This is my first episode - and probably my first conversation ever - with an action actor (which is today's term for the profession I would've referred to as stuntman). Jon Schmidt fell into the work after time in the Peace Corps and then completing his MBA, when the job overseas that he had accepted fell through.

Jon explains how in the beginning of his career, he worried that saying no to a role might mean he'd never work again. I connected with that, though I work in a completely different field. Overpromising on performance is actually the greater risk; learning to undersell (or at least, promise from a realistic perspective) leads to trust, more opportunity, and a stronger network.

He also shares some of his insights into education, writing, and AI - again, points that fall close to home for me as a learning designer and writer.

And then in the final moments of our conversation, we talk about about the purpose in making yourself vulnerable, throwing yourself out into the world in front of others, and giving something your all. Are you striving for failure or for success?

I'll leave you with a question. What's your no-go fly zone? I don't know why, but that image really caught at my heart as a metaphor for discovering and accepting our limits, of any kind. Because it's doesn't always have to be about pushing beyond limits; sometimes, it's about working creatively within them.

You can follow Jon Schmidt on instagram @thejingleheimer and check out his past work on IMDB at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6869567/