Episode #150
From Games to Pro Wrestling: Project Management, Partnerships, and Live Storytelling | Max Zaleski
In this episode of the Pixel Retentive Podcast , Carl sits down with Max Zaleski , games industry professional at Crystal Dynamics and founder of Unconfirmed Flight Offerings (UFO) , to explore how storytelling connects careers in video games, professional wrestling, tabletop RPGs, stand-up comedy, and live events. Max shares his unconventional path into the games industry, lessons learned producing more than 150 professional wrestling events, the importance of building creative communities, and why project management is really about relationships—not spreadsheets. They also dive into accessibility, advocacy, audience engagement, and how creating memorable experiences always starts with telling a story people care about. Whether you're a game developer, producer, creative leader, marketer, or storyteller, this conversation is packed with practical insights on leadership, collaboration, and building communities that last. Here's a Glimpse of What You'll Learn: How Max transitioned into the games industry at Crystal Dynamics Why storytelling connects games, wrestling, comedy, and tabletop RPGs Building a career through project management and partnerships What producing more than 150 live wrestling shows taught him about leadership Why community is often more valuable than competition The importance of relationship management in creative projects A simple project management strategy that saves nearly every production Why adding schedule buffers can dramatically improve creative work Lessons learned from successful—and unsuccessful—live event storytelling How emotional investment drives audience engagement What wrestling can teach marketers and creative directors about branding Advocating for accessibility and helping bring subtitles to WWE content Why inclusive design creates better experiences for everyone Building creative communities through tabletop RPGs and local game stores How stand-up comedy has strengthened Max's storytelling skills Mentorship, collaboration, and continuing to grow throughout your career Guest Links LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxazaleski/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maxinthepnw Special Thanks A huge thank you to Max Zaleski for sharing his experiences across games, live entertainment, community building, accessibility, and creative leadership. His passion for storytelling, mentorship, and creating spaces where everyone belongs is a reminder that great creative work is ultimately about bringing people together. Connect with Epic Made For more conversations about creativity, storytelling, animation, game development, branding, marketing, entrepreneurship, design, AI, and the business behind great creative work, visit: https://www.epicmade.net/resources/category/Podcast If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a game developer, producer, project manager, creative director, marketer, wrestling fan, tabletop gamer, or anyone passionate about where business and art collide. Until next time, ✌️ – Carl #GameDevelopment #CrystalDynamics #ProjectManagement #Storytelling #CreativeLeadership #GameIndustry #TabletopRPG #ProfessionalWrestling #CommunityBuilding #Accessibility #GameProduction #PixelRetentivePodcast #EpicMade
