Aden Yaregal on Television, Global Stories, and Craft of Storytelling

 
“Don’t take someone’s no away from them.”
 

Subscribe on your favorite platform: Anchor | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | Amazon Music | RSS |

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Consider supporting our content directly. You can also leave a review on your platform of choice. Thanks for listening!

Aden Yaregal is an LA-based first-gen Ethiopian American working towards cultivating an executive-level career in television development to bring communities together through representation and diverse storytelling. Currently, Aden is co-producing the Greater Film Festival and working with the Enclave Entertainment Group as a development coordinator and script reader. Previously, Aden began her career in telecoms sales and media before shifting full-time into entertainment.

In this conversation, Aden and I explore why storytelling captured her attention at such a very young age. And as a child of an immigrant, we explore why storytelling can help you make sense of a brand new place where your parents can't provide that for you.

We talk much more about leaping into the unknown for yourself. As I mentioned in the intro is she's working towards becoming an executive-level producer. She decided a couple of years ago to start working full-time in the entertainment world, even though it was a major pivot and she wasn't getting paid to do it. I think her story really shows that if you really believe in something, you have to just leap at some point, rather than just dreaming about it. You have to start making it a reality.

Then from there, we explore what it is to be in pursuit of something, but also to be more present at the same time, because it's one thing to be driven all the time, but also you need to put space in between your days so that you can play the long game.

I really enjoyed this conversation with Aden, and she's full of stories and passion for stories and providing a lens on the world for experiences that have not already been captured. Please enjoy this conversation with Aden Yaregal.

Connect with Aden!

Instagram @ayaregal

Twitter @AdenYaregal

Show Notes:

[00:03:56] Aden's Background

The Twilight Saga (film series)

Summit Entertainment

[00:07:14] Resistance from parents

[00:08:44] Having the courage to quit your job

Gattaca (1997)

Fresh Off the Boat

[00:11:53] TV to make sense of the world

[00:14:03] Why are they ready to hear her story?

Bollywood

Kuch Naa Kaho

[00:15:40] The power of global stories

Parasite (2019)

[00:20:03] Nollywood

Nollywood

[00:20:30] Romance example in different cultures

A Cultural Perspective on Romantic Love

[00:22:09] Storytelling tools that are overused or limitations to play with

20 Movie Cliches and Tropes to Avoid in Your Next Screenplay

[00:24:39] Undercutting the value of our interests

97% The Queen's Gambit

'The Queen's Gambit' is inspiring millions of newcomers to play chess

[00:28:03] What Aden is less excited about in storytelling

Walker

[00:31:48] Seeing yourself reflected in the characters you watch

‎An Oral History of The Office on Apple Podcasts

The Office (American TV series)

[00:37:33] Staying focused

[00:39:34] Finding Peer Groups

[00:42:30] Saying Yes to everything

[00:45:37] Connecting with people

[00:48:34] Stop comparing yourself to other people

How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

[00:54:47] Difficulties when you're interested in a topic at a young age

[00:56:01] Exploring careers

[01:00:35] Never stagnating

[01:07:25] Awareness

Awareness by Tony De Mello

Headspace: Meditation and Sleep Made Simple

Try Waking Up for One Month

[01:10:15] Recommended books

The Screenwriter's Problem Solver by Syd Field

Schitt's Creek

The TV Showrunner's Roadmap

[01:12:40] Recommended shows

Man Like Mobeen

Why Women Kill

Insecure

[01:15:59] Final Thoughts

[01:16:53] If you had a billboard, what would it say?

[01:17:58] Connecting with Aden 

Recent podcasts you might enjoy:

Featured
Joe Jackowski on Apotheosis and The Parodies
Joe Jackowski on Apotheosis and The Parodies

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Joe Jackowski. Joe is a Marine Corps veteran and current graduate student at Vanderbilt University in the Cognitive Psychology in Context program. His primary interest is meaning in life, which broadly extends to problems in ethics, A.I., and culture.

In this episode, we sit down to discuss his first long-form article on his new sub stack, Apotheosis: A Philosophy for Influencers

Joey and Drew on Few Will Hunt
Joey and Drew on Few Will Hunt

"Everybody wants to eat, but Few Will Hunt."

Today on the podcast with Joey Bowen and Drew Beech, co-founders of the apparel brand and community Few Will Hunt.

Joey and Drew spent their daily commutes through the gritty streets of Philadelphia on the phone for a year straight.

On these calls, they talked about business and life — especially the trends of self-entitlement and shortcut-seeking they witnessed in society.

These trends made them feel alone in an ever-softening world. “Are we the only ones that still believe in the power of hard work?” Drew asked. Joey responded, “It’s like we say at my hunting cabin — everybody wants to eat, but few will hunt.”

This statement perfectly summed up their frustrations with society. It became their mantra.

Jordan Criss on Fulfillment, Imposter Syndrome, Procrastination and Eulogy Virtues
Jordan Criss on Fulfillment, Imposter Syndrome, Procrastination and Eulogy Virtues

On this podcast episode, Jordan Criss returns for a long-overdue discussion on Life and Fulfillment. We start the conversation with the idea that most people are actively disengaged with what they spend most of their time. From there, we cover imposter syndrome, healthy habits, procrastination, and focusing on what matters most to you regardless of the current outcome. Life is about playing a long game. Toward the end of the conversation, I was reminded of a book called The Road to Character. One of the core messages is to think more deeply about the eulogy virtues than resume virtues since modern life is more focused on the latter. In the end, each of us has to figure out what fits best for our life; no matter what, it will be a process. The faster you embrace the process, the less painful it will be. So with that, I pass this off to the listener. What else can we explore if you've encountered the mentioned sources, your own experiences, or any other related ideas?

Karlee Owens on Natural Movement, Spirals and Listening to Your Body
Karlee Owens on Natural Movement, Spirals and Listening to Your Body

Coach Karlee is a movement coach who teaches her athletes to move their bodies as nature designed: strong, secure, pain-free, and forward. Utilizing slow-motion video assessment, she can assess, address, and correct pattern errors that are causing pain and/or hindering performance goals. With a background in soccer, endurance running, and strength and conditioning, Karlee takes an intense passion for competition and athletics into her coaching style to help build mentally and physically capable athletes, regardless of age, gender, sport, or background. She prioritizes foundations for durability through awareness and integration of pain-free movement practices to maximize performance and longevity. Are you ready to unlock your INNER ATHLETE?

Recent blogs you might enjoy:

Featured
Archetypes: The Green Lion and the Unicorn
Archetypes: The Green Lion and the Unicorn

In one of his most influential works, Psychology and Alchemy, Carl Jung argues that alchemy was far more than a failed science. Instead, it was an undifferentiated mix of object and subject. Alchemy was chemistry insofar as it was a science, and it was a psychological practice…

In Pursuit of Goggins
In Pursuit of Goggins

For many, David Goggins is seen as inhuman or, as he has said, uncommon amongst the uncommon, sure that is true. But I look at it a little differently. If he can forge himself into something extraordinary, why can't I? Why can't the person next to me? In this video, I discuss what it means to be In Pursuit of Your Greatness.

Archetypes: The Bull
Archetypes: The Bull

For an agricultural society, life is a cycle of deaths and rebirths. In the spring, the farmer places the seeds of his crops into the soil. Time moves forward. Storms roll over the fields and define the space between heaven and earth…

Finding Purpose and Meaning in an Overwhelming World
Finding Purpose and Meaning in an Overwhelming World

The recently released film Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of the most fascinating and well-executed films I've seen in a long time! The film explores ideas from the multi-verse, purpose, and meaning in life. So let's tap into another version of ourselves and see what we learn from themes in the film.

Check out the Feeding Frenzies! A weekly collection of something worth listening, reading, watching, and thinking about!

Featured
Could We Engineer Spider-Man’s Powers?
Could We Engineer Spider-Man’s Powers?

With the upcoming release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, I started thinking about an idea. How far away are we from being able to engineer Spider-Man.

Sure we can escape into sci-fi territory very fast, but what technology or research is being done that could plausibly get us to a Spider-Man-like ability set. In this Feeding Frenzy, we take stock of research being done to bring the powers of Spider-Man to our world.

Noah Feldman, Haptic Glove, and Avoiding Stupidity
Noah Feldman, Haptic Glove, and Avoiding Stupidity

In this edition, we have a podcast from Noah Feldman on the Tim Ferriss Show. Worth reading is an introduction to the Reality Lab at Meta (Facebook) and research into the haptic glove to better interface virtual reality. Then, as always, a few more ideas worth your time.

Metabolic Health, The Future of Trucks and Arcane
Metabolic Health, The Future of Trucks and Arcane

This edition was a pretty exciting week! There are two podcasts worth listening to this week. The first one is with Dr. Casey Means on the WHOOP podcast talking about metabolic health. The second podcast is with Steve Viscelli talking about the future of trucking and autonomous drive. Worth is a regenerative medicine breakthrough repairing a spinal cord injury in mice, and as always, a few other ideas worth your time!

Paul Conti on Trauma, Thinking Systems and The Goiania Incident
Paul Conti on Trauma, Thinking Systems and The Goiania Incident

In this edition, we have a podcast with Dr. Paul Conti on the Tim Ferriss show, sharing how trauma affects us and how we can heal from it. Next, worth reading is an excerpt from Think Fast and Slow about the two types of thinking systems. Finally, a video on The Goiania Incident is worth watching, one of the worst nuclear exposure accidents.

Erich WenzelAden Yaregal, Television, Storytelling, Global Stoires, Being Present, Mastering CraftComment