Happier in Hollywood

Liz and Sarah discuss the need to get their personal situations in order so that they can more effectively focus on work during this global pandemic. Sarah’s solution to her childcare issue? Renting an RV to go pick up her step-mother, Anna, in Kansas City! In Hits & Bombs, Liz and Sarah give a shared Hit to Satellite Sister, Lian Dolan, for her new book, The Sweeney Sisters. They also give a shar...

Liz and Sarah talk to their new manager, Dianne Fraser, about exactly what a manager does, how managers are different from agents, and how aspiring writers can get a manager of their own. Pro tip? Follow up a query email with a call to the office. In Take A Hike, Sarah reveals her desire to “choose the smaller life” during this global pandemic. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help fight Zoom fatig...

Liz and Sarah have their minds blown by Emmy-nominated Costume Designer, Allyson Fanger, who says dressing for Zoom meetings isn’t just about what you wear. It’s also about what else is in the frame. Pro tips? Production design your space, wear a shirt with a collar, and choose bold glasses. This week’s Take A Hike comes from Sarah’s daughter, Violet: take comfort in the notion of “eventually.” Fi...

Liz and Sarah are answering your questions — and they’re answering them fast! What’s their favorite part of writing for television? When an actor gets an Executive Producer credit... what does that mean exactly? Will the current situation make it easier or harder for unrepresented writers to get hired? Are spec scripts still a thing? What will happen during the pandemic once networks run out of sh...

Sarah shares her Covid-19 mantra: Does this matter? Liz’s is “closer, stronger, lighter.“ Then Liz and Sarah discuss how living through this extraordinary time is — surprisingly — making them want to take more professional risks. Is it finally time to “ride the dragon?” In The Craft (And Fain), they explore what makes a good idea good. The five elements: clarity, specificity, dynamics, legs, and r...

Liz and Sarah reveal big news — they have representation. But they decided not to get an agent. Instead, they signed with badass manager, Dianne Fraser of Industry Entertainment! Now they have an all-female team — woot! In Take A Hike, Liz and Sarah talk to internist and board certified physician nutrition specialist, Dr. Melina Jampolis, about how we can use the food in our refrigerators and the...

Violet visits Happier In Hollywood to talk about being “safer at home” from a kid’s point of view. Then Liz and Sarah talk to author and host of Side Hustle School, Chris Guillebeau, about his new book The Money Tree. Chris says there’s money in your own backyard, and he challenges all of us to find it. In Hits & Bombs, Sarah gives herself a survival hit and Liz gives herself a writing bomb. This...

Covid-19 has changed our lives in big ways — and small. Sarah and Liz share some small, unexpected changes in their routines since they’ve been “safer at home.” Sarah gave up coffee — accidentally! Then they talk to fellow TV writer, Sarah Watson, about what it was like to have her Fox pilot shut down due to Covid-19. She went from producing a pilot and promoting her first novel, MOST LIKELY, to.....

Note: This episode was recorded before life changed dramatically due to the Covid-19 virus. Following up on their discussion about whether to get an agent, Sarah and Liz share an email from a listener who has a definite opinion. Then they outline how they’ve maximized their work hikes by instituting best practices. Most important? Stop to take notes. In Take A Hike, they share big news about the H...

In the last two weeks, our world has turned upside down. Social distancing, remote learning, and WFH are now the new reality. Liz and Sarah talk to parenting expert Audrey Monke from the Sunshine Parenting podcast about how to stay positive and in the moment during an uncertain and frightening time. As owner of one of the top summer camps in the country for over thirty years, Audrey has spent her...

Note: This episode was recorded before life changed dramatically due to the Covid-19 virus.  Liz and Sarah follow up on their discussion about Schrodinger’s Cat (Episode 147). Some listener cats: IVF, college admissions, and moving. Then they talk about why we should all Seize The Day in work and life. In From The Treadmill Desks Of, they discuss why saying something RIGHT AWAY makes all the diffe...

With so many irons in the fire, Liz and Sarah decide to try time blocking. Will task batching and day theming keep them on track? (We shall see...) Then, in Hollywood Jobs, they talk to JuVee Productions Creative TV Executive Karen Frost about her career trajectory and why being an agent’s assistant helped her get where she is today. Karen also shares how she co-founded WOC Hikes, a regular networ...

Liz and Sarah discuss the paradox of Shrodinger’s Cat — a thought experiment in which a theoretical cat is both alive and dead at the same time — and how it embodies their career right now. In Take Two, they revisit the subject of personal canaries in a coal mine. Some of their favorites from listeners? Browsing real estate sites, leaving cabinet doors open, cleaning pencil sharpeners, and green j...

Liz and Sarah discuss their realization that so much can come from something... even if nothing comes from it. An example? In preparing for a recent meeting that went nowhere, they came up with an idea for a new narrative fiction podcast — and read an amazing book that had been on their list for years. In Hits & Bombs, Sarah’s hit goes to her trip to Riverside to buy a loom — for the first time si...

 Over two decades, Dr. Fredric Brandt went from a small dermatology practice in Miami to being Madonna's personal skincare consultant and the go-to for public figures desperate to stave off aging. His clients loved him. Fashion magazines profiled him. But as Brandt continued to build his empire—a best-selling product line, pristine homes in New York and Miami, and an absurd modern art collection—h...

It’s a small world! Liz and Sarah share an email from Kate Silver, the writer of the Spirit Magazine article “Turning Pink” that they mention in their American Beauties pitch bonus episode. Then they talk to writer Ben Acker about his new Audible Original, CUT AND RUN. The TV business is ever-changing, and more and more writers (like Ben and his writing partner Ben Blacker) are diving into the wor...

Liz and Sarah talk about how to “hijack the meeting,” advice that comes from their friend and fellow TV writer, Moira Kirland. Then in Take A Hike, they each reveal their personal “canary in a coal mine.” What behavior reveals they’re more stressed out than they realize? Hint: Sarah’s “canary” looks a lot like a puppy. This week’s Hollywood Hack is a company that’s Rent The Runway for tablescaping...

Liz and Sarah reveal that ABC passed on their PLASTICS pilot. They’re super bummed but bouncing back and moving on. One thing that’s helping them cope? Hiking. In The Mailroom segment, they answer a question from an assistant who’s wondering if she should stay at her well-paying job or go for a position that pays less but offers more opportunity. This week’s “Three C’s” Hollywood Hack will help li...

Liz and Sarah talk about why it’s important to “re-network” with people you’ve worked with in the past. Then in Take Two, they share the questions that are guiding listeners through 2020. One favorite: “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?” In The Craft (And Fain) they discuss how to create specificity of place in scripts and why it matters. This week’s Hollywood Hack guarantees you’ll never have t...

Many listeners have asked Sarah to tell the story of how she became an only parent to her daughter, Violet. This is the day she tells that story! Then actor/singer Amanda Noret Reed coaches Liz on how to strengthen her voice. The keys are good posture and diaphragmatic breathing. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help save money on professional blow outs: Dry Bar’s heated straightening brush, “The B...

Liz and Sarah are celebrating their twentieth anniversary as writing partners! They reflect on the last two decades and discuss what they should do to mark this career milestone. In Take A Hike, Liz and Sarah talk about why it’s a good idea to become an expert in something unexpected. Sarah’s new obsession? Spinning yarn! This week’s delicious Hollywood Hack: give John Kelly Chocolates as a busine...

After what feels both like forever and no time at all, Liz and Sarah are approaching the finish line for both their pilot scripts. Now comes the hard part — waiting. In Take A Hike, Sarah and Liz reveal the question that will guide each of them through 2020. Sarah’s: Does this nourish me? Liz’s: Am I making this situation better? Then they answer a Mailbag Question from an aspiring TV writer about...

After a “Season of Failure” update, Liz and Sarah decide on their new team theme for 2020! This year, they’re going to Hike Into The Future! Then Sarah shares three food favorites that we can all make at home for a healthier and more delicious new year: forbidden rice, cashew milk, and air-fried french fries. This week’s Hollywood Hack is from our Facebook group: if you’re coming to LA, stay in tw...

It’s almost pilot pickup season, and Hollywood has entered the Spin (Out) Zone. Liz and Sarah discuss the techniques they use to stay calm while others are freaking out. In Hits & Bombs, they look back at 2019 and discuss the highlights and lowlights. Liz’s biggest personal hit? Getting over her fear of public speaking. Sarah’s biggest bomb? Not going to therapy. Finally, this week’s travel Hollyw...

Down With Exclamation Points! Are Liz and Sarah riding a dragon or a camel? They update listeners on their 2019 exam development motto — Ride The Dragon. Then they check in with their former assistant, Mary Mehrkens, who offers advice to assistants (or anyone) between gigs. She also shares one of her new boss’s favorite apps: Fantastical. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help your emails seem more...