Be Kind, Compassionate, Nurturing, and in Service to Others: Interview with Emmy-Winning Television Producer Maria Baltazzi
I recently went one-on-one with Emmy Award-winning television producer Maria Baltazzi. Maria produced eight seasons of Survivor and is the author of the book Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Maria: Well, that is a long and winding road. As far back as I can recall, I have always loved the idea of putting images, sound, and music together. However, I did not know there was a job where you could do this – being a director or producer – until my later teens. Actually, my first couple of brushes with the media and entertainment industry caused me to almost not want to enter the business. One was with a teacher in college. The other was during my very first interview in Los Angeles, which was at a talent agency. In both cases, these individuals were so full of themselves that I thought, if these are the personalities I will have to deal with, then no thanks. So, my career in television almost never started. However, the yearning to tell stories was greater than those no-so-great experiences.
I started in local television in San Diego, then moved on to San Francisco in marketing and promotion. Eventually, I made my way to Los Angeles and found a research position at a local TV station on a show that shot stories around the world. There, I worked my way up to becoming a director, shooting my first international show. Seven continents later, I have shot more shows outside of this country than in.
One of the notable early career breaks came when I was hired to be one of the original producers on CBS’s “Survivor”. The show aligned with my love for shooting on location. Little did I know that I would also get a front-row seat to witnessing the best and worst in human behavior. This experience was, in part, a catalyst to go on my own inner journey and exploration into being happier. It has not always been pretty or fun. However, it did lead to writing about my experiences.
Being a television producer demands a 24/7 commitment that eventually took a toll on me. One day, I found myself in my Los Angeles office feeling that nothing in my life was working, not professionally or personally. In that moment, I made a conscious choice that I wanted to be happy and not be defined by my disappointments. So, I did something about it. I started reading personal growth books and taking courses, leading to a PhD in conscious living and, eventually, to writing my book.
The book Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want is the culmination of years as a television producer, well-being teacher, and transformational travel designer.
My unwillingness to stay stuck motivated me to learn how to better take care of myself. I sat down and qualified what was working for me, like finding strength in my faith and being grateful. I then researched to see if there was science to back up what I was intuitively feeling and experiencing, and that became the chapters of my book, what I call the Happiness Essentials. So, choosing how I wanted to be in life and doing something about it was instrumental to my personal growth. And it is a choice I make every day.
Adam: What is something you have witnessed up close or experienced that would shock fans?
Maria: I do not know that I would use the descriptive “shock.” When I think back, I focus on inspiring or touching moments—from that perspective, one of the most touching moments I have ever witnessed in my television career happened as a supervising producer on CBS's Survivor during season 2 in Australia after the two tribes merged. One particular day, the tribe had returned from doing an endurance challenge that had lasted all afternoon long and were hot, tired, and hungry. They came into camp only to see that the tent, their temporary home built in a dry riverbed, had been hit by a flash flood and washed away almost everything in their camp. Seeing this completely broke their spirits. Mechanically, they collapsed into the sand and huddled with their backs against each other for warmth. In their moment of despair, one of the contestants, who happened to be Elizabeth Hasselbeck, remembered what day it was, Thanksgiving. At that moment, the game seemed to just stop. Spontaneously, they each went around saying what they were grateful for. "I'm thankful for finding a fishing hook." "I'm grateful I brought a fleece to the challenge, so I have something warm to wear." "I'm grateful that we have each other." It's a moment I often remember, especially around Thanksgiving, because it reminds me that we can have virtually nothing and still find something to be grateful for, a powerful lesson in understanding how gratitude plays into one's happiness. Having gratitude in the bleakest of times is hope. When you have hope, you have the motivation to push through your challenges.
Adam: In your experience, what are the common qualities among those who have been able to enjoy success in the entertainment industry? What advice do you have for those either trying to break in or advance?
Maria: I think common qualities of those successful in the entertainment industry are, of course, creativity, followed by resilience, tenacity, being good with people, and having a genuine love for your craft.
My advice to those wanting to break into the entertainment business is to develop these qualities. Also, be willing to knock on many doors and genuinely believe that one of those doors will eventually open. Be humble and willing to try a lot of different jobs. Go to screenings and festivals, places where you can meet people. Look for internship or mentorship opportunities. These opportunities can really open doors for you. Make friends and stay in touch. However, be sensitive to the difference between being persistent and annoying – this can be a fine line, and gaging this will be different for everyone you meet.
Adam: What are the best lessons you have learned through your career in the entertainment industry that are applicable to anyone?
Maria: Genuinely care about others and their personal lives, families, health, their overall well-being. It is important to be kind, concerned, and supportive. Help where you can. The days of those in charge being self-serving, rude, and abusive to people are no longer tolerated. Me Too and Black Lives Matters put a stop to a lot of this, I think.
Be mindful of who you hang out with in your environment because this impacts your path in life. There is a theory that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. This is different from the five people you feel the closest to. It is who you spend the most hours of your day with. Whether you realize it or not, these relationships significantly impact your behavior and beliefs. And this is not just about people. This goes for the kind of media you consume: the books you read, the movies you watch, the news you listen to, what you pay attention to in your social media feed, all of it.
Adam: Who are the best leaders you have been around and what have you learned from them? What do you believe makes an effective leader?
Maria: One of the best leadership lessons I learned was from Mark Burnett, the producer who brought Survivor to the airwaves. He taught me to be solutions-oriented. Fairly early in my working relationship with him, I learned I could not go to Mark with just a problem; that was not helpful. I had to go to him not only with the problem, I needed to also have a solution for him to consider. And I get, I find it gets fatiguing to have to find the solution to every single, solitary challenge. It helps to when you have something to react to. Also, you want to be confident that those working with you can manage problems because you are not always going to be around.
As a business empire role model, I look to Richard Branson. I think he has used his position and wealth in the most excellent of ways. I write about him in my book. He has made a conscious choice to be in businesses that excite him and to hire people who care about others. And I love that almost everything he does has a philanthropic aspect.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Maria: Be impeccable with your word. Do what you say, keep your promises.
Be tenacious and optimistic, however, not so obsessive that it becomes unhealthy.
Be kind, compassionate, nurturing, and in service to others around you.
Adam: What do you hope readers take away from your new book?
Maria: The takeaway I would like readers to have is that your happiness is within your control. All you need to do is choose to be happier and back that up with consistent action each and every day. Being happy is not something you put off for tomorrow; it is necessary for today to have your best day now and tomorrow.
What I am teaching is resilience. I feel happiness is another word for this. The Happiness Essentials in my book are the virtues, qualities, and habits of happy people. You learn these to become aware of your challenges earlier, have the emotional tools to do something about them, and get to the other side more emotionally intact.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Maria: The single best piece of advice I received as an author, came from Martin Dugard, the New York Times bestselling co-author of the Killing Series with Bill O'Reilly. Marty told me when I was starting to write my book, to use my first draft as a guideline. Read my pages out loud and be ruthless with editing.
One of the best pieces of advice I received early in my TV-producing career came from a seasoned cameraman. He emphasized the importance of decision-making, stating that even a bad decision was better than no decision at all. You can always course correct. This advice resonated with me because it highlighted that you can always change your path. More importantly, it underscored the necessity of providing guidance and direction to keep your direct reports moving forward and helping to maintain morale. I think this is a crucial aspect of decision-making for every leader.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
I wrote my book Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want also drawing from world events and films we love as lessons. We all relate to stories. However, the main catalyst came partly from doing seven seasons as one of the original supervising producers on CBS's "Survivor," where I had a front-row seat to witness the best and worst in human behavior. So, often, I would sit in an interview with a contestant, who would say, "This isn't really me. This is me playing a game." I would always think, of course, it is you. Those are your words and actions. What I realized is that we all have untapped potential that we do not fully understand until it is tested, like the Survivor contestants or you explore it, which is what my book helps readers do.
My book introduces the eight Happiness Essentials that I believe pave the way to a happier life. After each chapter, I encourage readers to engage with these concepts personally and meaningfully. Using their cell phones, they are guided to capture images representing qualities like faith, gratitude, or forgiveness. They are then invited to reflect on these images through journaling. This interactive approach transforms abstract concepts into tangible, heartfelt experiences. Additionally, there is a “Take a Shot at Happiness” app, available in the app store to complement one’s journey.
You use the app to help create happiness as a habit. When you consciously and consistently work on understanding your well-being, you train your brain to look for the good. Do this often enough, and it will impact your overall well-being in the best of ways.
Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.
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