Ep115: How to Be So Thorough You Can’t Be Denied | with James Wilcox, ACE

<p>For some reason there seems to be this fallacy in Hollywood that someone has to “give you your big break” in order to make it in the industry, and in the meantime you’re just waiting for your big break to appear. The idea that you have to be in the right place at the right time, or worst of all, that you just need to have a lot of “luck” to make your dreams a reality (and you all know how I feel about the “L word”) must be a myth, right?</p> <p>Today’s guest is here to debunk that myth that success is about waiting for opportunity but instead all about making sure no one can outwork you, making sure you are ready for opportunities when they become available, and most importantly never giving someone the opportunity to tell you ‘No.’</p> <p>James Wilcox is an African-American award-winning editor who’s edited such shows as <em>Dark Angel, My Wife and Kids, Everybody Loves Chris, CSI Miami, Hawaii 5-0, Roots, Genius,</em> and he’s recently completed Ron Howard’s new film <em>Hillbilly Elegy</em>, to literally name just a few. (Seriously, <strong><a href= "https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0928219/" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">look up his IMDb page</a></strong>). What’s so fascinating about James’ path is that he’s made numerous transitions in his career including cutting news, comedy, drama, historical fiction, and feature films. In addition to such a wide variety of experience, James also sees himself as a pioneer for black editors and talks about the importance of providing mentorship to other people of color.</p> <p>In today’s conversation we cover topics like:</p> <ul> <li>How James prepares himself to be ready for opportunities when they are offered</li> <li>Why he sees himself as a pioneer for black editors and the importance of providing mentorship to other people of color</li> <li>The delicate balance of working hard and playing hard</li> <li>And the many stories of how he forged his varied and successful career path including how he became Ron Howard’s editor</li> </ul> <p><strong><a href= "htt