#91 | Riaz Patel | Connect Effect

Emmy-nominated producer Riaz Patel on shows about human transformation and his project Connect Effect, tackling loneliness. Riaz Patel is a visionary Executive Producer and Director based in Los Angeles. Riaz is a storyteller that produces shows with a specific focus on human transformation, and human perspective shifting projects. He has been nominated for two Emmy Awards, and an NAACP Image Award for creatively leading shows for NBC/Universal, Lifetime, Discovery, and many others. Beyond the film and television space, he is also an entrepreneur, and his new project Connect Effect is tackling the growing isolation and loneliness in society by bringing people together. Chapters 0:00 Welcome Riaz Patel 2:33 The magic of the writers' room 5:07 From ten networks to many paths 7:30 Anthony Bourdain and the art of listening 10:04 Middle management and learned helplessness 12:37 The trouble with focus groups 15:07 What does distribution even mean now? 17:35 Ryan on life lessons from the road in China 20:08 Born in Pakistan and starting at an agency 22:31 Promoting the people who do the real work 25:03 Transformative TV 27:36 Transformation as his north star 30:06 Authenticity and the creator economy 32:36 Customers versus users 35:00 Why long-form audio works 37:33 Ryan on travelling with lithium batteries 40:07 Chasing independent film in the late 90s 42:31 From scripted to unscripted 45:00 Ryan on the collapse of print media 47:30 There is always a pivot 50:05 Escape takes more than three seconds 52:36 Building your own audience 55:01 Hollywood is no longer the centre 57:30 MrBeast and commitment to a platform 1:00:05 A life rights deal that fell apart 1:02:36 Notes on notes and the network's final say 1:05:02 Breaking the habit of being yourself 1:07:32 When a network was folded overnight 1:10:06 Ryan on Netflix stand-up and House of Cards 1:12:30 Streaming movies and Jack Ryan 1:15:00 Real-time audience feedback 1:17:34 TikTok, YouTube and pay-to-play platforms 1:20:00 Inside a Connect Effect session 1:22:32 Resetting how we see each other 1:25:01 Respect for elders, East and West 1:27:31 Opening up about the stories of our lives 1:30:07 Do people stay in touch afterwards? 1:32:32 Hope as the driver 1:35:02 Leading with the intention to make people feel good 1:37:35 WeWork and the promise of connection 1:40:02 Making in-person connection easy and enjoyable 1:42:33 Preconceptions and lines of division 1:45:07 Ryan on government powers during Covid 1:47:34 Adapting quickly during the pandemic 1:50:02 Feeds that never show the other side 1:52:34 If you saw what they see on their screens 1:55:05 How footage can be edited to push a narrative 1:57:34 Moral superiority and distance from real life 2:00:05 The cost of elections and a third option 2:02:33 Your neighbours are coming to help 2:05:01 Not letting the narrative rule your day 2:07:37 Buying less 2:10:07 Younger people are not buying the narrative The Ryan Pyle Podcast is ad-free by choice. If you enjoy these conversations, you can buy me a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/ryanpyle Ryan's TV series are streaming around the world. Follow the Podcast X: https://x.com/RyanPylePodcast Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpylepodcast Follow Ryan Pyle YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ryanjpyle Instagram: https://instagram.com/ryanpyle X: https://x.com/RyanPyle Facebook: https://facebook.com/ryanpyle https://www.ryanpyle.com