Jerod Zavistoski is the subject of our newest encounter from the LA underground.
Chelleby Starr, our winsome LA correspondent is back with another Ground Floor Interview.
She has a love of starving artists, emerging celebrities and people on the edges of becoming.
It came as no surprise to us here that she was tracking the movements and careers of the new ground floor for actors: Online video production. Over the past ten years, the emergence of webcasts, online video production and of course YouTube™ has created a new path to getting cast in productions and films.
If you don't have experience in online video, chances are you don't have the skills needed by younger actors in the modern era. But where does one start? Who are the rising stars in online video and webcasts? Who are the emerging celebrities in what is now the video equivelant of a soundbyte? How are they getting cast? What happens to them? How does it help their budding careers?
Weirdly, this is pretty much uncharted territory and we were delighted when Chelleby stepped up to the plate.
This is the second of her series of interviews with the actors and performers whose track to stardom starts at the new ground floor.
The subject of this interview is Jerod Zavistoski, a handsome, controversial, self described libertarian industry hopeful based out of Los Angeles, California. He is a published author on the subject of Men and maleness, and the host of a semi controversial LA radio talk show about the same subject--- and a bit of a surprising interview
Check out the great interview between Chelleby Starr and one of the digital pioneers of the entertainment industry ground floor.
Chelleby: Welcome Jerod! Can you tell us the premise of your book Methodology of the Modern Male and how it's shaped your journey?
Jerod Zavistoski: It was a guide on dating I wrote while I was very drunk, with the sole intention of printing it out and bitch smacking the next person who said I was "lucky" with girls, or that I got them because I was good looking. There's a whole big backstory behind how the subject of dating advice even came up and what caused these discussions in the afterword of my book.
Chelleby: What other books might be on the editing/printing table by Jerod Zavistoski?
Jerod Zavistoski: I've written several, in several different styles. I haven't finished them. There's one on my journey with bipolarism, another about my life, and another on how to win your ex back. I have quite a few more concepts waiting in the wings, but right now I'm simply backlogging content and working toward improving my reach and audience.
Chelleby: On your website, there is mention of a "content deal with Torio TV."
Jerod Zavistoski: That content deal is dead now that Torio is Defunct. I had a deal with Playboy as well right before they shut down and moved to Dash.
Chelleby: Can you discuss any details and projected dates for this project?
Jerod Zavistoski: Right now the best way gain a following is what I'm currently doing, online video content through social media. I will be doing that until I can make the leap into a bigger media outlet either online or televised.
Chelleby: Will your radio talk show still continue?
Jerod Zavistoski: It's doubtful. I left about a year ago. I really don't like hosting in that way. I'm far more creative when I make videos. When I can stop and think and edit. Or even just rehearse. I have some friends who want to do a show in the future and it's def something I'd do, but as a co-host, not a main host. The level of concentration it takes to keep track of everything and everyone speaking at once completely kills my creativity and humor.
Chelleby: Any plans to do a public speaking tour?
Jerod Zavistoski: At some point yes. But it will most likely be a comedy standup tour, not a school educational tour.
Chelleby: What motivates the motivator Jerod?
Jerod Zavistoski: The reality that every moment I waste is a second closer to my death. That might sound depressing, and frankly, it is, but when people ask me how I've so much in such a short time, it's directly related to my awareness of my own mortality. I'm not alone in that thinking either. That's Vaynerchuck 101. Elon would probably say something similar. Kurzweil is beating that drum every day. Many great minds have come to the conclusion that life is short and it's precious, so you had better get done what you want to get done. And conversely, you can go to any bar and hear some 40-50- year-old man, who completely wasted his life say "You're young. You have time. Enjoy life." Unfortunately, my biggest regret is the time I've already wasted. I'm 30 now. If I had known what I wanted and hustled earlier in life there were so many more opportunities I could've taken advantage of. It really pisses me off. But it creates a fearless motivation to keep pushing forward and to work harder. I would also really like to be able to retire my mother shortly. So I've put myself in a time crunch. She did a lot for me. I want to make sure she is taken care of for the rest of her life.
Chelleby: You mentioned in a previous interview for Knowledge For Men that you were considering becoming an evangelist, can you give a briefing on that life change?
Jerod Zavistoski: I dug too deep. You can't believe in god if you look at the bible objectively. I mean you can, but it would make no logical sense. You have to already have a pre-existing belief in god, and then work the pieces in to make them fit. That's why Christians indoctrinate their children young and have pastors interpret the bible for them. I had grown up with a belief in god like most kids. In my late teens, I had a lot go wrong in my life. I turned my life over to god. I could never do anything half-assed, so logically, if I believed there was a god, I should devote my life to it. Everyone should. Most people don't really believe in god though. They believe in their own idea they've created of what god is. They've never actually looked at what god is and let it define itself. And that's what happened. I was on fire for god for a long time. One day I stepped back and looked at it objectively. I came to the conclusion that god could not be all knowing, all loving, and all-powerful in the same sentence. All three things he claimed to be. Turns out this was "The Logical Problem of Evil" and was not a new sticking point. In fact, it was a great big sticking point that had thwarted the religious community since ancient Greece. It was comforting to realize the same thing I was stuck on many people had already been stuck on. It's the ultimate argument for disproving religion. The same thing kind of happened with my dating advice. I started out very blue pilled, and ended up being very red pilled. This isn't a new trend. I always study things to a depth that shows the subjects futility and flaws. It's just how my brain works. But this time I decided that instead of studying things and getting discouraged by the outcome, I could turn them into comedy. That combo has been working flawlessly. I guess now I'm kind of a comedic evangelist of realism and common sense. I get compared to George Carlin a lot.
Chelleby: You are very transparent and outspoken about your dedication to working out and healthy living. What is your favorite music to work out to?
Jerod Zavistoski: I don't like listening to anything while I'm working out. It steals my concentration and focus. And all my creative folks reading this will know, that inspiration never comes when you want it to. Mine comes on the tread-mill or right before bed. But it only comes when I'm in a meditative free-flowing state. I can't begin to describe how hard it is to write notes while I'm jogging. So many of my videos were written while awkwardly jogging, trying to look at the words on my tiny phone, with sweat pouring into my eyes. But if I stop every time I have an idea, I'd never finish my workout. I've also been a very heavy practitioner of martial arts. That kind of athletic exercise keeps my mind stimulated more than lifting weights. If there was music on I wouldn't even know it.
Chelleby: What is your favorite food?
Jerod Zavistoski: Its a three-way tie between Sushi, Thai Food, and Steak.
Chelleby: Favorite Song?
Jerod Zavistoski: I love so many. Redbone "Come and get your love," The Four Seasons "Walk like a man," Jackson 5 "Abc," Carly Jepsen's "Call me maybe, Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody." But I don't listen to music a lot. You'll never hear it playing in my car or my house. I need silence to think, and I'm always thinking and writing.
Chelleby: Favorite Color?
Jerod Zavistoski: Blue Grey
Chelleby: Hope I am not getting too personal here, and what is your favorite band?
Jerod Zavistoski: As a band, Queen. As an artist Micheal Jackson.
Chelleby: Last thing, favorite quote?
Jerod Zavistoski: "There is nothing with which every man is so afraid as seeing how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming." - Soren Kierkegaard.
I think I've struggled with both a fear of failure and a fear of success in my life. This quote always resonated with me. I use it to remind me that a very brilliant man, many centuries ago observed that this was the greatest struggle of all men. I remind myself to stop being a little bitch and to get up and do what I am most afraid of. I wrote a quote of my own that I like very much, to help keep myself motivated. "A man too set in the clouds is never separate from his depravity of touch. A man governed by his emotions is nothing more than an animal searching for his next meal. But a man's ability to see both and harness their full capacity is a god sweeping through the air with a torrent of fire thrown from his eye." It basically means don't think so much you become paralyzed, and don't become a reactionary idiot either. You need both complex thought, and fearless action to do anything great in life.
Jerod Zavistoski: Thank you for your time.
Chelleby Starr: No, Thank YOU!
Please check out all of Jerod's amazingness in the links to follow.
About Chelleby Starr
Chelleby is a multifaceted talent who dabbles in all aspects of the entertainment industry including acting, singing, writing, production, photography to freelance journalism. She is excited to lend her charms to The Celebrity Cafe.
http://thecelebritycafe.com/2017/12/siobhan-demare-podcast/