Chryss Terry is an Emmy-nominated documentary and unscripted television editor who began her career editing independent feature films (that have played at the Toronto, Sundance and Berlin film festivals). But after recently discovering her true life’s purpose – to use her challenging upbringing to create scripted television that inspires women worldwide to lean into adversity – she has begun the transition into the role of narrative assistant editor.
Chryss is driven, ambitious, motivated, and a borderline workaholic (like me). And while all of these character traits have served her extremely well in her career, they haven’t exactly done wonders for her mental or physical health. A few years ago Chryss hit a giant wall in her career that had very little to do with her talent and lack of opportunities. Instead it was her mindset holding her back which included a vicious bout of imposter syndrome that led to fear, anxiety at work, and eventually burnout.
In this case study Chryss and I talk through the mindset shifts she made so she could approach her work, her goals, her health, and her career differently so she could stop always chasing after the next accomplishment and instead begin patiently playing ‘the long game.’ In short, you’ll learn how Chryss stopped playing checkers and started playing chess.
My purpose for sharing this case study is to help explain the process that Chryss and I worked through together in my one-on-one career coaching & mentorship program, ‘Optimize Yourself Elite.’ That way you can use some of these same ideas and techniques mentioned in our conversation to move yourself forwards this year, whether or not you’re interested in working with me one-on-one.
If after listening to this interview you do want to learn more and apply to work with me for the next several months and beyond, enrollment is currently open but time slots are extremely limited. I will only be taking applications until Friday, January 25th.
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Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- Overcoming the fear of both success and failure
- Stopping yourself from setting overly ambitious goals that lead to burnout
- Handling anxiety rising due to imposter syndrome
- Time management leading to perfectionism leading to not meeting deadlines…
- Breaking down big goals into single action steps
- The power of ‘the 3 words’
Useful Resources Mentioned:
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Guest Bio:
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Chryss Terry is an Emmy-nominated documentary and unscripted television editor (Lost In Transition, Little People, Big World, Vanderpump Rules) who began her career editing independent feature films that have played at the Toronto, Sundance and Berlin film festivals.
After recently discovering her true life’s purpose—to use her challenging upbringing to create scripted television that inspires women worldwide to lean into adversity—she has begun the transition into the role of narrative assistant editor in order to work with some of her most admired writers, showrunners and editors; those who are changing people’s lives in this “New Golden Age” of television.
Chryss lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend and two dogs, Amelia and Quigley. She continues to work on stress management and self-care while learning more about personal development; she shares everything she’s learned with friends, family and co-workers. You can learn more about Chryss at chryssterry.com.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared and published by Elyse Rintelman. 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).
Note: I believe in 100% transparency, so please note that I receive a small commission if you purchase products from some of the links on this page (at no additional cost to you). Your support is what helps keep this program alive. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Zack Arnold
Zack Arnold (ACE) is an award-winning Hollywood film editor & producer (Cobra Kai, Empire, Burn Notice, Unsolved, Glee), a documentary director, father of 2, an American Ninja Warrior, and the creator of Optimize Yourself. He believes we all deserve to love what we do for a living...but not at the expense of our health, our relationships, or our sanity. He provides the education, motivation, and inspiration to help ambitious creative professionals DO better and BE better. “Doing” better means learning how to more effectively manage your time and creative energy so you can produce higher quality work in less time. “Being” better means doing all of the above while still prioritizing the most important people and passions in your life…all without burning out in the process. Click to download Zack’s “Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Creativity (And Avoiding Burnout).”