A Thousand Times and Counting | Akira Chan

Akira Chan has watched the same documentary up to a thousand times, until the people on screen start showing up in his dreams. As the film editor behind Pillars of Power: The Hidden Secret Behind Achieving Greatness, Chan spent months shaping hundreds of hours of interview footage into a theatrical-length film, drawing on nearly two decades in documentary work and a media company he runs with his wife, Renee, centered on thought leadership, wellness, and consciousness. On this episode of Inside Influence, he talks about deciding what stays and what goes when a story could fill ten hours but has to fit ninety minutes, and why he built moments of grief and loss into a film meant to leave people feeling lighter.

Chan compares receiving the raw footage to being handed a baby, trusted to get it "out of diapers so we can put it out in the world." Some scenes still move him after dozens of viewings, including reflections on loss and stories of rebuilding from public embarrassment. He also built in one surprise for anyone who stays through the credits: every participant's answer to what they'd choose as a sixth pillar beyond the five the film explores. Stay through the credits, and you'll hear each answer for yourself.

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