How To Be Famous with Whitney Uland

What if the fastest way to break into film and television isn't waiting to be discovered—but making your own project? This week, writer, marketer, and filmmaker John Thompson joins me to talk about the rise of micro series, independent filmmaking, brand sponsorships, and why creators no longer need permission to build a career. how to launch a micro series and independent film project finding bran...

What happens when your visibility grows faster than your identity can keep up with? In this final Cannes Film Festival recap, Alex Stewart and I unpack the biggest lessons about fame, celebrity identity, confidence, visibility, and why I might not be fully owning my own influence. fame lessons from the Cannes Film Festival celebrity energy, confidence, and visibility how Coco Rocha commands attent...

I just got back from the Cannes Film Festival, and today I'm pulling back the curtain on what actually happens behind the scenes of the Cannes red carpet. From the surprising difference between the film industry and the celebrity/fashion side of Cannes to the controversy around influencers, models, and who "belongs" on the red carpet, we're diving into the realities of one of the most famous event...

What is the Cannes Film Festival actually like? After my third trip to Cannes—and Alex Stewart's first—we're breaking down what surprised us, what nobody tells you before you go, and why Cannes is so different from what most people imagine. In this episode, we discuss: • What the Cannes Film Festival is really like for first-time attendees• Why Cannes isn't what most people expect• The unspoken ru...

Maria Wentz joins me to talk about building an online business, becoming visible after making millions, and what it really takes to hold fame without losing yourself. energetics of fame and moneymaking your first dollars onlinelistening to the marketplace without selling outhandling hate comments and public visibilityburnout, self-care, and scaling an 8-figure businesscollaboration, podcasts, and...

This is the episode I wish I'd had three years ago — back when I was sitting at home wondering if it was even okay to want what I wanted. I'm packing for Cannes right now. I'm hosting a TV show at the festival next week. And I'm recording this without my hair and makeup done, because I want you to see what being a celebrity actually looks like — not the version you've been sold. In this episode, I...

This week’s episode is a little more personal. I’m recording from bed in the middle of a big five-day event, deep in Cannes prep, brand deals, visibility expansion, and all the emotions that come with stepping into a bigger version of myself. In this episode, I talk about a moment that cracked something open for me: asking for an opportunity I wanted and getting the response, “I thought you’d neve...

In this week’s episode, I’m sitting down with actor, model, and dear friend Zarina Yeva for a conversation that felt deeply personal, reflective, and honestly really moving. We talk about her journey from Kazakhstan to the worlds of film, fashion, and global visibility, but what stayed with me most was the deeper conversation underneath all of it: identity, resilience, spirituality, and what it ta...

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by one of my best friends and one of my favorite coaches, Lindsey Mango, for a really personal conversation. I invited Lindsey on to coach me through some of the blocks I’ve been moving through lately around expansion, pressure, identity, money, and what it looks like to keep choosing the next version of myself even when it feels uncomfortable. This episode felt...

If you keep starting and stopping on your content, I do not think it is because you are lazy, unmotivated, or undisciplined. I think it is because you are trying to create from a place of friction. In this episode, I’m joined by my team member and coach Alex Stewart to break down the 6 biggest reasons creators keep stopping — and what it actually takes to build momentum that lasts. We talk about:...

In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the biggest lies creatives believe: that your first project has to be your big break. It doesn’t. Sometimes it just needs to exist. I’m sharing the story behind Hysterical Women — the pilot I made before I felt fully ready, fully confident, or fully equipped — and why that imperfect project still became a major building block in my career. I talk about per...

This week on How to Be Famous, I’m joined by my acting teacher, John Ruskin, and this conversation felt especially meaningful to me. John has had a profound impact on the way I think about presence, truth, performance, and what it really means to let yourself be seen. He is the founder of the Ruskin School of Acting and is recognized by the school as one of the teachers hand-picked and trained by...

I made a television pilot in 2018. I submitted it to festivals. It did well. And then… I never shared it. Not because it wasn’t good — but because I didn’t feel ready to be seen. In this episode, I’m finally releasing that pilot: Hysterical Women — a dark comedy about ambition, power, and gender dynamics in the workplace. But more than that, this episode is really about the gap between who you are...

In this episode of How to Be Famous, I’m joined by Coach Dar — mindset coach to professional athletes, celebrities, and high performers. We talk about what it really takes not just to achieve success, but to stay there. From handling pressure in the spotlight to recovering from failure, Dar shares the mindset tools she teaches elite performers around the world. We dive into faith, resilience, auth...

This week on How to Be Famous, I’m joined by manifestation coach and transformational guide Margot Miller, and this conversation went to places I didn’t expect in the best way. Margot’s story is wild — she spent 10 years bedridden with a neurological illness, was told by doctors she might die, and eventually rebuilt her life from the ground up. What happened next? She followed a pull toward purpos...

This week’s episode feels like a goodbye and a rebirth all at once. I’m sharing what it looks like to say farewell to an old identity — the version of me that got me here — and step into the next era of my life, my art, and my business. It’s my birthday week (Pisces queen energy ✨), and I’ve been reflecting on what it really means to grow, evolve, and let go… especially when life is good. When yo...

This week, I sat down with one of my favorite humans and one of the smartest creators on the internet — my friend Cat Goetze (@askcatgpt). We talked about what it really takes to turn creativity into a scalable business, how to stop waiting for permission, and why “climbing Cringe Mountain” might just be your next rite of passage as a creator. Cat shared her journey from Stanford to Silicon Valley...

This week, I got to sit down with my dear friend, author, artist, and coach Toranj Kayvon — and as usual, our conversation went deep. We talked about what it really means to become self-led instead of survival-led — and how so many of us chase “legitimacy” through external achievements instead of embodying the truth that we already are worthy. Toranj shares the story of how her U.S. visa denial be...

Hey future celeb — it’s Whitney! In this episode, I’m joined by my dear friend and creative powerhouse, Sebastian Cail — a singer, songwriter, and filmmaker fresh off of our Sundance run. We sat down to unpack all things art, evolution, and what it really means to stay grounded when you’re living a thousand lifetimes in Los Angeles. We talk about: ✨ Why the creative timeline feels like “LA years”...

This week, I’m joined by our HTBF team favorite and returning guest Alex Stewart (@mmentality_) for a conversation that was supposed to be a Grammys recap... and kind of turned into a full behind-the-scenes of what it really means to be seen. The episode is equal parts chaotic and honest — my power went out, we ended up recording at the gym, and it somehow became the perfect metaphor for showbiz....

This week, I sat down with the incredible Michelle Lang—a powerhouse producer, actor, and creator whose work has featured stars like Orlando Bloom and Octavia Spencer—to talk about what it really means to be seen in Hollywood and online. We dove deep into one of my favorite topics: identity as performance. Are we ever not playing a character? And how do we show up authentically while also being in...

This week on How to Be Famous, I’m getting real about one of the biggest misconceptions in the creator world — that fame, success, or “making it” will finally make you happy. Spoiler alert: it won’t. In this episode, I share what I’ve learned (the hard way) about redefining why we chase visibility in the first place — and how to rewire your nervous system to feel safe being seen. We talk about: Th...

This week on How to Be Famous, I’m joined by my friend and classmate, Jacqui Grilli, for a raw, hilarious, and healing conversation about what it really means to feel safe being seen. Jacqui shares her “villain origin story” — from being the girl who sings to losing her literal and metaphorical voice — and how she’s learning to reclaim it through self-compassion, nervous system work, and Celebrity...

Hey, future celeb — happy freaking new year! In this episode, I’m answering your questions and sharing some real talk about what this season of rest, recalibration, and re-alignment has looked like for me. I’ll be honest: I’ve been realizing how much I was still operating from survival energy — constantly doing, pushing, creating, but not receiving. And that’s something so many creatives, entrepre...

This week’s episode is a little different — it’s a throwback from my Abundant Artist Coaching days, back when I was still finding my voice and building the foundation for everything that’s now become How to Be Famous. I originally recorded this around New Year’s 2021, and listening back honestly made me emotional. You can hear how much I’ve grown, but also how much of what I teach now — the identi...