Lessons From Living in a Van, with Jon Bregel - Filmmaker
Welcome to the work of warriors, a podcast dedicated to bringing mental wellness to the entertainment industry. I'm your host, Kim Rapich. This podcast is dedicated to the artists we've lost to mental health, addiction, and suicide, and to those who are still suffering in silence. Hello. This is Kim Rapitz, your host.
Kim Rapach:Today's episode is with the incredible Jon Bragle. He is a cinematographer and the founder of We Are Variable, a community of filmmakers dedicated to bringing wellness and growth into the industry. I could not have been more excited to meet with John. He has an amazing story, and he's so fun to talk to. And he's just a really cool guy, and I think you're really going to enjoy this episode.
Kim Rapach:So enjoy. John Brago, I'm so excited to have you here. I feel like you're my new friend. I, you know, I just wanna say, like, with the work of Warriors being about bringing mental wellness to the entertainment industry, I've learned over the years to really trust myself, trust my body, trust how things make me feel. And so as I stumbled upon you and your work with We Are Variable, and when I read a community of filmmakers dedicated to wellness and growth, I just felt hope.
Kim Rapach:Like, I just had this, like, wave of hope. Because as surely you can relate as an entrepreneur, as somebody who is an advocate for wellness, it can feel lonely. You know? Offline, you and I were just talking about the the company of one. Right?
Kim Rapach:And I think that is just something that we don't often talk enough about, and I love the fact that you have a community that's dedicated to that. So I would just love to hear more about what you do. You know, how did you get to the point where you wanted to create this community that's dedicated to wellness with filmmakers? How did you get there? Why is it important?
Kim Rapach:And I would just love for our listeners to hear more.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Sure. Well, thanks for having me again, Kim. I'm, it's always good to have these types of conversations and just kinda get to the get to the roots of all this stuff, because I find, so much for me, it does it all starts up for a personal, reason for personal reasons, and then, it just expands from there, I suppose. But, I mean, that's at least my story for sure.
Jon Bragel:I was I had a production company, in New York City, and, it got pretty big pretty fast and never really was educated on how to build a production company. Neither were my partners. And we hired on staff early on, and the overhead just got really high. And we were just kinda treading water for a long time. Every project that came across was, just a new lesson, like a big lesson in every project, and it was just all consuming.
Jon Bragel:I invested my life savings in it, and, it just went on and on and on. And I probably should have when I say should have, I wanted to leave, like, probably three to four years before I actually left. But the challenge was at the time, you know, I I was so loyal to my friends as well that I worked with, and I think that's what really kept me there was, like, our staff. And, so I I really learned through that experience how important it is for me to, take care of myself. And, I definitely was not doing that for that whole span of my life, the better part of my twenties.
Jon Bragel:And, it was actually when I'd taken a sabbatical. I bought a van and lived out of this van and took a sabbatical around The United States. And, it occurred to me on that drive, just this idea of almost like, like an AA for filmmakers. I was like, I wish there was kind of a support group for filmmakers that could come together. We could talk about the struggles, the joys, help each other get through it, and all that kind of stuff.
Jon Bragel:And that was the initial kind of idea, which was I wanna say that was, maybe it was like eight years ago or something. And that idea just kept popping up, you know, once every few months, every six months, once a year, and just continually kept coming up. And then, when I'd actually left my production company in New York City, I, all of a sudden, had all this free time for the first time ever. And, I had been mentoring and helping out filmmakers over the years, just not very as consistently as I could now that I had free time. So when the free time opened up, I, I had been doing some coaching work myself with a coach and learned a lot about coaching, and I was like it's kinda like, I wonder I wonder if I could apply this formula to filmmakers.
Jon Bragel:And so that's what I did. I I kinda developed it from just doing it to helping a few people out, and then I realized, like, oh, there's actually a big need for this, and then it turned into a business. And then the community ultimately or initially, I should say, was a way to bring together all the filmmakers that I had coached, because I always was introducing them to one another. And because there was it's all the work I do is values based, so I get to really know people, on that type of level. So the there's really great connections that I was making, and I was like, okay.
Jon Bragel:Well, if I start a community through these, like, shared values but it wasn't specific to wellness, like, at that time when I was thinking about it initially. It was more just, like, connecting people that I felt had, like, kindred spirits. And then, the wellness portion of it was kind of, that developed from a series of conversations with my, older business partner. We had reconnected, and we had both gone through so much just depression and anxiety as a result of our twenties and decided, okay. This is the angle.
Jon Bragel:This is the direction to take. And and my old business partner was really helpful in helping me get the wheels turning on the community element of it. And, so that's kinda what it is. It's, we just put it out there. Wanted to see if if anyone really resonated with it.
Jon Bragel:We relaunched the production company as as a wellness community. So I think because of the following that we had from the production company, there were some people that were interested initially, and then slowly, more folks have been joining. And it's just been, it's been a good a good little ride so far. It's been a good time.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. It sounds amazing. And, I mean, I I feel like my brain is going off in all different directions, but I think the one biggest thing that you said was, you know, I worked with people. It's a value based coaching. The community is values based.
Kim Rapach:You're introducing people who share similar values. And I think that's really I mean, I think it's important, and I think it's powerful because so many people don't even know what that means. They don't even know what that is. They have this amazing talent. They're, you know, creative.
Kim Rapach:They have a gift, and somebody notices it. And they they bring it into the world, but they don't even know what their values are. They don't know what their boundaries are. Mhmm. And as most of us, you know, I think we we share a very similar experience in different parts of the world.
Kim Rapach:But, you know, this, like, okay. My career is taking off, and then all of a sudden, like, why am I not happy? Yeah. You know? And if you're not careful and you don't know your values and you don't know your boundaries, you will overextend yourself.
Kim Rapach:You will cross boundaries. You will abandon yourself. You will do things you swore you never would do. You know? And so I guess a question I have for you is how did this idea of values like, did you learn that through coaching?
Kim Rapach:Was that something you learned, you know, in the industry from a friend? How did that come about for you?
Jon Bragel:I think values coaching had a lot to do with that. There was a few different coaches that I had worked with. It was career coach, a life coach, then there was an ADHD. I wouldn't say coach, but that was the role that he kinda played for me. But, values was always a part of that.
Jon Bragel:But before values before getting to values, it was boundaries and allowing myself to put things down and say, you know, this is the time that I need for myself, or I can't make this call, or I can't do that, that's where I started to, come in touch with myself again and my feelings. And, ultimately, the values were it was much more able or much more possible for me to kind of, like, understand this idea of values and the importance of values when I had some initial boundaries in place, if that makes sense.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. I think they go hand in hand. Mhmm.
Kim Rapach:And I think one thing to note is the complexity of having values and boundaries in an industry that will likely not value them if you don't value for yourself. Right? And I think that needs to be talked about is that nobody's gonna fight harder for you than you. Mhmm. Mhmm.
Kim Rapach:And when you have people promising you things and promising you money and, you know, luxury, if you will Mhmm. It's really easy to lose yourself. And so, you know, that's one of my biggest passions is helping people establish their own personal values according to what matters to them and not anybody else and certainly not, you know, people on the Internet. Right. But which is tricky.
Kim Rapach:But understanding what those boundaries are. Who am I? Who do I wanna be? You know, what boundaries will I refuse to cross? What Yeah.
Kim Rapach:You know? And knowing that ahead of time, like you said, I didn't know how to build this production company, and it took off. Mhmm. And I think that happens to a lot of creatives, a lot of brilliant people. Like I said, they have this gift and it just takes off.
Kim Rapach:That's why I think coaching is so important. Yeah. You know, we're all inundated with lots of, like, self care stuff and and tips and tools, which are great. But what I find is those will only take you so far if you don't internally have that self acceptance, self respect, self love. And so when I hear somebody like you say, you know, I had a a career coach and a life coach and another coach, what happened?
Kim Rapach:Like, where did you decide I'm worth this type of care? I'm worth this type of investment in myself?
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Well, I my old business partner had a lot to do with that. He was and he is one of the most kind people, supportive people I've ever met in my life. And he's got an amazing heart. And he knew that I was struggling for a long time in the business, but we were both real we were both struggling, but it got to a point in the business for me where I had sent him an email at, like, midnight when I was in China on a shoot.
Jon Bragel:And I told him, I was like, dude, I can't be in this company anymore. Like, this is just too much. It's just exhausting. I'm over it. Whatever.
Jon Bragel:It's just kind of like a in the moment reactive thing. And I was desperate and he emailed me back and he was like, he was like, look, dude, you either need to get a therapist or coach, or I can't be your business partner anymore. And I was like, okay. I've never done either of those things before. These this is new.
Jon Bragel:And I was just in a state of desperation. I knew that I needed help. And so I didn't even have the energy to look for a coach myself or for a therapist or anything. So I was just like, do you know any coaches or therapists or whatever? And he just sent me a link to a life coach.
Jon Bragel:And I was like, all right, well, then I'm just gonna go to that one. And that's what I did. And, in many ways that, that gift that he gave me by by, suggesting that, saved my life and and opened me up to, what I believe my heart was desiring for a long time, which was actually just love. Like, it was it was love. It was a relationship, like, as like, I really was desiring love not for myself, but also with another person, like an intimate, relationship.
Jon Bragel:And, that first life coach helped me really identify what I understood at the time as my inner voice, what I understand now is God. But my inner voice and, you know, really understanding its needs, and, and at that time, it was time for space to go on a sabbatical, to just have some time to myself. And through working more with that life coach again, recognizing, like, oh, like, this is what I really want is, like, I wanna I wanna get married one day. Like, I wanna I wanna do that. And and, so I I completely forget what your initial question was, but that's that was my
Kim Rapach:And I don't care because I love your answers.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. But, no, coaching is amazing. Like, I so I did that, and then I ultimately ended up leaving, the production company a couple of years later because I was tuning so much into what I wanted that I ultimately realized, like, this company's too much. But but also the other side of that story is that coincided with meeting my wife in China on a job. And when I met her, I was just like I was already burned out from the company.
Jon Bragel:And so when I met her, immediately, I was like, okay. This is really special. I don't wanna screw this up. That was my first instinct. And then when I came back to New York City Two Days later after meeting her, I walked into our new office, which was this huge space in Dumbo, like, right on the water.
Jon Bragel:And all this new furniture and artwork and stuff was being brought into the office. And I had this out of body experience where I was just in the doorway to the office and I was like, I gotta get the heck out of here. And this was, this was literally like weeks. We'd been renovating the office with contractors for like maybe a year or something. And I walk in and we made all these commitments to our directors and staff.
Jon Bragel:And and I walk in, I'm like, I can't be here anymore. And that next two weeks was, like, the hardest two weeks of my life, but I just took action on my feelings even though there was no rationality to anything, in the moment. But I was just like, you know what? Like, I want this is what I want. Like, I know that I want this thing, and I'm gonna figure out how to make it right with my employees and with the staff.
Jon Bragel:And fortunately, I did. And I'm on good terms with everybody, and that ended as well as it could have. And, but it was, it was brutal. Those two weeks where I was brutal and I was living in my van at the time in New York City. So it was like, I just remember being in that van, just like laying there for hours, just staring at the ceiling, like not taking any of the advice that the lawyer was giving me because they were, like, just telling me all these things about the deal that I should be getting from the company and all this and that and getting feedback from my dad and my mom and friends and just ultimately knowing, like, I gotta do what's best for me right now.
Jon Bragel:It's time. And so I left, and then I spent some time in China. And then, my wife ultimately ended up moving me here a couple years later and, to Baltimore. So and, we're happily married. So, it's a it's a happy it's a happy story for sure.
Kim Rapach:My gosh. I love that so much, and I probably have, like, a million questions for you. But, you know, I wanna touch on the fact that you said what you've what you've learned now is that inner voice, you know, you you attached it to desire. Right? And it's what you desire, but it's that internal voice of god.
Kim Rapach:Right? And, you know, people can call that and name it whatever they want. But I too I think that's so significant because when I imagine you, you know, emailing your business partner at midnight in China, like, I think we've been taught and conditioned to believe that when those emotional disruptions happen, that there's something wrong with us. That, you know, we're we're whatever. I didn't wanna say the words, but there's it's bad.
Kim Rapach:Right? And I see it as an invitation. Because had that never happened, you wouldn't have then been forced essentially to take those steps. And fortunately, you had a business partner who loved you enough to have his own boundary and say, look, do something or I'm out. And boundary.
Kim Rapach:So he modeled that, and then you ended up with, you know, with coaching and learning that that disruption, that emotional dysregulation that you had at midnight that many of us experience. It's very human. But it caused you to take action, and it caused you to say, what do I really want? And Yeah. Can we just talk for a second about how ironic it is that that is such a unique concept to actually pay attention to what you want?
Kim Rapach:I think Yeah. No. Humanity in general, I think we all struggle with that, but then you're in an industry where there are so many outside voices Yeah. Who are telling you what they want. Mhmm.
Kim Rapach:We're making money off your gifts, off your product, off your, you know, your creativity. And it's so confusing because I'm sure you've experienced that fear of, like, if I walk away, I'm gonna be, you know, canceled. I'm gonna be done. I'll never work again. But then it's that and do I abandon myself,
Jon Bragel:or
Kim Rapach:do I trust myself?
Jon Bragel:Yeah.
Kim Rapach:And what a beautiful story. I was like, are you gonna write a book? You know? I'm in the van looking at the ceiling like, just a year's project. I I kinda now I need to walk away, but that's how it happens.
Kim Rapach:It's so I think I've I've I've I think, stumbling over my words, I think it's more common than what we talk about.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. It's
Kim Rapach:these, you know, tea in the road, the fork in the road kind of experiences where you have to make a choice.
Jon Bragel:And, you
Kim Rapach:know, it's been like the world needs your gifts, but not at the cost of your soul.
Jon Bragel:Absolutely. And I'm just so grateful that I met my wife when I did in China at the time that I did. I mean, that to me is like God's work. I mean, that's how I understand it. I mean, that single handedly to me saved my life and just opened up my entire world and in ways that I could have never planned, you know?
Jon Bragel:And, so forever grateful for the powers that be in that, in that area, for sure.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. It certainly feels divine. And, you know, as an outsider to the story, it's like, oh, that was absolutely orchestrated. It was all happening in perfect timing, right, that we all hear about, but it's hard to trust. But I do think it takes that intentional step of fighting for yourself and loving yourself and trusting yourself to be able to even notice.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. Right? And to realize, like, that's not a coincidence. This all happened for me, not
Jon Bragel:to me. I'd also just seen and experienced single handedly how hard it is to establish an intimate romantic relationship in this industry because of the reason you just mentioned being, like, an artist and a creative, and people are always vying for your attention and pulling you in this way and that way, and how damaging and difficult that can be on a relationship and on the partner. And so when I met her and I left the company, I was like, well, now it's my time. Nobody's gonna tell me what to do right now, and I need this time to learn about myself, learn about her, and establish a foundation for the relationship. So, like, all of this stuff was I wasn't, like, aware of it in that moment that I stepped back into the office and had that, like, out of body experience, but I think it was just everything hitting me at one moment that was, if I stay in this company, there's no way that this relationship can work.
Jon Bragel:And it was incredible how I can kind of unpack that out of body experience that I had now. But in the moment, it was so far in and just I couldn't even begin to describe what was happening in that moment. So it's pretty cool stuff.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. That's amazing. And so Yeah. How do you pour that into your community? What's what are the values for your community where you bring wellness and growth for a community of filmmakers.
Kim Rapach:Can you talk a little bit about what those values are?
Jon Bragel:Yeah. I mean well, the number one value I would say is just wellness, I think, is, the thing that we all have in common. There there are, like, sub values in the community as well, but honestly, it feels really I feel really bad saying this as someone that's such an advocate for values, but I haven't even looked at them in, in, like, a year, because the wellness value in and of itself, it brings together such a group of kindred spirits. And I think I will probably redefine what the values are of the company other than wellness. But, I know joy was one of the values as well.
Jon Bragel:But, again, I feel I probably should have had a better answer to this. But, I just think everything's been feeling right and kind of growing organically through that value of wellness. And, there's a lot to unpack within that one value. I mean, that could be spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, environmental. There's a lot of other aspects to that, but we mainly focus on the, emotional, physical, spiritual, and, emotional, physical, spiritual, and what's the other one?
Jon Bragel:Dropping. Having a brain fart, Kim.
Kim Rapach:You said spiritual, emotional, physical. I don't know. I could go on relational, mental.
Jon Bragel:Mental. Mental health. I always get I always get mental health and emotional health kind of twisted together. And I'm also not like this is the other thing about me is I'm not like a mental health expert. Like, I didn't go to school for this stuff.
Jon Bragel:And, I've learned a bit through working with coaches and stuff in my own studies and everything, but I think my approach to wellness is is very much more, like, intuitive. And, I kind of ask people a lot of questions in the community about what they wanna see, their thoughts and feelings, and kind of guide it that way. So, at times, it it can feel like I can feel like, oh, how am I qualified to be leading a community in wellness when, like, I don't even know exactly how to define wellness depending on the day that you ask me. You know? But, I don't know I don't know, how much that matters.
Jon Bragel:I think I just care so much about feeling the joy of filmmaking and and loving it and loving yourself and, I don't know. What does that look like? I don't know. But, Yeah.
Kim Rapach:Well, I'm gonna let you off the hook for not having the clear answer because I think in that you actually gave a brilliant answer, which is when wellness is the main value, everything else has a much greater chance of working itself out over and over and over again. I think sometimes people think if I stop and I take care of myself, I'm gonna lose time. I'm gonna lose productivity. If we give our employees time off or, you know, let them go, you know, do something toward that, they're you know, we're gonna lose them. Like, actually, no.
Kim Rapach:Things get better. Mhmm. You are more creative. You're more of a team player. You're more productive.
Kim Rapach:You, you know, deliver better product. You make more money. And it's because I do think there is this universal value that we matter Mhmm. And that we matter before what we can make.
Jon Bragel:Yeah.
Kim Rapach:Right? And when we are loving ourselves well and taking care of ourselves and honoring our wellness, we make, you know you and I both know Blaine Hogan who's another, you know, filmmaker. You know? He used to have a class called make better. You know?
Kim Rapach:And it's like, when you are better, not a better better person or a better filmmaker, but when you are well, you make better things, and you make the world better. Because when you're well, guess what? Your wife benefits from that. Your family benefits from that. Your, you know, your colleagues and your employees and even strangers at the grocery store, everybody wins when we're taking care of ourselves.
Kim Rapach:And so if if wellness is the one value and that's really what you're focused on, I really do think it tends to make everything else work out better. And so I think that was actually a good answer.
Jon Bragel:Well, it's it's cool to hear you say that too because now I'm thinking like, okay. Maybe one value is the approach. Because with my coaching clients, initially, I was helping them define five values. And then I heard this podcast with Brene Brown, who we've talked about, where, she talks about the power of having two core values as your, like, primary drivers. So the practice I've been doing with coaching clients recently is I have them define their five values, and then I ask them if they think it's possible to condense them down into two.
Jon Bragel:And so maybe there is some thought in even one, I don't know, maybe one primary driver that's, I just yeah. The more values there are, it can just be easy to lose yourself in in the kind of in the weeds, in the details. But I don't know.
Kim Rapach:You know, and I I fully agree with that. And I, you know, I love Brene Brown. And I I again, I think a lot of people don't even know what their values are. So even just initiating that conversation, just saying what are your values, and here's what this means. It directs people back to themselves Mhmm.
Kim Rapach:For maybe the first time ever.
Jon Bragel:Mhmm.
Kim Rapach:Right? Especially if they've been creative or, you know, chasing a dream for a long time. Might be the first time they've ever even been asked. We're so used to putting out, right, to producing things and to you know, for me as a caregiver, providing care, that it's nice when someone turns it back and says, what about you? What's important to you?
Kim Rapach:What do you value? You know, what does your best life look like? And I think in this industry, it's even more important. You know, the other thing, John, I wanted to touch on is you said, you know, I'm not a mental health trained expert, and, I appreciate you saying that. But I just I also wanna touch on the fact that we have been conditioned to believe, and I think we might have talked about this in one of our earlier calls, that there's those of us with mental health issues and those of us without.
Kim Rapach:Mhmm. Right? And the truth of the matter is we all have mental health, just like we all have physical health. And I think, you know, we focus far more on our physical health than our mental health. And I think if we, you know, we do things that give us physical wellness.
Kim Rapach:We're we're proactive. You know? We we go to the doctor. We take supplements. We work out.
Kim Rapach:We drink water. We do all these things. But and while those contribute certainly to mental wellness, we don't kind of look at it the same. We look at it as, like, do I have a problem or do I not? Whereas, like, we don't look at people with asthma like that.
Kim Rapach:Right? It's like, oh, you have physical health and you have asthma. Like, oh, okay. Well, you have anxiety. And all anxiety is is a distress regulate dysregulated nervous system.
Kim Rapach:Mhmm. Right? And once you learn language and learn why, how you got there, and, you know, what your personality is and how to regulate that, it's pretty treatable.
Jon Bragel:Yeah.
Kim Rapach:Livable, curable. Yeah. It becomes nonexistent sometimes in the best case scenario. But I just don't think we have enough language is what I'm trying to say. And so I think it's beautiful when people who are not trained as mental health experts, who are doing that kind of work and helping other people find language because it normalizes this idea of wellness as opposed to trying to avoid having an illness.
Kim Rapach:Mhmm. Does that make sense?
Jon Bragel:A %. Yeah.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. I just think I think it's so important. I think we can change the narrative.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. And I think we can all help each other in in so many ways. Like, we don't have to be experts to ask one another, how are you doing? And to listen to someone's story. Like, that's just very basic human behavior that I think we've lost because of I mean, our industry doesn't help, but our the times that we live in, obviously, with phones and computers, it's the ability to just be present and hold space for people.
Jon Bragel:I mean, that is healing and to me in a nutshell is just being there to listen. And I don't know. That's that's that's the best form of therapy.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. For sure. It's connection. Right? It says I see you, and I think that's a common shared human desire is to be seen, to be able to show up as we are.
Kim Rapach:Right? And just be seen and not have to shape shift, not have to change, not have to put on the shiny face, and not have to match our Instagram reel, you know, and just be like, this is really me. And I think it's a gift when we have those safe spaces to show up, and it just it seems to me that's what you're building in your filmmakers' community, and I just I really appreciate that. You know, one of the reasons I think wellness in the industry is so important is because there are so many unrealistic expectations.
Jon Bragel:Yeah.
Kim Rapach:You know? And I have, you know, I have a teenager, and so I'm watching, you know, with social media and everything, just watching this narrative and this fallacy that if you're famous and if you're successful, you'll be happy. Mhmm. And I have fallen for it. Most of my clients have fallen for it, and we end up in this, state of underwhelm, if you will.
Kim Rapach:Like, okay. I got the award. I got the gig. I was on the stage. I I did the thing.
Kim Rapach:I got the job, but I I'm the same person. I still feel the way I feel. Mhmm. And so these empty promises, I think bringing wellness to the industry is so important. You know, and having communities like yours is what's what it's going to take because, again, people don't have values.
Kim Rapach:They don't know how to stand up and say no. They don't know how to say, I'm not doing that. And they don't know that they even have a right to do that. And, you know, we could get into whole legal stuff and whatnot, but I think the basic human wellness of having a foundation of knowing who I am and who I wanna be and what my values are, where I'm willing to bend, what line I'm not willing to cross for anybody. I just think it's powerful when we can give people that permission and then also to check-in on each other, like you said, to build a community that says, I care how you're doing, but before this deadline.
Jon Bragel:Mhmm.
Kim Rapach:Like, that's so powerful. And there's so few people doing it.
Jon Bragel:I I think it's hard too. It's it's like a daily challenge to, cultivate that type of awareness and behavior just because the pool of so many things. Like, I can see why so many people aren't well. You know, it's it's it's incredibly hard work. And, I mean, I was also very privileged to have the time to step away from my work and do some really deep groundwork to, know myself.
Jon Bragel:And that's something I've been coming to awareness of recently is just privilege. And, not everybody has that luxury. I mean, therapy costs money. Coaching costs money. These are all things that I could just pay for and do.
Jon Bragel:And so I'm I'm, like, in this space now of wellness and trying to be mindful of, some of the things I say or the ways I act and because, yeah, it's it's a it's a pretty amazing thing that, that I've had those experiences. I mean, there's other ways to heal, of course, like, on your own, you know, if you have if you're really into reading books, etcetera. But I do believe, like, having professional support is, incredibly helpful. But, again, not everybody can afford it. So Sure.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. Well, you know, when you when you talk, though, like, I just I don't wanna minimize the power that you have in creating the community that you have because, you know, for me, a lot of times, especially when I work with, like, executives, but even, you know, even entertainers and artists, It's like it's like working with someone then knowing that I'm sending them back out into a battlefield. Like Yeah. Like, I have respect for I understand the rest of the world doesn't work like this, but I really think if we can do this one person at a time, people like you building communities, like, if let's just say there was somebody within your community that was an employee of yours. I you know, I don't know how that works in your structure, but, like, I would feel comfortable sending them back.
Kim Rapach:Right? Like, okay. You have a superior. You have a support system. You have, you know, a creator, you know, a cinematographer, a director who values you.
Kim Rapach:And let me tell you that's a game changer because so often it's like helping people find themselves in an industry, in a situation, in a corporation where I might be the only one who cares about their wellness at that point. Right?
Jon Bragel:Yep. Yeah.
Kim Rapach:And so it is tricky. And so, again, I just really am so inspired by the fact that you're building a community, and it's just much needed. And it's valuable, and it matters, and it makes a difference. You know, I I say if we can bring mental wellness to the industry, we can bring mental wellness to the world.
Jon Bragel:I like that. I like that. I think I'd have to agree.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. So can I ask, like, what are two or three things that you do on a regular basis that helps you keep your mental wellness in a good state?
Jon Bragel:Yeah. So every morning and every evening, I've been doing the same routine now for about, I don't know, five years or so, but I I consider this my life bumpers. That's how I've defined it for myself. And, so I start with meditation in the mornings. I'll do anywhere from fifteen to thirty minutes of meditation.
Jon Bragel:And, and then I journal and my journaling is a mixture of like prayer and writing, and I'm always writing to God. That's just how my journal prompts are, and it always starts with gratitude. And gratitude has been something that has I've been feeling the fruits of actually, within the last, like, four months. It's I've been practicing it for, like, five years in journals, but the longest time, I'm like, is this actually doing anything? Like, I don't really know.
Jon Bragel:Like, I know it feels good sometimes, so I just kinda kept doing it. But, recently, that's been paying off in really big ways, the gratitude journaling. And, and then after that I recently just started, actually, within the last few months, a journaling prompt in the mornings where I write one thing that I can do in the day that will make me feel healthy, one thing that will make me feel connected, and one thing that'll make me feel purposeful. And that's been a really I I could go on and on about that because that's been really cool. I love it.
Jon Bragel:So there's the the morning routine, the evening routine. I've also been going to the gym for, I don't know how many years now. It's a very light workout. I mean, I'm in and out within an hour, and I don't barely even break a sweat. And, that's something I like to do before 9AM.
Jon Bragel:And I don't check my phone. I sleep with my phone off too. So, like, I don't check my phone until I'm done usually three hours in the morning of whatever I'm doing. That's another thing that I've that's been helpful. And then, I'm also a Christian, so I go to church on Sundays.
Jon Bragel:I take off Sundays. I take off most of Saturdays, and I take off Thursdays. So I'm, like, very much about, of course, when I have shoots, you know, everything changes. But but as far as the routine, the things that are always in place are the routines. Like, those things rarely, rarely get bumped.
Jon Bragel:But, and there's all sorts of them. I think I
Kim Rapach:clarified that because I think somebody listening might be like, why is he doing this?
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Yeah.
Kim Rapach:Yes. Good clarification.
Jon Bragel:But no, I do like all the, these are all things that are like, what's it called? That have been like battle tested over the last, like, five years that, that I'm I could realize that I can afford to do them and it's important. So I just do it. So
Kim Rapach:And do you try to maintain some of those? Like, if you're on a shoot, right, and it's hair on fire for weeks or months, like, do you try to incorporate as many of those still as you can knowing I don't know how you feel, but sometimes I'm like, it doesn't have to be perfect. Yeah. You know? It's just, like, I keep a list.
Kim Rapach:I call it the damn thing, and it's just like, just do the damn thing. Like, your life bumpers. Right? Like, I feel my best when I do these things whether I like it or not. Yeah.
Kim Rapach:And I don't always hit them. I rarely hit all of them every day, but it's that focus because it's like, you matter. Right? You're looking in the mirror, like, you matter.
Jon Bragel:Yeah.
Kim Rapach:And it's like, the more I hit, the better day I have. And it Yeah. You know, there was a time in my life, you know, where that would have felt like, I don't have time for that. That's a burden. It's too cumbersome.
Kim Rapach:It takes too long. I gotta get to work. But that was, you know, that was a whole another, you know, episode of not understand you know, a whole another not episode, but, like, life season of not really being self attuned. Right? Just thinking that what many of us wrestle with.
Kim Rapach:Right? My worth comes from my work.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Yeah. There there definitely was a time where I would not if I was on shoots, I would not prioritize the routines as much and, you know, I would go out and stay out late for dinner and all that stuff. But, more within the last couple of years, I've actually realized that the more stressed out I am and the more stuff I have to do, the more I actually need to emphasize those routines. So it seems and it's been a hard boundary to put up, especially when, you know, you've done a a long day and everybody wants to go out for drinks and dinner, and you're just like, oh, no.
Jon Bragel:I'm just gonna go back to my hotel room. But, like, I've actually learned that people respect me more because of that. And at first I was really scared about it. But at this point I'm like, I can't be in this industry if I'm not taking care of my I just can't. And so there's things that I Tell
Kim Rapach:that from the mountain tops.
Jon Bragel:I mean, it's, it's just true for me. Like, I, I can't shoot. I can't this industry is so hard, like, and all the responsibility that we have on ourselves, on our Scouts to make sure everything's right. And then on the shoot days, it's it's such a burden. And I need every ounce of my mind and my spirit to be there in those moments.
Jon Bragel:Because if you mess up and, like, if you if you don't come in prepared and if you're not having a good day, like safety, money, all these things are real consequences. And I also just know, like having had a production company myself for eight years, it's so expensive production. The cost is so expensive, and every little mistake or if you're lacking clarity, you're gonna not be making the best decisions you can, and everything really matters. So I just I really respect the process of film production, and I think it demands our best selves. And, that's just how I think.
Jon Bragel:That's how I feel about it.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. So Well and I just hope that we can help more people feel that way about it.
Jon Bragel:It's easy to be, like, very passive about it, you know, and just think like, oh, this is just a Cheerios commercial. It doesn't matter. You know? Think you're always better than everything you're working on. But I experienced that way of thinking for a big part of my life, and it it didn't end well for me.
Jon Bragel:So I think there's a much better mindset of gratitude to bring towards whatever. And we're getting paid a ridiculous amount of money to do this job, and it's like, good lord. I mean, so that's that's the gratitude that I've been tapping into now that I'm working a lot more in film this year is just, like, not trying to be who I used to be as far as, like, thinking I'm always better than every job that I'm on.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, I believe that the most well, the people who are the most unaware, you know, the people who lack self awareness are the ones who cause the most harm.
Jon Bragel:And, you
Kim Rapach:know, to the contrary, people who are self aware, doing their inner work, focusing on themselves, it's not selfish. It actually makes it better for the rest of us because,
Jon Bragel:you
Kim Rapach:know, people who are self aware, they care about other people. Mhmm. Like, you know, you're an example of that, and they just help the rest of us do better and take care of ourselves even when we don't understand. And it might be five years later. Somebody's like, I don't know what that guy was doing, but now I get it.
Kim Rapach:We might just be planting seeds for some, and that's okay.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Yeah. I agree. I agree.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. But I think that the universal message that you and I are talking about is the mental and physical wellness is so incredibly important in order to be truly successful in this industry. You know, I don't even like the word entertainment industry anymore. I'm just like, couldn't you call it the creative industry?
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Yeah.
Kim Rapach:I don't know. There's something about entertainment. I feel like, I don't know, it doesn't match what's really happening. It's so powerful and it's so spiritual and it's so personal. It's not just entertainment.
Kim Rapach:Right?
Jon Bragel:But Yeah.
Kim Rapach:You know, I just think it's important, like you said, to make it in this industry and to really appreciate the success that you do have. Yeah. You need to be well. Otherwise, you do keep moving that goal post. You do lose your gratitude.
Kim Rapach:You do start start to get a little too big for your britches. You think you're better than, you know, than the job you're on. And, and I so get it. And I think when you practice that self care and that wellness, you can actually enjoy those checks when they come in. You can enjoy the collaboration, the coffee around the table and be like, we did this.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. It's just a better experience for everybody.
Jon Bragel:It really it just makes it fun and enjoyable to show up on whatever the shoot is or whatever brand or whatever, and just enjoy it and play and not be so tied to that project or that product. It's it's like a fun collaboration. Sure. There's challenges with, like, agency and client that but it's not that that's not fun. It's just that's the reality.
Jon Bragel:Like, that's the business we're in. And I think a lot of times, like, you know, starting out in the business, it's everything is just so personal, and it's hard to get that perspective. So, again, like, grateful for the the humiliation that I experienced from my depression. Just kinda seeing things a bit more clearly now, I think, which is good.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. Well, if if anyone were listening and they were feeling like they're maybe they're struggling to even think that they're worth this kind of level of self care, or they don't know where to start, or they think, you know, I don't have time for that. Like, what would be one small tangible thing that you would tell somebody? Like, just start here. Like, for me, I always say, like, just start by hydrating.
Kim Rapach:Let's just start there. You just Imagine your body being hydrated, and it can be so small. I think we think it has to be this big grandiose thing. Like, what would be one small thing you would offer?
Jon Bragel:Man, I know how hard it can be when you're in the grips of anxiety and depression to do anything. You know, even take one breath, like, one conscious breath can be too much. But I think that probably is where I would suggest starting because you can do it right in the moment where you are. You don't have to go anywhere. And just taking a really deep breath, a really deep breath of gratitude if you're able to muster that, which probably not when you're in the throes of depression, but just a really deep breath, and that would be my suggestion.
Jon Bragel:There's a lot of other things that are a bit bigger than that, like walking around the block or things of that nature. But I found through breathing myself, getting in tune with my breath, like, that has been such a pathway to so many incredible things that, but that's a great question. I I haven't really thought of that specifically before.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. And when you say breath, what the visual that comes to mind for me is, like, putting your hands on your chest and closing your eyes and just breathing and just saying, I matter. Yeah. And sometimes that will bring you to your knees because you don't feel like it when you're depressed and anxious. And so sometimes we do have to go through the motions first and let the feelings catch up.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Definitely.
Kim Rapach:I think that's great.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. It's a cool feeling. It's definitely a cool feeling to be like, woah. You know? Like, I'm alive and I'm breathing and, like, life may be flashing by at a million miles an hour, but, like, this is where I am and it all kinda starts right here.
Jon Bragel:That that can be a really, I don't know what the right word is, but just,
Kim Rapach:it's the work of a warrior. Yes.
Jon Bragel:There you go. That's it.
Kim Rapach:It is. That's the life is flashing by, and I can just start right here with me like that. That is the work of a warrior. You know? The we've been taught that a warrior has to sacrifice themselves to take care of everybody else, and we do.
Kim Rapach:And I think as highly driven people, creatives, entrepreneurs, etcetera, that is so dangerous. Right? Because as you know, you you sacrifice your money, you sacrifice your relationships, your family, your time, your everything, your wellness, your mental health. But when you, you know so for the point of the work of warriors for me is a warrior is actually somebody who takes care of themselves first so that they can help take care of the rest of us. And if we're all doing that, we just take better care of each other.
Kim Rapach:Yeah. Again, everybody wins.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Yeah. I agree.
Kim Rapach:John, thank you so much. I am so honored to just to be doing this work with you and to collaborate and that you know, to know that we share values and and just really appreciate and am inspired by the work that you're doing. So thank you, and thank you for being part of the work of warriors.
Jon Bragel:Yeah. Thank you, Kim. This is great.
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