IN THE MOMENT with Michael D. Jones
IN THE MOMENT with Michael D. Jones is an opportunity to get to know an eclectic array of individuals, ranging from filmmakers, authors, performing artists, philanthropists, musicians, fitness coaches, painters, self-help motivators, influencers and more.
These impromptu discussions span the highs and lows of their careers, shedding light on real life struggles and how they've manifested adversity into success.
IN THE MOMENT with Michael D. Jones
Jeannie O’Neill Turns Hustle, Networking, And Money Habits Into A Sustainable Creative Life
What if the most important tools for a creative career weren’t luck or followers, but systems that anyone can learn? We sit down with television producer-director-writer Jeannie O’Neill to explore how she turned hustle, relationships, and smart money habits into a sustainable, joyful life in and beyond Hollywood. From early days on Unsolved Mysteries to helming multi-camera shows and ultimately writing Produce Your Life, Jeannie shares candid stories that make the path feel clear, doable, and exciting.
We dive into the myths that stall creative people—like needing a perfect plan at 22 or choosing between art and income—and replace them with practical moves. Jeannie breaks down her “Big Board,” a visual tool adapted from production offices that turns big dreams into daily actions you can actually ship. We talk about treating off-days like workdays, building momentum with micro-wins, and keeping your energy high so you naturally attract the right people and projects. The networking advice is refreshingly human: talk to people without agenda, stay curious, and nurture relationships long before you need a favor. That’s how the best jobs show up.
Money matters too, and Jeannie doesn’t dodge it. She explains the financial systems that flatten the freelance rollercoaster: automate savings, avoid lifestyle creep, and buy freedom with buffers so you can say no to toxic gigs and yes to life experiences, from a month in Africa to taking the time to write a book. Along the way we cover mindset, serendipity, finding your tribe, and the quality-of-life choices that make a creative path sustainable. If you’re pivoting, starting out, or restarting after a pause, this conversation offers a playbook you can use today.
If the episode resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs a push, and leave a quick review—it helps more creatives find the tools to build a life they love.
If you want to be considered as a guest, please contact us: michael@silverheartproductions.com
www.silverheartproductions.com
If you want to be considered as a guest, please contact us: michael@silverheartproductions.com
Welcome to another edition of In the Moment. I'm your host, Michael D. Jones, and for the next 30 minutes, we're going to dive into the inspiring stories and perspectives of individuals making waves in their fields. So join us for insightful conversations filled with positivity, laughter, and a touch of movie magic. And remember, success isn't about reaching the destination, it's about savoring the journey. So let's soak it in every moment right now. Hey everybody, welcome to another edition of In the Moment. I'm your host, Michael. This is the start of my second season, and I couldn't be more excited than to have a very special, incredible guest. Her name is Jeannie O'Neill. She is a television producer, director, writer, entrepreneur. She's everything, and absolutely as of right now, she's officially an author. This is her brand new book, Produce Your Life, uh, How to Have a Creative Career and Financial Freedom. It's fantastic. It dropped last week. I've read it, I loved it. Um, I actually bought a whole bunch of copies for Christmas gifts. So um, and I'm being serious, this is very good. So, Jeannie, welcome. Thank you so much. Wrong to do it, Michael. So there's so much about you that um, again, we have a backstory that we worked together years ago, which we're gonna talk about. But I want to start off on the fact that I'm very excited about this book. And and I'm being serious, you sent me a link the other day, and I was surprised, like, wow, that's awesome that you've commended this. So I want to just dive right into it. What inspired you? What was this creative spark that said, I need to write this book and I'm doing it now?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think since COVID, I became aware that I feel like more and more people just want to do what they want to do. So I wanted to help them do that because it takes a little coura sometimes, right?
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:Because when you announce you want to be anything creative, from a wedding photographer to an actor like yourself to a producer and director like myself, you get a lot of pushback from people who maybe even have your best interests at heart. Maybe even it's your closest friends and your family. And the first thing they say is like, that's great, but do you think you can make a living at it?
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And I kind of came up with those comments and I found it really frustrating because I'm like, well, you know, no one asked my brother who wanted to be an accountant. Oh my God, do you think you can make a living at it?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So I really wanted to write this book to kind of dispel some of that fear and explode a lot of myths that get put on you when you say, Yeah, I intend to have a creative career. I intend to support myself. I mean, you've done it, Michael. I've done it. Yeah. 15 other people I interview in the book have done it. Right. So it's it's not impossible. And I I kind of felt like I wanted to just share that.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I mean, that's what's exciting. So, did you find that the process was easy? Because the great thing about this book is you talk about yourself and your journey, but also you do have um other interviews with other individuals. I mean, and you talk about their stories, which I think is great, some parallels for everyone can read this. Young, old, everyone. This is a really great book. And I'm not just saying that, I'm being honest. It's like it does speak to everybody because there's so many components, and every little chapter I think has nuggets of information. So, did you find the process was very easy to write and it was just flowing? Or like what really said, you know, did you have any stoppage or blockades or say, Oh, I don't want to do this because I'm what I admire about you is that you got it done. Because so many people talk about it, but here you go. You know, you just launched it. It's in audio, it's in hardback, it's in soft cover, and it's really good. So tell us about that process.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it was a long process, honestly. Um at a certain point, I had done a proposal and I got it in front of some really good agents. And uh honestly, this was 15 years ago. Because I've had this, you know, information. You know, I've had a long career in Hollywood. I've been through the machine. I felt like I've had some wisdom to share for a while now. Um, and when I was going the traditional publishing route, I realized it's gonna take a year to get an agent. They all like the book, they like the voice, but they wanted me to have a hundred thousand followers, which was something I didn't have. And I thought, you know, with the year to take an agent, the year to get pub uh get a publisher, then the year to go through the editing, I just didn't want to spend that much time. So I tabled it 15 years ago. And now I decided, you know what? I can do all this now. I can become a publisher and I can design the cover and I can hire the professionals I need to get this done. Um, so that's why I kind of did it now. And yeah, it was um, you know, the creative process is different for everyone, right? Um, there were parts where it flowed, I knew exactly what I wanted to say. And there were other parts where I really had to regroup and go, how am I serving my audience? What do people want to hear? And I made sure to like test, I think once I had a seventh draft, I tested it with um uh people age 20 to 30, because I I wanted to write in a voice that would appeal to people that age, but with the wisdom of someone my age. Right. So I wanted to test it. So I did that too. So yeah, all that took a long time.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Well, I I respect and I think, you know, and I want you to delve it a little bit more into um the book. But one of the things, you know, like my daughter is 26, and this is a book I'm getting her for Christmas, like seriously, because you know, it's that crossroads. And I think it's not only about, you know, a writer, director, producer as yourself, it's also, I want to say too, you know, it's your journey as a woman and what you've gone through in a male-dominated um forest as the entertainment world. And so, kind of like my daughter right now is like in between jobs, and you know, it's that what-if moment. And I feel like there's some really good stories in here from other people in their journey and how you might start with one thing and that completely changes, and it's never too late. And then I have a couple other friends I'm getting it for just because I think they would appreciate the overall message uh which you have in there, which you talk about some finance tips, you know, just finding your tribe, um, some of the ways to kind of you know think of yourself, you know, in those motivational moments. So I think it's a well-rounded book. And so one of the things I want to dive into, which is great, is that you and I both worked together years ago on this little show called Unsolved Mysteries. And I think this goes in line with your book is I got a job at Unsolved Mysteries. I was like 20 years old. This is the original one with Robert Stack, and I worked there for seven and a half years. And that's so I tell people that's my film school. I went to Hollywood and it's an eternity that's rare.
SPEAKER_01:Like today to have a job for seven and a half years, yeah. That's an eternity. You you know, your daughter who's 26, yeah, she's gonna have 15 jobs probably in her lifetime.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, exactly. No, and and but but that's going back to you your book and the whole idea. I started with one idea to be an actor, and I just got this job, and then it helps segment. You know, I I never would have thought I'd be a producer. So again, your your life can turn, and there's this journey. And I think that's what you talk about in some of these stories that you know, some of the people that have interviewed, they had this one idea and all of a sudden went completely different to doing what they love. There's that passion. You talk about the difference between work and a job. And I love all the little stories and tidbits that you have in there because you know, even the opening of your book, it's this quote by um, I think Mary Oliver about what are you gonna do with this one wonderful life you have? What do you do with it? Don't waste it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, exactly. And I think I don't know, I feel like people put so much pressure on themselves to like, I have to know my purpose and I have to know my career from day one, and I have to have it all figured out. I think, you know, I think schools do that to us, society does that to us, sometimes our parents do that to us.
unknown:Right.
SPEAKER_01:And that's one of the myths I want to explode. I don't think you have to have it all figured out from day one, nor should you, because think about it. You said, you know, you were like 18 and wanted to be an actor and thought that's all I'll ever be, it's where my heart is, it's what I'm good at. Kumbaya. Well, that's great because that gave you some direction. However, at a certain point, you got married, you had a couple kids. Do you really want to let all the decisions of your grown-up adult life flow from an 18-year-old? No, because as you learn and grow and do different things, you get more data and you get more information. You're like, oh, this is what I love about being an actor. This is what doesn't suit me so well. And then you navigate more and more towards what you love and away from what you don't. And I don't think we have to have that all figured out at 26 or 40 or 18 or whenever.
SPEAKER_00:I think that's a great thing. I'm still learning, you know. Uh, I'm 55 right now and I'm still looking at different opportunities and different things. You know, all this has changed. And I think since COVID, a lot of us, I think this age range, we're like, what else is there? At least for me, I can say, what else is there? And that's why I like reading esoteric books or positive books or books that are all about challenging yourself and your mindset. And you know, your book is what I love, what I admire about it, it's not a dense book. It's an easy read. It's an easy read. You can pick it up, there's a flow. Next thing you're like, oh, 20 minutes have gone by and I've just read all this good material. And, you know, you because I do want to talk about your career because you've had a fascinating career. So why don't we talk about that to where you are now? Because, you know, you've had this eclectic life, you know, you you're directing, writing, producing, all these different things. So why don't we talk about some of the stuff that you've done to get us back to where I want to lead us to, which are some great ideas that you have in the book?
SPEAKER_01:Sure. So uh I came to Hollywood. Well, I came to LA when I was 17, started interning Hollywood when I was 19. I was like your typical little overachiever. You had to do one internship, so I did three. Um, I volunteered at the college radio station. I wrote a little bit for the school newspaper. I did everything I could do to graduate with a great resume. And you know what, Michael? Right, Hollywood didn't care. And I got out into the big, bad world and I was like, oh, okay, doesn't matter. Um and you know, now, gosh, young people are facing so many challenges. But when I graduated, the longest rider strike in history was happening. Right. Yeah. So there's always crazy challenges you can't predict, right? Um, so I struggled and starved for the first two years were really hard. I made very little money. I shared a bedroom in a bad neighborhood, drove an old car, broke down every three months, cost me$300 to repair it every time it broke down. Stress. And I didn't want to keep living with that level of stress. So um I kind of got a break when I got hired on that show you're referring to, Unsolved Mysteries, because it was a steady job and it was in TV and I made$13 an hour, which was$3 more than you can make working at the mall per hour. But it it got me in. And once I got a toe in, I was like, I'm getting a foot in and I'm getting the ankle in and I'm gonna keep going. So I was pretty aggressive in terms of um trying to get ahead there. And I did, and I worked there for years, like you as a producer. And then a certain point, while the um uh sometimes you wind up in environments that you judge as being a little bit paternalistic, and I kind of felt like they would never let me be a director. And at a certain point, I had grown to the point where I thought, oh, I want to be a director.
SPEAKER_00:Nice.
SPEAKER_01:Um so I moved on, I became a single camera director. Uh my favorite job ever was I was a director on Ripley's, believe it or not. I love that job so much. And after about five years, I became a multi-camera director, which was a big challenge. I didn't know what I was doing, and I didn't know I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't go to film school. You know, I learned all this stuff in the field as I was learning and growing. So I learned how to become a multi-camera director. And now I've been directing for 25 years and producing for longer than that, and done, if you count pilots, I've done 55 television productions as a director or a producer.
SPEAKER_00:That's amazing. I mean, you have such a fantastic career. And I love because in the book, you talk a lot about the stories, the ups and the downs and the highs and the lows. And, you know, that is something, you know, because you and I understand it is very rare when you're on a show for that long and afterwards you kind of go freelance. You know, I've been more in the indie feature world, and it's definitely many months with no work. So you have to bank your money and again not get dejected. And the one thing I always admire about you, and this to my audience, um, because I was like literally a young, I was like 20 years old. I was just a baby at this company, and I was learning and growing because I didn't know anything about Hollywood. This was my first job. Um, but Jeannie, you always had this spunk and this attitude and this smile. And I like this is high energy, and I love high energy people. And that was something because I was kind of a thing at one point in the office with like three women, and I again I was the little newbie kid. But again, there's just this energy, and I love that. And this to know that you did a book like this, like I wouldn't even doubt that in a million years. And it's so funny reading it and how you talk about having big energy and you know, and setting intentions and being motivated and don't letting those moments hit you. Because you know, again, I think it's okay to have those low moments, and I think what you talk about too, when you when we have these hiatuses or these times, it's like you don't squander it, you don't waste it. You know, you still, I think it's still the hustle. Um, another thing I really enjoyed about the book is so many times you talk about you're on a plane or you're somewhere and you just talk to somebody, and that story leads into something else, and you never know, just by talking to people, you know, how important that is, you know, randomly, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah. I mean, I do think like attracts like, and I do think if you're vibrating high, you attract great things into your life. I really do. Um, yeah, in chapter one, I interview an opera singer who I met on an airplane, and he's he was a terrific interview for this book. Um so yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And I I admire that again, you know. Um, my current girlfriend, my partner, you know, she we met in an event by accident, and her her goal was I want to meet five people. I happen to be one of those people. And look, so you know, it's just taking that step. And um so I just I just admire that. Sometimes I think we let fear get in the way and you never know what's going to turn out. Um another and go ahead. Sorry, Jeannie.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, well, I think I want I I want to like explore this a little bit because I think no matter what business you're in, whether it's TV, I mean, in TV, as producers, we're really good networkers. That's kind of the skill we have honed and developed because if we didn't, we wouldn't get work. But we weren't always like this, right? At least I wasn't. When I started out, I was like, I was never shy, but I was intimidated. I was intimidated by people that I judged as further along the path than me. Right. And I really have to get up my courage to call them and ask for meetings. And you know, I realized at the at about 23, I was like, okay, if I don't get bolder, I am not gonna make a living. I am not gonna support myself, no one's gonna hire me. I have to cowboy up. So that's a growth thing that any of us can learn. But I think just by talking to people and enjoying meeting people, you do wind up with these relationships. And all my best jobs, after a while, I learned I would always look for work, I'd send resumes and make calls and cold call, whatever. Right, right. All my best jobs have always come from people I know. And I've made an effort through the years to maintain those relationships when I'm working and when I'm not working. Yes. Because if I'm not working, they think of me and a call comes out of the blue. Yeah. And I'm like, oh, that's the job I want, not these three that I've been sending out resumes to. This is the job the universe is giving me. But I also feel like had I not been hustling, had I not been applying to jobs randomly and doing whatever I could, the universe wouldn't reward me with, no, this is what we want you to do. This is way better.
SPEAKER_00:And I I think you're absolutely the, you know, I do the same thing. I, you know, I spoke recently at a college. I like talking to the students, a film class, and I said, you know, you can't sit there and wait for the phone to ring. You actually have to make that first call because it'll never happen, especially in Hollywood. They don't have time, they got 20 other things, so you have to be proactive. And, you know, even when I'm not working, I still treat every day like a work day. And I put on the outfits I put on my outfit that I think I'm gonna look good in and my power. So even when I'm on the phone or whatever, I have to have that attitude. It's about bringing it. Um, so there's another great concept in your book, which I love. And again, so here's the funny thing: reading your book last week actually inspired me to restart the podcast 100%. I got the courage of like, you know what? I want to do this again because I miss it. And I want to spread messages like this and share books like that you have with other people and open up some other hope, happiness for people like, look, look at this book, you know, and maybe you know, it'll change their life or not, but at least hopefully it'll open up the idea. And one of the things you talk about is the big board, which I want to have you explain because I'm very much a very visual person and I have affirmations, but I have photographs and everything all over the house. I'm not lying everywhere I go, so I'm always constantly seeing my vision before I open the door, when I'm in the car, in the mirror. And you have this concept called the big board. And I want to have you explain that because it's very it's so easy, but it means a lot.
SPEAKER_01:So powerful. Yeah, yeah. So I'm not denying the power of vision boards. I think we all know how powerful they are because they work. This is not a vision board, this is something different. Um, and I'm not gonna give away all the goods because you've got to read it.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, okay, perfect, perfect, perfect. Yes, okay.
SPEAKER_01:However, I will say this is how I evolved using the board. And that was I was learning to be a producer. And, you know, a producer starts with a big idea, like we're gonna do a TV show, and this is gonna be the story, and there's gonna be 50 people involved. Okay, great. Now, between getting that on the air and now there's I don't know, just a zillion steps in between. There's people that have to be hired, a budget that has to be managed, there's props, there's costumes, there's wardrobe, there's all these details. And that um gets overwhelming. And it's also hard to like organize it all. So, because, like you said, you're a visual person, we're all visual people. We're all visual voyeuristic people. That's just being human, right? So I realized I could adapt a technique and a physical tool I was exposed to in the production offices. That we all used as producers to get a TV show on the air, produce my life, and to bring me what I wanted in my life. And what I wanted was to be constantly making prob progress on my goals and achieving some of those goals. And I found the board, which I adapted from a board in TV, to be more productive for me than simply a vision board. Right.
SPEAKER_00:No, I love it. And I actually I've implemented that. I think I shared with you. Um, and again, there's a couple of things I wrote out for myself for this week. Um, because you know, I the book came out last week and I read it. And this week I put together a goal for me for this Monday through Friday to get certain things done. And for me, I have my own way where I write everything and I like to check it off for the day. You know, I like to be proactive and I feel like, wow, I got accomplished. Even if I list 10 things, I get five. Hey, I did something. You know, some days I don't complete, but I always have to get at least a couple of checks off of my to-do list. And again, that's always, and that's not like cleaning the house or make coffee. It's like, no, putting things in motion, making a phone call, sending out an email, reading a script. Yeah, things are gonna propel whatever it is we're doing and staying in that in that mindset. And I'm glad that you have an audio version because a lot of times when I walk my dog in the morning, that's when I put on my positive pot, uh, you know, esoteric books or those like again, another 30 minutes. So I and I think your book would be the same thing where it's not like it's not like a lot of work to do. Like, oh my gosh, all this homework. Like, no, it's just stories, but it's feelings, and you're like, oh my gosh, I can totally connect with that. Men are women. I'm telling you, this is not a woman's book, this is a general, awesome kick-ass book. And I think everyone would absolutely really um benefit from it. You know, that's why I legitimately bought copies for Christmas gifts because I want to share this. I want to share your book out there because I think you have something that's very powerful. And you know, another aspect of the thing that you talk about is finding your tribe, which we hear that a lot, having your inner circle. Sure, we can have tons of friends, but you know, talk about that because I think that's important. So powerful.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and you know, you're from Oakland, right?
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah, Bay Area.
SPEAKER_01:I would be from San Francisco. It's not like we grew up in the sticks, we grew up in California on the West Coast, you know, presumably surrounded by creative, open-minded people. And yet, and yet, you know, when I would announce to people I'm gonna move to Hollywood and work in TV, I got so much negativity thrown on me. And I thought, you know, I'm not saying I want to walk on the moon, I'm not saying I want to play for the NBA. Yeah, clearly, this is possible. Yeah, and one thing I like to remind myself is like, just because someone else says you can't do it, that might be them saying they can't do it. It doesn't mean you can't do it. Absolutely. So you have to really get your head in the right place where when that kind of energy comes at you, you go, Oh, he couldn't do it. Okay. You don't say that because you wouldn't be a jerk. Yeah, but it's like, don't I like don't underestimate me. You don't know what I could do, what I can't do. Um yeah, so to that end, because I felt a dearth of that in San Francisco, I had to get myself to LA. And and and I faced a lot of challenges doing that too. Um, that wasn't, I was the first one in my college to go, I'm the first one of my family to go away to college. I had to really push to come to LA. And I knew it was important because I knew I wanted to be around other people who didn't think this was such a highfalutin, crazy ambition, right? And I got here and I remember like I started saying what I wanted to do. And I remember my freshman year boyfriend was like, Oh yeah, my uncle was a studio chef. I'm like, What's a studio chef? Oh, well, you know, he cooks for the actor in the TV studio. And I was like, no kidding, that's a job. And the more I said what I wanted to do, I'd meet someone else who's like, Yeah, well, I want to be a director. I'm like, I didn't even understand what a director was. I really didn't for a long time. Like I said, I didn't, I didn't go to film school per se. So you start to meet these other people who then open you up to other opportunities and other ideas and expand your consciousness of what's even possible. Yeah. Um, like you, I thought you thought you wanted to be an actor. I think it's so common when you're a teenager. I thought I wanted to be a talk show host. And so I was like, right, I'm gonna move away. At the time, the path was move away to a small market and do news and make$20,000 and go broke and work in the snow. And I was gonna do all that, but then the universe intervened and was like, no, we have other plans for you. And I got on that on that show we talked about mysteries, and I was like, wait, this is great. I'm I'm a producer of a top 10 network TV show with 40 million viewers, and I'm 25, and I live in the place I want to live in the sunshine year-round. I'm like, I'm not gonna move away and do news. So it works out how it's supposed to. You you gotta kind of have a little faith along the way. But I really do think if you're if you're open and up for it, the right things happen.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. I think you that's it. You have to be open and you have to just let the universe. I mean, again, because I know people they'll just sit there all day long, like wait for the universe. Like, no, no, you actually have to put in the work, you know, you have to put it out there for the universe to guide you and help you because yeah, you can't just sit there and watch any dreaming.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, daydreaming, and that's pleasant to knock yourself out, but it's not gonna get you a career.
SPEAKER_00:No, you got to put in the work, and again, I think that's the great thing. You you do it, and you you might realize oh, you know, these skill sets transfer into other areas. And you know, I tell people that like sometimes when I talk to these students, and like, well, I'm only a barista, I said, Well, first off, you're around people, so you have to you have to work in a fast-paced environment, you're dealing with money, you're dealing with you know personalities, you're perfect for Hollywood. So just you can take that and build off of it, but you already have a sense, you know, of of something you have responsibilities, you have duties, whatever that is. So you can take those small grains and then just cultivate it into you know something that's gonna blossom. And don't ever think, oh, I can't like well, no, you can't, and again, not not even just in the movie world, but in other jobs, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, um, I I think there's two really powerful words there. You said cultivate and you said grow. And they're both active words when you're cultivating something, you're nurturing it, you're working on it, when you're growing something, same same thing, those are verbs, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I love it. I I get off on this stuff, and this is why I'm so I I like I really, really didn't enjoy the book. So, okay, what what are you doing right now? I know we're I know we're we're um promoting the book, all those elements, but what else? Are you on any shows right now? Are you uh anything we can look forward to? What's what is Jeannie up to? I know you travel a lot, too. You're all over the world.
SPEAKER_01:Jeannie's too. Yeah, I I really love foreign travel, so I made an effort to set up a lifestyle that would support that. I wanted to be able to afford foreign travel. I wanted to be able to have friends to go with who had the time and the money to do that with me. So that's always been a goal. Um I am just doing this. This has been in me for so long, and it feels like the right time. And you know, the third part of my book is all about personal finance. Yes, because you gotta get your money right. If you want to have a creative career, this is how it's gonna go. It's gonna go like this.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So you have to make yourself like this. And when you and I worked on that show together, you know, I was staffed for five years, and then I got made freelance and continued to freelance for three years. Well, that decimated my income by tens of thousands of dollars. Right. That was a big adjustment. Um, when I was on Ripley's Believe It or Not, there were three of us who were writer, producer, directors. And it was such a great deal. The first year I did it, and I was like, oh, they're never gonna let this go on because they had to keep paying us when shows got canceled. I'm like, they're gonna wise up. And sure enough, the next year we were all made freelance.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:So every time that happens, it means my income drops by tens of thousands of dollars.
SPEAKER_00:Right.
SPEAKER_01:So part of what I wanted to write about was not just airy fairy stuff about follow your dreams, but how are you gonna pay for these dreams? Because money matters. Like the third part of my book is called Money Matters, and it's a play on words. It's like money. So um the reason I'm I'm talking about this way is because I was able to kind of retire young. When COVID happened, I was on a show, I was staff, I'd been doing it for three and a half years. It was the show House Hunters on HGTV. It's been on for like 20 years, it wasn't gonna go anywhere. Right. And I just decided I didn't want to do it anymore. Three and a half years was enough. Right. And I wasn't I hadn't been planning on retiring, but I thought, you know what? I can. I can retire early. Right. I can travel more, and I can take the time it's gonna take to write this book and get this book and the audio book out into the world and travel and give speaking engagements and talks related to it. So um that's that's where I am. And it feels really good.
SPEAKER_00:It's nice too, because like I said, you know, um, the finance is important, especially when we are freelance. And, you know, I think in the past few years I've gotten a lot smarter with my money, and I do owe a lot of that to um I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sadie. Like that book really opened up my eyes to like, wow, I can live a rich life. I can pay off my bills, but if I set aside and you know have my guilt-free spending, that's fine. It's all relative. But now I make sure I've got my stuff taken care of first, my bills, or all that, then I can go play. So, like the other day, I went to go buy something and I read your book. And I had said to my, I told my girlfriend, I'm like, do I really need it? I don't really need that. I want it, but do I need it? And I opted not to. And it was just more of that thing because it's the same, you know, build up your nest egg first, then you can go play, but also be realistic because again, who who thought of COVID? Who thought we were gonna have all these strikes? Luckily, I prepared myself, but if I didn't, I would have been screwed. And so that's another great thing for there's another reason why I want to give it to my daughter. It's about finance and just planning properly. And again, you can live an awesome life, but it's like another great, oh, I don't want to talk like you know, you're at the tennis club and getting that job. And it's like, hey, I can't afford this club, but I got a job here. So you're you're having all the benefits while not having to spend it. And these are little, you know, nuggets I loved in the book, you know, these stories and these analogies. So yeah, it is, I think, important to understand how to enjoy your life, but also you want to start thinking about that future because it's gonna come sooner than we think. And especially with the healthcare and everything that's going on right now, you gotta have a little bit set aside.
SPEAKER_01:I think for me, Michael, that the central heart of it, the purpose, the central everything is quality of life. Yes, like you want to have a good quality of life, whatever that looks like for you. And the way I did it by managing my finances from an early age. I mean, at one point, and I mean, I think I was 26, I quadrupled my salary. That's pretty heady stuff. Right. And I traded myself to a few things. I wanted seasoned theater tickets, I did that. There's a few things. Um, I even literally talk about like thousand thread count sheets when I was got a big, my first big multi-carib job. I'm like, I want those really expensive sheets. Because for me, that was just a nice quality of life thing. Yes, yeah. But what I was buying with, you know, I talk in the book two about you know, not eating all your money and not spending all this money on fast food stuff, those little decisions made over time, you wouldn't think made a big difference. I'm here to tell you, they absolutely did. And what I bought with that money was my freedom. Yeah. So when COVID was going on, and I thought, you know what? It was before vaccines and the show was starting back up. And I'm like, I don't, I don't want to do this. And I had the freedom not to. Right. And many times over the years, I would see a colleague take a job that like I knew that was going to be a terrible job. And I would think, why is he taking that job? Like those producers are mean and a horrible schedule. And why is he doing that? And then, you know, I go so it's like, oh, he has to because he's out of money. He had he's desperate for a job. So what I wanted people to do is to like take care of their personal finance so that they'd never be in a position where they had to take a crummy job. Because you talk, you hear, you know what are the bad jobs and the bad places to work. But if the rubber meets the road and you're squeezed, I just don't want you to ever have to be in that position. I want you to have freedom and independence. Or like, um, I think I'd tell this anecdote in the book. Uh, I had directed a Discovery Channel series and I got offered a second Discovery Channel series, but I had just planned a month-long safari to Africa with a friend that I'd been looking forward to for years. And I was like, do I do the job? It was good money, it was a boss I liked, and it was a it was a hit show. Uh, it was ghost hunters. In fact, it was doing something on ghost hunters on Discovery. Um, I was like, if I don't do this trip to Africa right now, I have someone to go with, she can take a month off too. I've set it all up. I'm like, no, I'm leaving the money on the table of going to Africa. Um now, I wasn't 26 and just coming up in my career, I was more like 40. So I had some money built up. So I had the the luxury of being able to say no to that money. But that's what I want people to have.
SPEAKER_00:I want them to have freedom and quality of life. Yeah, it is meaningful and it could be whatever it whatever is that works for you, but it is important because life is, you know, it throws curveballs at us, and you want to do these things now. Um, and and why put it off? You know, like I just got back from Italy like three weeks ago, and it was great. It's like I want to do that now. I want to walk the cobblestone streets. All I want to enjoy it now, not when I'm 75 and retired and I can't walk. Like, no, let's go. And it, I was afraid to like, oh, if I left for two weeks, what if someone calls me? You know what? No one called, I didn't miss anything. And because I've done that, I've changed vacations before, you know, through my life, I've canceled things for the shitty job to the asshole bosses. I'm like, why'd I do that? And you know, it was one of those stupid things. I remember so back in the day when I I'm divorced now, but my first marriage, and I was on a movie, and we got married, and I didn't do the honeymoon because I had to come back to work. And this was a hundred million dollar movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ridley Scott at Warner Brothers, and they pulled the plug. Warner Brothers says, We're not doing the movie. They fired everybody, they go, We're not doing the movie. So I'm like, wait a minute, I canceled my honeymoon to come back to work, and then that but that's also made me realize everyone's vulnerable because if you're pulling the plug on that type of a movie, no one is safe in Hollywood. So there's certain parts when we get older, like, you know what? Yeah, like go take the trip, go do the thing.
SPEAKER_01:You think corporate America doesn't get downsized? Yes, look at what's happening to people in tech, and you know, we'll talk five years from now and it'll be a different thing. Oh, yeah. So you never know what's coming. Who picture a global pandemic? They wrote about it for years, and I always had it in my consciousness, but who knew it would come now so fast? Who knew Hollywood would get decimated like it's been decimated over the past three years since COVID and since the two strikes? So it's like I'm trying not to swear, crap is gonna come at you. Yeah, absolutely. You can't even imagine what it's gonna be. So that's why you gotta make yourself really steadily mentally, emotionally, financially, right so that you can ride out those waves by going, that's okay. I have my money saved, yeah, my health is good, my mind is together, I can ride out the storm, you know.
SPEAKER_00:I love it. I love I love this. Are you gonna be on any talk shows? No, I'd love to. Let's just get you all this. We need to get you on all. I don't again, I haven't watched TV, so I don't watch data on television. I know there's all in, but you this is definitely, you know, for the view, or I don't even know what shows are on. I just know the view is the only one that I've I've heard of. Um but I just think again, this is something too, because you have that vibe, you've got the energy, and you know, this is so so beautiful, and I'm so happy. Um so as we wrap this up, let me ask you a question. I like to ask everybody, what's in your playlist right now? What is Jeannie? What are you either listening to or reading? I'm like, what's in your playlist? Just for fun.
SPEAKER_01:Like, you know. Okay, let me tell you what I'm reading. Um, so I'm reading the book Desi about Desi Arnaz. Okay. Um, you know, a lot of people know Desi was um credited with creating the three-camera setup for how sitcoms have been shot since the 1950s. And um, it's just a really interesting read, even if you don't care about the tech of TV, because I didn't I never knew he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, was just very wealthy in Cuba, had everything. And then to what we were just talking about, the government collapsed, the dictator was shipped over, and he came here penniless and was in Miami and you know, had to just hard scrabble hustle. You know, he'd gone from the top to the bottom to back to the top again. And I think there's so many lessons in a book like that for all of us, if you're gonna work on a TV show or not, um, because it's all it's all that same stuff that helps you succeed, right? Whatever your venue is. Nice.
SPEAKER_00:Um, any shout outs that you want to give? We're definitely gonna plug the book. I'll put it into the link. We'll have the link to the to the audio, to the hardcover, to the soft cover. Um, also, I know I think you do speaking engagements. I saw that on your website too, right?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I I have oddly enough spoken at the Beijing Film Academy and the Shanghai Film School. Nice. And I talk regularly at Tulane because New Orleans is my favorite American city.
SPEAKER_00:Okay.
SPEAKER_01:So uh I love connecting with young people that way. I'm always happy to do that.
SPEAKER_00:All right. Well, Jeannie, thank you so much. This is such a pleasure. I'm so glad you inspired me to restart this again. Um, I really have got this newfound energy this week. And I'm not even lying, I'm actually being so sincere. Um, it's a wonderful read, but also too, I just think you're you know, you're just awesome. Like you're an awesome individual. There's certain people that come together in your life, and we went many years without seeing each other, and then I think we caught up again and we reconnected, and that's nice to have that oh, that season's coming back, and here's why. You know, so I want to thank you for being not only a guest, but being an awesome person, just individually, just even the stories and how you are and how you interact. Um, we need people like that uh all around us. And I just think you're fantastic. And I want to say thank you so much for being a guest.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you, Michael. This was so much fun. I really enjoyed it.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, until next time. This is your host, Michael Jones. Uh, who knows how I'm gonna have next week, but we'll keep you posted. Thank you, everybody. I'll talk to you soon. Bye bye. Don't miss out on the next episode. Subscribe. Now on all streaming platforms in your area. Join us as we celebrate the extraordinary moments that shape our lives. And I'm looking forward to hearing your story and your success. In the Moment is produced by Silverheart Productions LLC, original music and composition arranged and performed by Zach Jones and Matheson Nishquan. Thank you so much for being part of the show and keep manifesting joy and happiness daily.
