How to Build a Career You Actually Love | Tea with GaryVee Ep #80

When AI Meets Hollywood and the Workplace: A Stark Wake-Up Call

In a candid conversation that leaps from the practical to the provocative, the host lays out a sweeping vision for how artificial intelligence will reconfigure creative industries, careers, and the daily choices that determine professional happiness. He argues that the same technological shifts that allowed electronic musicians to remake the culture now make it possible to produce feature films entirely on a computer, threatening traditional studios, agencies, and behind-the-scenes trades. The message is blunt: adaptation is mandatory, and execution matters more than raw ideas.

AI Filmmaking for Independent Creators and Legacy Industries

AI, he says, will dramatically lower the cost of producing extraordinary visuals and narratives. That means the competitive edge will go to people who can combine creativity with technical fluency, not to those who simply accumulate credits moving gear. Long-term strategic work—mapping canon stories, origin arcs, and multi-year plans—still matters, but companies will increasingly recruit people who can show finished creative outputs generated with AI tools rather than just pitch concepts.

Career Transitions, Risk, and the Value of Execution

Across several listener calls, the same prescription returns: if you want to change careers, demonstrate what you can do. Candidates who only send ideas are less compelling than those who send a polished three-minute video, an AI-generated proof-of-concept, or a portfolio of completed storytelling pieces. The emphasis shifts from theorizing to making—learn AI storytelling, build prototypes, and let your work speak for you.

Quit, Pivot, or Suck It Up: A Framework for Action

Conversation with callers about unhappiness at work and burnout focuses on two choices—tolerate the position while finding joy elsewhere, or take the leap and try something new. Failure is reframed as experience, not shame: leave, try, fail, and return if necessary. The pragmatic advice encourages humility in the job market—take entry-level positions at firms that do the work you want at scale so you can learn—while also urging people to judge the credibility of the advice they receive.

Parenting, Custody, and Being Present

On family stress and custody disputes, the guidance is rooted in presence and consistency. The clearest objective is that children must know their parent loves them and is reliably there. Fight for more time if you can, but when you have time with your kids, dominate it—be emotionally available, fully present, and avoid self-flagellation for imperfect moments.

Emotional Resilience: Decide You’ve Already Lost

One surprising tactic offered to calm pressure before big moments is counterintuitive: imagine you’ve already failed. That detachment reduces fear, makes recovery easy, and allows you to perform without catastrophizing. The advice also extends to interviews and auditions: refuse self-criticism, be your biggest fan, and accept that bad outcomes are survivable.

Practical Growth: Daily Content and Podcast Discovery

For creators trying to grow a podcast or niche media product, the recommended playbook is unglamorous and relentless: create abundant short-form content every day across multiple platforms—TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, Snapchat Spotlight, Twitter, and Facebook—then let time and consistency compound attention. Quick growth strategies won’t substitute for daily execution and volume.

Managing High-Value But Disruptive Employees

When organizations wrestle with technically excellent but emotionally volatile team members, the advice is firm: talent alone is not reason to keep someone who undermines the team. Offer mentorship and clear warnings, but protect the system—three strikes, consistent consequences, and no tolerance for behaviors that poison the culture.

Across the conversation, the through-line is clear: the future favors people who combine emotional clarity with relentless execution. Whether you are learning AI storytelling, negotiating custody and work, quitting a secure job to chase something bigger, or growing a podcast through daily short-form content, the practical steps are the same—make, show, persist, and protect the people and systems that matter. The changes unfolding in entertainment, media, and employment are not theoretical; they require choices today that will determine where you stand tomorrow.