Episodes

  • Are You Controlling Your Destiny or Working for Others?
    Oct 28 2024

    Today’s episode was ripped directly from one of our 10,000 NOs Insiders Acting Community weekly zooms where Matt addresses the challenges that face our members. Today, Matt shares some of the inspiration he received from a podcast that he has become obsessed with: Founders. Drawing from stories of great filmmakers, entrepreneurs and athletes, Matt discusses the parallels between the attributes of those who have achieved greatness in other fields with the attributes required for success as an actor, writer or filmmaker. Success leaves clues. Ultimately, it comes down to what you want: to forge your own path and attempt to create your own destiny or follow a beaten path, that requires less responsibility in comparison, by working for someone else.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

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    10 mins
  • Playing Unlikeable Characters Without Judging Them
    Oct 21 2024

    Today’s episode was ripped directly from one of our 10,000 NOs Insiders Acting Community monthly VIP zooms with an industry insider. Casting Director Stephanie Holbrook (Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, John Wick Chapter 3), who has been featured in other episodes of the show, asked Matt about how he wraps his head around playing unlikeable characters, like the one she cast him in Long Bright River.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

    FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

    FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE A 10,000 NOs INSIDER

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    6 mins
  • Pivot When Necessary
    Oct 14 2024

    Today’s episode was ripped directly from one of our 10,000 NOs Insiders Acting Community weekly zooms where Matt addresses the challenges that face our members. Today, we discuss the fact that there is a certain stubbornness required in following our own path, it is also necessary for us to constantly assess what we are doing and get honest about whether those actions are the best way for us to reach our goals.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

    FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

    FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE A 10,000 NOs INSIDER

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • Tom Fontana: Just Keep Writing
    Oct 11 2024

    “I had to sleep on people’s couches for a while, because I had no money. And I remember saying to God or whoever… ‘if I can make a living as a writer, I promise you I will write every day.’ So I made this deal with the universe and now I’m stuck with it.”

    Today’s episode is a special, old-school 10,000 NOs format longform sit-down conversation with legendary television writer and showrunner, Tom Fontana. His awards and accolades are a mile long, but what you’ll hear is a guy from humble beginnings in Buffalo, who loves to write, loves to ask questions, and loves to give back and mentor others the way his mentors helped him.

    10,000 NOs podcast is now in it’s 2.0 phase: after a long pause from late 2021 to late 2023, it has returned in a more raw format: shorter episodes, like the Monday Morsels of yesteryear (they may be short, solo riffs by Matt on central themes of the pod, excerpts from Matt’s 10,000 NOs Insiders Community Zooms, or excerpts from Insiders VIP sessions with VIPs from the entertainment interview and beyond). Be on the look out as, every now and then, we will likely drop some old school, long-form, classic 10,000 NOs interviews as bonus episodes.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

    Prefer to WATCH (versus listen)? SUBSCRIBE to 10,000 NOs YouTube Channel HERE

    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

    FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

    FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE A 10,000 NOs INSIDER

    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
  • Tough Decisions for Artists in the Real World
    Oct 7 2024

    Today’s episode was ripped directly from one of our 10,000 NOs Insiders Acting Community weekly zooms where Matt addresses the challenges that face our members. Today, we discuss the discipline required for anyone pursuing a career in the Arts. It’s easy to talk about it in generalities, but tougher to do when surrounded by friends and family members who are not on the same path. This conversation will shed light on the pros and cons that can be looked at when making tough decisions.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

    FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

    FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE A 10,000 NOs INSIDER

    Show More Show Less
    7 mins
  • Soliciting Casting Directors: DOs and DON'Ts
    Sep 30 2024

    Today’s episode was ripped directly from one of our 10,000 NOs Insiders Acting Community monthly VIP zooms with industry insider, Casting Director Stephanie Holbrook (Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, John Wick Chapter 3), who cast Matt in the limited series Long Bright River, as well as a few other projects. She offers advice to actors about how far to go in forging relationships with casting directors without alienating them. Tons of gems from someone who has worked on many elite projects with great filmmakers.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

    FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

    FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE A 10,000 NOs INSIDER

    Show More Show Less
    8 mins
  • What if You Said NO?
    Sep 23 2024

    Today’s episode was ripped directly from one of our 10,000 NOs Insiders Acting Community weekly zooms where Matt addresses the challenges that face our members. Today, we discuss the possibility of not doing those things that everyone tells you “you should be doing”. Is saying No lazy? Or is saying No an extension of figuring out what you really want to do with your life and then doing, or not doing, that regardless of what the people around you think? Saying No to opportunities that don’t light you up creates space for you to take advantage of the opportunities you really want for yourself.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.

    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

    FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

    FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE A 10,000 NOs INSIDER

    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
  • Keep Clawing!
    Sep 16 2024

    Today’s episode was ripped directly from one of our 10,000 NOs Insiders Acting Community weekly zooms where Matt addresses the challenges that face our members. Today, he questions whether his constant advice to members to “bet on themselves” is great or dangerous. We discuss the inherent risks in betting on yourself but also how perseverance and refusal to quit almost always pay off over the long haul.

    10,000 NOs is here to inspire you and help you realize you are not alone if you’re battling to overcome rejection in your career or life.

    So, if you’re an actor, writer or filmmaker and you like what you hear in the snippets from our Insiders Acting Community zooms enough to want to be a part of it, CLICK HERE.

    Remember, “failure” is just opportunity in disguise, and you can flip the script to make your setbacks serve you.


    SHOW LINKS:

    10,000 NOs: THE BOOK

    SUBSCRIBE TO OUR (WEEKLY) NEWSLETTER

    FOLLOW MATT ON SOCIAL

    FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE A 10,000 NOs INSIDER

    Show More Show Less
    7 mins