Winter State Entertainment Prepping Doc Based On Self-Help Bestseller ‘What To Say When You Talk To Your Self’

EXCLUSIVE: Winter State Entertainment and AimForKnowledge are teaming up to produce a documentary based around What to Say When You Talk to Your Self, the bestselling self-help book from Shad Helmstetter, Ph.D.

Published in over 74 countries worldwide, with millions of copies sold since 1986, Helmstetter’s book introduced the concept of self-talk, and how our words and thoughts rewire our brain for success or failure, to millions of readers. Newly revised and updated, it’s in its 56th printing in the U.S. and was released in audiobook format in 2022.

The author of 26 books, Helmstetter has also been behind titles like Negative Self-Talk and How to Change It, The Secret Words of Success, Self-Talk for Self-Esteem and The Power of Neuroplasticity. His most recent, Having Meaning, Finding Purpose, was released last fall. Additionally, he’s the founder of The Self-Talk Institute, which studies the neuroscience of self-talk and trains and certifies self-talk trainers.

In a statement on the new project, Helmstetter delved into his background to explain that while he was initially trained as a foreign language interpreter, “I went on to study psychology and human behavior, and I began to recognize that language itself, the actual vocabulary people use when they talk to themselves, literally wires people’s brains to help them succeed or fail.

“Research in the field of neuroscience,” the author continued, “proved this to be true. The more I studied personal self-talk, the more I recognized that this discovery was foundational to all human endeavor, and that anyone, no matter what their age, background, or situation in life, could learn to change their self-talk, rewire their brain, and change their life for the better.”

Directing the film on What to Say is Dr. Mark Smith, whose most recent Afghanistan War doc The Forgotten Battalion was distributed by Gravitas Ventures. Smith is also producing alongside Camille and Hamid Torabpour, Nick Hagen, and Elise Sargent.

Most recently, the Torabpours’ Winter State has produced docs on Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Roaf (ROAF), MLB icons Jim “Kitty” Kaat (Kitty to Cooperstown) and Tommy John (Tommy John: The Bionic Man), Pittsburgh Steeler Mel Blount (Mel Blount: Whatever It Takes), and boxer Tommy Hearns (The Hitman: A Tommy Hearns Story). Past projects from the company on the narrative side include the Vans Warped Tour pic Summertime Dropouts, as well as the football drama Under the Stadium Lights, with Laurence Fishburne and Milo Gibson.

The Torabpours are represented by Karen Gottlieb at Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks.