Happier in Hollywood

It’s a Listener Questions episode! Liz and Sarah open the mailbag and answer your questions. How does Liz feel about working at Sarah’s house? If they could be flies on the wall at someone else’s work, what would it be? How has Happier In Hollywood helped or hindered their TV writing career? Sarah and Liz give up the dirt on these and so many other questions. This week’s Hollywood Hack also comes...

Liz and Sarah give an update on a listener suggestion that they coordinate their meeting outfits. They did it! And it was surprisingly easy. Their new vow? Try a personal shopper together. Then they discuss how to be — and create — happy campers at work with parenting expert Audrey Monke, author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults. Audrey owns Gold A...

“Bachelor Happy Hour with Rachel & Ali” takes fans behind the scenes with all things Bachelor Nation-related in the first ever, official Bachelor podcast.  You’ll hear from current cast members and get the details on what really happened when the cameras stopped rolling.    Start listening now at:  wondery.fm/inhollywood To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://ww...

Inspired by an overheard conversation (and a thousand notes calls), Liz and Sarah ask listeners to weigh in on what makes a character “likable.” Then they discuss how to deal with the fact that everything— from a home remodel to a series sale— takes longer than you think it will. In their new segment, You’re The Boss, Liz and Sarah discuss their  recent realization that doing the podcast has impro...

After an update on the great how-to-pronounce “gif” (is it a hard “g” or a soft “g”) debate of 2019, Liz and Sarah discuss the back-to-school productivity boost that September brings. Then they do a listener inspired Take Two deep dive on how to get out of health lull. Some favorite ideas? Reconnect with your “why” and treat being healthy  like it’s a job. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from Sar...

The Onward Project is celebrating Labor Day with #HappierLaborDay! Liz and Sarah invite Sheri Salata (author of The Beautiful No, co-host of the podcast The Sheri & Nancy Show) to be their special Labor Day co-host! Sheri shares how a “beautiful no” led to her job as the powerhouse Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Then they discuss how we can all have a happier work life by reframing...

Liz and Sarah have an update on their new office space in Sarah’s house. It’s done! And they love it! In From The Treadmill Desks Of, they reveal that Liz recently hit the wall and declared they needed a break. Turns out, taking a few days off made them way more productive when they came back. Then Liz and Sarah debut a new segment, You’re The Boss, about how we can all be in charge of our own car...

Liz and Sarah share the details of their first Happier In Hollywood Q&A Cocktail Party. It was a huge success! Then they interview TV writers Jess Burkle and Ryan Knighton from the CW show “In the Dark” about how they navigate Hollywood while being blind, their superpower in the writers’ room, and why they hate being called “inspirational.” Then Liz and Sarah answer a listener question about wheth...

Now that Liz and Sarah don’t have an official office, they’re creating “a room of their own” at Sarah’s house. While Sarah insists on following the feng shui guidelines in the book Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life, Liz just wants a functional, pleasant space to work in. Then they debut a new segment, The Craft (And Fain) on the craft of writing. Their first topic? Swim out. This week’s Hollywood...

Liz and Sarah discuss a listener suggestion that they coordinate their meeting outfits. Are they up for the task? Then they talk about the difficulty of compartmentalizing when they need to work on several projects at once. Next, Liz and Sarah answer a listener question about whether they think a different network president would have kept The Fix on the air. In Take A Hike, Sarah shares her “heal...

Inspired by listener demand, Liz and Sarah announce their August 8th Happier In Hollywood Q & A Cocktail Party.  (For more information email happierinhollywood@gmail.com.) Then Liz and Sarah talk to Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg, the cohosts of one of their favorite podcasts, By The Book, about being each other’s work wife. What IS a work wife? How is work marriage different from actual ma...

Liz and Sarah discuss why they’ve recently decided NOT to take every meeting. Sometimes they need to go deep instead of going wide. Then Sarah’s recent bout of pneumonia is a reminder that we all need to listen to our bodies. In The Mailroom, Liz and Sarah tackle a listener question about whether they ever feel like the “weak link” in their partnership. Short answer? Yes! This week Sarah and Liz h...

Liz and Sarah break down the experience of being a Staff Writer on a TV show with their former assistant turned TV writer, Brook Sitgraves Turner. Brook’s advice: show up prepared and stay late. In Take A Hike, Liz and Sarah discuss the concept of Swedish Death Cleaning and why we should all accumulate less stuff. Finally, Liz shares yet another Hollywood Hack that will help you achieve “meeting h...

Liz and Sarah discuss the importance of saving money in Hollywood’s perennially unstable gig economy. Hint: avoid mindless spending. And shop your closet! Then they share a listener question about fertility and the problem/dilemma of waiting to start a family. Have they come to terms with having only children? Liz offers two Hollywood Hacks from entertainment attorney Michael Donaldson’s WGA works...

Liz and Sarah talk to their mentor, the brilliant television writer/producer, Shawn Ryan (The Shield, S.W.A.T.), about how he picks projects. Spoiler alert: he actually needs to like the material. They also grill Shawn about his famous calm demeanor. Is he really as zen as he seems? In the Mailroom segment, Liz and Sarah answer a question about being a technical consultant for TV and movies. This...

Liz and Sarah discuss the issue of doing free work in Hollywood. It’s necessary, but how much is too much? And how can they do free work without resenting it? Then they answer a Mailroom Question about passion. Is it fair to expect people to be passionate about their work ALL of the time? And what do you do when you’re not feelin’ it? In L v. S (Lis versus Sarah), Sarah tries to convince Liz to tr...

Everyone gets knocked down once in awhile— the question is, what do you do AFTER you get knocked down? If you’re resilient, you get back up! Liz and Sarah discuss the brilliance of resilience and share how working in the entertainment business has helped them develop their own resilience muscles. Then in a very special Take A Hike, executive producer Chuck Reed’s mom, Michelene Reed Laski, reveals...

Liz and Sarah start with a poetic update— a reading of Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese.” Then in From The Treadmill Desks Of, they discuss the “cacophony of choice” they’re dealing with now that their overall at ABC Studios is over. It’s exciting that they’re free to do ANYTHING— but also overwhelming. As they analyze how to navigate their opportunities, they decide to stretch but also stay in their whe...

The Fix has been cancelled! It’s not unexpected, but it still sucks. Liz and Sarah share what Season 2 would have been and how they’re moving on! Then they discuss all things negotiation with Michael Donaldson, renowned entertainment attorney and author of Fearless Negotiating: The Wish, Want, Walk Method to Negotiating Agreements That Work. Michael’s advice is crucial for everyone— but is particu...

Liz and Sarah discuss being calm versus acting calm — and how they were recently “Shawn Ryan Calm” during a tough conversation. Then in Take A Hike, Sarah shares why “not knowing if it’s going to snow in March” helped her stop anticipating the worst. Next, Liz and Sarah fess up to a Happier in Hollywood Retreat bomb, and Sarah gives a hit to her aunt for stepping up in a crisis. Sarah’s HOT Hollyw...

Liz and Sarah reveal their 2019 Development Motto: Ride The Dragon (just like Daenerys, but with less crazy)! With the ever changing waves in their career, they recite a poem from Safire Rose called She Let Go. Then in this week’s Mailroom segment, Liz and Sarah answer a listener question about writing thank you notes to showrunners. This week’s selfie Hollywood Hack is perfect for events: a selfi...

You asked, Liz and Sarah answer! What’s the best book on writing? Do extras wear their own clothes? How does collaboration work? Why does Liz consider the Housewives a feminist franchise? Liz and Sarah answer these questions and more in this very special listener questions episode! The Fix: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EoVvpfVUqvA Brook Sitgraves Turner: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8223801/?ref_=...

The hill is not as high as you think it is! Liz and Sarah discuss how they're conquering both literal and metaphorical "hills," including The Fix Season 2 pitch, Fryman Canyon, and the prospect of writing a fiction podcast. Their advice? It's okay to take a break — just get right back to climbing! Then in Take Two, Liz and Sarah revisit office roles. This week's Hollywood Hack is an easy-to-use gr...

Liz and Sarah talk to Safe For Work podcast hosts Liz Dolan and Rico Gagliano about all things work — from dealing with assholes and vipers in the office to making a career change in your 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s. Then Liz and Sarah give a 2019 New Year’s Resolutions update! So far so good! Sarah’s been focusing on progress over perfection, and Liz is on her way to hitting her weight loss goal. Finally...

Liz and Sarah discuss their recent Happier in Hollywood writers’ retreat in Ojai — How To Get (And Keep) A Job As A TV Writer — and why it’s essential to live in an atmosphere of growth. Then they answer not 1, but 2 listener questions: one from a writers’ assistant who’s trying to be good at his current job while still pushing to make it to the next level, and a second question about podcasting!...