Building Bridges through Broadcast Media with Zach Damon

James  0:00 

Accessibility and outer space. Yeah, that's the thing. And it's pretty mind blowing. I hadn't thought about it mailing until this chat that you had for today's episode of the Xceptional Leaders podcast.

Mai Ling  0:12 

Yes. So I got to sit down with Zach Damon. And he's an incredibly talented actor and broadcaster and he shaking things up, you know, taking the conversation about disabilities, from places were familiar with, like the theater and launching it quite literally into space. And that sounds like a sci fi movie, right?

James  0:28 

Yeah, I never thought about it going from all the stages from earth to space like that. His journey is fascinating. He went from being a kid and doing public speaking to pushing for inclusivity in space exploration. He's involved in radio, theater, kind of touches, many different verticals. So whether you're an entertainment or aspiring to be, or just have your voice heard in the disability space, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Mai Ling  0:56 

Definitely. And just looking at Zach's approach to disability advocacy. He's not just opening doors, he's opening whole new worlds, both figuratively and literally.

Zach  1:07 

But then as you grow and, and mature and you come to understand, especially within the arts, in within, you know, your professional life, that it is those differences that make you a better leader, it is those differences that give you an advantage, then you come to embrace it and understand that and understand that. Speaking up is important.

Mai Ling  1:28 

Welcome to the exceptional leaders Podcast. I'm Elaine Chan. And together with James Burgess, we're shining a light on the people who are making the world more accessible and inclusive.

James  1:40 

It's 2024. Amazing, Happy New Year. Well, we're releasing this, you know, mid January, right? But have you thought about any goals or resolutions? Because for me? I have not yet. But I'll tell you that I have some intention so far about building more community and realizing that that saying no to things is just as important as saying yes. As we talked about, before we started recording this, we have big goals to bring more exceptional leaders into this community. We're kind of spread out in different areas across different verticals, from Adaptive fitness to autism, neurodiversity, and it's like, how do we bring all these people together, and it can be overwhelming to try to even start anything from even just an Instagram profile to get anyone on the phone. So got to think small as you think big or I like the term go slow to go fast. So I'm trying to keep that in mind. But I will say that my work sent me this really cool resource called year compass.com. Like why e ar compass.com. And it's free. And it's a good retrospective on 2023, where you look at what were your best weeks? What were what are moments you want to make more of what are things you want to let go of and 2024? So I'll let you know what I find through that. But what about your mailing? Well, what do you got for 2024? Thank

Mai Ling  3:05 

you for asking. We are finally at the stage where we are going to be launching my fourth book, becoming an exceptional API leader, which is Asian Pacific Islander. And we're so excited that's coming out February 20, which is the week after the the traditional date for Lunar New Year. And it's the year of the dragon Jas, which is very auspicious. So we're super excited about that. Yeah. And in February, we'll have two guests that are in the API Disability Leadership space. So definitely tune in our listeners. So you can be with us in February for some really interesting stories and deep dive into that area. Yes,

James  3:41 

and if you want to keep updated on what you hear with more stories like that, don't forget to hit subscribe. While you're listening to this podcast. It only takes a second. And you'll hear more stories of amazing leaders like our conversation with the incredible Zach Damon.

Mai Ling  3:58 

Yay. Let's get to it. All right, here we are 2020. for season six, we have our very, very first guest and I'm so excited to bring to you Zach Damon, he's an award winning professional actor, voice actor, broadcaster, producer. I don't know what it is that he doesn't do. But I really think you're gonna enjoy this episode and hearing all of the work that he's doing for us. Welcome, Zach.

Zach  4:25 

Oh, thank you so much, man. It's an extreme pleasure.

Mai Ling  4:29 

Excellent. Well, we have been connected by someone who I know we both just really honor and adore. And that's been statical. He is an amazing person behind the scenes. I'm so excited to have him in my life. And I was telling you before we started recording that you are one of his favorites on his list, because when I asked him to refer a couple people, you were right up there.

Zach  4:48 

Oh, well, that's very kind. And, you know, shout out to Vince Daskal for his decades long work of disability advocacy, and also work in the media and entertainment world. He's just done an amazing, amazing job. So shout out to Vince. And thank you for those kind words.

Mai Ling  5:05 

Absolutely. So let's talk about who you are and what you do. And I don't want you to go back to like when you were a baby, but literally, how did you get involved in representation in this area?

Zach  5:21 

Yeah, sure. So full disclosure, you know, I was born with a disability, I was born with cerebral palsy, more specifically, spastic meaning tightness, meaning legs. And so, you know, when you're born with a disability, I think, you know, naturally, as you grow and mature, you know, you, you then always keep that in mind that you're a part of that community. And then, of course, with entertainment, and public speaking, I began public speaking. And in performing from a young age, I was actually a, an ambassador for the March of Dimes organization in the state of Michigan. So started public speaking at the age of six, and then that just sort of, you know, blossomed into a career in radio, and then moved to television, moved to film, things of that sort. And also did theater, as well.

Mai Ling  6:11 

Yeah. And actually, it's very different right to do theater versus doing recorded. Absolutely.

Zach  6:15 

I mean, theater is, is a wonderful, wonderful realm, you know, you have, you have the live aspect of performance, and, you know, people get to see the reactions of the actors live, and, and it's just so in my opinion, very personal. Because no performance is ever the same, when you're going to see a play. Whereas, you know, in film, you can do multiple takes. So if one tick doesn't necessarily fit, you can pause and go back and redo it.

Mai Ling  6:44 

Fantastic. You know, we're talking a lot about leadership and disability. And obviously, that's what this show is about. For you, it seems like you came out of the womb being a leader. Right? So like, Was there ever any shift for you, or any change in how you viewed you know, your what your work is?

Zach  7:01 

Great question. Well, first of all, I give, I give all the credit to, you know, my loving family and my upbringing, you know, I was raised, you know, with the mentality of the, you know, of course, you know, you know, the the limitations that you that you have, but also, you know, that the world itself, you know, it was held here first, and, you know, no one is owed anything in terms of, you know, how the world continues to spin regardless. And I know, that may be sort of a interesting way to look at things, but that's just how I was raised. And so, you know, I was raised with a very loving family, but at the same time, you know, they were there to teach me, you know, different things and how to be as independent as possible. And, you know, I'll be honest with you, growing up, being a part of the disability community, you know, was a struggle for me, because when you're younger, may I think everyone wants to just fit in and be a part of the crowd, and, you know, be a part of whatever social scene they're a part of, at the time. And that's kind of what I wanted, you know, difference was not something, you know, when you're younger, that was really, you know, a positive. And so I'll admit that, you know, that was a struggle, I think, in my, my early years, but then as you grow and, and mature, and you come to understand, especially within the arts, and within your professional life, that it is those differences that make you a better leader, it is those differences that give you an advantage, then you come to embrace it and understand that and understand that speaking up is important.

Mai Ling  8:33 

Excellent, I love that. I think that all of our voices collectively are adding to the change, you know, the understanding the the word acceptance, right. And then that's moving into all of these areas, which I have now found myself, which is accessibility and universal design, and that we're creating for everyone and all types. So just thank you for all of the work that you're doing. Specifically, I know that you've done a lot of work in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which honestly I've heard of that area, but I've never been to and really never thought about. So can you tell me a little bit about all of the wonderful things that you personally are doing there?

Zach  9:08 

Well, it's you're absolutely you know, I was born in Los Angeles but grew up in the in arbor. So you know, in Arbor is my my hometown and, you know, we are the home to the largest football stadium in the country, in the big house and to the Michigan football program, go blue, and of course, great football programs out there in Arizona as well with Arizona and then the Sun Devils of Arizona state. All good, all good programs. But yeah, it's a great city. Really, really enjoyed. And, you know, one of the things I feel very fortunate about is just how welcoming the city is, you know, many times when you're traveling and I think, you know, this is well made that you know, when you're traveling, it can be difficult to find resources and know where to go and know, you know how to work those avenues. And in our verb is, I think really raising the bar in terms of of having resources accessible not only to its residents, but also to visitors. And understanding that cities that are global, like Ann Arbor, like Phoenix, different cities, and around the country, we all need to be able to know where to find different resources, not just hotels, not just, you know, rental cars, different things. But where are those accessible hotels? Where are the accessible restaurants? Where's the accessible entertainment? Because at the end of the day, you know, we're all human, and we all like to have goods and services, and that helps create better financial exchange for any city.

Mai Ling  10:36 

So when did you find that this was going to be your place where you're going to stake your claim, put down down your flag, and really invest the kind of time that you've been investing into Ann Arbor?

Zach  10:47 

I think it was just a natural progression. And in terms of the work that I, you know, continued to do, you know, with the city of Ann Arbor, you know, again, I think it was just one of those things that, you know, when I, when I saw things that weren't necessarily, I would say, as efficient as they needed to be. Or if I saw, you know, if I had access to resources, but then others in my circle, didn't necessarily know about it, I kind of always wondered, well, why is that? You know, why is it that certain areas, and certain pockets of individuals have access to resources, and others do not. And, you know, knowledge is power, education is important. And even if individuals who, you know, don't necessarily have the resources to gain access to certain knowledge, you know, at least others can be a helping hand, you know, there was a quote that I read recently, and it was, hey, what are you going to do, you know, if and when you reach the top, and then the quote said, what I'm going to do is, I'm going to turn around, and I'm going to reach my hand down to pull others up. And, you know, I really believe I really believe in that philosophy, because no one succeeds by themselves. So what I've done, you know, in the city of Ann Arbor, I give the city government, city council and all the rest of my commissioners, a lot of credit. You know, I've been on the commission for quite some time, I started out as a commissioner in 2016, and then became vice chairman, and chairman, now, for the last three terms. And so, you know, we deal with everything in the city, from city infrastructure issues, all the way down to, you know, writing resolutions, and, you know, helping with future disability policy, not only in the city of Ann Arbor, but in the city of Detroit, and then within the state of Michigan, you know, it starts at the grassroots level, right? Change starts where you are, and then branches out, in my opinion. And so, you know, I just feel very fortunate and blessed for the opportunity to work with a great city, like Ann Arbor, but then also making the great connections and friends like yourself, and thence and all the great disability colleagues around the country and around the world, that we can all band together, and continue to make good change.

Mai Ling  13:01 

Yeah, you're doing the work. I love that. Not just posting stuff out there to read. If you're like me, you can't get enough of books, podcasts, blogs, and other ways to find out how to create, grow and scale. That's why I brought together 43 disability focus leaders to give you more of what you're looking for. You will hear their stories and three best selling books, which focus on general offerings, augmentative, and alternative communication, and speech language pathology. I invite you to search for becoming an exceptional leader on Amazon, so you can learn intimate startup pearls of wisdom and keep growing your brilliant idea. Now, let's get back to our amazing interview. Let's talk about Ann Arbor tonight. Absolutely.

Zach  13:46 

Yeah, Ann Arbor tonight. It was really a brainchild that I had in high school. I was a big fan of you know, Jay Leno. I was a big fan of Johnny Carson. I was a big fan of Jack Paar. But I was also a big fan of Saturday Night Live and I'm still a big fan of all those things. And, you know, my family, you know, Saturday night when Saturday Night Live came on, we would sit in the living room and and watch it and and then we'd also watch you know, that's the night show. And I remember distinctly there was one episode I was watching with Johnny Carson. And I remember, I think he was interviewing like Don Rickles, it was one of the throwback episodes, but I just remember laughing but then also saying, wow, you know, that guy has the best job in the world. Because not only does he look great, but then he's able to perform and able to do all these other great things. And, you know, I just thought it was the greatest thing. I mean, originally in high school, you know, I was a varsity athlete. I wrestled. And, you know, my goal coming out of high school was to be you know, in sports and be a sportscaster. But then as I continued to read and mature and kind of expand, you know, my knowledge, I came to understand that, you know, individuals like Johnny Carson on that lightshow they encompass not just entertainment, but they also interview the best athletes. So they had the best job in the world, because they could still interview everyone, and still perform and do their job.

Mai Ling  15:12 

Excellent. So you created the show? Did you pitch it to them? How did this all come? To be? Sure,

Zach  15:17 

great question. So it was an idea that I had in high school, and then all of my buddies I would talk to about it, you know, they were just kind of, yeah, whatever, Zach, you know, dreaming big as you usually do. So it kind of got shelved for a while when I was in high school, because I had to sort of figure out, you know, the avenues to go about doing that and setting it up. And, you know, I'd taken film and video in high school, and I was a part of the video film crew in my high school, and I voiced a lot of the morning announcements as well. So, you know, I just kind of always kept it in my mind. And then, probably about, geez, a decade later, I ended up being invited to a comedy show. And it was a big Tommy's comedy club in Novi. And I ended up going to that show. And I had met some people just through working box office at a local stand up comedy night. And so they invited me to go to this comedy club. And the feature was a writer by the name of virtually Chalice, who wrote for Jay Leno for about 20 season. Wow. Yeah. And he had been at that open mic. And then I had went to his show, and his son Thaddeus was also performing that night as well. And I remember just seeing them do their set. And you know, my buddy saying, Yeah, you know, Zach, they wrote for Leno, and the Tonight Show, and I go, Oh, my gosh, like, that's really awesome. And I finally at the end of the night, the comics that kind of stuck around to, you know, greet the guests, and thank everyone for coming. And I had gotten the courage to go up to Chile, and say, Hi, my name is Zach Damon. You know, I'm a performer, I'm an actor. And you know, I've never done late night before, but I have this idea for doing a late night show in an arbor. And before I could even finish that. He interrupted me. And he looked at me, and he said, Let's do it. So Wow. Yeah. Yeah. So that was huge. And jeez, about, I think about three or four weeks went by. And then after that, we met up at a local coffee shop, his son and I, and we hashed out the idea for the pilot. And, you know, seven seasons later, the rest is history.

Mai Ling  17:25 

Wow. That's incredible. And this is what we always say to our, our guests and our listeners is, it's relationships, you know, it's people who make it happen. And this is a fantastic story. Is it disability focused your show?

Zach  17:40 

Um, it's not specifically, but I've had the University of Michigan adaptive sports program, be a featured guests on the show. And then I myself, you know, I'm the host and have a disability. So you could say, you know, yeah, there's no, there's no limit to what Ann Arbor tonight as a late night show can cover. But we're not, you know, branded as a disability show, per se. We're just a late night television program for everyone who visits in Arbor and everyone who lives in the in Arbor to enjoy, kick off their shoes after the end of a long day. And enjoy some good laughs and some good entertainment.

Mai Ling  18:14 

I'd love that. And what's your success been? Like? I mean, obviously, you're here for seven seasons, but what does that look like?

Zach  18:20 

I would say success for us looks like sustainability, you know, continuing to, you know, make great entertainment, great shows, you know, give some emerging writers some opportunities to write some great sketches, some great jokes, give them some credit, as well. And then again, you know, as I alluded to just continuing to build to be sustainable, you know, any great business or any great entity, you know, has to have, you know, that sustainability factor, and I think we've had some success there. And then COVID, you know, made things a little bit difficult, you know, in terms of the momentum, and then now we're gaining momentum back. So, so I really believe that, you know, coming out of it into 2024, we're going to be, you know, on the road to good sustainable things for for many years.

Mai Ling  19:08 

Excellent. Okay, so now, this is a great question. What are you involved in now? What kind of projects?

Zach  19:13 

Oh, my gosh, so, aside from doing the late night television show, you know, I'm also a voice actor in radio. You know, I do that under Zach Damon productions, we produce a lot of local radio spots in Ann Arbor, and then a lot of different things for stations all around the country. And then, yeah, I'm involved with some different organizations. I'm the chairman of the membership committee for the Ann Arbor Film Festival, which is the oldest avant garde experimental film festival in the country. And Mai, if you ever have an opportunity, we'd love to host you to check that out.

Mai 19:30

Absolutely.

Zach

It's really, yeah, I tell people, it's like a moving art gallery. Absolutely. And then I'm also involved with Michigan, United State Cerebral Palsy as well. So I'm on their board of directors and help them, you know, with connections and fundraising. And then I am an Eagle Scout within the Boy Scouts of America nation.

Mai  20:12 

Wow, that’s quite an accomplishment.

Zach  20:13 

Oh, thank you. Thank you. So I, so I'm very heavily involved with in the scouting movement and do my best to help out there as well. And then also, I am so excited and proud to be involved with an organization that was founded in 2021. With the sole purpose of disability inclusion in space exploration, well, the Astro access, and yeah, I've been working with that team. And it's just been unbelievable.

Mai Ling  20:41 

So can you expand a little bit more about what that's about?

Zach  20:45 

Yeah, absolutely. So, Astro access is an organization that was founded in 2021 by George Whitesides, the former CEO of Virgin Galactic, as well as Anna Voelker, who also runs SciAccess, Inc, which is a organization dedicated to STEM education, in K through 12, students with disabilities. And then SciAccess is the main organization. And then Astra Axis is a branch of SciAccess. And Astro Access was, again, co founded by Anna and George and Anna Voelker is, you know, I can't say enough about what they've done. I mean, brilliant in terms of, you know, realizing the need, and understanding the future, and also understanding, you know, how important the space economy is going forward. You know, many may roll their eyes and go, Oh, my gosh, you know, we need to worry about things here on Earth. And yes, that's true, we need to worry about things on our planet. But if we don't start thinking about making space accessible, for those with disabilities, then it never will become accessible. And they're building the new, you know, Space Station, and all of that, and all of that. So, you know, those, those spaces need to be accessible. And when you make them accessible for those with disabilities, you make every space accessible for all of us. So, you know, I just think that it's the right thing to do. And now is the time to do it.

Mai

And what is your input on that team?

Zach

Right, so I am the director of development. So my job is to, you know, foster relationships within the organization to make sure that we're still connecting with, you know, past supporters that we're connecting with potential sponsors. I mean, we do zero gravity parabolic flights, right, so our fliers are selected from all around the world. And then we go up in a Boeing 757 from the zero G Corporation and do parabolic flights. And we and then our fliers who are brilliant, and some of the best aerospace engineers are astrophysics-degreed individuals with disabilities from around the world, they actually come up with research experiments to do while in zero gravity, and then that information, and that research is then taken to the space sector to be able to consult with those different organizations. So that we're making sure that that information is, you know, incorporated now into the different things that they're building all the way from the spacesuits and the gloves, and how a spacesuit needs to be accessible all the way up to again, you know, new, you know, orbital habitats and new space stations that need to be accessible.

Mai Ling  23:24 

Absolutely credible. Okay, so for the listener, we just want you to know that Zach and I said that that talking about Astro Access can be and hopefully will be its own episode, he's going to help us to get in touch with the co founders, and really deep dive into that, because that is just so exciting, and fascinating and essential, right. So I just want to thank you, Zach, for all that you've been doing as a leader. And like I said, right out of the womb, it's incredible. But it's really unique in the way that you are using your skills, your input, your talents, your passion, and it all comes together. And that's what I really loved. I think a lot of times our guests that we are spotlighting do one thing and that one thing is very, very specific to disability advocacy. And what I liked about your story is you get to be Zach Damon in all of your brilliance, you know, all the things that you love. And then through that you have all these opportunities, you know, to lead and to represent. And I think that's what's becoming so important, Zach is that we don't walk around saying I have a disability. I'm a leader. I'm an advocate, but that people just see you, you know, you being you and you loving your life and you being success. And, you know, we keep saying this that kids see you out there, Zach, and they're like, I want to be him. And I'm sure people are watching your show, just like you're saying that, you know, you watch The Tonight Show. I'm sure there are kids that are going, you know, “someday I want to be Zach”.

Mai Ling  24:13 

Oh my gosh, that is, you know, I've never heard that before. And I have to say that is that is an amazing compliment. And thank you so much. And, you know, to all of the exceptional leaders out there that follow you that listen to your podcast, know that you are you are exceptional, you have the exceptional abilities to do you know, anything that you want to do. And do not, please do not let anyone, tell you or discourage you from doing those things. Yes, unfortunately, you know, our world has difficulties. But you know, with the right determination, and with the plan, and with the right education, you can do anything you want to be exceptional.

Mai Ling    25:25 

Absolutely, excellent. Oh, I love that. Okay, how do we stay in touch with you and support you?

James 25:30 

Oh, sure. Yeah, so you can check out my website annearbortonight.com. And then I personally am on LinkedIn, I'm on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, all that stuff. So you can check out Zach Damon or Zachary Damon Ann Arbor, or just you know, any other way and, you know, reach out, you know, if you've listened to this podcast, and you're impacted. And you know, there's a way that I can, you know, provide a resource for you if I'm able to do so, I'll do that. It's all about building good bridges, you know, everyone can still be successful, while helping other people. And, you know, I think that is hopefully something that you can take away from listening to today's episode. Excellent.

Mai Ling  26:09 

Thank you so much. It's very generous of you. And I love the invitation. Thank you. Thanks for being on the shows that can help your 2024 is amazing.

Zach 26:17 

Thank you so much. And lastly, just know folks that attitude is the real disability.

Mai Ling 26:23 

Thank you. We hope you enjoyed this episode and invite you to leave us a review on Apple podcasts and Spotify and share the show with people you think will find value from it. This helps the show a lot or have a great guest referral. Reach out to us at x leaders@gmail.com. And

James  2:11 

If you want exclusive tips on becoming an exceptional leader delivered straight to your inbox, just go to exceptional leaders.com and sign up for our mailing list. Thanks for listening :)