LIFE CHANGING BOOKS, THE POWER OF SOCKS AND DANNY PASSMAN!

Welcome to Potentially Focused! It’s Tuesday morning, September 17th, and here's to making the most of our last days of summer! Today we... Share some great books to get to going this fall and reveal the secret power of socks!

Plus, we’ve got another great interviewee, Danny Passman , the founder of Crybaby Media!

In 2010, Danny Passman founded Crybaby Media, his unscripted TV development and casting company focused on (and wildly succeeding at) finding terrific unknown talent to front new unscripted series. Over the past 14 years, that focus has paid off for Danny, his team, and partners. Crybaby has created, cast, and sold over 25 airable projects across multiple genres for a wide variety of platforms. Always a master of partnership and collaboration, in 2018, Danny and Crybaby Media signed an exclusive overall deal with?Glass Entertainment Group.

Before launching his own company, Danny was a development executive at VH1 and fuse. And, in the digital media space, Danny was the Global Head of Programming & Content Acquisition at Joost after serving as Senior Creative Director at Dailymotion.??

Through it all, Danny has been a one-of-a-kind force in the entertainment industry.

First off, he’s for sure one of the funniest people in the unscripted game, but more than that he’s a master of relationships. He knows everyone and works hard at helping others expand their networks. While he was based out of New York, he was the driving force behind many memorable networking events, which helped so many deepen their relationships and provided some fantastic laughs and camaraderie. And if all that wasn’t enough, Danny has a deeply informed and sharp POV. He moves and talks quickly. If you can keep up with him, you are bound to benefit from the wisdom he shares, often while referring to you as “babe”. Or maybe that’s just to me…

Either way, I’m so appreciative of his friendship and excited to have him join us today. More about and from Danny soon!

Potentially Focused is a newsletter for busy people in the TV business (or not) who are curious. Everyone looking for a change. Anyone interested in new possibilities and potential. The stories we tell ourselves, the stories we tell others, and what makes us tick. Each edition shares at least one great piece of content on professional development and one centered on personal growth. It's practical information just a click away.

Please like, subscribe, and share with your favorite book nerd or sock enthusiast! No judgments here!

Thanks for your continued support and very kind comments!

Marco?

Let's get going...

THIS FALL'S BEST BOOKS TO HELP YOU MOVE FORWARD

Summer is closely associated with reading and usually, it's easy, breezy reads to match the easy breezy season. But whatever the time of year, reading is a great way to be entertained, learn and grow.

So, with the autumn upon us, we're sharing this great list of 12 books to read this fall from organizational psychologist and bestselling author, Adam Grant. His list is focused on change and potential, something we focus on every day here.

The books Grant recommends cover topics including career, change, connection, hope, and leadership. I highly suggest giving it a look if you're thinking about your next steps right now.

As a Malcolm Gladwell junkie, I'll be starting with Revenge of The Tipping Point, but plan on hitting quite a few of the 12.

Let us know in the comments which ones intrigue you.

Happy reading!

THE SECRET POWER OF SOCKS

Socks. Sometimes seen as a sartorial flourish, a little bonus to our wardrobe. Most often viewed as something utilitarian and unexciting.

But, in either case, rarely talked about. Today, here and now, socks finally get their due.

When we go to bed, most of us take off our socks. If you have trouble sleeping, that's exactly the wrong thing to do.

It turns out socks have a superpower. They are great sleep aids. And, based on how common sleep problems are these days, that is no small thing.

According to this article, socks help with sleep in two ways:

First, they help us fall asleep faster. When we’re sleepy, our body temperature slowly drops, which signals to our body that we’re ready to sleep.?

When we wear socks, distal vasodilation takes place. This means blood flows to the hands and feet. Rather than warming our feet and therefore increasing our general body temperature, as we might expect, it actually reduces our core body temperature.?

“Warming up your feet sends a signal to your brain to lower your core temperature—a cue that it's time for rest," notes Dr Chelsea Perry, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine.

And, this cue therefore helps you fall asleep faster.?

Second, socks help us sleep better. Evidence suggests people wearing socks sleep deeper and for longer periods. The explanation goes back to body temperature. Dr Perry explains that wearing socks can "help you sleep more deeply by keeping your body temperature stable throughout the night."?

Looking forward to everyone being better rested soon!

And next up...

TO BANNER OR NOT TO BANNER?

For those who may have missed it, in last Thursday's edition, we ran a piece on LinkedIn's Open To Work banner.

I'm very curious to know what you think.

Is the Open To Work banner a helpful job search tool or a sign of desperation that negatively impacts job searches?

Please let us know your thoughts on and experiences with the banner in the comments below.

Here's the piece we ran last week...

LinkedIn’s Open To Work banner is either a critical tool in the modern job search or a sign of desperation certain to doom the search efforts of anyone who deploys it.

Which do you think it is and why? Let us know in the comments.

Here’s a link to a Business Insider article with some smart thoughts on the topic.

Please note it may require a subscription, but whether you subscribe or not, here are a few key points:

• As of this past July, 40 million LinkedIn users have decided the banner’s worth it and are letting it fly proudly (?) on their profile page.
• A recruiter who has recently been laid off herself had this to say, "I get the impression that some people look at the badge as if you're a homeless person sitting on the corner with a freaking cardboard sign that reads, Will Work for Food. That's where I struggle. I would hate to be passed on because a recruiter lazily looked at my badge and judged me."
• Of the eight recruiters the writer spoke with, five said that, if anything, they actually seek out Open to Workers. (One did think the banner signaled desperation and two were neutral on it.)
• Some recruiters, according to the article, use LinkedIn Recruiter, a premium version of the platform, to prioritize candidates who use the banner. One interviewee noted, "I know if I approach them, they're more likely to be interested and they tend to be more responsive, more open to talking." Recruiters also know that Open to Work candidates are available for interviews — and can start a new job without having to give notice. "That helps me move my process along more quickly," another recruiter explained. "My hiring managers want their roles filled immediately."

Recruiters' opinions are important of course, but what does the data tell us?

In a survey by Teal, which makes software for job seekers, only 9% of recruiters and hiring managers said they viewed the banner negatively. And LinkedIn's own data confirms that listing yourself as Open to Work actually encourages recruiters to reach out to you. People who turn on the private signal are twice as likely to get a message from a recruiter than those who don't, according to LinkedIn. And those who turn on the public banner increase their chances by nearly threefold. It seems the more open you are about needing a job, the more likely you are to get one.

And yet, many people hesitate.

Why? The writer does a nice job getting to the source of it.

Unfortunately, there is still a stigma against being unemployed. On some level, in our American culture, we all carry a little bit of the belief that anyone good and talented in America can make it. That, of course, has never been the case. But it’s a dream we’ve been sold and in decades past when for large sections of the population there was more employment stability and layoffs were rare, it seemed true.

And so, being out there with your unemployment can sometimes cost you.

The author writes about their own experience being unemployed and feeling judged by some of their contacts and business friends. They felt there was an undertone of “what did you DO to get laid off” and those who reacted in that way were (of course) much less likely to be helpful.

Thankfully, at least in the TV industry, I do think these days there’s a much greater understanding that in a mass layoff, getting let go isn't always tied to being a bad performer and that, essentially, it can and does happen to anyone.

So after diving into the question of whether to banner or not, the author comes out pro- banner and encourages unemployed people to let their Open to Work banner fly. The contention is those that who truly care for you and know you well will still be helpful and most recruiters won’t judge you negatively.

To be completely honest, I’m still not sure where I land with it.

Let us know your thoughts on and experiences with the banner. I’m sure it would be helpful information to lots of folks struggling with the decision of whether to use it or not.

And now onto...

POTENTIALLY FOCUSED WITH DANNY PASSMAN

In my life or rather career, I’ve resigned from one job. It was many years ago, and while it was a hard decision, I bet on myself at the time, and it turned out to be the right career move. (PS, always bet on yourself, dear readers!)

That’s all great and I’m so thankful for that, but of course at the time you have no way of knowing how things will turn out.

It was at this point in my career, that I first met Mr. Danny Passman. I had just left a good job of my own choosing with nothing else lined up. Oh, and did I mention, we had two young children who I hoped to someday put through college?

So, even though in my gut I knew it was the right thing, your boy Marco was more than a little stressed out about the future. A good friend and former co-worker told me I HAD to talk to Danny Passman. Danny and I had never met, but I’d heard he was someone always in the know. Turns out, she was so right.

Danny was extremely welcoming from minute one. Meeting Danny for the first time, I was struck by his energy and how his humor so quickly put my unemployed self at ease. Pretty soon, we were engaged in a deeply entertaining conversation where I learned just how plugged in he is and benefited from his willingness to help me out with my job search, even though we’d just met.

Since then, I’ve been lucky to be around Danny in New York and a few other cities and each time the experience remains the same. I’m impressed by his honesty, smarts, generous spirit, and on some level struggling to keep up in between some much-appreciated laughter.

I’m so glad for his continued success and excited to see where he takes it in the future.

Welcome, Danny!

What's one thing you're currently excited about?

On the business front, I am spending a lot of time trying to drum up new business to bring to my parent company, Glass Entertainment Group, that is outside the traditional unscripted business. I have been working my connections on Linkedin and talking to different people about projects for Glass Brandworks, our branding arm. And I have been signing up for every webinar I see - even taking one tomorrow on the future of AI. I know there are opportunities out there and I am going to find them…I’m a hustler, baby.?

On the personal front, I am going on a much needed vacation to Turkey soon for a friend’s birthday. Out of the 30 people going, 25 are not from the U.S. (and none work in entertainment) so I just want to hear about what’s going on in the rest of the world - away from my home office (aka garage) in Los Angeles. I am about to get my Polish Citizenship so I'm just dreaming up what I can do if I ever move to a country in the EU. Maybe becoming a fisherman in Corfu or running a hot air balloon stand in Cappadocia:)?

Your career has been marked by finding or creating a unique role for yourself. I think in particular of your amazing ability to find talent and see the show they could carry, which has made you such a go-to creative partner. How did you find that lane?

I worked in series development at VH1 and fuse and then spent a few years traveling the world for content sites Dailymotion and Joost. Once those jobs ended, I had no clue what I was going to do. I knew I didn’t want to work at a network again (too many meetings) and I was skittish about physical production and didn’t want to work at a production company. (Fortunately, I have honed that skill). Anyway, in 2010 I wound up finding an unknown piece of talent and immediately sold a concept about him to Cooking Channel. (If only, it was that easy today!)? I then set up my development/casting company, Crybaby Media, and started consulting for other production companies looking for unknown talent. I pretty much “faked it until I maked it” but then really fell in love with talking to strangers and figuring out what makes them tick and how to create shows around them. At this point, I have traveled to so many small towns in America and have met talent in every subculture and religion. I have slept swampside, I narrowly escaped a sloth bite, I spent hours on a bus with hippies and left as they began a cuddle puddle. I truly love the lane I created for myself and cannot believe I have had Crybaby Media up and running for over 14 years.

The other thing that strikes me about you is your relationships. You are so good at managing them and it feels like it always comes from an authentic place of caring for others. And, you've consistently gotten people together either in formal or informal networking events. What drives that?

When I was in NYC, the Crybabys would throw parties 2-3 times a year and I would invite network execs and producers. I just have always been someone who likes to connect people. I truly did it wanting nothing in return. It’s my platonic love language.?

You made a big career move from NY to LA a few years ago. What fueled that decision? And we still miss you in NYC, btw...

To be honest, I felt I couldn’t plant roots in the concrete sidewalks of NYC. My move to LA was more about slowing down my pace of life, buying a house, and finding a partner. When I first moved to LA I was like, “wait, people really go to bed at 9pm.” I didn’t get this place. But then the pandemic happened and I found my LA people and fell in love with this city. I really miss my work colleagues in NYC but I don’t miss my 5th floor walkup.

What is the best lesson a boss or mentor ever taught you??

One of my first jobs after graduating from Boston University was Fran Drescher’s assistant on?The Nanny. As an aspiring sitcom writer at the time, it was a dream job. Fran taught me many lessons; especially how to always find your own opportunities and not rely on others to do it for you. She also always gave junior people credit where it's due. That’s something that is still ingrained in me. She also taught me random stuff like how to always overorder food at a restaurant.?

In an alternate universe where you are happy but aren't doing any of the things you are currently doing professionally, what do you think you'd be doing professionally?

This is something I have given a lot of thought to do these days. Besides dreaming about moving to the EU, I have also recently found a therapist who specializes in positive psychotherapy. As someone who has a lot of negative self speak, it’s important for me to look at future opportunities coming from a positive place. On my tombstone it’s not going to say “reality tv producer” so it’s important for me to approach the next phase of my life with an open, positive mindset. And to let go of ego and my preconceived notion of what “success” is. (If only the old NYC Danny could see me now!)

In a time when many are looking for new possibilities, any book, podcast or thought leader you find helpful?

I’m currently signing up for every self-help thing I can do on zoom - just did a cord cutting class (spoiler alert: I cut the chords of my overbearing Jewish mother), taking breathwork classes two days a week, and just did a reiki session with some healer in the Catskills. I find it all fun and it taps into my childhood sense of wonder. I am currently reading?Buddha’s Brain. As it is pretty dense I will use ChatGPT to summarize the book; “Buddha's Brain?will show you how mental practices, informed by the contemplative traditions, can increase your capacity for experiencing happiness and peace. This book provides a scientific understanding of these methods, and clear guidance for practices that cultivate a wise and free heart.”

Great stuff and all much appreciated, my friend! Thanks very much for sharing your insights and experience today, Danny!

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW!?

Today, we found some books to get us where we want to go this fall and learned how our socks are the key to a better night's sleep!

And thanks to Danny Passman for the years of laughter, his unflagging support, and for sharing his journey with us!

We'll be back with our next edition on Thursday. Until then, wishing you a great 48 hours!

Please let us know what you want more or less of. Please feel free to share information you’d like me to pass along to our readers. Also, always happy to feature guest contributors.

And of course, please like, subscribe, and share.

Deeply appreciated,

Marco

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