No Map Included

What does it take to keep building a creative career when the industry around you keeps changing?

Photographer and director Cedric Angeles and producer Karin Fittante have spent decades working across photography, magazines, commercial production, and film. We talk about the realities of freelancing, the uncertainty that comes when work slows down, and learning to adapt as technology and the creative industries continue to change.  

We also get into what happens during the quieter periods: continuing to create when nobody is paying you to, finding your way back to the work that inspired you in the first place, and trusting that creative careers move in cycles. 

And we talk about Chingona, the documentary we're currently making together about female boxers in Mexico City, and the very real uncertainty of following a story when you don't know exactly where it will lead. 

If you're somewhere in the ebb and flow of a creative career yourself, I'd love to hear what keeps you creating when the work slows down.

Follow No Map Included for more conversations about the parts of life and creative careers that don't come with a roadmap.

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Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

Actor Taylor Nichols has spent more than 30 years working in an industry where very little can be planned.

Recently, he took on a different kind of journey: riding his bicycle 3,461 miles over 53 days, from San Francisco to his childhood home in Michigan. What started as a conversation about that ride became a conversation about the similarities between navigating a long bike trip and building a life in the arts.

Taylor talks about never following a traditional career plan while still knowing what he wanted: to work. We talk about the difference between having a direction and having a map, why detours can sometimes lead somewhere worthwhile, and what more than three decades in acting have taught him about navigating the headwinds and tailwinds of a creative career.

We also get into the realities of being a working actor: taking almost every job that came his way, wondering whether saying no might sometimes have served him better, and watching the industry change dramatically in recent years.
More than anything, this is a conversation about continuing to work without pretending you can control where every turn will take you.

Connect with Taylor

Taylor co-hosts Bike Talk, a radio show and podcast about bicycling, transportation, and building safer communities.

If you're building a creative career of your own, I'd love to know what your version of the headwind and tailwind has looked like.

And if you know someone finding their way through a career that doesn't come with a clear roadmap, send this conversation their way.

Follow No Map Included for new conversations every Tuesday.

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Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

Some ideas stay with us for years before we're finally ready to act on them.

For Denise Soler Cox, that idea became Being Enye, a documentary exploring what it means to grow up between cultures, belonging everywhere and nowhere at the same time. But making the film ended up changing much more than her career. It led to keynote speaking, a new book, and conversations with thousands of people who finally felt seen in their own stories. 

In this conversation, we talk about identity, belonging, and what happens when the life you've been building collides with the life that's unfolding around you. Denise reflects on carrying the feeling of never being "enough," why enoughness is ultimately a decision rather than an achievement, and how choosing to be enough for this moment can be more powerful than waiting to feel ready. 

We also explore the stories we keep hidden, the guilt that can come with sharing our own experiences through creative work, and why some of the hardest things we carry are often left "not to be disturbed and definitely not to be discussed." 

Toward the end of our conversation, Denise shares what happened when her speaking career was suddenly turned upside down while she was writing her book. It's an honest reminder that life doesn't wait for one chapter to finish before the next one begins, and that we can be both powerful and unfinished at the same time. 

Connect with Denise

Website | Instagram

Connect with Yessi

LinkedIn | Instagram

Denise's new book, What Will They Say?, releases August 19. Through deeply personal stories, she explores the unspoken rules many of us grow up with, the ones that teach us to stay quiet, put ourselves last, and keep difficult things "not to be disturbed and definitely not to be discussed." It's a powerful invitation to question the expectations we inherit and make room for a life that feels more honest and more fully our own.

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Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

What happens after you've achieved a goal you've spent years working toward?

In this episode of No Map Included, I sit down with filmmaker Erin Brown Thomas for a conversation about independent filmmaking, creative endurance, and building a sustainable career in an industry that's constantly changing.

After premiering her one-shot film Chasers at the Sundance Film Festival, Erin reflects on what followed: navigating imposter syndrome alongside recognition, discovering that every milestone brings its own set of challenges, and continuing to trust herself as a filmmaker.

We also get into the realities of building a long-term creative career, learning to trust your instincts, balancing collaboration with your own creative voice, handling criticism, and redefining success beyond awards or festivals.

More than anything, this conversation is about staying connected to the work itself. Because if there isn't really a finish line, maybe success has less to do with arriving somewhere and more to do with continuing to make things that feel true to you. 

About Erin Brown Thomas

Erin Brown Thomas is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and director whose one-shot film Chasers premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She is also the founder of Salute Your Shorts Film Festival and continues to develop original films and television projects while championing independent storytelling. 

Connect with Erin Brown Thomas

Website: https://erinbrownthomas.com/
 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisorganic/
 Salute Your Shorts Film Festival: https://www.saluteyourshortsfest.com/

Send us Fan Mail

Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

We spend so much time looking for the right decision. Should we keep going? Should we let something go? Is something difficult because it's worth pursuing, or because we're forcing it?

In this episode of No Map Included, I sit down with Equus coach Sue Willoughby to talk about self-trust, changing directions, and becoming more comfortable with uncertainty. We explore the difference between resistance and forcing something that no longer feels right, why curiosity can be more helpful than certainty, and what happens when we stop believing we have to figure out the rest of our lives all at once.

We also talk about people pleasing, judgment, listening to our bodies, and why changing your mind isn't necessarily the same thing as giving up.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How to know when it's time to change directions
• The difference between something being difficult and something feeling forced
• Learning to trust yourself when there's no clear path
• Why making the decision is often harder than taking the first step
• The role curiosity plays in navigating uncertainty
• What horses can teach us about awareness, boundaries, and self-trust
• People pleasing, inner judgment, and learning to listen to ourselves
• Why not every decision has to be forever

Connect with Sue Willoughby

• Website: willoughbycoaching.com
• Instagram: @sue_willoughby

If you're in a chapter where you're questioning what comes next, I hope this conversation reminds you that you don't need to have the entire path figured out before taking the next step.

Send us Fan Mail

Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

What happens when the future you've been planning for suddenly disappears?

After retiring from a 43-year career as a pastor, Dr. Brad Miller expected to spend more time traveling with his wife, enjoying retirement, and becoming a grandfather. Instead, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

In this conversation, we talk about grieving the future you thought you were going to have, the difference between hope and toxic positivity, and why taking even the smallest action can help when life feels completely uncertain.

We also explore the framework Brad developed after his diagnosis—Action, Connection, Thinking, and Service—and why purpose often isn't something you find all at once, but something that slowly emerges through the way you keep showing up.

This episode is about the moments that force us to rethink who we are, what matters, and how we keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan.

In this episode:

• Grieving the future you expected
• Why humor became part of Brad's healing
• Action vs. staying stuck
• Hope without toxic positivity
• Separating identity from external validation
• Why serving others can help us heal
• How purpose grows over time instead of arriving all at once

Connect with Dr. Brad Miller

Podcast: Cancer and Comedy

Website: https://cancerandcomedy.com/follow

Connect with Yessi Sanchez

Instagram

LinkedIn

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Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

In this episode of No Map Included, I sit down with my friend, collaborator, and Artak Pictures co-founder Floriane Andersen to talk about something we've both been thinking about a lot lately: boundaries.

When you're starting out, saying yes to everything can feel like the only option. But eventually there comes a point where every "yes" starts costing you something, your time, your energy, your health, or the work that matters most to you.

We talk about how producing changed the way we think about responsibility, why ambition and competitiveness aren't the same thing, and how learning to protect your time can actually make you more intentional about the career you're building.

We also pull back the curtain on the film festival circuit, what people see on social media versus what it's actually like behind the scenes, and how Floriane approached this year's festival run very differently after burning out the year before.

More than anything, this conversation is about redefining success. Not by asking, "How much can I accomplish?" but by asking, "What kind of life am I actually building?"

If you've ever struggled to say no, found yourself constantly chasing the next opportunity, or wondered how to build a creative career without losing yourself in the process, I think you'll find something in this conversation.

Connect with us!
Floriane Andersen

Yessi Sanchez

Artak Pictures
https://artakpictures.com

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment, send me a message, or subscribe to No Map Included wherever you listen to podcasts. Your messages often shape future conversations, and I'd love to know what part of this episode stayed with you.

Send us Fan Mail

Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

In this episode of No Map Included, I look back on one of the biggest creative experiments I've ever taken on: making a zero-budget vertical series for social media.

Before moving on to the next chapter, I wanted to unpack what this project taught me.

I talk about what surprised me, what didn't work the way I expected, what I loved about producing for social media, and what ultimately made me realize that the kinds of stories I want to tell belong somewhere else.

Every project teaches you something.

Sometimes it confirms the direction you're already heading.

Sometimes it changes the next decision you make.

For me, LOVE/HATE became both.

I tried something I'd never done before. Here's what worked. Here's what didn't. And here's how it's shaping the way I approach storytelling going forward.

Watch LOVE/HATE

https://instagram.com/thisislovehate

https://tiktok.com/@thisislovehate 

Send us Fan Mail

Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

In this episode of No Map Included, I sit down with Dr. Laurie Bruce, a clinical psychologist, mindfulness coach, and host of the podcast From Both Sides of the Couch, for a conversation about major life transitions, identity shifts, grief, and learning how to navigate uncertainty when you don't know what's next.

With more than 25 years of experience, Dr. Bruce helps people build resilience, regulate their nervous systems, and move through life's challenges with greater self-awareness and compassion. Through her work and her podcast, she explores mental health, burnout, relationships, emotional wellness, and the very human experience of healing from both the clinician and client perspective.

Together, we talk about what it means to be in the messy middle of a major pivot. Laurie shares her experience navigating an unexpected divorce after thirty years of marriage, while I reflect on stepping away from acting after nearly three decades of building my identity around it. 

We explore grief, uncertainty, resilience, and the stories we tell ourselves when a chapter of our lives comes to an end. We also talk about therapy, the importance of allowing yourself to be supported, and why healing often begins when we stop trying to rush through difficult emotions.

We also share some of the resources that have helped us navigate change, including Atomic Habits, The Pivot Year, This Is How You Heal, Yoga with Adriene, The Wellness Scoop, and MadFit. 

And if you're currently navigating your own transition, whether it's a career pivot, the loss of a relationship, the end of a dream, or simply not knowing where you're headed next, I hope this conversation reminds you that uncertainty isn't something to solve. Sometimes it's where the next chapter begins.

Connect with Dr. Laurie Bruce:

Podcast: From Both Sides of the Couch
Website: www.drlauriebruce.com

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you. And if you know someone currently finding their way through a major life transition, send this episode their way.

Send us Fan Mail

Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

In this episode of No Map Included, I share a real update on Stay/Away and why, after feeling stagnant for so long, the project suddenly feels alive again.

I talk about bringing a Swiss production company on board, officially deciding to move forward with the proof of concept short film, and what happens when a project you've been carrying privately for years starts becoming real in the outside world.

We get into financing, grant applications, development strategy, casting, language, and the practical realities of independent filmmaking; the parts that are far less glamorous than people often imagine, but essential to getting a film made.

I also talk about why I changed my mind about making the proof of concept, what I'm learning about collaboration, and how Stay/Away is becoming a bridge between my life in Los Angeles and my roots in Switzerland.

And because this story is deeply personal, I reflect on the emotional side of the process too: vulnerability, self-image, stepping back in front of the camera, and what it means to tell a story that comes from such a real place.

More than anything, this episode is about the moment a project stops feeling like an idea and starts becoming something tangible with all the excitement, uncertainty, and responsibility that comes with it.

And if you're building something of your own and waiting for momentum to arrive, I hope this episode reminds you that sometimes things are moving long before you can see the results.

Send us Fan Mail

Listen to No Map Included

No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out.

If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.