Meet Kyle Olson

We were lucky to catch up with Kyle Olson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyle, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
This is a question that does not get talked about often enough! In this industry, things are often non-stop. If you don’t take a moment to pause and put things into perspective, you can quickly drive yourself crazy.

I am a firm believer in self-care. I often use the phrase they say on airlines – “it’s important to put on your oxygen mask first before assisting others”. If we are not at our best, how can we possibly help others?

For me, I focus on doing a few things:

Massage Time – Never underestimate the power of a massage! The time to re-connect with your body, mind, and spirit is so important. It’s an experiences that forces you to turn everything else off and focus on you. It’s incredibly healing.

Social Time – Often times, I need a good night out with friends. Dinner, a movie, seeing a show – these are all great ways to hang out with people we enjoy being around, who often fuel my creativity and productivity.

Me Time – This is just as important as the social time. Sometimes, I just need to curl up with a good book, or even go on an adventure by myself – even if it’s just to the mall or the park for a walk.

Travel Time – We live in such a big word and we must explore it as often as we can! Don’t just explore the same old places – go explore new places that will expand our mind and inspire our souls.

When I make sure to balance my self-care, I find that I am far more effective at work and with my passion projects. The end result is always better as a result. Invest in yourself!

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Since a young age, I have had a passion for telling stories. When he was just 14 years old, I started a video production company. At age 15, I won my first award at a film festival for a documentary on the Inauguration of President George W Bush. Fast forward 15 years later – and at age 30, I won my first EMMY award for a WWII documentary called “The Last Signal”.

To date, I have clocked thousands of hours working on some of the biggest television shows and movies in the industry, including but not limited to: HOUSE OF THE DRAGON (HBO Max), MASTERS OF THE AIR (AppleTV+), ENCORE! (Disney+), KEVIN HART: DON’T F**K THIS UP (Netflix), THE FOUR (FOX), THE ADVENTURES OF DR BUCKEYE BOTTOMS (National Geographic), AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (CW), THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT (ABC), and countless live broadcasts at Disneyland (ABC / Disney).

In 2022, I began a new project and launched a podcast called LOVE & JUSTICE – an investigative, documentary-style podcast that explores the cold case murder mystery of Wisconsin native Ashleigh Love. I am the Executive Producer, Director, and Host of the series. The series shattered listening expectations and debuted on the Apple Top 200 charts at #123 – topping popular true crime podcasts from Dateline, ABC News, and Dr. Phil. In the weeks since its launch, the podcast has continued to climb the charts – not just domestically, but internationally as well – becoming an Apple Top 50 podcast in over 10 countries.

The podcast was also nominated for a prestigious WEBBY award!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Preparation: You need to always be prepared – as you never know when an opportunity will present itself. The last thing you want is to miss what could’ve been your big break due to a lack of preparation.

Patience: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Everything worth going for is going to take time and hard work.

Pro-activity: Don’t wait around the house for the phone to ring. Go out and start doing the damn thing. A lot of people in our industry often look for agents to help them get a kick start – but remember – even if you do get an agent, they only make 10% by doing only 10% of the work. Guess who does the remaining 90%?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Dan Waldschmidt. He says:

“You have to do the hard things. The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on. Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success. The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you. The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.”

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
My biggest challenge is always: ‘What’s Next?’

True storytellers know that this can be an extremely addicting question. There is a sort of “high” that you get when you finish a project and premiere it with success. It’s exciting to have audiences engaging with a project that you’ve put so much time into. It’s a feeling that never gets old. But then, that project ends. It fades away and people move on. And then the questions begin again. “You finished this project – now, what’s next?”

It’s incredibly difficult to answer. I am always working on finding my next project — and I always want to push myself to make my next project better than the last. But there’s also the question of “WHO is next?” Finding your next project is one challenge. But identifying who you are going to do the project with is another.

I believe you must surround yourself with people that bring out the very best in you. People you can trust and rely on at all times. And this can be incredibly tricky! Sometimes it’s hard to work with friends – because complications or disappointments can arise during production. But, through it, we learn to work off of each other’s strengths and weaknesses the best we can. On every project, we learn more about the people who surround us – who we work well with, and who we don’t work well with. I’m thankful for all the experiences I’ve had – because each one teaches us so much about ourselves and our surroundings.

For my next project, I am challenging myself to find a new, unique story – while surrounding myself with the best people I can. I am happy to say that I have already found many of these people – but I am always keeping my eyes open for a partnership or collaboration!

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Redefining Strength From the Inside Out: Jasmine Hall El’s Evolution of Women’s Wellness

For Jasmine Hall El, relaunching Strong, Pure & Simple wasn’t about growth for growth’s sake—it was about alignment.

Highlighter Series
Michelle Jewsbury Is Turning Survival Into a Global Movement for Healing and Change

With the release of Breaking the Silence: Voices of Survivors Vol. 4, Michelle Jewsbury continues to amplify survivor

Highlighter Series
Frances8 Emerges Into a Lush, Transformative New Chapter

With a March 13 performance at The Lost Church and a return to the iconic Tiny Telephone on the