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In this special Thanksgiving episode, Ellen Williams sits down with Mas Moriya, filmmaker, producer, and founder of Filmclusive, a platform he built from scratch to make hiring in film, TV, and gaming more transparent and equitable.

Mas was once an up-and-coming creative working with the likes of Alicia Keys.
But after the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, rising production costs, and the LA fires, the industry around him collapsed.

Friends with feature films, fellowships, and awards were suddenly saying:

That turning point pushed Mas into a powerful pause, a year-long reset where he stepped away from filmmaking entirely to understand what was broken in Hollywood and how to fix it.
What he found wasn’t just economic failure… but a systemic lack of tools, structure, and support for working creatives.

So he taught himself software engineering and design, leaning heavily on analogies (including Pokémon!) to understand complex concepts.
Yes, The story Mas Moriya shared included a very creative idea on how to learn a new skill.

And that learning led him to build Filmclusive, a market network designed to end pay-to-play capitalism in Hollywood and give creatives free access to opportunities and digital tools.

In this episode, Mas and Ellen discuss:

• How Hollywood’s economic shifts are pushing out working creatives
• Why the industry still depends on spreadsheets and 10 disconnected tools
• The moment he realized no platform truly served filmmakers and performers
• How AI and analogy-driven learning helped him teach himself to code
• Why small daily pauses can lead to major life pivots
• The leadership lesson Mas believes every CEO should practice

A perfect episode for anyone navigating change, reinvention, or the courage to build something new.

Learn more about Mas: https://www.filmclusive.com/about-founder

Learn more about Ellen: https://thesalientstrategist.com

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, host Ellen Williams sits down with Jenica Norris, ADHD entrepreneur, systems strategist, and CEO of Strategic Sound Consulting, for a powerful conversation about what it really means to pause when your brain works differently.

Jenica shares how navigating neurodivergence reshaped not only her career path but also the way she approaches energy, focus, and leadership. Instead of forcing herself into rigid productivity systems that never fit, she built a structure that supports how her mind actually works and now teaches others to do the same.

This episode dives into the truth many high performers quietly face:

Your success is not determined by how many minutes you manage, but by how well you understand and support your mind.

🎙 In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why traditional productivity systems fail neurodivergent leaders
• How to spot when your energy, not your schedule, is telling you to pause
• The difference between bandwidth and capacity
• How small, intentional pauses prevent burnout and expand your effectiveness
• Practical ways to build systems that support your brain, not drain it.

Whether you’re neurodivergent, managing a neurodiverse team, or simply tired of productivity advice that doesn’t work in real life, this conversation will help you approach your work with more clarity, compassion, and sustainable energy.

🌐 Learn more about Ellen: https://thesalientstrategist.com

🌐 Learn more about Jenica: https://www.strategicsoundconsulting.com

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In this episode of Time to Press Pause, Ellen Williams sits down with Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society and bestselling author of Superfast: Lead at Speed, to talk about why strategic pauses are the fastest way to better decisions, clearer direction, and more sustainable momentum.

Sophie shares her “squiggly career” from P&G and Coca-Cola to founding and selling an e-commerce company, moving overseas, and writing Superfast.

You’ll hear how she builds micro-pauses into projects (pre-mortem, midpoint check, fast feedback), uses the “soak period” when navigating a transition, and why community and coffee chats are non-negotiable when you land somewhere new.

You’ll learn:

• How to slow down to speed up (and avoid headless-chicken mode)
• A simple cadence for year / mid-year / monthly reflection that actually sticks
• The “100 coffees” playbook to build a real network (friends, not just contacts)
• How to frame a break as a “strategic pause” so ambitious teams buy in