Michael Kammes is the creator and host of the 5 Things tech series as well as the Director of Business Development for the startup BeBop Technology. Michael has also fought a lifelong battle with depression.
Recently after an extended hiatus from his ‘5 Things’ YouTube series Michael posted this video where he was incredibly honest and open about his most recent battles with depression and burnout caused by a sudden death in the family compounded with a major career change.
After watching this I immediately reached out to Michael because he understands the importance of being open and honest about mental health challenges. So few are willing to share which paradoxically is the reason why talking about mental health is so taboo.
When you work a creative career it’s often a very solitary endeavor…alone…for hours, days, and weeks at a time…and probably in a small dark room. It’s so easy to get sucked into the trap of believing “it’s just you” because everyone else around you “seems to have it all figured out.” My hope is that after listening to this conversation you’ll understand that not only is it not just you…it’s all of us.
If you are inspired to take away a single thing from today’s conversation, it should be that we are all battling this together, and if you feel overwhelmed, it truly is okay to ask for help.
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Here’s What You’ll Learn:
- What Michael has been up to since his last appearance on the podcast
- The challenges of working from home as an extrovert
- Learning to not assume that everyone knows how demanding your position is
- The importance of learning to relate to other people as an up and coming creative
- Michael’s history with ADD and Depression
- Confusing being depressed with being an unmotivated person
- Finding the strength to function when you feel unable to keep going
- Reminding yourself that you are not alone in your struggles
- Therapy as an essential confrontation practice with your depression
Useful Resources Mentioned:
“5 THINGS” Web Series
Integrative Medicine Resources
Ep42: How to Reverse Depression, Anxiety, and ADD at the Genetic Level | with Dr. Ben Lynch
Ep01: Understanding the Link Between Creativity and Depression | with Dr. Edison de Mello
Ep27: How to Rewrite Your Own Story | with Dr. Steven Isaacman
Our Generous Sponsors:
This episode is made possible for you by Ergodriven, the makers of the Topo Mat, my #1 recommendation for anyone who stands at their workstation. The Topo is super comfortable, an awesome conversation starter, and it’s also scientifically proven to help you move more throughout the day which helps reduce discomfort and also increase your focus and productivity. Click here to learn more and get your Topo Mat.
Guest Bio:
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Michael Kammes has designed and built thousands of production and post-production systems, workflows, and facility integrations during his nearly 20 years as a technology advisor in the media and entertainment industry. He is a frequent keynote speaker on trends, products, and workflows in production and post technology and his “5 THINGS” podcast draws an audience of industry insiders from around the world.
Michael currently serves as the Director of Business Development at cloud solutions provider BeBop Technology in Los Angeles.
In addition to the technical side of media creation, Michael’s creative work includes the roles of Dialogue Editor, SFX Editor, ADR Recordist & Editor, Re-Recording Mixer, and Supervising Sound Editor.
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).”