How does Sarah’s new ritual of taking her trash to the local dump relate to being a writer in Hollywood? Liz and Sarah reveal that they’ve recently realized they need to “take out their own trash” when it comes to having difficult work conversations — rather than letting their representatives have the conversations for them. In their new Ask Your Lawyer segment, Liz and Sarah talk to entertainment attorney extraordinaire, JR McGinnis, about whether or not it’s a good idea to start a project befo...
Oct 08, 2020•27 min•Ep. 178
First, Liz and Sarah share Zoom pitching advice from listeners and friend of the pod, Laurie Zaks. Then they talk to Executive Coach Marie Garvey about how everyone — but particularly women — can empower themselves in the workplace. The good news? A big part of it is shutting out the noise and being yourself. In Hits & Bombs, Sarah gives herself a Bomb for getting hooked on the reality show Married at First Sight. And Liz gives Sarah a Hit for taking on so much of their development reading. ...
Oct 01, 2020•39 min•Ep. 177
Liz and Sarah discuss the upcoming Happier In Hollywood newsletter. They had planned to start one pre-pandemic, and now they finally feel ready to move forward. In From The Outer Office, Liz and Sarah talk to their former assistant, Brook Sitgraves Turner, about her new job as a Staff Writer on the drama Long Slow Exhale created by Pam Veasey. Brook’s advice for new writers on staff? Forget your title and be bold. This week’s Hollywood Hack is life-changing for anyone who doesn’t yet have it: Ve...
Sep 24, 2020•30 min•Ep. 176
Liz and Sarah discuss their upcoming Zoom pitch. How can they keep their audience engaged when they’re not in the same room? Pro tip: Use more visuals. In their new Amplify segment, they share two great resources — Cup of Jo’s “How to Vote in Every State” and Fast Company’s “How to Find and Support Black Owned Businesses Wherever You Are.” This week’s Take A Hike is inspired by a country song Sarah heard on rural Minnesota radio. Is your give a damn as busted as Liz and Sarah’s are? Finally, Sar...
Sep 17, 2020•33 min•Ep. 175
Liz and Sarah analyze how lessons from ABC’s The Bachelor and The Bachelorette can improve their approach to potential new projects. Their biggest takeaway? Learn to invest without investing. In Take A Hike, Sarah shares how looking around her lake house with new eyes has improved her mental health. Then Liz has a day of medical procedure Hits, and Sarah gives herself a bullet journal Bomb. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help improve office morale: host a Zoom trivia night! If you want to order...
Sep 10, 2020•25 min•Ep. 174
Liz and Sarah ask listeners what kind of merch they’d like for the holiday season. Then they discuss a recent article about how we’ve all depleted our “surge capacity” during the pandemic. How can we recharge? Then they follow up on Mailroom questions. Listeners wrote in with advice for a young woman struggling with whether or not to talk to her boss about her depression. They also advise a mom of three who’s looking to break into TV. And they hear from a listener who plays HIH for her ewes in N...
Sep 03, 2020•30 min•Ep. 173
Liz and Sarah discuss why understanding that executives are paying for their confidence helps them bring pitches and scripts across the finish line. And, yes, you CAN fake it ‘til you make it. Then they Amplify two very different TV shows — I May Destroy You on HBO Max and The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix. In Take A Hike, they share helpful advice about to avoid self-flagellation during the pandemic from friend of the pod, Amanda Reed — “Remember, you don’t have to get good at this.” This week’s...
Aug 27, 2020•22 min•Ep. 172
Liz and Sarah answer more Listener Questions! Do they ever write just for fun? If they were Queens for a day, what small change would they implement to make the world a happier place? How do they handle gender bias in Hollywood? Has Liz set up her treadmill desk yet? And more! If you want to order a Happier In Hollywood rainbow Silipint travel cup with lid, email [email protected] for more information. Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought ...
Aug 20, 2020•22 min•Ep. 171
Liz and Sarah dive into Listener Questions. What is “good writing?” Do they have any “painfully blunt” advice about breaking into TV over the next couple of years? How was Sarah’s road trip to Minnesota — did she use the portable toilet she bought? And so many more... If you want to order a Happier In Hollywood rainbow Silipint travel cup with lid, email [email protected] for more information. Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together ...
Aug 13, 2020•26 min•Ep. 170
Liz and Sarah talk to director Dr. Rachel Raimist (Queen Sugar, Roswell New Mexico) about how she’s shooting safely during the time of Covid-19. What exactly are “color coded pod sets” anyway? In The Craft (And Fain), they reveal one of the key factors they use to determine their interest in a potential TV project. Does it pass the “Do We Want To Talk About It” test? This week’s Hollywood Hack is a great (affordable) way to celebrate a loved one while maintaining social distance: Hire a mariachi...
Aug 06, 2020•36 min•Ep. 169
Liz and Sarah realize that they need to pay attention to whether their goals are in alignment with how they’re spending their time. It’s easy for all of us to get caught up in tasks and projects that don’t take us where we ultimately want to go. In Take A Hike, they discuss why “catastrophizing” is always a huge waste of time. Then they Amplify The Spinster Diaries, a new novel by TV writer Gina Fattore and their latest TV obsession — Vida, created by Tanya Saracho. This week’s Hollywood Hack is...
Jul 30, 2020•21 min•Ep. 168
Good news! Liz and Sarah are selling their Happier In Hollywood rainbow Silipint travel cups again. Just email [email protected] to order ($25 including shipping). In From The Treadmills Desks Of, they discuss why the timeliness of a project is more important than ever before. Then Liz and Sarah do a Take Two about pulling the ripcord. Turns out a lot of our listeners have done it — and are glad they did. This week’s Hits & Bombs is just Hits. Liz gives a Hit to the USA show DIrty...
Jul 23, 2020•24 min•Ep. 167
Liz and Sarah try to envision work and the workplace post Covid-19. On the plus side, they expect less traffic and to save on dry cleaning. The downside? It may be harder to make friends at work. In Take A Hike, they remind themselves to “remember the Mah Jongg card.” At first it’s just a confusing jumble of symbols, but over time it all begins to make sense — like so many things in life. This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your next road trip: the Wagan 12V cooler/warmer (a plug in cooler f...
Jul 16, 2020•30 min•Ep. 166
Liz and Sarah discuss how we can all improve their our mental flexibility during this global pandemic. One tip? Tweak your routine. In their new Amplify segment, they talk to up-and-coming TV writers Jackie Decembly and Jerrica Long about their Hollywood Reporter piece, “How to Broach Race When You’re Not the Most Powerful Person in the Writers Room.” Jerrica’s advice: Don’t call people out. Call them in. This week’s Hollywood Hack: avoid the creep. It’s easy to let bad habits creep back in, esp...
Jul 09, 2020•34 min•Ep. 165
Liz and Sarah discuss challenging works situations. When do you stick it out, and when do you pull the ripcord and escape? In Take A Hike, they explore the beauty of an “unexpected interlude,” and Sarah reveals the unexpected interlude she has coming up in her own life. Hint: There’s a lake involved. They also answer a Mailroom question about how NOT to freeze up in a pitch. This week’s Hollywood Hack is perfect for a socially distanced summer: buy a lawn chair. Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘...
Jul 02, 2020•26 min•Ep. 164
Liz and Sarah discuss their decision to believe in a positive post-Covid future in their work — and how they’re also trying to apply that belief in real life. Then, in their new Amplify segment, Liz suggests everyone listen to an episode of the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast in which former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay (the sole Black lead of the franchise in forty seasons) discusses racism both behind and in front of the camera. In Call Your Manager, they talk to Dianne Fraser of Industry Entertain...
Jun 25, 2020•23 min•Ep. 163
Liz and Sarah strategize about how they can make space to be creative in this pivotal historical moment. Then they introduce a new segment — Amplify — in which they amplify the voices and work of women and people of color. In the Mailroom Segment, Liz and Sarah answer a question about the real life houses used in television shows. Finally, this week’s Hollywood Hack will help you be a better listener: Don’t interrupt for one week! Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of...
Jun 18, 2020•21 min•Ep. 162
Liz and Sarah talk to Jeanette Volturno of Catchlight Films and Julie Harris Walker of Catch A Break Podcast about how they’re working to make Hollywood more diverse. One promising tool: Crewvie — a worldwide application database for sharing and sourcing qualified crew and production support for film and TV. Jeanette and Julie also talk about their podcast, Catch A Break, which educates people on the nitty-gritty of working in entertainment. Their current focus? A live series on how to resume pr...
Jun 11, 2020•33 min•Ep. 161
Note: This episode was recorded before the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer led to nation-wide protests. We stand with the African-American community and believe black lives matter. Liz and Sarah relearn a lesson they’ve learned before. It’s time to take control of their career! Spec pilot, here they come. In Take Two, listeners offer suggestions about how Sarah can “choose a smaller life” during Covid-19. One idea? Say “no” to at least one thing a day. In The Mailroom, Liz...
Jun 04, 2020•25 min•Ep. 160
Sarah gives a shout out to all the truck drivers who made her grueling RV drive to Kansas City and back better and safer. Then Liz and Sarah talk to iconic labor leader and activist, Dolores Huerta, about her decades long fight for social justice. At ninety years old, is she finally able to relax? The answer is absolutely not. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from Everything Happens host, Kate Bowler: reassess the Covid-19 situation every two weeks (and don’t stress about it in between). Happier...
May 28, 2020•27 min•Ep. 159
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 shared Bomb to people who refuse to wear masks in public. Then Sarah gives herself a Hit for recommi...
May 21, 2020•24 min•Ep. 158
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 fatigue: instead of a Zoom work meeting have a walking conference call. Join our Facebook group: https://...
May 14, 2020•27 min•Ep. 157
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.” Finally, Liz and Sarah share a Hollywood Hack from Liz’s mom — bring in an expert. Join our Facebook g...
May 07, 2020•24 min•Ep. 156
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 shows they have in the can? Will there be lots of reruns? How are Liz and Sarah working while they’re ...
Apr 30, 2020•25 min•Ep. 155
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 relevance. In this week’s Hollywood Hack, both Sarah and Liz offer an app to keep you occupied at hom...
Apr 23, 2020•28 min•Ep. 154
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 spices in our pantries to boost our immunity while we stay safer at home. She also gives Liz advice ...
Apr 16, 2020•31 min•Ep. 153
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 week’s Hollywood Hack will up your confidence level in Zoom meetings: use the “touch up my appea...
Apr 09, 2020•26 min•Ep. 152
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.... sitting in her house. How did she deal with the sudden absence of adrenaline? In Mailroom, Liz an...
Apr 02, 2020•28 min•Ep. 151
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 Happier In Hollywood community: they’re a launching a weekly newsletter! To subscribe, go to happieri...
Mar 26, 2020•20 min•Ep. 150
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 life researching and developing strategies for creating a fun, supportive, growth-focused culture fo...
Mar 21, 2020•25 min
