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Optimize Yourself

Optimize Yourself

By: Zack Arnold
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Built by creative professionals for creative professionals, at Optimize Yourself we believe it is absolutely possible to love what you do for a living…without having to sacrifice your health, relationships, or sanity in the process. Creative burnout is NOT inevitable!In a nutshell this podcast is a combination of Tim Ferriss meets Ted Lasso (minus the mustache). Hosted by Zack Arnold (ACE) - an award-winning Hollywood editor, producer, and director, a career coach, an American Ninja Warrior, and most importantly a father - these raw, honest, and candid conversations will both provide you with the necessary tools to optimize your creative potential as well as inspiring you to believe that you can.Whether it’s American Ninja Warrior superstar Jessie Graff (Zack’s ninja trainer), P90X creator Tony Horton (Zack’s fitness trainer), or Ramit Sethi (Zack’s business mentor)...or perhaps industry legends such as Walter Murch, Jeffrey Ford, Roger Barton, or Eddie Hamilton…or productivity gurus such as David Allen (GTD), Cal Newport (Deep Work), or James Clear (Atomic Habits),…we’ll provide you with the strategies, resources, and mindsets to help you design a clear path towards the more balanced, more productive, and more fulfilling life you deserve.

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Episodes
  • Managing Fear and Overwhelm When You Have to “Start Over” | with Anna Holtzman

    Managing Fear and Overwhelm When You Have to “Start Over” | with Anna Holtzman
    Sep 3 2025

    What do you do when the life and career you’ve built no longer work for you?

    In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Holtzman, a former reality TV editor turned therapist, now life coach, who helps creatives and entrepreneurs release imposter syndrome and step into the next chapter of their careers. Together we share our own pivots and life quakes, and what it really takes to keep moving one step at a time. If you’re frozen in fear, stuck in the messy middle, or wishing life could go back to “normal,” this episode offers comfort, clarity, and the reminder you don’t have to do it alone.


    Key Takeaways
    • Discern where your cheese has moved. The story of chasing cheese is a reminder that the old path may no longer serve you.
    • Embrace pivots as part of the path. Change can feel like failure, but it is often the exact step toward alignment and renewal.
    • Start with the smallest silly step. Action leads to motivation, not the other way around. Even tiny wins unlock momentum.

    Episode Highlights
    • Parallel pivots that sparked a reunion and deeper conversation
    • Life in the before times versus surviving the after times
    • Unlocking journaling as a hidden practice of reflection
    • Reimagine identity by shifting from one brand to the next
    • Learn how to stop chasing the wrong cheese and pivot with courage
    • Fear, scarcity, and the power of “you’re not alone right now”
    • Face fear in your pivot and discover what opens on the other side
    • Find inspiration in real stories of clients choosing courage in chaos
    • How to build momentum with small silly steps that spark motivation
    • Calm fear and create clarity through journaling dialogues

    Recommended Next Episode

    Navigating the Messy Middle of a Career Pivot | with Sandy Zimmerman


    Useful Resources

    Who Moved My Cheese

    Pivot with Purpose


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    Guest Bio

    Anna Holtzman is a therapist-turned-coach who helps sensitive creatives and entrepreneurs move through the fear of visibility and finally launch the work that feels most true to them. After 15 years in TV and publishing—and many false starts on her own creative dreams—burnout and chronic pain led her to the nervous system tools that helped her unblock her voice and show up for the work she loves. Now she helps others do the same: melt through imposter syndrome, bring their creative visions to life, and share them boldly. She lives in Queens, NY with her husband, stepdaughter, and three orange cats, and she hosts the podcast How to Trust Yourself.

    Anna’s Website, Instagram, Email, Podcast, Workshop


    Show Credits

    Edited by: Curtis Fritsch

    Produced by: Debby Germino

    Published by: Vim Pangantihon

    Music by: Thomas Cepeda



    Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content
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    1 hr and 14 mins
  • What We Can Learn From Prisoners About Applying Emotional Intelligence In The Real World | with Sunil Joseph

    What We Can Learn From Prisoners About Applying Emotional Intelligence In The Real World | with Sunil Joseph
    Aug 27 2025
    What if the emotions you’ve been taught to hide are actually the key to deeper connection?In this episode, I’m joined by Sunil Joseph, mindfulness instructor, empathy coach, and former software developer. Sunil’s mission is to help us normalize all emotions so we can better process what we feel and connect more authentically with others. In our conversation, he guides me through this practice in real time, showing how naming and expressing emotions can shift everything. If you’ve ever struggled to understand or work through your feelings, this episode will give you tools to turn toward them instead of pushing them away.Key TakeawaysShared humanity makes vulnerability safe. When you show your struggles, you create space for someone else to meet you with compassion.Prioritize emotional resonance over intellectual empathy. Understanding a person’s need at an emotional level changes the way they respond, making your interactions more effective.Balance logic and emotion to move forward. While logic reminds you of past successes, emotion brings fear; acknowledging both without judgment enables growth and action.Episode HighlightsWhen your dream life makes you unhappy, learn to chase meaning instead of following expectations.Learn to face hidden childhood wounds to understand your present and unlock freedom.Master the four steps of nonviolent communication (NVC): what happened, your feelings, your needs, and your requests.The power of shared humanity that turns empathy and vulnerability into daily practice and real connection.Learn the universal needs in NVC and stop confusing it with strategies, so you can meet what truly matters without blaming others.Understanding emotional needs builds real connection, but it takes consistent, lifelong practice.Use mindfulness to bridge the gap between stimulus and response, giving you space to choose your reaction.Discover how NVC revealed hidden feelings and unmet needs from my personal “ouch” moment.Serve the purpose, not the title: Skills are most powerful when aligned with the work or calling that matters to you.Recommended Next EpisodeEmotional Intelligence: What It Is, How to Improve Yours, and How It Makes You a Better Creative | with Robin HillsThe Benefits of Mindfulness & Therapy (and How to Know Which One You Need) | with Seth GillihanUseful ResourcesLisa FeldmanMarshall RosenbergWe're all Doing TimeViktor FranklList of Universal Human Needs and EmotionsThe Center for Nonviolent CommunicationGRIP: Guiding Rage Into PowerWant to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeGuest BioSunil Joseph is a certified GRIP Facilitator, mindfulness instructor, and Nonviolent Communication coach. In 2018, he visited a GRIP class at San Quentin and was profoundly moved by the humanity and compassion in the room, a moment that transformed his path. He joined the program, eventually training to become a certified facilitator, supporting students in their growth, healing, and transformation through restorative justice. Sunil also leads weekly online meditation classes and NVC coaching sessions. With a Master’s in Computer Science and 25 years of software development experience, he brings a unique blend of technical expertise and human-centered insight to his work.Sunil’s Website, LinkedInShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschProduced by: Debby GerminoPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas CepedaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Emotional Intelligence: What It Is, How to Improve Yours, and How It Makes You a Better Creative | with Robin Hills

    Emotional Intelligence: What It Is, How to Improve Yours, and How It Makes You a Better Creative | with Robin Hills
    Aug 20 2025
    How can emotional intelligence give you an edge in a world full of AI?In this episode, I talk with Robin Hills, Director of Ei4Change and an expert in emotional intelligence, positive psychology, and neuroscience. Robin has a career full of varied experiences, but his superpower is turning complex ideas into practical lessons we can actually use. We dive into the five key components of emotional intelligence, how to stay motivated when your emotions are dragging you down, and how emotions impact your ability to reach flow. We also explore why imperfect action can be the antidote to creative paralysis. If you want to harness emotional intelligence to enhance your creativity and relationships, this conversation is for you.Key TakeawaysChallenge the societal bias that favors IQ over emotional intelligence. While IQ is static and easily measured, emotional intelligence is a lifelong journey of growth and can be developed over time.We are creating each other. Through empathy and emotional connection, we subtly change each other’s brains, showing that this human capacity is irreplaceable by machines.Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction. Just get out there and do it, even if it’s messy—taking any step forward builds momentum and overcomes fear or hopelessness.Episode HighlightsDefining emotional intelligence and how it goes beyond IQ to use your emotions wisely for better decisions, authentic relationships, and meaningful action.The five core components of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, and motivationHow focusing on emotional intelligence can transform you into a completely different person than you were 20 years ago.Why awareness is the most essential part of emotional intelligence, and how simple exercises can help you build self-awareness.Rethinking emotions as pleasant or unpleasant rather than positive or negative, changes how we use emotions to decide, relate, and move forward.How transferring emotion from your own experience to an audience in creative work ensures your relevance in ways machines can’t replicate.Exploring the four uniquely human components of emotional intelligence: creativity, empathy, ethics, and spirituality.The emotional side of flow and deep work, and how feelings shape creative focus.Understanding intrinsic motivation from within and extrinsic motivation from our environment, and how to harness both to stay driven across changing contexts and situations.Recommended Next EpisodeA New Approach to Relieving Stress & Anxiety (and Improving “Emotional” Health) | with Nick WignallUseful ResourcesDaniel Goleman BooksDr. Scott Barry Kaufman Podcast InterviewGreg McKeown Podcast InterviewWant to Hear More Episodes Like This One?» Click here to subscribe and never miss another episodeGuest BioDr. Robin Hills brings over 40 years of business and commercial experience helping executives and leaders enhance performance through greater self-awareness and understanding of others. He focuses on supporting personality and behaviour in business through the practical application of emotional intelligence and is Director of Ei4Change (Emotional Intelligence 4 Change), a company specialising in training, coaching, and personal development grounded in emotional intelligence, positive psychology, and neuroscience. His educational programmes on resilience and emotional intelligence are used in schools in South Africa and India, reaching over 500,000 students across 200+ countries.Robin’s LinkedInRobin’s BooksRobin’s Emotional Intelligence Course with Free ResourcesEi4Change Website, Facebook, Instagram, YoutubeShow CreditsEdited by: Curtis FritschProduced by: Debby GerminoPublished by: Vim PangantihonMusic by: Thomas CepedaSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-zack-arnold-podcast/exclusive-content
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 20 mins
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