Meet Michele Palermo

We recently connected with Michele Palermo and have shared our conversation below.

Michele, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

My parents. 100%. They grew up in Europe during World War II – Dad in Italy, Mom in Germany. Anyone who has lived through a war knows the kind of resilience that takes. Even though, they, as my mother always said, were the “lucky ones”, meaning that because they weren’t Jewish, they weren’t sent to the camps to be murdered. For the survivors of mass murder, resilience exists on a whole different level and my mother always kept us very aware of that difference. In my family’s story, both of my parents (separately) moved to the United States after the war to build their American dream – which they did, after finding each other. Anyone who has done that, has come from another country to build a life here, knows the kind of resilience that takes. That’s how I was raised, how I think all first generation American born children are raised. You don’t just give up when things get difficult. The response to failure isn’t to quit, it’s to learn from your mistakes and try again with fresh eyes. Resilience requires optimism, it requires flexibility.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

The best way to define what I do is simple: I *create*. As a writer, I create stories that engage and resonate. As a director, I create an environment on set where artistry can flourish and everyone can do their best work. At Columbia University, where I’m a visiting professor, I foster a space where the next generation of writers can grow, experiment, and find their voices. And as an independent producer, I create opportunities—whether it’s for actors or crew members—to practice their craft and bring stories to life.

Full disclosure, I didn’t necessarily set out to become an independent producer of my own work. I likely wouldn’t have gone that route if Hollywood had found a permanent space for me at its table. I’ve been invited to sit down a few times, and each of those experiences was incredibly valuable—I learned so much. But the traditional path from staff writer to showrunner on a network show just didn’t happen for me. So, I built my own table. It hasn’t always been easy, and it’s definitely not the most lucrative path, but it’s deeply fulfilling, artistically. My latest project, *MIDDLEHOOD*, is a half-hour, single-camera comedy series that I wrote, directed, and produced. What makes it unique is that it’s the first truly independent television series in U.S. history. There’s a lot of talk today from A-listers about ‘independent TV,’ and I applaud anyone stepping outside the system to create. But for them, there’s usually an easy road back into the system—they have deals with networks and streaming platforms, and they cast their friends who are already stars.

*MIDDLEHOOD*, on the other hand, was made entirely outside of that structure. It’s an incredible show, with a supremely talented cast led by Elena Wohl and Mark Damon Espinoza and featuring Krista Warner (who also co-star on the popular Netflix series LINCOLN LAWYER) and a crew that delivered network-level quality—on a very small budget that I largely self-funded. I was fortunate to have a few supportive friends invest, and an amazing Kickstarter campaign helped us get the rest of the way. Everyone—actors, crew, and the production team—pitched in to make it happen. It was a true labor of love. We shot the entire first 8-episode season in 38 days in and around Los Angeles, much like the indie films of the ’60s and ’70s. But unlike that era, we’ve built an aggregate social media reach—between cast, crew, and influencer supporters—of over *six million*. And we have an A-list sales rep, Caroline Kusser, who has decades of experience on the distribution side of the industry, working hard to find a home for this wonderful show. But TV is tough—they don’t always welcome creators who build their own tables. They still want to feel like they’ve invited you in some way. But we’ll get there. We just need to find a streamer innovative enough to give us a chance. That’s where resilience comes in. 😉

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Well, the first big lesson was learning another language. My family moved to Italy when I was 10, and I was thrown into an Italian school with zero knowledge of Italian. Overnight, I went from being an A student to, well… “Ground Zero.” My fifth-grade teacher wasn’t shy about calling me an idiot! But necessity is the best teacher, and I had to learn Italian fast, like so many immigrant children do with English when they come to the U.S. It wasn’t easy, but learning a new language gave me so much more than just vocabulary. It taught me empathy, culture, and a new way of seeing the world. I wouldn’t recommend learning that way—it’s kind of brutal—but it was definitely effective!

Second, when people find out I’m a writer, they often say, “I’d LOVE to be a writer!” And I always say, “Then write!” There’s this myth that being a writer is some kind of identity or lifestyle, but really, it’s about one thing: writing. If you want to write, just start. The only thing that separates a writer from everyone else is the act of writing.

Lastly, don’t ever compare your journey to anyone else’s. Especially in the arts, you’re not in competition with others, even though the industry can make it seem that way—like with awards shows. Fun fact: the Academy Awards were created in 1933 by studio heads right after screenwriters unionized. The goal was to pit actors against each other so they wouldn’t form a union! So yeah, don’t let that stuff define you. If you want to be a writer, an actor, or whatever—just do it. Keep learning, keep growing, and enjoy the ride. And seriously—if you’re going to take the artistic path, have fun! Isn’t that the whole point?

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

No contest: *Writing Down the Bones* by Natalie Goldberg. My cousin Robert gave me a copy 30 years ago, and after reading it, I wrote my very first play. In seven days. It literally poured out of me. Since then, I’ve probably purchased hundreds of copies. I give it to anyone I know who’s interested in writing, hand out copies to my students every year, and even gift it to people who aren’t writers. My husband Paul, who’s an attorney, said, ‘It’s a book that helps you *live* better, not just write better.’ I couldn’t agree more. I still keep a copy on my nightstand and regularly read its short, 2-3 page chapters. It’s a profound lesson in not editing ourselves, which we are often conditioned to do from birth, and certainly always from school age. As writers, that instinct to self-edit is what leads to blocks. Goldberg’s advice on keeping what I call a ‘vomit journal’—a place where you write down all the mental clutter before you begin your real writing—is invaluable. She suggests doing it by hand, if possible. The hand that’s connected to your arm, which is connected to your body, which is fueled by your *heart*. In this era of screens and machines, we’re losing that very important connection between the body and the act of creation. She taught me a lesson that I re-teach constantly: you write differently—and far more intuitively—when you write with a pen in your hand.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.middlehood.tv
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/middlehoodtvshow/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiddlehoodTVshow
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-palermo/
• Twitter: WE DON’T DO TWITTER SINCE MUSK TOOK OVER

Image Credits

Image 1 (top left) – Michele with her parents, Nellie and Tony Palermo (photo taken by timer)

Image 2 (top middle) Michele on set with actors Lisa Goodman, Richard Milanesi (who play a fictionalized version of her parents in MIDDLEHOOD) and Elena Wohl (who plays a fictionalized version of Michele in MIDDLEHOOD) – photo credit Lolly Howe

Image 3 (top right) Michele on set with the MIDDLEHOOD actors playing fictionalized versions of her family (Chris Mollica, Fran Montano, Elena Wohl and Richard Milanesi) – Michele is in the middle. Photo credit Paul Prissel.

Image 4 (bottom left) Mark Damon Espinoza and Elena Wohl in a scene from MIDDLEHOOD (photo credit Mike Testin).

Image 5 (bottom right) Krista Warner in a scene from MIDDLEHOOD (photo credit Mike Testin)