Ambitchiously Intelligent🎙️

How do you direct emotionally heavy stories without losing your team along the way? Simona Theoharova, director, actress, producer, and founder of Caravan Fantasia, an independent film production and short film sales agency, shares how studying psychology changed the way she approaches directing, leadership, and teamwork on set. While developing an Iranian biopic dealing with human rights, she realized that storytelling also means protecting the people creating it. From monthly team check-ins to building emotional trust and gratitude into the process, she explains why directing is about far more than just the camera. Watch and listen to the full episode 72 on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. @eva_oskarsdottir @valerytheone @ambitchiouslyintelligent @simona_the_oharova #SimonaTheoharova #IranianBiopic #HumanRights #FilmDirector #FilmProduction #FilmSales #CreativeLeadership #SetCulture #WomenInFilm #PsychologyAndFilm #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #LearnFromEachOther

How do you create a safer film set before things turn toxic? Simona Theoharova, director, actress, producer, and founder of Caravan Fantasia, shares why creating a healthy set culture starts long before filming begins. From the very first meetings, directors and producers set the tone for communication, teamwork, and trust. Because once a set becomes toxic, the damage is already costing time, money, energy, and people. Watch and listen to the full episode 72 on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. @eva_oskarsdottir @valerytheone @ambitchiouslyintelligent @simona_the_oharova #SimonaTheoharova #SafeFilmSet #FilmIndustry #DirectorLife #ProducerLife #IndependentFilm #Filmmaking #SetCulture #WomenInFilm #HealthyWorkEnvironment #CreativeLeadership #CaravanFantasia #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #LearnFromEachOther

What do filmmakers often get wrong about festival strategy? Simona Theoharova shares why many filmmakers miss a huge opportunity when presenting their films at festivals. Instead of repeating the same information before and after screenings, she encourages filmmakers to use those moments to share their vision, personality, and what truly drives them as artists. Because people may forget the plot details, but they remember the filmmaker behind the work. Watch and listen to the full episode 72 on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. @eva_oskarsdottir @valerytheone @ambitchiouslyintelligent @simona_the_oharova #SimonaTheoharova #FilmFestivalStrategy #FestivalCircuit #IndependentFilm #Filmmaker #FilmIndustry #DirectorLife #Storytelling #CreativeVision #FestivalQandA #FilmDistribution #IndependentCinema #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #LearnFromEachOther

This week on Ambitchiously Intelligent 🎙️ we sit down with Simona Theoharova @simona_the_oharova , director, actress, producer, and founder of Caravan Fantasia, for a conversation about creativity, leadership, emotionally healthy filmmaking, and finding your own way through an industry that constantly asks you to perform. Simona shares what it means to build a creative life without forcing yourself into rigid structures or becoming someone you’re not just to survive the industry. We also dive into the psychology behind filmmaking, the pressure to constantly “sell yourself,” and the importance of finding a way of working that actually aligns with your nervous system, your values, and your inner rhythm. At the core of it is a simple but powerful idea: great art is rarely built through ego or competition, but through people lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. 🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #WomenInFilm #IndependentFilm #LearnFromEachOther #FilmIndustry #CreativeLeadership :

This week on Ambitchiously Intelligent 🎙️ we sit down with filmmaker, actress, producer, and founder of a production and sales company, Simona Theoharova @simona_the_oharova Simona shares what it means to build a creative life without forcing yourself into a single box and why balance in the film industry often looks nothing like people imagine from the outside. We talk about the pressure to constantly be visible, the difference between performative networking and genuine connection, and why understanding your own energy and rhythm can become one of the most important creative tools you have. She opens up about creating emotionally safe sets, navigating toxic productions, and the responsibility directors and producers carry in shaping the emotional atmosphere of a team from the very beginning. We also dive into festival strategy, distribution, and the mistake many filmmakers make when presenting their work: talking only about the film instead of sharing the larger vision behind it. At the core of it all is the idea that filmmaking is not about ego or competition, but about building communities, finding your tribe, and creating spaces where people can thrive together. 🎬 Premiering May 12th on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #WomenInFilm #Filmmaking #FilmIndustry #LearnFromEachOther

Are you letting AI think for you? Mel Mack, casting director, acting coach, and founder of Mel Mack Acting Studio, shares why actors need to learn critical thinking before relying on AI tools. From branding and headshots to script work and auditions, she explains how to use AI as support without losing your own creativity, instincts, and voice. Watch and listen to the full episode 71 on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. @eva_oskarsdottir @valerytheone @ambitchiouslyintelligent @melmackactingstudio #MelMack #AIForActors #ActingCoach #CastingDirector #CriticalThinking #FilmIndustry #AuditionTips #ArtificialIntelligence #BrandingForActors #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #LearnFromEachOther #AI #FutureOfWork #LearnAI #ExpertAdvice

In this week’s episode of Ambitchiously Intelligent 🎙️ we sit down with casting director and acting coach Mel Mack for a conversation about rejection, emotional resilience, and what it actually takes to stay in the industry long enough for things to shift. Mel speaks about the reality behind the surface — moments where everything looks like success from the outside, while internally you’re questioning everything, even whether to continue at all. About hitting the point where you’re ready to walk away… and still choosing to show up one more time. At the core of it all — the work doesn’t get easier, you just become someone who can stay. 🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #WomenInFilm #Casting #FilmIndustry #LearnFromEachOther

What if losing everything is the turning point you actually needed? Mel Mack, casting director, acting coach, and founder of Mel Mack Acting Studio, shares how a devastating fire became an unexpected turning point in her life. Watch and listen to the full episode 71 on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. @eva_oskarsdottir @valerytheone @ambitchiouslyintelligent @melmackactingstudio #MelMack #ActingCoach #CastingDirector #Resilience #TurningPoint #FilmIndustry #PersonalGrowth #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #LearnFromEachOther #TrustTheProcess #Blessings #HigherPower #Gratitude

Can even the biggest stars still feel nervous? Mel Mack, casting director, acting coach, and founder of Mel Mack Acting Studio, reflects on working with Madonna on set and realizing what real courage, preparation, and commitment look like behind the scenes. Because greatness is not the absence of fear. It’s showing up fully anyway. Watch and listen to the full episode 71 on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. @eva_oskarsdottir @valerytheone @ambitchiouslyintelligent @melmackactingstudio #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #MelMack #Madonna #ActorsLife #CastingDirector #ActingCoach #BehindTheScenes #FilmIndustry #WorkEthic #LearnFromEachOther

What is an acting coach really responsible for? Mel Mack, casting director, acting coach, and founder of Mel Mack Acting Studio, shares why her mission goes beyond helping actors book roles. Watch and listen to the full episode 71 on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. @eva_oskarsdottir @valerytheone @ambitchiouslyintelligent @melmackactingstudio #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #MelMack #ActingCoach #CastingDirector #ActorsLife #AuditionTips #ActingCareer #FilmIndustry #Confidence #EatTheFrog #BrianTracy #LearnFromEachOther

This week on Ambitchiously Intelligent 🎙️ we sit down with Mel Mack, Casting Director, SAG-AFTRA member and author of 101 Acting Tips, for a conversation about rejection, resilience, and what it really takes to stay in the industry @melmackactingstudio Mel shares the reality behind the surface, building a career in a space where rejection is constant, where success doesn’t always feel like success, and where some of the biggest moments come right when you’re ready to walk away. We talk about showing up on the days you don’t want to, understanding the dynamics of the room instead of taking everything personally, and creating an internal foundation strong enough to hold the instability of this path. At the core of it: you don’t avoid the hard days, you learn how to keep going through them. 🎧 Full episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #WomenInFilm #Casting #FilmIndustry #LearnFromEachOther

This week on Ambitchiously Intelligent 🎙️ we sit down with casting director, acting coach, and founder of Mel Mack Acting Studio @melmackactingstudio Mel shares what it really looks like to build a career inside the industry from the inside out, from booking roles and working on major sets to hitting moments where everything feels like it’s falling apart. We talk about rejection on a scale most people never experience, and what it actually takes to keep going when you feel like quitting. About the illusion of success from the outside versus what’s happening internally and how learning to “read the room” became one of the most valuable skills in both acting and casting. She opens up about losing everything in a fire, rebuilding her life from zero, and how that moment unexpectedly became a turning point that led her into casting and teaching. We also get into what casting directors are really looking for and why it’s not what most actors think. At the core of it all is responsibility for your craft, your mindset, and the way you show up, even on the days when you don’t feel like it. 🎬 Premiering May, 5th on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts #AmbitchiouslyIntelligent #WomenInFilm #Casting #FilmIndustry #LearnFromEachOther