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I really enjoyed speaking with Frank Ishizaki. It’s not every day that you meet someone who casually refers to his life as source material. But when you’ve lived a life like Frank’s, one that reads like the most compelling script, you understand why. Two opposite worlds collide in his story: he was a gang member, and his father was an FBI agent.

But the thing about Frank is that he doesn’t define himself by that collision. He’s a phenomenal writer and a very cool human being.

I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed talking with Frank.

Frank J. Ishizaki is a writer and director from Los Angeles, raised by cops, gangs, and punk rock. Born on the island of Guam of Chamorro and Japanese descent, he draws from a childhood torn between his FBI agent father's world and his hidden life in violent street gangs.

Frank directed The World Poker Tour for over a decade and continues to direct high-stakes live television broadcasts. His poetry, essays, and fiction explore identity, belonging, and moral complexity, writing from the trenches of crime, power, and survival with unflinching authenticity. He holds a B.A. in Film and Television from California State University, Northridge, and lives in Sherman Oaks with his wife and their young son.

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