“Do whatever you can to have the power to take a break or say no.”

- Michael Addis

Michael Addis is a man who wears many successful hats as an editor, writer, director, and showrunner. If you’ve ever enjoyed shows such as Impractical Jokers or projects with actors such as Jamie Kennedy or Tom Green, there is a chance you’ve come into contact with Michael’s work. Some of his recent credits include Assembly Required, You Kiddin’ Me, Famous Food Truck, and Chopped U.

In this Mastermind Q&A with my Optimizer coaching students Michael shared how he’s built a wide & varied career having so many different creatives roles that he calls himself (thanks to Tim Ferriss) a “specialized generalist,” which essentially means developing a massive toolbox of skills to be as involved as possible in every aspect of the creative process…but ultimately being great at one specific craft above all others.

In our conversation together, Michael and I dive into the specifics of the differences between working in scripted and unscripted television, how saying NO leads you to your dream career faster than saying YES can, and how focus is the number one skill that will lead you to success in the 21st century.

If you are someone who is looking to amplify your skill set in an effort to either change or dramatically advance your career, you’re going to love the sneak preview of our Mastermind Q&A.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

How Michael has been so successful across a large number of roles in the entertainment industry
How much “luck” has to do with your success
Who works harder? Scripted or unscripted editors
KEY TAKEAWAY: The more skill sets you have, the more valuable you become
One hack to having consistent employment in the entertainment industry
How to balance going back and forth between various job roles
How to decide whether you should say yes or no to a project
The curse of first season shows
The link between managing finances and the ability to say no
KEY TAKEAWAY: You must get comfortable saying no if you want a fulfilling career
What it really means to be a Specialized Generalist
The number one ‘super power’ that will make you successful in the 21st century
How to stay positive (and realize it’s a good thing) when you get fired
The downside of making your career your identity
How being a generalist helps you collaborate successfully
Why industries don’t want to hire people with a single specialty
How to market yourself across various genres of television when you only have experience in one

Useful Resources Mentioned:

LinkedIn Learning

Michael Addis' Website

Cal Newport

Jim Kwik

Tim Ferriss

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Guest Bio:

michael-addis-bio Michael Addis

Michael Addis is an accomplished and in-demand comedy + reality showrunner/director/editor working in TV, film and the various platforms. He was the original showrunner and director for IMPRACTICAL JOKERS. He directed and/or produced on two Comedy Central shows: LEWIS BLACK’S ROOT OF ALL EVIL, THE SHOWBIZ SHOW w/DAVID SPADE, as well as HELL DATE, EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION, THE NEW TOM GREEN SHOW and REALITY HELL. He also wrote for THE MAN SHOW.

Most recently, Michael has directed/edited a series of digital content spots for DISCOVER CARD/SOUL PANCAKE and SOYLENT. He also showran/directed two series’ for Food Network (CHOPPED U and FAMOUS FOOD TRUCK w/HARLEY MORENSTEIN) as well as pilots for Nickelodeon, TBS, Bravo, Travel Channel and Fandango. And he Co-EP’d the series, YOU KIDDIN’ ME for Facebook Watch with Kim Kardashian West.

His debut feature comedy, POOR WHITE TRASH (starring Jaime Pressly and Sean Young) was an underground hit that ended up making three times its budget. His follow up feature, HECKLER, is a documentary featuring 140 big comedians, sports legends, actors and filmmakers being interviewed about critics.

With his own company, he produced/directed the one-hour stand-up special, JAMIE KENNEDY: UNWASHED, which he sold to Comedy Central to excellent ratings.

He has also directed several national commercials, including work for Toshiba, Doritos, Mozilla and Audi.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).

[BONUS] Mastermind Q&A: How to Successfully Be a “Specialized Generalist” | with Michael Addis

The Zack Arnold Podcast