Episode Highlights

• Auggie’s unique origin story, growing up in Puerto Rico and eventually ending up in Hollywood.
• The internal challenges Auggie faced being a minority and trying to make it in Hollywood.
• The philosophy Auggie developed early on that has led him to where he is today.
• The conversation that first inspired Auggie to keep pursuing a career in Hollywood. (This was a huge surprise to me!)
• How the cut throat mentality of commercial editing houses led him to working in scripted television.
• What he did to build a great relationship with his first editor, James Wilcox.
• Auggie’s advice on showing enthusiasm and childlike excitement.
• The important difference between arrogance and confidence and why the ego will always get you in trouble.
• What the service centric mindset is and how you should use it to approach every job.
• Why Auggie champions anyone just starting out on their fitness journey and believes it’s never too late to start.
• The story of how I unknowingly overwhelmed Auggie with fitness information when he joined Fitness in Post in 2014.
• The step-by-step process Auggie used to get himself healthy and lose weight.
• Challenges he faced growing up with an alcoholic dad and what he’s learned from that experience.
• The Instagram quote that inspired Auggie to get his health back in order.
• Fitness gadgets he cannot live without.
• How knowing himself better has helped him maintain good habits.
• What Auggie means by “Killing Your Clone” and how it’s inspired him to be better each day.

Useful Links

• The Service-Centric Mindset (Guest Post)
• “Killing Your Clone”
• The Four Types of Creative Jobs (and The Secret To Knowing Which Is the Perfect Fit For You)

About Guest

Agustin Rexach is an assistant editor in scripted TV in Hollywood. He was born on the island of Puerto Rico and studied communications at Boston University with a concentration in Film Production.

After graduating from BU in 1994, Agustin went back to Puerto Rico and started working for a local commercial production company. Over the next two years, Agustin ended up editing some of the island’s top advertising campaigns. His work at this company led to an offer from a post house in Miami. He left the island in 1996 and spent the next eight years in Miami editing commercials, music videos and any independent films he could get his hands on.

His next move was to San Antonio, TX where he spent six years as an editor at the city’s premiere post house, 1080. Hollywood kept tugging at him and finally made the move to LA in 2010. In 2014, Agustin broke in to Hollywood as an assistant editor in scripted television. In the years since becoming an assistant editor, he’s worked on shows such as “From Dusk Till Dawn”, “Hawaii 5-0”, the 2016 remake of “Roots”, two seasons of “Genius” for National Geographic and Fox Television. In 2019 and 2020, Agustin had the opportunity to co-edit the season 2 finale of USA television’s “The Purge” and one episode of Showtime’s upcoming Limited Series “The Good Lord Bird”, starring Ethan Hawke.

Facebook, Follow our guest on Instagram

Transcript

[0:00] Zack Arnold: My name is Zack Arnold, I'm a Hollywood film and television editor, a documentary director, father of two, an American Ninja Warrior in training and the creator of optimize yourself. For over 10 years now I have obsessively searched for every possible way to optimize my own creative and athletic performance. And now I'm here to shorten your learning curve. Whether you're a creative professional who edits, writes or directs, you're an entrepreneur, or even if you're a weekend warrior, I strongly believe you can be successful without sacrificing your health, or your sanity in the process. You ready? Let's design the optimized version of you.

Hello, and welcome to the Optimize Yourself podcast. If you're a brand new Optimizer, I welcome you and I sincerely hope that you enjoy today's conversation. If you were inspired to take action after listening today, why not tell a friend about the show and help spread the love? And if you're a longtime listener and optimizer O.G., welcome back. Whether you're brand new, or you're seasoned vet, if you have just 10 seconds today, it would mean the world to me if you click the subscribe button in your podcast app of choice, because the more people that subscribe, the more that iTunes and the other platforms can recognize this show, and thus the more people that you and I can inspire to step outside their comfort zones to reach their greatest potential. And now on to today's show. If there is one Sure thing about Hollywood is that no single path to success exists. Unlike doctors, lawyers or accountants, hollywood doesn't provide you a roadmap of simple steps that if you follow them, if you do the work, and if you produce results, you will automatically become successful. There are so many different paths to be taken and many more to be forged. And although the roads are going to vary for everyone, the more that I break down people's success stories, I've discovered that they're on wavering constants, consistency, perseverance, and most importantly, a willingness to help others. Today's guest Agustin Rexach, also known as Auggie has worked on such shows as from Dusk Til Dawn, Hawaii Five-O, the 2016 remake of Roots, and two seasons of Genius for National Geographic just to name a few. And the unique path that he is forced throughout his very career is the absolute embodiment of these qualities. Coming to Hollywood from the island of Puerto Rico. Auggie had every reason to believe that he would never make it in the film industry. And in this episode, he and I go deep into what it means to live by all of those qualities that I mentioned, and how putting others first is often the fastest path to your own success. In addition to talking about how he got where he is today as a highly successful assistant editor, Auggie also candidly shares his struggles with weight loss and burnout and the steps that he has taken to overcome both. And just because this episode was so good, I'm gonna give you a quick spoiler. In addition to augis consistency, his perseverance and his willingness to help others, there was one additional key mindset that led him to where he is today. And that is the following quote, I have the job already, they just don't know it yet. If you find yourself questioning whether or not you will ever be successful in the entertainment industry augis unique path to where he is today is a masterclass in learning how you can shift your mindset and approach your career from a completely different perspective. If today's interview inspires you to step up your networking game so you can continue to build relationships with people that you admire who can open the right doors to the next stage in your career. I am excited to share with you my new, improved and vastly expanded Insider's Guide to writing amazing outreach emails. In this extensive guide, I will help you completely transform your outreach email game. So you can build a networking strategy and reach out to the right people. So you can seek much needed advice, connect with a potential mentor, set up meetings and shadowing opportunities and even get referred for your next gig. In this upgraded version. I've also included a step by step template that breaks down every single piece of your outreach email from subject line all the way to the final salutation and I also provide a video tutorial with a before and after email tear down so you understand what a great outreach email should and should not include. To download your FREE guide and take your outreach emails to a completely new level. Visit optimize yourself.me slash email guide. Alright, without further ado, my conversation with the assistant editor a Gustin Auggie Rex atch made possible today by our amazing sponsors Evercast and Ergodriven who are going to be featured just a bit later in today's interview, to access the show notes for this and all previous episodes, as well as to subscribe so you don't miss The next inspirational interview, please visit optimize yourself.me/podcast.

I'm here today with Agustin Rexach, also known as Auggie, and you, sir, are an assistant editor and an editor that's been working in scripted television, hollywood for the last several years. Some of your recent credits include The Purge, The Gifted Genius, Hand of God, Roots, Hawaii Five-O, dude, you've worked on some good stuff. And your story is so much bigger and so much deeper than some of these credits. I'm really excited that we can finally get this conversation on the record today.

[5:07] Agustin Rexach: Thank you so much Zack, I mean, I'm, I'm super excited to be here very honored, you've kind of set the benchmark for, you know, give giving editors and post production people a voice, you know, for, and I followed your trajectory. For I guess, a good six years. So to be here is pretty powerful for me. Thank you.

[5:07] Zack Arnold: Well, we're going to talk a little bit more about what's happened in those last six years, how we met, what the trajectory was about work life balance, and figuring out how can I be healthy in this industry. But before we go there, I want people to get to know you a little bit better, because you're not the likeliest candidate to be working on shows at the level that you are in Hollywood. So where in the world that all of this begin,

[6:17] Agustin Rexach: you know, I was born in Puerto Rico, tiny island in the Caribbean Sea, hundred miles long, 35 miles wide. And I'm sure you hear this from from everybody that's in this industry, you know, like I never thought that I end up working in, in the industry more much less in Hollywood. But from a very young age, my mother really fostered a love of cinema with me. And, you know, when when it came time to go to college, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend Boston University School of Communications. And I went about it pretty much like, like kind of Super Mario, you know, walking around, and then the big mushroom pops up. And it was that day that the big mushroom popped up. And it was it's time to pick your major. I'm like, Oh, crap. And so I looked at this thing. And I and I saw it, I saw film production. And right away, I was like, Oh, no, no, no, you know, no, I can't do that, like kids that come from where I come from, they don't do that, you know. And then the, you know, that was the little devil on the left shoulder. And then the angel on the right sort of said, pick it, if you're afraid of it, go for it, you know? And I'm like, Okay, I'll, I'll do this. And I, I did, I spent the next four years, you know, learning, you know, all the facets of filmmaking in the analog world, like I learned how to edit on a steenbeck there were no Abby, it's at that time. And then, when I was in college, I never thought about editing as a career. Like if you get caught up in the rigmarole of film, school, and everybody wants to be a director or a producer. And that's what I thought I would try. But then my teaching assistant, towards the end of my tenure at BU said, you know, when you get out there, give editing a try, because everything that I saw in your work, your short films and everything, the editing was always really interesting. And, you know, those are those things that, um, you know, a single sentence can change your life. And, and it did, you know, so when I got out there, I went back to Puerto Rico, because I fell in love. And I was like, I'm going back. And so I heard his voice and I started working in commercials, you know, because that was the, the only like, real filmmaking that was happening in the island that was sustainable from from an income standpoint and all that stuff. So you know, I arrived at this wonderful production company called Paradis for films. My first employer, Hachi, maletto, who was integral to my development. And he said to me, you know, we just got this thing called an avid. And if you learn how to use it, you can have the night shift. And so that's it. They weren't paying me. I wasn't employed by them. But I just switched on that mindset that said, You know, I have a job already, they just don't know it yet. But I already have the job. So I'm going to start coming in every day. 738 o'clock in the morning, I was there waiting for the editor to have a break. And it took me about six months to like really teach myself and the biggest obstacle was actually getting time on the machine. Because, you know, the the regular daytime editor was so busy, you know, long story short, got it dated. started editing, and then from there on, I got invited to work in Miami. did that for about eight years and cut all sorts of things from music videos to document Trees commercials was always the backbone of my livelihood. And little by little I kept moving west because the that voice that said, You know, I want to tell stories and I want to be in scripted whether it's features for television was always there. And finally in 2010, we took the plunge came out here and went for it. And it It took a bit to get a foothold in the industry. But I did it and I'll never forget, this is something that we didn't talk about. But in 2000 and I met you in 2010 at edit Fest,

[10:35] Zack Arnold: I knew I recognized you and I couldn't put my my put the face in the name and everything together. But I've always felt like I knew you, but I couldn't place it. So I'm glad I'm finally reminded me of that. That's what it is like, yeah,

[10:47] Agustin Rexach: I had just gotten to LA and I was like living and walking in abject terror because it was like, I have a family. I have a one year old and I have no job and but I went to edit fest and I met you. And we got to talk a little bit and you gave me a lot of a lot of confidence. Just Just the fact that you would a speak to me a complete stranger, you know, and meeting you and knowing your credits and all that stuff at the time. I believe you are doing Burn Notice I just

[11:19] Zack Arnold: started Burn Notice. And I was talking about my first season on that panel. I'd never spoken on a panel never did any of that. They said hey, you want to be at Eddie fest to talk about? Like, what planet Am I living on? So I'm glad that it had the positive impact on you. Yeah,

[11:33] Agustin Rexach: and and you know, Burn Notice, you know, I never worked on it. But I did have the pleasure of working with James Wilcox on hand of God where we got to meet meet the wonderful Ben waikino. Yes,

[11:46] Zack Arnold: I love Ben.

[11:48] Agustin Rexach: Yeah, you know, that show. My time on Hand of God was really special. I have to say that. That group of people, all that whole post crew was just like an amazing level of human quality. Like, you know, I was there and I felt so at home. I felt so happy to go to work every day on that show. And I think it It started with Ben, you know,

[12:14] Zack Arnold: and it always comes from the top down. Yeah, Ben learned very well. From from Matt Nix himself. Matt, next was the showrunner, creator of Burn Notice. And then Ben was one of the executive producers, writers also an actor on the show a few times. I loved working with Ben, he was nothing but a pleasure. And things aligned differently schedules and otherwise would have been great to work on the show didn't end up working out. But yeah, I love love. Love, Ben. And I'm guessing you also got to know Steve Lang. Yes. And Steve Wang was the reason I got burned notice. So he's a good good friend of mine and colleague, and we could reminisce forever. However, I think there's a lot more value we can pull out of the story we barely just begun. There's so many layers of the onion that we can peel. But where I want to start, you may not even realize it. But you've already pulled out a very specific theme in your conversation. You've talked about the many different voices you've either listened to or not listened to. And the scripts that we have in our head are so powerful, and we're going to talk a lot more about those. But you mentioned that there was this voice that told me I should do this. This professor, you heard his voice you said I'm going to follow this. But there was also another voice that I think is really important that we need to talk about, which is the voice that said, oh no. Kids from Puerto Rico. We don't go to film school. This isn't for me, we don't become film majors. And I think a lot of people out there listening right now feel the same way they feel Oh, I'm an outsider. I'm a minority. I'm not sure this is for me. Mm hmm. How do we get them to not listen to that voice and take the path that you did?

[13:47] Agustin Rexach: Man, you know, that that is such a loaded question. I'm so glad you asked me that. Because I am still struggling with that. I feel like I'm in my fourth decade in this in this world. I won't say we're in that fourth decade, I fall because I don't want to date myself. You know, I'm, I'm, I feel young man. I feel like I don't get old, you know, but I still struggle with it. I've I feel now and especially with with what's happened with the pandemic, and all that stuff has been a huge reset button. And what the pandemic has done for me is that it's really, like made me take stock of all the BS in my life, and really has given me that time to do a lot of self reflection, like I'm not afraid of silence, like I know a lot of people who couldn't work or, or what and they're freaking out, they're like, I don't know, I you know, every day in my life I've ever I've either been working or thinking about how to get work or, but we're not comfortable with our own silence. And that's something that I always been very comfortable with. So this pandemic has given me a lot of time to reflect. And I've been really taking stock little by little of everything and all the things that I've ever told myself and and how valuable they've been. And if they've, they've had a net effect and, and that that inferiority complex, I guess that you develop as a son, you know, a kid from another country or you know, because we we have a complicated relationship because we are US citizens, but it's a different country I was I was brought up in the island, I left the island when I was 20. English was not my first language. And it's a it's a whole different culture, but all that to say, and not to be glib about it, but it's like, listen to that voice that says that you are not worthy of that. accepted, but let it go through you. I think the the big mistake that I've made, and I'm always going to try to speak from the eye, I don't feel comfortable with being like a motivational speaker, or like a life coach or whatever, I'm just going to tell you my story. And if anybody benefits from it awesome. And, you know, and if I'm full of it, then you know, feel free to tell me that too. That's cool. You have to like let it go through you. I think when you ignore a feeling and you tamp it down, it's almost like like clogging of the pipes, you know, that energy, that feeling is going to stay in there. And then you'll realize that most of your energy on time is going to be spending tamping down those insecurities. But when you face up to them, and you accept them, but you let them go, then you can flow. And, and so what I would say to anybody who's thinking that anybody in like another country, or whatever, it's like, Don't listen to it, you will never quiet those voices, if the voices inside of you, and that's in you, and you want to try it. Go for it. I mean, Hollywood, the people that I have met here in Hollywood have been some of the most wonderful people like one of the reasons I'm so honored in being here. It's like, I look at you, and I look at the roster of guests that you've had. Man Ain't No, we ain't a week, people sitting here with you. You know, like everybody that tells their story to you, that there are people who are self starters, who did it on their own, you know, like, yes, we, we get help. And there is a lot of wonderful people that come into our lives and help us. But there's really no set path. It's not like a lawyer that knows, you know, you got to do for your four years, then you go here and a doctor does his practice or whatever. No, it's completely open. And so if you really want it, and you're all about it, and you work hard, I think the chances of success are there, because they industry needs people like that, you know, the industry is not going to reject a hard worker, it's not going to reject somebody who's passionate, you know? So, yes, come on over, we need people like you.

[18:29] Zack Arnold: And I and I also think that another thing to point out about the pandemic, there's been a lot of really great things that have been happening to this entire year 2020, if we could just write this one off, and just like move on would be great. But at the same time, I'm always trying to find the opportunity. In every situation, no matter how bad. And one of the opportunities that's come out of it, we're now recognizing our fault, and that we don't have enough people that are able to be a part of telling their stories. And if we're talking about like demographics, and people that are, you know, this minority or that minority, we're not recognizing, oh, boy, we we got to do something about this. And if we can find people like you or other minorities that have different stories and different experiences, we need to bring more of them in there. And yes, it's really uncomfortable to be like, Oh, boy, we kind of messed this one up, but at least now we have the opportunity to fix it, which is one of the reasons that it's important to me to allow you to tell your story. So that somebody else that's listening that might be 15 years before where you are the here's the voice. Now I'm from from Puerto Rico, like we don't do this thing we don't do the Hollywood thing. I want them to listen to you and say alright, nevermind I'm whatever the voices in the back of my head. I'm going to turn that one off, I'm going to put an earbuds and the new voice is going to be Auggie. Right that that that's why we're doing this. And there's there's so many other things we can talk about as far as your health journey, work life balance, all those other things I definitely want to get there. But there's one thing you and I really haven't talked about yet at all, either today or offline. When I look at your IMDb pro page, it makes no sense. If I look at my page, I used to get this all the time they would look at it, they'd see the credits, and then all of a sudden Burn Notice, how did that happen? So write your IMDb pro page. It's a few little things here and there. And then all of a sudden, I don't know where from dusk till dawn Heroes Reborn Hawaii Five O, like, What in the world? So you come out of 2010 talk about the gap of between arriving, and all of a sudden your resume exploding?

[20:30] Agustin Rexach: Well, I'm glad you say say that. Because that's another thing that I think you and I have in common, you know, we've we've had very storied and varied disciplines, in in our, in our careers. That just goes to show you know, what, what's wonderful is that that life, I, the more I, you know, soul search and look at things, you know, life is really lay, like a canvas that we paint, right. And then there are days that we have to focus on the brushstrokes, and the lines. But then there are days that it behooves us to step back and look at the canvas and look at, you know, the entire piece on how we're doing. So what you've done just now is you force me to step back and kind of look at the canvas, which is, it's great. But a few will know, when people tell us their stories, we tend to encapsulate things in the canvas. And so for those people listening out there, those friends that I haven't met yet, but that there might be on the fence about joining the industry or this and that, you have to remember that success is never a straight line. And so I can show you that Canvas, but what I should really be talking about is hold those, you know, that ends, I'm bumping my head against a brick wall, and, you know, doing things that didn't work out. And between that is the the main theme of not quitting, you know, like, Whatever happens, just get up again, keep going. because things are going to appear when I, when I got here in 2010 Yes, the major goal was to be in Hollywood to either start doing features or scripted television. Well, it took me a good four and a half years to do that. Because, um, you know, I had a family first and foremost, I had to provide for them. And, you know, I didn't know anybody in the city, let alone in the industry in the city, I didn't know anybody. So I had to make a living. And the easiest way or quickest way for me to make a living was, you know, going back to commercials and advertising. So I edited commercials for about those four and a half years. And but what happened was, and again, it's it's also times of crisis, like we're in now that they just create opportunities, and they just put you in a in a position where you, you end up fighting a lot harder than you would under normal circumstances if you're in a comfortable position. So what happened to me in advertising was that I started working at an ad agency downtown as one of their in house editors. And that went pretty well, although that's a recipe for abuse. When we talk about work life balance, they have you in there, they'll work you to the bone, you know, like I was doing everything from Quick Time transcodes to actually cutting campaigns, you know, so, you know, it was like, super exhausting. After two years at that agency, or three years, I got offered a job at a really high profile commercials editorial house in Santa Monica. And I jumped at the chance I took it. This is going to be great, you know, but what I didn't know, the way a lot of those boutiques work is it's very, it's very cutthroat. It's not, you know, I thought I was going to join a team and we were you know, it's it's almost like it's almost like a like a clearing house for editors and editors are very much commoditized. And you have your clientele and they have projections have numbers that you have to hit every year. And if you don't hit those numbers, then they don't renew your contract. So what happened to me was that I very

nice I went into this job without any really like any agency relationships in LA, or anything like that. And you know, long story short, I didn't meet those projections and, and I was, you know, let go at the end of the year, so all of a sudden I'm unemployed. And that's the moment of crisis where you're like, Okay, I have about three months here to survive. If I'm going to make a move, it has to be now. And I did I reached out to, you know, one of the angels on my path. His name is Alfonso Gomez rayhaan. He said, wonderful director. And he put me in touch with the people at dusk till dawn. And that's how I, I did my first my first job. And what's funny is that, uh, you know, all those years later, I felt like I was back in Puerto Rico, trying to learn an abbey, you know, because I when, to from dusk till dawn, I didn't get hired. You know, I just said, Can I just come in and help out. And again, I adopted that mindset that served me well, I'm like, I have this job. They just don't know it yet. But I have it. I have it. I'm not just going to show up every day at 830 and help out and I have this job, they just don't know. And lo and behold, it happened. Eventually I ended up getting hired. And based on that work, I was recommended to my big brother in the industry like the like the most influential person. Mr. jamesville Koch faceY,

[26:35] Zack Arnold: Totally shameless plug. A recent podcast guest I will put them in the show notes. Continue. James Wilcox blew me away, dude, one of my favorite interviews ever. I can see why he was a guiding light for you. But anyway, I digress. Continue.

[26:48] Agustin Rexach: I love the episode. By the way. It's It's fun. I listened to it, you know, repeatedly. So you know, they you know, Mr. Peter Tassler, who was the post producer on how I five oh, called me. And he said, You know, I hear good things. And and I knew Peter from my Miami days, we had worked on the st. boathouse but, you know, understandably, he was like, you have no scripted credits, you know, five, always have talk show. I don't know. But after cutting my teeth on from dusk till dawn, I got put into a, you know, he asked me, you know, would you like to interview because James is looking for an assistant for next season. And I got to tell you, he put the fear of God in me. Like, he was like, he's very demanding, you know, he's, you know, you got to be on point and bla bla bla, and I'm like, I'll meet him, you know, and, and right away, I was just like, instant connection, I felt very close to him. Because right away, I understood.

This is a guy who's fair.

But he's all about the work, and I'm all about the work. So I'm not gonna, I'm not going to shortchange him on that. And I'm, you know, I'm going to work hard. So I think we're gonna get along fine. And, lo and behold, we work together almost six years. You know,

[28:11] Zack Arnold: he's definitely a good person to have on your shortlist of people that are looking for you, when they have their next job come along. So I have a much, much clearer idea now of how to make sense of the IMDb pro resume and I love, love some of the ideas behind it. The one that I love the most, I'm so going to steal this. I have the job, but they just don't know it yet. It's funny because I've never put it into such succinct words. That is exactly how I felt when I went after Burn Notice. And it's exactly how I felt when I went after Cobra Kai, I knew they were never going to find somebody that was a better fit. They could look until the end of time. Nobody is going to crush the show the way that I will. You guys just don't know it. So it's my chance to prove it to you. And you're you're have the same mentality that you just showed up. And you just helped until they figured it out themselves.

[29:01] Agustin Rexach: Yeah. And it's, you know, it's funny and pleased. You know, your listeners out there, please don't misunderstand. It's, it's not it's not an ego thing. Because believe me, I am very much against ego. Anything that has to do with ego usually messes up my life, big time. It's almost like, like a feeling of like, I so want to help out. And I so want to be a part of this, you know, that. That it just feels right. You know, like, I think one of the things that we forget, I was talking to a young lady who wanted some advice, and I said, you know, about interviewing and all that stuff, and I said yeah, you know, do your homework and be professional and all that stuff. But, you know, one thing that we all tend to forget and we shouldn't Don't forget that childlike enthusiasm, you know, that that speaks volumes, you know, Like being childish is not acceptable, but being childlike, is fantastic. And don't be afraid to, to show that you're excited about something, you know, like we all were also, am I gonna say the wrong thing? And what No, man, if you're excited about Cobra Kai, who wouldn't be excited about Cobra Kai man, you don't feel found? And, you know, Johnny's back, and you know, that's awesome. You know, I still remember when I saw the Karate Kid, multiple times in Puerto Rico, you know, this is why we do this, you know, this is why we this is why I left my country. This is why I don't eat rice and beans that often because I'm in another country, you know, like, the chance to even be in the room with these people is fantastic. And

why would you hide that? You know?

[30:51] Zack Arnold: Yeah, I think it's so easy to fall into the trap of believing I have to be professional, I have to be all kept up. It's very corporate, like I have to be. It's just it's not that way in this industry at all. And I think the the biggest takeaway that's really important to dive into a little bit further, before we kind of transition to the next area of the call, is you talking about ego. And I think what's really important for people to understand is there's a fine line, but a very important one, between arrogance and confidence. arrogance is, oh, yeah, I'm the best candidate, I'm so good at what I do, you'd be stupid to not hire me confidence is, I know that nobody can provide the value to you that I can, I know, I can make your show better. And I want to and I want to be a part of this. There's nothing wrong with being confident. That's how you felt. And that's the same way that I felt that was never Oh my god, I'm so the best fit for Cobra Kai, you guys would be so dumb to hire somebody else. I'm amazing. That's arrogance. Confidence is I love this show almost as much or as much as you do. And I will do everything I can to create your vision of it, I'm confident that I can do that people sense that they feel it. And it's not about well, I've worked on avid and I have this credit. And this credit this credit, like you said, it's the passion, but it's also the confidence that I can deliver. And I can provide you the value which you've really learned how to how to succinctly package and make very clear to people yeah, you

[32:14] Agustin Rexach: know, and it's like, um, I actually I shameless plug of this article that I wrote for watchings website, the service centric mindset, I think that if, you know, it talks about that, like, how do we, because, you know, you go to all these panels, and all these industry professionals, they're like, Oh, it's so political. And you got to read the room. And, and so that can create a lot of uncertainty on people, like how do I act, and I just as stilted to that man is to take a few do everything, from the point of view of serving your your fellow, your fellow guys and gals on a show, like your fellow crew, like really, from the heart, everything that you do is about pushing the rock up the hill and making the show better, man, there's very little you can do that's gonna be misconstrued. You know, because, you know, when when you do that you anticipate people's needs, you try to make life easier for the showrunners, and the producers and all that stuff. And that's ultimately what, what it's all about, you know, if, if you as an editor, or assistant, or pa or whatever doing your job, you create a sense and are feeling that these people don't have to manage you or don't have to be on you, you are winning man, you will get hired again, you will get noticed you will get promoted, because this job is super hard. You know, just if you're only doing your job description, it's hard enough. And so if on top of that you're having to, you know, pick up the slack for somebody else. That's not good, you know? So if you kind of take it from from that point of view of like, I just want to help you know, and and it also happened to me like, in combating my own anxiety like I I just had the pleasure of editing some some episodes of the good Lord bird for Showtime co editing them. But one of the things that I got hired on the show and the first day they tell me, okay, you're coming in on your first day at 9am 12, the director of episode six is coming in, and you need to do her Director's Cut. And I'm like, Oh, okay. And you know, and I was freaking out, how am I going to do this? I haven't had time to look at the dailies and data data. And then that approach really centered me because I said, You know what, dude? This is an extraordinary situation. At the end of the day, you are here to help. You know, you are the one that's helping them, you know, get out of this like, weird situation. So just go in there with a good attitude. Don't be afraid, because you are helping. And yeah, that just completely chilled me out. And I went in and, you know, had a wonderful four days with that director, and she left super happy. And but it was that it was just like, when we sat down, I said, you know, we've all been thrown in this frying pan. But I'm here for you, I don't care how long I have to work, you know, let me know what you need. And I will make sure you leave here with the code that you want. And we were off to the races. And you know, we still call each other on the phone. And you know, it's wonderful.

[35:53] Zack Arnold: And again, that goes to the conversation about arrogance versus confidence arrogance in that situation, is I'm gonna pretend that I'm awesome. I'm totally gonna hide the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing. I haven't watched anything. I don't know where the footage is. Who is this director? Wait a second, how do I work? My desk chair I just got here three hours ago. But no, I have to convey that I'm awesome. As opposed to, I'm just going to be open about this. Here's the elephant in the room. This is a tough situation. We're all stuck here. Let's figure it out together. I'm here to serve you. It changes the dynamic of the entire relationship. Then when a question comes up, Hey, how about this shot? gotta be honest, I don't know where that is. I haven't even opened this bin yet. Right. But you can get through those things. As long as you are setting those expectations. And making it clear, this is the dynamic of the relationship. I want to serve you I want to help you tell your story. Now let's figure out this bs schedule together. Right makes all the difference in the world. And you alluded to the fact that this is certainly no secret that working in this industry is really hard. And it creates a lot of anxiety. And it takes a toll on people from the health perspective causes burnout causes depression. So I want to rewind back to I believe it was around 2014 or 2015. I had this crazy, stupid idea. I'm going to try and make editors healthier and do this fitness and posting. And as I remember you were one of my very first like you joined a an online group. I think it was all of like maybe $4 and 99 cents or some crazy thing, we're gonna get our fitbits and do it. And I know that you and I've talked about this before, where it this is a problem that I've learned to abate as much as I can. But I have a tendency to become a firehose of information. Here's everything you have to know and more. And you'd said something very specific to me that I think is going to be a great way to segue this conversation. You said that was the right information at the wrong time. Right, what was happening at that time for you. My sincerest apologies for the interruption in the middle of this interview. But if you are a content creator, or you work in the entertainment industry, not only is the following promo, not an interruption, but listening has the potential to change your life. Because collaborating with every cast is that powerful. Here's a brief excerpt from a recent interview that I did with ever cast co founders, Brad Thomas and award winning editor Roger Barton.

[38:07] Roger: Living this lifestyle of a feature film editor has really had an impact on me. So I was really looking for something to push back against all of these lifestyle infringements that are imposed on us both by schedules and expectations. When you guys demoed whatever cast for me that first time my jaw hit the floor, I'm like, Oh, my God, this is what I've been waiting for. for a decade, I also

[38:31] Brad: had the same reaction when I first saw ever cast two words came to mind game changer. Our goal, honestly, is to become the zoom for creatives, whatever it is, you're streaming, whether it's editorial, visual effects, Pro Tools for music composition, LIVE SHOT cameras, it's consistent audio and video, lip sync, always stays in sync, whether you're in a live session where you're getting that feedback immediately, or you can't get it immediately. So you record the session and you can share those clips with people on the production team where there's no room for any confusion. It's like this is exactly what the director wants.

[39:01] Roger: This is exactly what the producer wants. What matters most to me is it makes the entire process more efficient, which then translates to us as creatives who spend way too much time in front of computers. We get to shut it down, and we get to go spend time with our friends and family.

[39:15] Zack Arnold: The biggest complaint and I'm sure you guys have heard this many many times. This looks amazing. I just can't afford it. Tesla had to release the Model S before they released the model three. So by the end of the year, we are going to be releasing a sub $200 version a month of efficacy for the freelancer, indie creatives. Anyone who is a professional video creator outside

[39:36] Roger: of Hollywood, I think what we've learned over the last few months is that this technology can translate to better lives for all of us that give us more flexibility and control while still maintaining the creativity, the creative momentum and the quality of work. I cannot stress this enough

[39:53] Zack Arnold: Evercast is changing the way that we collaborate. If you value your craft your well being and spending quality With the ones you love ever cast now makes that possible for you and me to listen to the full interview and learn about the amazing potential that ever cast has to change the way that you work and live, visit, optimize yourself.me slash ever cast. Now back to today's interview.

[40:15] Agustin Rexach: Well, you know, like, like, like you said, I'm gonna just lay it out straight, you know, because I keep it real. Like, listen, I'm here. From the health perspective, we're segwaying into this, I am here to represent all the health reprobates out there, you know, like, you, we we tend to, you know, listen to two fitness coaches on whatever. And going back to the idea of the canvas. These guys have a pretty finished canvas. You know, these guys are like their black belts. They're like on chapter 50 of their novel. I'm here to represent the cats that are like on chapter one, you know, and then like, like that kid, maybe in Nicaragua, I was like, should I you know, should I take the plunge and go to Hollywood, I'm here to represent those guys who have been overweight who abjectly failed at getting fit, you know, and are thinking, should I take that plunge? should I? Should I try it again? Yeah, try again. You know, I'm here to say that little by little you can get a handle on your health, I'm still a long way from being healthy like Hugh Jackman and Mark Wahlberg, and got nothing to worry about ain't gonna lose the cover of men's health to me, they're in no danger of that.

[41:31] Zack Arnold: They've also got more than enough money to afford that with an entire team of professionals surrounding them. There's nothing that annoys me more when people look at the celebrity picture. Oh, look what he was able to do. Do you have any idea what that costs, the amount of time they put into it, and the support that surrounds them? It's insanity. We're talking. So I don't remember the exact number, I'm going to quote it wrong, somebody is going to look it up and say that I got it wrong. And I'm sure I did. But I believe that LeBron James's budget for the year just for massages and food and like all the recoveries just things that make him a better person, not even athletic trainings over a million dollars a year, and just to take care of himself and recover. We ain't got that kind of money or that kind of time. So the we're fighting a completely different battle. What brought you to the group in the first place? Because you said you were chapter one. And I was right, I was reading from chapter 43.

[42:23] Agustin Rexach: Yeah, um, that bad. Like, I've always struggled with my weight, you know, like, I was a morbidly obese kid. And, and full disclosure, I was a morbidly obese adult to the point that in in the year 2009. And this is something I don't know why I didn't talk about this on the pre interview, but I was so far gone, like, I'm, I'm five, three, that's how tall I am. I used to walk around with my chest puffed up and ColourPop because I thought I was five, four, I measured myself this week. I'm five, three. All right, I'm lower than a whisper, you know. So, at my heaviest, as an adult, I was like, an enchilada away from 300 pounds. On on a five, three frame, you know, I was, I got to a point where I was too far gone. And in 2009, I actually had gastric bypass, you know, because I, I felt that I had led my my way get so out of control that I was too far gone, like I couldn't really work out I couldn't really like. And so, you know, I made that decision. It's funny. And this is a conversation that we could have three podcasts about. But knowing what I know, now, I probably wouldn't have made that decision. But I'm glad I did. Because for me, I used it as a tool. It's kind of like, leveled the playing field and got me back to a point where I could execute again, where I could, or I could move without pain and where I could, you know, exercise and all that stuff. But anyway, in 2014 what brought me to your group was like, I was noticing that after, you know, I had the surgery in Oh, nine. And it was 2014. I had already beaten the odds, like they say within two years, like people gain their weight back, and whatever I hadn't, but I was starting to notice myself slowly creeping up again. I'm like, Oh, no, no way. So I wanted, you know, to get into a group or something that would help me address my weight, which has been always like my, my nemesis, you know. And so I joined and that's exactly what happened. Like I was just overwhelmed with information, you know, and to the point that it just short circuited me, you know, but also At that time what was happening to me too, it's like I was transitioning into scripted television. And yes, you know, like, I had started working on a very tough show, you know, Hawaii Five O is incredibly demanding, you know, like, as you know, you've done those procedurals, where there's so many gears to those shows are so the action, the humor, all they got, you have to do 10 effects on sound design is crucial. It was just a lot, you know. And so I was already like, dealing with all of that on the professional side, and then trying to take all this information on the personal side, it was just too much like why not one of them had to give, and at that point, I made the choice that the fitness in post had to give for a while. And, like everything, you know, very, very predictably, I spent the next almost six years working very hard, cultivating a lot of professional success. But I also put on, you know, 4050 pounds and, you know, rounds ran headfirst into the titanium thumbtack that is, you know, burnout and depression and yeah, you know, it's

it's like every decision that you make has a price and so that was the the very heavy price that I paid. You know, I'm but I do want to say getting back to, to being overwhelmed by fitness in posts and all that stuff. Like, at first I was like, very turned off, I was like, I have to do this. And this is you know, too much work and barwara start to get a handle on my health and taking ownership of my body and my mind, I realize now, how wonderful what you were doing was because when you start to take ownership of your of your life, it's like, finding, I don't know, like, what, what some people would say, I found religion, or I found that, you know, like, you get this sort of this sort of wonderful feeling washing over you, and you can't help but want to share it, you know. And that's where I saw what you were doing. It's like this, this is somebody that that wants to share this this great feeling and how can that be wrong, you know. But here's, here's what I've realized about myself, in the course of trying to get a handle on my health and my fitness and whatever, I tried everything, I tried all types of diets, you know, personal trainers, meal delivery services, all that stuff. Um, about two years ago, I can trace it back that I started laying the groundwork for, like really getting healthy. You know, I started reading more about nutrition, I started reading and little by little not almost like imperceptible steps, almost like if I admit it to myself that I was reading a nutrition book, like it might just vanish, and I made just short circuit myself, you know, little by little and putting, you know, instituting small little changes, you know, that I could keep building, you know, like, and what I learned was that things I wish I noticed that this is a process that takes time. This is a process that is far from sexy. There's no like hacks, like they promise you like, if you stop eating bananas, you're gonna lose weight. No, you know, that's, that's not gonna happen. So it's a process that takes time. And every time that I've tried to circumvent the process, I ended up messing things up and actually gaining more weight and undoing whatever progress I've made, you know. And so once again, you realize that there's, you know, how we have different voices that speak to us. When it comes to weight loss. There's all types of different weight losses, you know, like, let's say, you know, yes, that the eddies are coming up, and you want to fit into that tuxedo and you're six weeks out, and so you starve yourself for six weeks and you fit into that tuxedo. That's weight loss. You lost weight. But is it sustainable? No. It's not. You know, it's like you're building a house of cards. it'll, it'll sit there for when you need it to present it. But the minute even a small breeze blows that house of cards is coming down. So The biggest lesson that I've learned in the past three years is that small changes equals sustainability. and sustainability equals consistency. And that consistency takes you little by little towards success. You know, and that's where I've been really enjoying myself, you know, and when the pandemic happened, I saw it, man, I had a vision of the future, where I put on 70 pounds, you know, and came out, like suicidal. And I'm like, that's not gonna happen to me. You know, um, if, you know, if the world is going on pause, the only thing that I'm going to promise myself is I'm going to try and come out better than I went in. And that's what I've been doing, you know, because I've realized, too,

that, you know, when you think about exercise, and you know, we think of Rocky, you know, and then the montage moment, I'm not Rocky, you know, who I am. I'm clubber Lang, I'm going to start doing rock usery. Like, oddly enough, I realized that I respond better to training myself, you know, to taking time, you know, an hour, hour and a half for myself in the garage, you know, with very limited equipment. But that's my time. You know, one of the things to like in listening to my silence is that I realized that the reason I don't respond to trainers or a load of leaderboards or stuff like that, is because I realized that because of my upbringing, and I have no problem talking about this, but I realized that I am the the adult child of an alcoholic. And what happens to a lot of us who grow up with alcoholics, is that we become codependent. Take on this role, where we don't want to cause problems rock the boat, we're always managing the alcoholic.

And so

you get into this patterns where everything you do is not for you, it's for other people. And so you you start putting this success is based on external circumstances, like a trainer telling you that you're doing good, a teacher praising you, you know, a parent, giving you the attention that they don't normally give you, you know, and so for me, that became a way of life, you know, and I've had to like, really step back, because what happens to codependents and children of alcoholics and addicts is like, we repeat the patterns, you know, if we don't even know what's happening to us, we repeat these patterns, we repeat them in our working relationships, we repeat them in our social relationships in our, you know, romantic, loving relationships. And that was one of the things where it sounded so counter intuitive to me, like, you've always been like a fitness reprobate. How are you going to train yourself? You know, and I got to tell you, man, I've had the most success. Training myself, and, and, you know, doing my thing with myself, because once I was able to identify my codependency, I understood where a lot of those behaviors came from. And it was like a, like, an armed revolution started inside of me. And it started with the fact that for the first time, and I know that this sounds kind of Kumbaya, or whatever, but I don't care. For the first time once I was able to recognize my codependency. For the first time, I actually liked myself, I actually understood where I stood, and why I did the things that I did. And was able to, like, without any blame, I'm not here to blame my parents for No, they weren't great people. And like, every person, they have their shirt, they have their shortcomings, you know. And that's cool. You recognize that you give it a name, you let it pass through you. But then it's up to you to get up and do that you don't don't keep sending them the bill for that, you know, like you pay your own bills, you know. And so, for the first time I really liked myself and I saw this phrase, I don't know Who said it? But it was so consonant with what was happening to me. I saw it on Instagram, it said, loving yourself. That's where the revolution starts. And I'm like, Yes, I yes. I mean, you know, I'm gonna grab my AK, I'm going to the heels, you know,

[55:18] Zack Arnold: that's a very different revolution, by the way. Yeah.

[55:23] Agustin Rexach: So, but no, I grabbed my jump ropes and, you know, my resistance bands and, you know, have been doing my thing. And then, from you, I learned that there are some things that you can actually, there's some actual very useful gadgets that will help you on your journey. Like, for me, things I cannot live without, to anybody. That's how they're going, like, I might want to try this, you know, I cannot live without my jump ropes. You know, I'm not affiliated with them, but they're amazing. It's a company called cross rope. They make the most amazing jump ropes. They're like the Tesla's of jump ropes. I actually gave James a set for his birthday. And he would call me from New York with the pandemic and be like, dude, you're a prophet. These jump ropes are saving my life, you know, so I cannot live without my jump ropes. I actually bought and it's not cheap, but I, I've gotten a lot of use out of it is is a gorilla bow with the, with the resistance bands. Fantastic. And then the third thing that helps me out especially because I'm training myself I'm, it's that age old question, how do you know you are working hard enough? It's a heartrate monitor, you know, and, you know, get the one that goes around your chest, don't get those wristwatches because I can't see man and especially at 435 in the morning, when I'm, you know, my vision is super blurry. So I can't see the watch. But the chest one you put on your phone and Bluetooth and it gives you a big reading. And so you figure out your you know, your fat burning zone and whatever. And you see that number displaying there. And you know, you know what kind of level you'd have to maintain. And so you know, little by little I I just been it's, it's become a part of me now. Like, like, now it sounds like I got a workout. And that's how I started to go, I got to work out. Now it's more like, I have to stop myself. There are days that I wake up, and I'm feeling rundown. And I know myself, I know that I am very susceptible to compulsive behaviors, sometimes an exercise can also become a compulsion. I feel great. And, um, the greatest thing that you've talked about, you know, forever, and I'm feeling it now, is that your mind clears? You know, when you start taking care of your body, you know, your mind becomes clearer. And I can see things from different perspective now. That before when I was full of junk food, and then not no sleep, and whatever, you know, yeah, your body goes. But the first thing that goes into your mind,

[58:16] Zack Arnold: well, there's, there's at least a million and a half things, so many threads, I could pull. Each of them could become their own episode, just the heart rate monitor alone, I could dedicate an entire episode to talking about heart rate straps, heart rate variability apps to get how to connect them to your training fat burning zones. That could be one episode. There's about 14 episodes in the last 10 minutes that I get dive into. But there's one place that I think is the most important takeaway for anybody listening, you've already hit home. And I just want to emphasize it again. It was this idea of small incremental changes. And one of the I don't even know if I just made up the saying now or if there's something I read, and I don't realize it, but there's a huge difference between getting fit and getting healthy. You are trying to get fit. You're trying to like and when you said well, they say you can lose weight by not eating bananas anymore. Yeah, you can. You can lose weight by not eating any food at all and sweating all day. Like there's so many ways to lose weight. And we're going to get fit, right? Yeah, smoke meth. Yeah, smoking meth and you're going to get fit real fast. And I think that the the problem is that fitness programs, diet programs, those things are a multi billion dollar industry because they promise quick results. Yeah, long term sensible lifestyle change does not make billions of dollars. That's what it takes to get healthy. And what you did was you did I discovered the same thing. When I started fitness and post, it was more about fitness. And I realized this is a much longer game than I thought it was because I continue to fail as well. And it really wasn't until about three years ago that I for myself cracks the consistency code. And when people assume consistency and discipline this guy's training Ninja Warrior, he must be exercising six days a week. You know what I did this morning during my exercise Time I laid on my yoga mat and I stared at the ceiling for 45 minutes, because I'm just unspent for the week. I know I don't have another workout in me, but I listen to my body. Because I can always do another workout tomorrow, because there is no 90 day finish line. The finish line is the only finish line that's coming. And I'm going to make sure that I'm as far away from that one as possible. And you also figured out it's all about consistency and these small, little tiny steps. And there's a phrase I don't know if you came up with it, or you I know that you wrote about it, this concept of killing your clone. Oh, I would love to close with this idea of killing your clone.

[1:00:36] Agustin Rexach: Oh my god, man, I love that I actually heard that from Ethan suplee on his podcast, like, I'll plug it to it's a wonderful podcast called American glutton. And, again, it's it's for for us that are, you know, trying to get healthy on our, you know, regular people, you know, check it out. It's fantastic. He had this gentleman on called Tom carrier, and Tom carrier, he's a subject matter expert on edged weapons on on cyber Kelly, which is something that you and I need to geek out about, because I know you're into martial arts and so am I, you know, because every time I would have like a shortcoming in my life, I would go and pick up a martial art. So you would think that I'd be part of a project treadstone because I know, you know, I've taken so many Cirno styles. No, but you know, these guys trained in in knife fighting basically, inside your Kali. And as part of their mindset training, he has this thing where he that he calls killing your clone, which is speaks to the heart of these like small incremental changes, he says, imagine that every night at midnight, you will need an exact clone of yourself, as you were 24 hours ago, that clone is you 24 hours ago. And without any further ado, he that clung will attack you and you will fight him to the death, you will have to fight him to the death. If in the last 24 hours, you've done even one small thing to be better than you were 24 hours ago, you will be victorious. So the question he posits to everyone every day is like, what have you done to kill your clone today. And I think that's awesome. I loved it, I loved that. So I wrote about it. Because it speaks to the heart of that you don't have to move a mountain to to feel triumphant. You know, just read that article, you know, write that poem, you've been on the fence about writing, you know, do those extra five reps, take up a music instrument, you know, whatever, learn how to call. Those are all things that I've been doing in the pandemic, you know, those things make you better they they feed who you are, and they inform the work. Like, I used to be all about editing and like I buy editing books and unreal, and that has its place. But you also have to feed the artist in you, man, you also have to feed you know, the heart and the good engine that's going to inform the work.

[1:03:28] Zack Arnold: And I think that's it's such a big mistake that people make as creatives especially those of us who spend so much time in front of a computer. The only way that I'm growing as an editor is learning about avid and learning about premiere and watching movies and practicing my craft and the time line. All of those are great. But the fact that I practice ninja training is making me a better editor and a better creative professional. Because I learn how to solve complex problems. It enhances my creativity gives me more energy, it gives me so much more focus. But we think they're mutually exclusive. Well, I'm not really allowed to exercise in the morning, because that's taking away from my time in front of the computer. The exercise is making you better and more effective at your computer. So this idea that they're mutually exclusive. I'm trying you want to talk about killing something, I want to kill this idea because I'm over it. They don't have to be mutually exclusive. We can focus on work life balance, and have that be why we are successful. Not despite the fact that we're prioritizing these things. Like I just I want to beat that drum until my dying day. Is that the work life balance is you getting better as an editor or a composer or designer, whatever your craft is, those things are making you better at your job.

[1:04:40] Agustin Rexach: Yeah, and you know, I I've paid a heavy price for ignoring that, you know, and it's cost me It cost me dearly. Like, like here. Here's another thing that's really important for me to to make clear, you know, because again, you know, like when we talk about the whole, we get We tend to get caught up in in the finished Canvas, it's like, I have made so many mistakes. And I have, because of my behavior for not not having a good handle on my health, I have made other people suffer. I mean, there's, there's no other way to say it. It's, it's, it's so I can't say any more succinctly than that. You know, because when we don't take care of the work life balance, when we don't take care of ourselves, we start suffering inside, and then the fear kicks in. And the easiest way to deal with fear is to just throw it at somebody else, you know, your suffering, you throw it at somebody else, rather than doing the work rather than looking inside of yourself. You know, it's, it's easier and more comfortable to be like, well, so and so like, gets on my nerves, and you're this and you're that, and you're making me feel this way. And, you know, and I've made so many mistakes, and I've made so many people suffer. And that's one of the reasons why I've really taking this journey seriously. Because I feel like, like, I have a lot to make up for, you know, I am, I am by far not a perfect soul. And, and I want to be better, you know, I do, and this is why I'm, I'm on it, you know, beyond looking better or beyond fitting into a pair of jeans or whatever I just, you know, I we've all been given a certain amount of grace. And so it falls to us to not let that go to waste, you know, we need to we need to like really actively find what our purpose is, and go crush it. Because that that Grace has been bestowed upon us and it cannot go to waste. And I wasted it for too many years,

[1:07:11] Zack Arnold: I can't imagine a better place to leave us off, I have a feeling that there may be an ellipses in a To be continued somewhere in here because I think you and I have a lot more to talk about at some point. But at least for today, I will be respectful of your time. And I think this is certainly a great start. I honestly had no idea when we jumped on this call today that our story went all the way back to edit fest 2010. But I love the fact that that's one of the conversations you had when you first got out here, it gave you just a little tiniest bit of inspiration to get started, keep going. Then all of a sudden our paths crossed again in the the fitness to post group. And now here you are over a decade later. So man, this has been quite the journey and in one hell of an interview. And I'm really glad that we reconnected and I have a feeling there's going to be a lot more to come soon. So if people want to find you, they want to connect with you. They want to learn more about you they want to build a relationship, how can people find you?

[1:08:02] Agustin Rexach: Well, I have a Facebook page that I check, like once a day, because I'm very, very leery about consuming too much social media. Mm hmm. But, you know, I'm there, I will seems like such you can find me on Facebook, please friend me or send me a messenger, I might take a little bit because like I said, I'm not I actively I turn off notifications, and I actively don't engage with it so much. You know, I'm also on Instagram, in post poppy in LA, all one word. And I think I gave you those links. So

[1:08:47] Zack Arnold: we'll make sure to include both of them in the show notes. For sure.

[1:08:50] Agustin Rexach: Yeah, I would love to hear from from people and you know, like I'm, I'm involved in, in in the community, I'm involved with the Latin steering committee of the guild. I'm involved with working you know, I my guest contributor to his Hollywood editing mentor, and anything that I can do, man, you know, I'm, I'm all about that I love hearing from people and I can't thank you enough for for this opportunity. Thank you for letting me you know, tell my story. And, you know, you've you are you know, an inspiration man, like I look at you and like you found a purpose. So what I was talking about before you found your purpose and you've you're you got that Pitbull bite on it, you know? And that's wonderful. That's the best you can ever hope for. So thank you.

[1:09:42] Zack Arnold: Well, I appreciate all of that. But honestly, the honor is mine and I thank you for taking the time today. So it's been absolutely great having you here. Thank you. Before closing up today's show, I would love to ask for just a couple additional minutes of your time and attention to introduce you to one of my new favorite products. Created by my good friend Kip Perkins, who you may recognize as creator of the Toko mat. Here is a brief excerpt from a recent interview that I did with Aero driven co founder and CEO Kit Perkins, talking about his latest product, New Standard Whole Protien.

[1:10:15] Kit Perkins: I'm into health and fitness generally, but I want it to be simple and straightforward. About a year, year and a half ago, I started adding collagen into my protein shakes. And man, the benefits were like more dramatic than any supplement I've ever seen. So I thought, if I could just get this down to coming out of one jar, and it's ingredients that I know I can trust, and you just put it in water. And you don't have to think about it. When people

[1:10:35] Zack Arnold: think of protein powders, they think, well, I don't want to get big and bulky. And that's not what this is about. To me, this is about repair. So a big

[1:10:42] Kit Perkins: part of what we're talking about here is you are what you eat. Your body is constantly repairing and rebuilding, and the only stuff it can use to repair and rebuild is what you've been eating. Unfortunately, as the years have gone by everyday getting out of bed, it's like you know, two or three creeks and pops in the first couple steps and that I thought you just sort of live with now. But yeah, when starting the collagen daily or near daily, it's just gone. So for us job one eight here was make sure it's high quality, and that's grass fed hundred percent pasture raised cows. And then the second thing if you're actually going to do it every day, it needs to be simple, it's to taste good.

[1:11:15] Zack Arnold: Well my goal is that for anybody that is a creative professional like myself that's stuck in front of a computer. Number one, they're doing it standing on a table mat. Number two, they've got a glass of new standard protein next to them so they can just fuel their body fuel their brain. So you and I, my friend, one edit station at a time are going to change the world

[1:11:33] Unknown Speaker: and even better for your listeners with code optimize on either a one time purchase for that first, Subscribe and Save order 50% off so if you do that, Subscribe and Save that's 20% off and 50% off with code optimized that's a fantastic deal.

[1:11:47] Zack Arnold: If you're looking for a simple and affordable way to stay energetic focused and alleviate the chronic aches and pains that come from living at your computer. I recommend new standard whole protein because it's sourced from high quality ingredients that I trust and it tastes great. to place your first order visit optimize yourself that means slash new standard and use the code optimize for 50% off your first order. Thank you for listening to this episode of The optimize yourself podcast to access the show notes for this and all previous episodes as well as to subscribe so you don't miss future interviews just like this one, please visit optimizer self.me slash podcast. And don't forget that if you're inspired to take your networking game to a whole new level, but your outreach email game is just a bit weak. You get 100% free access to my new improved and upgraded Insiders Guide to writing amazing outreach emails, which is available for free to download and optimize yourself.me slash email guide. And lastly, a special thanks to our sponsors Evercast and Ergodriven for making today's interview possible. To learn more about how to collaborate remotely without missing a frame and get your real time demo of Evercast in action. Visit optimize yourself.me/evercast and to learn more about airgo driven and their brand new product that I am super excited about new standard whole protein visit optimize yourself.me slash new standard. Thank you for listening, stay safe, healthy and sane and be well

Episode 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).