How To Succeed in TV For Decades, Decluttering Paperwork & Madeline Post

Welcome to Potentially Focused on Tuesday morning, November 19th! I hope your day is off to a promising start. Today, we… Share tips for succeeding in television from someone who has for over 50 years, the one and only Michael Yudin , help you organize all the paperwork weighing you down, and share some TV news worth reading and listening to.

Plus, we have a great new interviewee, Madeline Post !

Madeline Post is Vice President of Television at Polygram Entertainment, Universal Music Group's in-house Film & TV production company. She develops great music-driven scripted and unscripted content based on the fantastic music catalogs and artists across all of UMG's label groups and publishing.

Madeline’s had a terrific career, working at great places making big cultural impacts with fantastic storytellers of all kinds. It all started for Madeline at Apostle Pictures, where she began her career after graduating NYU. From there, she went to MTV where she was part of a development team focused on both comedy and animation. And then, to AMC Networks, where I’m pleased to say I had the pleasure of working with her for many years. Together we collaborated on projects in a wide range of genres and I was always grateful for Madeline’s ability to master whatever creative challenge was thrown her way.

After leaving AMC, Madeline moved to LA and began a great new phase of her career and life. I’m so pleased to see all her well-deserved success. She’s someone I’m always happy to catch up with and I’m excited Madeline is joining us today. She has great thoughts to share on creativity as well as how to navigate career challenges and transitions.

More on all of that from Madeline in a few short paragraphs.

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 quick and easy information designed to help you get to where you want to go next.

Please like, subscribe, and share with your favorite paper or digital person! All are welcome here!

Thank you very much,

Marco

Let's start it up with...

SOME NEWS ABOUT TV WORTH READING & LISTENING TO

More American Unscripted producers made the trip to MIPCOM this year than usual. This article breaks down why. Hint, it's not for the fantastic food, wine, or culture in France. Though, none of those hurt...

I had the pleasure of working under Charlie Collier’s leadership at AMC. He joins Matt Belloni on The Town this week to talk about Roku and how they differentiate themselves from Google and Amazon.

And now...

HOW TO SUCCEED IN TV FROM SOMEONE WHO'S DONE IT DECADES

I’ve known Michael Yudin for a long time and I’m lucky to be his friend. As anyone who knows Michael knows, he’s a great person to have in your corner. He’s deeply supportive, and I am grateful for his friendship throughout my career.

Speaking of careers, Michael’s had a terrific one that’s seen him achieve great success and navigate deftly through difficult times by consistently finding smart solutions and building new relationships. Over 50 years in the business, Michael has developed and produced a wide range of fantastic content with the team at MY Entertainment, which he founded. Through it all, Michael has been crystal clear on his priorities and has proven kind people can and do win.

Having sold MY Entertainment a few years back, Michael is now moving on to the next chapter in his life and retiring from TV. This past Friday, Michael’s family threw him a well-deserved party to celebrate his 50 years in the industry. It was truly wonderful to see all the people Michael has impacted coming together to salute him!

Michael recently published an article on Realscreen sharing his tips for thriving in TV, which you can read here and they reflect his core values, which have fueled all his efforts and led to his success.

Do yourself a favor and read the article, but in case you’re short on time here are the key points:

Learn To Follow The Money – Understand how content is funded and where there are new opportunities for investment.

Keep Focused On Trends – Over his career, Michael has made a point of not fighting against change, but instead looking for the opportunities and relationships it creates.

Prioritize The Most Important Things – Michael has a beautiful family, which is at the center of his world. He never forgets that. Know what is most important to you and treat it as such.

Wishing Michael a great retirement and continued success in all he takes on!

Speaking of taking things on... 

HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR PAPERWORK

Despite our society becoming more and more digital, paper is putting up a pretty good fight. It's remains all around us. It's the things we think we have to save. Things like birth certificates, tax information, medical records, and other important documents. It's also the things we want to save. Things with sentimental value like old love letters, your children's preschool artwork, or maybe even a particularly funny or touching email someone once sent you.

After a while, it adds up to a whole lot of clutter. Getting rid of it or paring it down, can be intimidating.

Kacy Paide is a professional organizer with over twenty years of experience helping people declutter. She specializes in paperwork. And by the way, "paperwork" also encompasses digital files that can also be a huge struggle to contain.

In this podcast, Paide shares some great tips on how to get started on getting your paperwork in shape.

Here are some of her key tips:

• Look to establish systems that last and work for you. There is no one perfect way. You're not looking to create the "perfect space". A lot of people lose momentum because they think they have to create a magazine (or Instagram) worthy workspace with zero clutter.
• Many people get tripped up by not knowing where to begin. Paide suggests starting with the paperwork nearest your computer. Begin by separating that paperwork into two categories - things that need action and things that don't.
• For your action items, prioritize. But, don't mark any files as URGENT. Urgent, on its own, means nothing, and people tend to label too many things as urgent. As a result, you'll end up having a system that doesn't help you address the most pressing things in a timely manner. Instead, Paide, recommends putting dates on files to use as deadlines for action.
• Use files with different colors to establish a system where different colors represent different types of paperwork. Paide says that makes things easier to find and also has the added benefit of feeling less intimidating than having many file folders that are all the same color.
• Put very important documents either at the very front of your files or the very back.
• Break your organizing into micro-projects so you're less likely to quit and feel like you're making progress.
• When deciding whether to keep something, ask yourself and be honest with yourself, "Under what circumstances would I need or use this?"
• Lose some, if not all, sentimental paperwork. Sometimes, we keep things as "records of pain" long after we legally or practically have any use for them. In the podcast, Paide talks about how one of her clients kept every bit of paperwork from her divorce proceedings for years after the divorce was finalized.
• Finally, it was interesting to note that personally, Paide only shreds paperwork if it has her social on it or is paperwork related to an open bank account or active credit card. My recommendation is to check with government sources like the IRS or FTC and of course, it's always smart to ask your lawyer or tax accountant what to shred and what you have to keep.

Wishing you all some happy decluttering!

And finally...

POTENTIALLY FOCUSED WITH MADELINE POST

Madeline Post and I first met years ago when we were both briefly in between jobs. A mutual friend, unforgivably I’m forgetting who, suggested we connect. A little while later, we met for coffee, something we both greatly enjoy.

In my case, perhaps a bit too much…

Over that initial coffee in some now-also-forgotten coffee shop, we got to know each other. I often (sort of) joke, that I don’t have many skills. But, one of the skills I do have is identifying smart and talented people. And what jumped out at me about Madeline was that she had great creative taste and style, along with great poise, and a wisdom about the world and people. I hadn’t yet finished my coffee when I put her on my mental list of people I’d someday try to hire.

Luckily for me, that day came pretty quickly and soon Madeline and I were working together at AMC as the New York part of AMC’s Unscripted Team. It was a terrific run, for which I’m grateful.

Over the course of those years working together, I was continually impressed by Madeline’s savvy insights into culture and people, all of which helped shape the projects we developed together. So, it’s no surprise to see her continue to excel creatively and tapping into something as culturally powerful as music to do it.

As a quick sidebar, I could also always count on Madeline for fantastic recommendations on what shows to watch or podcasts to listen to. Long before most had heard of it, Madeline suggested I check out Fleabag. It was like nothing I’d quite seen before. Devastatingly funny and heartbreaking, and another great indicator of Madeline’s impeccable taste.

While we’re no longer co-workers, I’m so pleased Madeline remains a good friend and equally pleased she’s joined us today.

Welcome, Madeline!

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

Something I am currently excited about is the fact that information and community within the entertainment industry are more accessible than ever before. There have never been more entertainment industry-focused podcasts, newsletters, social media groups, and online creators. I have felt increased community, transparency and communication among my peers like never before. While the events of the last several years have been devastating, the response from those working inside the entertainment industry and the sharing of everyone’s own experiences of it feels like it has taken a turn toward the more humane, which I appreciate.

I think that’s a great point and often note that with all the challenges, I do feel an increased sense of community.

In your career, you've worked on both the scripted and unscripted sides of our business successfully and you've been both a buyer and a seller. What's allowed you to translate your skills to different areas and genres?

Growing up, I loved storytelling generally - whether a scripted TV show or an unscripted reality show, I loved it all. Living and working in New York City engendered a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude in me. I think because there was a smaller community of Film & TV in New York, it gave us all the sense that we could and maybe needed to, wear more hats than our counterparts in Los Angeles. What I knew for sure when I was starting out was that I loved TV and wanted to be part of it creatively. 

My first paying job in the industry was at Apostle Pictures, which at the time was owned by actor and writer Denis Leary. I interned there while still a student at NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program. Right after college, I was lucky enough to get hired as the assistant to Jim Serpico, the president of Apostle. Jim is a brilliant and creative guy; he taught me so much about producing and creative problem-solving and having fun at work. We made everything from scripted dramas to comedies, documentaries, stand-up specials, and live events. I learned what development was and quickly identified that it felt right for my personality as a naturally curious, Type A, creative, extroverted introvert, multitasker who loved to consume and analyze content. I loved everything about working with story, writers, creators, talent, producers, and all that it required of me. Thinking creatively and strategically, learning what it takes to run a business, and how to produce a show made me feel challenged and engaged. It felt like I had found purpose. 

I carried that through to my next job working at MTV on a Comedy & Animation team run at the time by Brent Haynes, another creative, inspiring and intelligent person I had the pleasure of working for. At MTV, now on the buying side, I found myself again in a situation where the mandate was broad enough that we got to play in scripted and unscripted formats. But this time, it was about saying yes or no to projects that we thought were right for MTV. We greenlit and oversaw everything from scripted comedies to a live late-night show filmed in the former TRL studio, game shows, and sketch series. It was another situation where I was in an environment where the best idea won, and we were without too many restrictions on the type of content. 

I continued my scripted and unscripted dual career when I first joined AMC with you, Marco, and many other talented executives at AMC Networks because, at that point, doing so was pretty normal for me. All this to say, I appreciate being able to work in both spaces, but I don’t know that I am necessarily special in my creative ability to do so. I have been given those opportunities, and I now have the experience needed to be successful in both. Still, I genuinely believe that if you are a creative person, whether on the production or network side in the TV industry if given the opportunity, you could certainly learn to do both. 

These days, when great access and IP are in high demand, you're working at Universal Music. Tell us about that. What are the unique opportunities and challenges?

Working at the world’s largest music company has been the most incredible opportunity. I get to combine my love of television with another love of mine - music. At Polygram Entertainment, UMG’s in-house Film & TV production company, we work with UMG’s music catalogs, artists, and publishing division to identify, develop and produce Film and TV content. 

Our unique opportunity at Polygram is that everyone can relate to music on a deeper, more emotional and personal level. Music is culture. Music is pop culture. A wise person told me when I first started at the company that you don’t see folks wearing their favorite actor’s face on a t-shirt, but they do with their favorite musician. That tells us something about the power of music. If we can find a way to translate that to the TV and film side of things and make content that people love and connect to, we will have done our jobs well. 

A challenge I experienced at the start of this job was learning an entirely new industry! I thought music and television as industries would be more similar than they are. I have learned an incredible amount about the music industry as a business, how artists work with their labels, and the opportunities to work with music in so many new ways. 

Speaking of challenges, like most of us, you've faced challenges in your career. One of those was being laid off from your job at AMC Networks years ago. As I've told you in the past, I give you such credit for how smartly you used that time to set yourself up for a great new phase of your career and life. I'm sure there were tough days, but how did you get through it so well?

Thank you, Marco. I so appreciate your kind words and your support over the years. Truly. 

In the months leading up to the 2018 layoffs at AMC Networks, I had been back and forth to LA for a new unscripted late-night series we were filming to support one of our AMC scripted shows. I loved the experience of making TV in LA and, even more, loved my time in the city itself. I had been thinking for a while then that I was excited about the opportunity to make the move to the West Coast after being in NYC for almost 15 years and after being a life-long East Coaster, but knew it was unlikely to happen while I was still at AMC.

When the layoffs happened, I saw it as a huge personal and professional opportunity to essentially get paid to move to LA. I took my severance money and leaped. I had the financial freedom to take my time meeting with people in LA and to really consider my next move carefully. Did I want to stay on the buying side or return to the producing side? Did I want to work for a small company or a large company? What type of content did I want to make? These were all answers I discovered after I moved and had a million coffee meetings with people who were nice enough to chat with me. 

When the opportunity to join Polygram presented itself, I was at a point where I had taken my time and was clear on what I was looking for as the next step in my career. It felt like the right fit, and thankfully, they felt the same about me. It can be really scary to take a leap like that in life, but it was the best thing I could have done. I listened to my instincts, ignored my fear, and created a plan to make it possible. It has been my best life lesson so far.

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?

If I weren’t a TV exec, I think I would still be in a field that utilized my creativity and love of business strategy. Over the years, I have discovered how much I enjoy using both sides of my brain. I tend to look at things from a big-picture place. A personal love of mine is interior design, so in another world, maybe I went back to school and own an interior design business. I like the idea of creating a personal space that is beautiful and practical for people to feel safe and supported at home. In the same way, I love making television for people to feel connection and enjoy wherever they are.  

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

My go-to yearly book read for inspiration is “Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown. It’s a fantastic book about vulnerability and finding strength and courage through doing the things that make you feel uncomfortable. Currently, I am reading Ina Garten’s memoir, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens” and I highly recommend it. Her attitude and ability to continually innovate and grow in her life and career is totally inspirational. 

During these unusually stressful times, I try to give myself breaks to laugh and decompress. I think it’s important to remember to let some of the heaviness go whenever possible. My favorite podcast currently is “Absolutely Not” hosted by comedian Heather McMahan. She makes me laugh out loud on a weekly basis. 

For industry news, I enjoy what The Ankler is putting out. I wish something like it existed when I was starting in the industry. It has made so much of how entertainment works more accessible and demystified, which I think is a good thing!

Agreed!

Thanks so much, Madeline! Very much appreciate you sharing your experiences with our readers and know they’ll get a lot out of it. Wishing you continued success professionally and personally and look forward to all you will continue to achieve in life and business.

Thanks for your friendship and all my best always!

ALL DONE FOR TODAY!

Today, we uncovered the key things that fueled Michael Yudin's successful TV career and learned how to better organize our paperwork.

And thanks again to Madeline Post for sharing her insights and experiences from her career journey. She's a great example of our ability to drive our career direction.

We'll be back on Thursday with another new edition packed with great information all for you. Until then, wishing you a productive and fun next few days.

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.

Much appreciated,

Marco