA
• Asking the right questions to the people that matter
• How to network without embracing the "sycophant rush"
• Knowing the mindset of the people you approach
• Breaking your career goals down into bite-sized action steps
• Chris' involvement with Blue Collar Post Collective (BCPC)

Useful Resources Mentioned:

EditFest Los Angeles

Blue Collar Post Collective

Our Generous Sponsors:

This episode is made possible by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone interested in moving more at their height-adjustable workstation. Listen, standing desks are only great if you’re standing well, otherwise you’re constantly fighting fatigue and chronic pain. Not like any other anti-fatigue mat, the Topo is scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. And they’re really fun and a great conversation starter.

Guest Bio:Facebook|Twitter

Born and raised in the land of Beer and Brats (aka Wisconsin), Chris has loved the craft of filmmaking since taking a movie-making class his freshman year of high school. While attending Marquette University, Chris was lucky enough to earn the 2011 Post-Production Internship with the Emmys Foundation. He graduated in May 2012, and moved to Los Angeles just weeks after to pursue a career in the film industry.

His first few years were spent as an assistant editor at several post houses before becoming an online editor/colorist in January of 2015. After a year and a half of online-ing shows like Nellyville (BET) and Greatest Party Story Ever ...

If you're a "creative professional" the chances are extremely high that you live in the dark. As a film editor, I have to spend all day in a dark room...it's just a requirement of the job. And while many people in my profession like to joke about occasionally exposing themselves to that "funny glowing ball in the sky," there's nothing funny about the long term effects of not getting enough exposure to light (anxiety, depression, and burnout being on the short list). But if your career requires you to live inside a dark room all the time, there's nothing that can be done, right? Not so fast. Thanks to a new light therapy device called The "HumanCharger" (use the coupon code 'OPTIMIZE' for 20% OFF), even if you have no opportunity to get outside during daylight hours you can still reap the mental and physical benefits you would receive from exposure to the sun....but in 12 minutes a day via...earbuds? Yes, the HumanCharger is a device no larger than an iPod Nano, but rather than emitting sound, the earbuds emit full spectrum UV-free white light that is absorbed by photo-sensitive proteins in your brain. No, this isn't the future - intracranial light therapy...is real. In the interest of full disclosure and transparency, this is a VERY new science and much is unknown about why this treatment works (and if it does even work at all). But when it comes to anything that could improve my well-being while stuck in a dark room, I'm happy to be an early adopter knowing there is little downside with tremendous potential for upside, assuming this device and type of light therapy are truly legit.

Many people assume that career goals and health goals have to be mutually exclusive (waiting for the next hiatus to start a diet or exercise program? That’s what I thought). What I have found through years of coaching students in the Optimizer coaching & mentorship program is that once a general baseline of health and good habits are set, lifestyle and career goals can absolutely work hand in hand.

Today's guest, editor Vashi Nedomansky, ACE lends a unique perspective on this topic. Before he was editing and consulting on projects such as Sharknado 2, Deadpool , House of Cards, and Gone Girl, he was playing professional hockey in the NHL for the New York Islanders and the Los Angeles Kings. This unusual career path has taught him the skills and mindsets to keep his body and mind in top condition while also honing his creative and mental faculties to meet the demands of working in Hollywood editing bays.

This conversation reveals the similarities in maintaining a balanced life in two seemingly disparate professional careers while highlighting the common habits and routines necessary for that balance. If you are tired of sacrificing your health every time you are on a job, this episode is going to give you some easy tools and tips for building fitness into your workday. And if you are hoping to increase your value as an editor, gain speed to get the job done faster, and improve your mental energy so you have more time outside of work, Vashi is a wealth of information. That’s why despite this being an older interview pulled from the Fitness In Post archives I chose to share it with you because it provides just as much (if not even more) value today.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• Why he likes editing all different types of projects, formats, and genres.
• Vashi's background of how he defected from Czech Republic with his parents as a kid and grew up watching movies with his mom.
• How he simultaneously played hockey in high school and college while making short films with a VHS camera that weighed 40 pounds.
• The uncanny similarities in Vashi's introduction to editing to my own personal story.
• He always had the mindset that he had to train physically and mentally to expand his horizons and give himself options.
• Vashi's process of consciously living with his footage before he even starts editing.
• How the demands of professional hockey compare to film editing.
• The one word that makes the difference in being successful in your career (HINT: it's not talent).
• Ways to systematize your editing workflow to gain efficiency and speed.
• Exercise is a way of life for Vashi and he prioritizes it every day.
• The different ways he exercises his brain and keeps his mental skills up to task.
• His role on Deadpool and Gone Girl helping to set up the Adobe Premiere Pro work flow.
• He values sharing and showing things with no agenda.
• KEY TAKEAWAY: You only need to focus on the NEXT most important thing to do.
• How inner confidence plays a role in your career and your well being.
• Fitness tools he keeps in his office to keep in shape during the day.
• PRO TIP: 'Greasing the groove' by doing small bouts of exercise during the day will eliminate the guilt of not having time to do a "workout" after a long day of editing.

Useful Resources Mentioned:

Vashivisuals.com

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