Ron Carroll is the author of "The Frazzled Freelancer -  Get Happy & Healthy in a Micro-Gig Economy."

He has created and launched hit shows including Blown Away—the Netflix global competition phenomenon—and Undercover Boss Canada. Along the way, he’s fallen asleep in wardrobe meetings, had questionable affairs with snack machines, and once clocked a 105-hour week producing U.S. talk shows.

He began as a newspaper reporter in Liverpool before switching to television, freelancing for more than two decades across Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto—collecting awards and anxiety attacks in roughly equal measure.

After years bouncing between sets, airports, and edit suites, Ron returned to England’s North West to write the book he wishes he’d had during his wonkiest freelance moments. Today, as a consultant, he helps production companies, brands, streamers, and networks on both sides of the Atlantic turn ideas into shows worth watching.

He’s watched the entertainment industry evolve, adapted his craft to keep up, and occasionally wondered if he should’ve become a plumber instead—steady work, solid pay, and no network notes.