No Map Included

Yessi Sanchez
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Personal Journals

No Map Included began with a simple observation: we're always somewhere in the middle, between a high and a low, an ending and whatever comes next, without a plan for any of it. Hosted by filmmaker and podcast producer Yessi Sanchez, this podcast is a series of conversations with people who've lived through their own unexpected turns, artists, entrepreneurs, psychologists, filmmakers, and Yessi's own production partners, talking honestly about identity shifts, creative careers, and the moments that don't resolve as neatly as we'd like. No one here has everything figured out. That's the point. Start with whatever episode feels right, you're already in the middle of something.

  1. 3d ago

    How Do You Keep Going in a Changing Industry? | Cedric Angeles & Karin Fittante

    What does it take to keep building a creative career when the industry around you keeps changing? Photographer and director Cedric Angeles and producer Karin Fittante have spent decades working across photography, magazines, commercial production, and film. We talk about the realities of freelancing, the uncertainty that comes when work slows down, and learning to adapt as technology and the creative industries continue to change.   We also get into what happens during the quieter periods: continuing to create when nobody is paying you to, finding your way back to the work that inspired you in the first place, and trusting that creative careers move in cycles.  And we talk about C******a, the documentary we're currently making together about female boxers in Mexico City, and the very real uncertainty of following a story when you don't know exactly where it will lead.  If you're somewhere in the ebb and flow of a creative career yourself, I'd love to hear what keeps you creating when the work slows down. Follow No Map Included for more conversations about the parts of life and creative careers that don't come with a roadmap. Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

  2. Aug 18

    A 30-Year Acting Career Without a Roadmap | Taylor Nichols

    Actor Taylor Nichols has spent more than 30 years working in an industry where very little can be planned. Recently, he took on a different kind of journey: riding his bicycle 3,461 miles over 53 days, from San Francisco to his childhood home in Michigan. What started as a conversation about that ride became a conversation about the similarities between navigating a long bike trip and building a life in the arts. Taylor talks about never following a traditional career plan while still knowing what he wanted: to work. We talk about the difference between having a direction and having a map, why detours can sometimes lead somewhere worthwhile, and what more than three decades in acting have taught him about navigating the headwinds and tailwinds of a creative career. We also get into the realities of being a working actor: taking almost every job that came his way, wondering whether saying no might sometimes have served him better, and watching the industry change dramatically in recent years. More than anything, this is a conversation about continuing to work without pretending you can control where every turn will take you. Connect with Taylor Taylor co-hosts Bike Talk, a radio show and podcast about bicycling, transportation, and building safer communities. If you're building a creative career of your own, I'd love to know what your version of the headwind and tailwind has looked like. And if you know someone finding their way through a career that doesn't come with a clear roadmap, send this conversation their way. Follow No Map Included for new conversations every Tuesday. Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

  3. Aug 11

    We Can Be Both Powerful and Unfinished | Denise Soler Cox

    Some ideas stay with us for years before we're finally ready to act on them. For Denise Soler Cox, that idea became Being Enye, a documentary exploring what it means to grow up between cultures, belonging everywhere and nowhere at the same time. But making the film ended up changing much more than her career. It led to keynote speaking, a new book, and conversations with thousands of people who finally felt seen in their own stories.  In this conversation, we talk about identity, belonging, and what happens when the life you've been building collides with the life that's unfolding around you. Denise reflects on carrying the feeling of never being "enough," why enoughness is ultimately a decision rather than an achievement, and how choosing to be enough for this moment can be more powerful than waiting to feel ready.  We also explore the stories we keep hidden, the guilt that can come with sharing our own experiences through creative work, and why some of the hardest things we carry are often left "not to be disturbed and definitely not to be discussed."  Toward the end of our conversation, Denise shares what happened when her speaking career was suddenly turned upside down while she was writing her book. It's an honest reminder that life doesn't wait for one chapter to finish before the next one begins, and that we can be both powerful and unfinished at the same time.  Connect with Denise Website | Instagram Connect with Yessi LinkedIn | Instagram Denise's new book, What Will They Say?, releases August 19. Through deeply personal stories, she explores the unspoken rules many of us grow up with, the ones that teach us to stay quiet, put ourselves last, and keep difficult things "not to be disturbed and definitely not to be discussed." It's a powerful invitation to question the expectations we inherit and make room for a life that feels more honest and more fully our own. Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

  4. Aug 4

    The Reality of Independent Filmmaking | Erin Brown Thomas

    What happens after you've achieved a goal you've spent years working toward? In this episode of No Map Included, I sit down with filmmaker Erin Brown Thomas for a conversation about independent filmmaking, creative endurance, and building a sustainable career in an industry that's constantly changing. After premiering her one-shot film Chasers at the Sundance Film Festival, Erin reflects on what followed: navigating imposter syndrome alongside recognition, discovering that every milestone brings its own set of challenges, and continuing to trust herself as a filmmaker. We also get into the realities of building a long-term creative career, learning to trust your instincts, balancing collaboration with your own creative voice, handling criticism, and redefining success beyond awards or festivals. More than anything, this conversation is about staying connected to the work itself. Because if there isn't really a finish line, maybe success has less to do with arriving somewhere and more to do with continuing to make things that feel true to you.  About Erin Brown Thomas Erin Brown Thomas is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and director whose one-shot film Chasers premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She is also the founder of Salute Your Shorts Film Festival and continues to develop original films and television projects while championing independent storytelling.  Connect with Erin Brown Thomas Website: https://erinbrownthomas.com/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisorganic/  Salute Your Shorts Film Festival: https://www.saluteyourshortsfest.com/ Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

  5. Jul 15

    When Is It Time to Change Directions? | Sue Willoughby

    We spend so much time looking for the right decision. Should we keep going? Should we let something go? Is something difficult because it's worth pursuing, or because we're forcing it? In this episode of No Map Included, I sit down with Equus coach Sue Willoughby to talk about self-trust, changing directions, and becoming more comfortable with uncertainty. We explore the difference between resistance and forcing something that no longer feels right, why curiosity can be more helpful than certainty, and what happens when we stop believing we have to figure out the rest of our lives all at once. We also talk about people pleasing, judgment, listening to our bodies, and why changing your mind isn't necessarily the same thing as giving up. In this episode, we discuss: How to know when it's time to change directionsThe difference between something being difficult and something feeling forcedLearning to trust yourself when there's no clear pathWhy making the decision is often harder than taking the first stepThe role curiosity plays in navigating uncertaintyWhat horses can teach us about awareness, boundaries, and self-trustPeople pleasing, inner judgment, and learning to listen to ourselvesWhy not every decision has to be foreverConnect with Sue Willoughby Website: willoughbycoaching.comInstagram: @sue_willoughbyIf you're in a chapter where you're questioning what comes next, I hope this conversation reminds you that you don't need to have the entire path figured out before taking the next step. Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

  6. Jul 7

    Dr. Brad Miller | The Future You Thought You'd Have

    What happens when the future you've been planning for suddenly disappears? After retiring from a 43-year career as a pastor, Dr. Brad Miller expected to spend more time traveling with his wife, enjoying retirement, and becoming a grandfather. Instead, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. In this conversation, we talk about grieving the future you thought you were going to have, the difference between hope and toxic positivity, and why taking even the smallest action can help when life feels completely uncertain. We also explore the framework Brad developed after his diagnosis—Action, Connection, Thinking, and Service—and why purpose often isn't something you find all at once, but something that slowly emerges through the way you keep showing up. This episode is about the moments that force us to rethink who we are, what matters, and how we keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan. In this episode: Grieving the future you expectedWhy humor became part of Brad's healingAction vs. staying stuckHope without toxic positivitySeparating identity from external validationWhy serving others can help us healHow purpose grows over time instead of arriving all at onceConnect with Dr. Brad Miller Podcast: Cancer and Comedy Website: https://cancerandcomedy.com/follow Connect with Yessi Sanchez Instagram LinkedIn Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

  7. Jun 30

    Floriane Andersen | Building a Sustainable Creative Career

    In this episode of No Map Included, I sit down with my friend, collaborator, and Artak Pictures co-founder Floriane Andersen to talk about something we've both been thinking about a lot lately: boundaries. When you're starting out, saying yes to everything can feel like the only option. But eventually there comes a point where every "yes" starts costing you something, your time, your energy, your health, or the work that matters most to you. We talk about how producing changed the way we think about responsibility, why ambition and competitiveness aren't the same thing, and how learning to protect your time can actually make you more intentional about the career you're building. We also pull back the curtain on the film festival circuit, what people see on social media versus what it's actually like behind the scenes, and how Floriane approached this year's festival run very differently after burning out the year before. More than anything, this conversation is about redefining success. Not by asking, "How much can I accomplish?" but by asking, "What kind of life am I actually building?" If you've ever struggled to say no, found yourself constantly chasing the next opportunity, or wondered how to build a creative career without losing yourself in the process, I think you'll find something in this conversation. Connect with us! Floriane Andersen Yessi Sanchez Artak Pictures https://artakpictures.com If this conversation resonated with you, I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts. You can leave a comment, send me a message, or subscribe to No Map Included wherever you listen to podcasts. Your messages often shape future conversations, and I'd love to know what part of this episode stayed with you. Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

  8. Jun 23

    LOVE/HATE | What My Vertical Series Taught Me About Storytelling

    In this episode of No Map Included, I look back on one of the biggest creative experiments I've ever taken on: making a zero-budget vertical series for social media. Before moving on to the next chapter, I wanted to unpack what this project taught me. I talk about what surprised me, what didn't work the way I expected, what I loved about producing for social media, and what ultimately made me realize that the kinds of stories I want to tell belong somewhere else. Every project teaches you something. Sometimes it confirms the direction you're already heading. Sometimes it changes the next decision you make. For me, LOVE/HATE became both. I tried something I'd never done before. Here's what worked. Here's what didn't. And here's how it's shaping the way I approach storytelling going forward. Watch LOVE/HATE https://instagram.com/thisislovehate https://tiktok.com/@thisislovehate  Send us Fan Mail Listen to No Map Included No Map Included is a podcast about life's unexpected chapters—through honest conversations about creativity, identity, uncertainty, and the stories we tell ourselves while we're still figuring things out. If this conversation resonated with you, I'd love to hear what stayed with you. And if you know someone navigating the highs and lows of a creative career, send this episode their way.

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5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

No Map Included began with a simple observation: we're always somewhere in the middle, between a high and a low, an ending and whatever comes next, without a plan for any of it. Hosted by filmmaker and podcast producer Yessi Sanchez, this podcast is a series of conversations with people who've lived through their own unexpected turns, artists, entrepreneurs, psychologists, filmmakers, and Yessi's own production partners, talking honestly about identity shifts, creative careers, and the moments that don't resolve as neatly as we'd like. No one here has everything figured out. That's the point. Start with whatever episode feels right, you're already in the middle of something.

Information

  • Creator
    Yessi Sanchez
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 No Map Included
  • Show Website
    No Map Included