The Nourish Podcast

Applications are now open for The Filmmaker Reset Circle, a new weekly group coaching space for filmmakers navigating burnout, disconnection, uncertainty, and misalignment in their work and life. The Reset Circle begins in August 2026 and is limited to 10 participants. Learn more and apply at: members.thenourish.community

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In this solo episode, Nourish founder, filmmaker, and coach for filmmakers Jon Bregel explores burnout through the lens of his own life, career, and recent experience navigating exhaustion in real time.

This episode comes from a season where Jon was beginning to feel burnout rise back to the surface. In the conversation, he reflects on the emotional weight of filmmaking, the hidden cost of success, the pressure to stay available, and the ways burnout can quietly shape a creative life long before we fully recognize it.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• Why burnout often looks like continuing, not stopping.

• How success, momentum, and being in demand can make burnout harder to recognize.

• The physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual signs of burnout.

• Why the question “at what cost?” can become a powerful filter for creative decisions.

• How fear can shape boundaries, productivity, and identity.

• Why naming burnout out loud can be an important first step toward healing.

• How filmmakers can begin building a more sustainable relationship to their work, energy, and lives.

This episode is an honest reflection on what happens when the work we love begins to quietly disconnect us from ourselves. It is also a reminder that burnout does not have to be carried alone.

Join the Nourish Community for weekly conversations, live events, coaching opportunities, and support for filmmakers pursuing wellness, meaningful relationships, and purpose. Visit www.thenourish.community or follow us on Instagram at @thenourish.community

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Most filmmakers avoid LinkedIn because it feels corporate, awkward, or “not for creatives.” Director Michael Ryan Fagan thinks that mindset is quietly costing people jobs.

Michael is a comedy commercial director (Best Buy, LG, PayPal) who doubled down on LinkedIn over the last year and saw a real increase in meaningful conversations with decision-makers and booked work. In this episode, he breaks down what actually works, in a way that’s specific, practical, and doable.

We explore:

• Why LinkedIn’s algorithm helps you reach people you don’t know

• How to network without feeling gross or spammy

• What to post (including when the final work can’t be shared)

• The balance between “perfect work” and staying present

• How BTS and simple on-set moments can open doors

• Why “put yourself in a box” can make you easier to hire

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Book a 1-on-1 coaching call: jonathanbregel.com/coaching

⁠Book a Coaching Discovery Call w/ Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.JonathanBregel.com/Coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Free Course "The Filmmakers Wellness Roadmap": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thenourish.community⁠⁠

What does it take to grow in the film industry without slowly losing your sense of self along the way?

Director and cinematographer Luc Forsyth joins us to talk about navigating intensity, ambition, and identity while working in some of the most demanding documentary and unscripted environments in the industry.

We explore:

• What “losing yourself” looks like before it becomes obvious

• How to read your body’s signals when the work never slows down

• Where ambition has served him and where it’s come at a cost

• How to stay grounded in emotionally and physically intense projects

• Boundaries that only became visible in hindsight

• What it means to build a sustainable creative life over time

This conversation is an honest listen for filmmakers questioning pace, cost, and how they want to keep going.

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Follow Luc: @lucforsyth

Join the Nourish Community: ⁠www.thenourish.community⁠

Book a one on one coaching call: jonathanbregel.com/coaching

⁠Book a Coaching Discovery Call w/ Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.JonathanBregel.com/Coaching⁠⁠⁠⁠

Free Course "The Filmmakers Wellness Roadmap": ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thenourish.community⁠⁠

What does it look like to turn the most painful part of your life into a film screened around the world?

Actor and writer Michael Strassner joins us to talk about the real events that inspired his breakout film, The Baltimorons, including his failed suicide attempt, the recovery that followed, and how he eventually found the clarity and distance to turn that experience into a film.

We explore:

• Why some stories cannot be told until they have been lived and processed

• How safety, trust, and small collaborative teams shaped the film

• The imposter syndrome Michael felt stepping into his first lead role

• His daily practices that kept him steady during production

• How audience reactions have become part of his healing

• Why his creative philosophy centers on showing up one day at a time

Michael’s honesty and humor make this a powerful listen for anyone holding a personal story they hope to share.

Join the Nourish Community: www.thenourish.community

Book a one on one coaching call: jonathanbregel.com/coaching

⁠Book a Coaching Discovery Call w/ Jon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.JonathanBregel.com/Coaching⁠⁠⁠

Free Course "The Filmmakers Wellness Roadmap": ⁠⁠⁠www.thenourish.community⁠⁠

Is your ambition aligned with your wellbeing; or competing with it?

In this intermission-style update, ⁠Jon Bregel⁠; filmmaker, coach for filmmakers, and founder of The Nourish Community, opens up about the internal shift that’s been unfolding behind the scenes. After months of reflection, restlessness, and reevaluating his relationship to work, Jon shares why he’s choosing to expand Nourish slowly, intentionally, and from a place of presence & love rather than fear.

This episode explores:

• Why moving fast can feel productive, yet quietly pull you away from yourself

• What it looks like to rebuild your creative life around values instead of anxiety

• How reactivity in filmmaking shapes our nervous systems more than we realize

• The tension between opportunity, ambition, and inner alignment

• Why Jon is evolving Nourish into a coaching and consulting ecosystem over the next six months

If you’re craving a slower, more grounded way of building your creative life, this episode might be the perspective you need.

Book a Discovery Call with Jon: www.JonathanBregel.com/Coaching

Join us in the community: www.thenourish.community

⁠Book a Coaching Discovery Call w/ Jon: ⁠⁠⁠www.JonathanBregel.com/Coaching⁠⁠

Free Course "The Filmmakers Wellness Roadmap": ⁠⁠www.thenourish.community⁠⁠

Is the life you’ve built still the life you want? In this intermission episode, ⁠Jon Bregel⁠, filmmaker, coach for filmmakers, and founder of The Nourish Community, reflects on the personal and professional unraveling that led to a full reset. It’s a story of burnout, grief, therapy, and choosing to live from clarity instead of fear.

This episode digs deep into:

• Why success on paper can still leave you hollow

• What it really means to pause and reevaluate; without blowing up your life

• How grief and filmmaking collided for Jon in a way he didn’t expect

• The cost of fear-based productivity, even in “meaningful” creative work

• A new approach to defining success, sustainability, and personal health

If you’re currently standing at a crossroads, this episode might be the nudge you need.

Book a Discovery Call with Jon: ⁠⁠www.JonathanBregel.com/Coaching⁠⁠

Join us in the community: www.thenourish.community⁠⁠

Free Course + Free Community Trial @ ⁠www.TheNourish.community⁠

Book a Coaching Call w/ Jon Bregel @⁠ JonathanBregel.com/coaching

What does it actually mean to build a production company where people want to stay?

In this episode, we sit down with Jon Muedder and Bernardo Marentes, partners at Caravan, a full-service production and post company whose values show up not just in their client work but in how they lead, hire, and care for their team.

We explore how Caravan’s core values; ambition, thoughtfulness, adaptability, dependability, honesty, clarity, and transparency, shape their culture from the inside out.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• How to lead with humanity in high-stakes creative environments

• What systems support a thriving culture, even as you scale

• How to earn loyalty and trust without ego

• Why production companies should put people first and what that really takes

Whether you’re building a business, managing a team, or reimagining what leadership can look like in film, this episode will leave you inspired and equipped.

Caravan has collaborated with global brands like Nike, Meta, Peloton, and ESPN, and they’ve done it while staying true to a process built on care, clarity, and trust.

📍 Learn more: www.wearecaravan.tv

📸 Follow Caravan: @madebycaravan

🌱 Join The Nourish Community at www.thenourish.community

💬 Book a coaching call: jonathanbregel.com/coaching

Free Course + Free Community Trial @ www.TheNourish.community

Book a Coaching Call w/ Jon Bregel @ JonathanBregel.com/coaching

In this episode, we sit down with care producer and systems strategist Akima A. Brown, founder of Reel Families for Change, to explore what it means to build creative work environments rooted in care, not just output. Drawing from her experience as a mother, filmmaker, and advocate for more humane industry standards, Akima shares powerful insights on shifting from individual hustle to collective responsibility.

Through this grounded conversation, Akima talks candidly about her journey into the film industry, the burnout she witnessed firsthand, and how her role as a caregiver inspired her to reimagine production through a care-driven lens. She introduces the concept of a “Care Producer” and how that role is transforming what’s possible on set, from inclusive scheduling to real-time support for cast and crew.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• How the culture of hustle and overwork is silently pushing creatives out of the industry
  

• Why Akima created the role of “Care Producer” and how it’s being implemented on real productions
  

• What care-centered production actually looks like, from scheduling to compensation
  

• How filmmakers can shift toward collective responsibility without losing creative edge
  

• Why belonging, boundaries, and humane standards are essential to sustaining a creative life
  

Akima’s story is a compelling invitation to rethink the way we make films, not just in terms of the product, but in how we treat people along the way. Whether you’re an industry veteran or just starting your journey, this episode will challenge, inspire, and remind you that it’s possible to create meaningful work without sacrificing your well-being.

 Join the Nourish Community

Want to be part of conversations like this in real time? Join the Nourish Community, a space for filmmakers committed to meaningful, sustainable creative lives.

👉 Start your free trial at www.thenourish.community

📸 Follow us on Instagram @thenourish.community

And if you’re looking for personalized support, explore one-on-one coaching for filmmakers at JonathanBregel.com/coaching and book a discovery call today!

Free Course + Free Community Trial @ www.TheNourish.community

Schedule a 1-on-1 coaching Discovery Call at www.JonathanBregel.com/coaching

In this episode, we sit down with cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra to explore the often elusive idea of taste; where it comes from, how we sharpen it, and why it matters so deeply to creative work. Known for his emotionally resonant visuals in projects like The Studio, The Bear, Euphoria, and The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Adam brings a grounded and thoughtful perspective to the conversation.

Over the course of this dialogue, Adam shares how his personal sensibilities have evolved through years of practice, collaboration, and staying true to his gut. We explore how taste influences the stories we tell, the people we work with, and the culture we contribute to as filmmakers.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• What “taste” actually means for Adam

• How to develop your own creative compass, instead of imitating what’s trending

• Why your collaborators influence your taste as much as your inspirations

• The high cost of perfectionism and rigidity on set

• Listening as a creative superpower

• How Adam learned to trust himself more and stress less

Adam’s insight is both inspiring and practical, offering filmmakers a clear reminder to listen inward and let that inner compass lead the way.

Follow Adam on Instagram: @adamnewportberra

Explore his work: adamnewportberra.com

Join The Nourish Community for more conversations like this and connect with filmmakers committed to personal and professional growth.

Start your free trial at www.TheNourish.community or follow us on Instagram @thenourish.community.

Need support on your filmmaking journey? Schedule a 1-on-1 coaching Discovery Call at www.JonathanBregel.com/coaching.

Free Course + Free Community Trial @ ⁠www.thenourish.community⁠

Book a 1-on-1 coaching consult w/ Jon Bregel @ ⁠www.JonathanBregel.com/coaching⁠

In Part 2 of our clip show series “Embracing Uncertainty and Building Resilience,” we continue gathering insights from filmmakers who have faced seasons of uncertainty — and came out stronger, wiser, and more intentional.

You’ll hear from:

• Rod Blackhurst, Director (Amanda Knox, Here Alone) on redefining success beyond outside validation: https://www.rodblackhurst.com/
  

• Lindsey Hagen, Oscar qualified Director, Executive Producer and Development Executive with a focus on cause related storytelling,  on how filmmaking became a healing process after personal loss: https://lindseyhagen.net/
  

• Diego Contreras, Commercial Director,  on pitching, rejection, resilience, and growing through creative reinvention: https://www.thisisdiego.net/
  

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:

• How to navigate creative and financial setbacks with grace
  

• Why true resilience requires rethinking old definitions of success
  

• The emotional side of storytelling — and why it matters more than ever
  

• Tools for protecting your well-being while building your career
  

This episode is for anyone feeling the tension between passion and practicality — and for anyone wondering how to keep going when the path feels unclear.

Join the Nourish Community:

The Nourish Community is a space for filmmakers who want to nurture their creative lives from the inside out.

Start your free trial at ⁠www.thenourish.community⁠ and connect with filmmakers who are building careers centered around creativity, wellness, and purpose.

Coaching for Filmmakers:

If you’re seeking more personal support in navigating your creative and professional path, book a free 30-minute coaching consult at ⁠www.JonathanBregel.com/coaching⁠.