Shows / Happier in Hollywood
Happier in Hollywood
Veteran TV writers Liz Craft and Sarah Fain demystify Hollywood by making career and personal struggles universal. Friends since high school and writing partners for over 20 years, Liz and Sarah have survived and thrived in Tinseltown’s male-dominated entertainment industry, guided by blind optimism and a Midwestern work ethic. Along the way they've learned a lot about kicking ass, kissing ass, and office yoga. Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/
Episodes
Happier in HollywoodEp. 437: The Curse Of Hearing Good Things & Pivoting
Liz and Sarah are hearing a trickle of good things about their pilot script, which means… absolutely nothing. They discuss how to regulate their nervous…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 436: Do Or Die Time
Liz and Sarah are waiting for a reaction to the latest draft of their Netflix pilot, and this is when the rubber hits the road. Either something good will…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 435: TV Pitches & An Epic Mahjong Journey
Liz and Sarah discuss the process of writing a new TV pitch and explain why it takes so damn long to get one done. In Take A Hike, they share listener Brandy’s…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 434: AI Images & Living Vicariously
Liz and Sarah talk about how a recent survey from the WGA prompted them to try using AI to make images for their latest pitch deck. In Take A Hike, they…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 433: Batching & Birthday Celebrations
Inspired by recent conversations with other Content Creators, Liz and Sarah talk about their determination to start “batching,” especially when it comes to all…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 432: Make A Laugh List & Councilman Nazarian on Bringing Back Production
Liz and Sarah talk to L.A. City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian about what he’s doing to bring production back to Los Angeles — including tax incentives, an…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 431: Navigating New Hollywood With Tepper
Liz and Sarah talk to social media star Kristen Tepper about navigating Hollywood from the point of view of a writer who’s kicking ass and making a name for…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 430: Feeling Invigorated & Oh Sh*t Moments
Liz and Sarah discuss feeling invigorated by the new slate of projects they’re working on. Right now they’re basking in a creative bubble — the hard part comes…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 429: When Our Job Interferes With Our Career
Liz and Sarah talk about how lately their job has been interfering with their career. So many Zooms! They realize that the new Hollywood definitely has its own…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 428: Summer 2025 Listener Questions Episode!
Liz and Sarah are answering Listener Questions! How common are writing teams? If they weren’t writers, what other Hollywood job would they like to try? How do…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 427: Don’t Delete & More Crying At Work
Liz and Sarah talk about why it’s important never to delete anything substantial. They never know when they’re going to want to put something back into a…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 426: Waiting For The Parade
Liz and Sarah discuss what their career has in common with the annual Ojai Fourth of July Parade. Then, in a Day In The Life segment, they share how they spent…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 425: Novel July & Upside Of The Downslide
Liz and Sarah share their plan to spend all of July finishing a solid draft of their novel. It’s time to get it done! In Take A Hike, they talk about the…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 424: Crying At Work & Transition Rituals
Liz and Sarah discuss whether or not it’s okay to cry at work. Does Gen Z feel crying is more acceptable? And what does it have to do with sexism? In their new…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 423: No Right Way & Revisiting Whimsy
Liz and Sarah discuss how writing the third draft of their pilot has made them realize there’s no right way to do something creative. There are MANY right…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 422: The Downside Of Deadlines & Grow Something
Liz and Sarah discuss the downside of being deadline driven. They love a deadline, but sometimes creative projects need more room to breathe than a deadline…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 421: Priority Lists & Slow Starts
Liz and Sarah talk about why it’s useful to make a list of priorities. They made a project priority list during their recent Hive ‘25, and it’s helped them…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 420: Spring 2025 Listener Questions Episode!
Liz and Sarah answer listener questions! If they could write a crossover of any two shows, what would they be? Have they ever hated their job or thought about…
Happier in HollywoodListen Again: Liz & Sarah’s Most “Hollywood” Hollywood Moments
In this Special Episode, Liz and Sarah revisit some of their most “Hollywood” Hollywood moments, from getting yelled at by famous actors to spotting A-list…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 419: When Stars Align & Immersion Events
Liz and Sarah talk to best-selling author and friend of the pod, Melissa de la Cruz, about the state of publishing, her new novel When Stars Align, and her…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 418: Liz’s Face Blindness Challenge & Career Lessons With Laverne
Liz and Sarah talk about one of Liz’s biggest work hurdles — mild face blindness. It can be quite awkward when she doesn’t recognize someone they just had a…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 417: Going For It & Giving Good Bio
Liz and Sarah discuss how watching their former co-worker, actor Walton Goggins, “go for it” on screen makes them want to go for it in their writing. Letting…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 416: Work Albatrosses & AI Family Crests
Liz and Sarah talk about how to figure out if something in your work life is an albatross, and what you can do to get rid of it. One tip? Force yourself to…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 415: Strategic Planning (A.K.A. Our Corporate Vision Board)
Liz and Sarah talk to Hollywood manager, Executive Director of The Julia Child Foundation, and friend-of-the-pod Todd Schulkin about strategic planning. What…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 414: Busy Bees & Reframing Imperfection
Liz and Sarah continue to embrace this year’s team theme — Flower & Fly 2025 — by thinking of themselves as busy bees. Their organized buzzing has put them in…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 413: Networking Event Tips & Our Team Muse
Liz and Sarah share networking event tips for those who don’t particularly like networking events. Some ideas? Look at the guest list beforehand, get there…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 412: Read Like You’re A College Student
Liz and Sarah are getting ready to pitch a show, and they’re battling the bad feeling that nothing will sell. They remind themselves that no matter the climate…
Happier in HollywoodEp.411: Supercommunicating With Charles Duhigg
Liz and Sarah talk to Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Charles Duhigg, about his fantastic book Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 410: What The Hell Is Substack & Project Warning Signs
Sarah and Liz are Substack zealots, but they realize many listeners don’t even know what Substack is — six months ago, they’d barely heard of it. So they break…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 409: Secrets Of Adulthood With Gretchen Rubin
Liz and Sarah talk to Gretchen Rubin, aka Liz’s sister, about her fantastic new book of witty and thought-provoking aphorisms, Secrets of Adulthood: Simple…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 408: Career Transitions With Laverne McKinnon
Liz and Sarah talk to Hollywood veteran and career coach Laverne McKinnon about career transitions, career grief, and the tumult happening in Hollywood. Then…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 407: Video Anxiety & Going Down The Road
Liz and Sarah have video anxiety! They’ve started making at least two videos a week for their new Substack venture, and it’s a learning curve! What do they…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 406: Stop The Stewing!
We’ve all tortured ourselves by stewing over something we said or did — or didn’t say or didn’t do. It’s time to stop the stewing! Liz and Sarah’s advice? If…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 405: A Workspace Of One’s Own
Sarah talks about how much her work life has improved since she got an office space in downtown Ojai — and how it’s made her realize that Liz needs to make her…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 404: Listener Questions Winter 2025!
Liz and Sarah are answering all of your questions! What advice do they have for someone new to Hollywood given the state of the industry? Do they receive…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 403: An Era Of Completion
Liz and Sarah have entered an era of completion. They’ve had so many open projects, but now some are wrapping up — or at least moving to the next phase. It…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 402: We Declare Ourselves Content Creators And So Should You
Liz and Sarah have decided that it’s time to embrace the identity of “content creator” — in the evolving world of Hollywood, it’s part of stepping into the…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 401: Crisis Fatigue & Sarah’s No Buy List
Along with everyone else in Los Angeles, Liz and Sarah are feeling so much love for their city. But they’re also suffering from crisis fatigue. Every time they…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 400: Celebrating 400 Episodes & Team Theme 2025!
It’s Episode 400 of Happier In Hollywood! Liz and Sarah are so grateful to all the listeners who are part of their dynamic podcast community! In honor of this…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 399: The Joy Of Being In Charge
Liz and Sarah are thrilled to announce that Happier In Hollywood has moved to Lemonada Media! It’s 2025, and Liz and Sarah are VERY excited about their huge…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 398: Haunted (In A Good Way)
“Is this just a dirge?” Liz and Sarah discuss how a question from mega-producer and friend of the pod David Hoberman about a show they were working on has…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 397: Lizness School With Liz Dolan
Liz and Sarah sit down with friend of the pod, Satellite Sister Liz Dolan, to talk about her new podcast Lizness School, which chronicles her fascinating year…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 396: Fear Of Failure To Be Compelling
Inspired by the CIA (yes, really), Liz and Sarah talk about the notion of a “failure to be compelling.” From now on, they’re going to put every pitch through…
Happier in HollywoodBonus Book Club Episode: We Solve Murders
In a Happier In Hollywood Bonus Book Club Episode, Liz and Sarah dive into their discussion of Richard Osman’s new book, We Solve Murders. Does it qualify as a…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 395: Pilot Notes & Hunting For Disproportionate Joy
Liz and Sarah got notes on their latest pilot script — and they were knocked on their asses! But they’ve regrouped and are moving forward with a new structure…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 394: Authenticity & The Joy Of Mad Money
Happy Thanksgiving! Liz and Sarah reflect on the power of authenticity — and how women are often trained out of being authentic in the workplace. In Take A…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 393: Plan Post-Notes Recovery Time
Liz and Sarah will soon receive notes on their latest pilot script, and they know they’ll need to plan some recovery time before they dive into the rewrite…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 392: Hollywood Holiday Shut Down
It’s November, which means the annual Hollywood Holiday Shut Down has begun. Liz and Sarah have a pitch ready to sell, but they’ll likely wait until 2025 to…
Happier in HollywoodBonus Episode: HIH 2024 Gift Guide!
In this Bonus Episode, Liz and Sarah share their 2024 Gift Guide! They recommend everything from a cute tape measure to personalized pencils to a Harry Potter…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 391: Hollywood Present & Future With Carole Kirschner
Liz and Sarah sit down with friend of the pod and Entertainment Career Coach, Carole Kirschner, to discuss the state of Hollywood and what the future might…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 390: Fall 2024 Burning Listener Questions: Part Two
Liz and Sarah announce their HIH Book Club selection — We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. Then they dive into more listener questions! How do Liz and Sarah…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 389: Fall 2024 Burning Listener Questions: Part One
Liz and Sarah are answering all of your burning questions! What are their biggest regrets — personally and professionally? Which episode of TV they’ve written…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 388: Some Notes Never Go Away
As Liz and Sarah rewrite their latest pilot script, they’re reminded that some notes never go away. From story area to outline to script, there may be an issue…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 387: Pilot Progress & Taking A “Sick” Day
Liz and Sarah are making progress on their pilot script — it’s gone to the producer. In this uncertain time in Hollywood, they’re making a point to celebrate…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 386: The Ease Of One Thing
Right now Liz and Sarah are totally focused on writing their pilot script, and they’re loving that their time isn’t bifurcated or trifurcated (or even…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 385: Blank Page Stress & Dressing Up
As Liz and Sarah write the first draft of their new pilot script, they remember all over again how hard it is to face a blank page. Rewriting is so much easier…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 384: Set A Fall Agenda & Talking Even The Rich
It’s September, and Liz and Sarah are setting their fall work agenda. They plan to write a pilot, pitch at least one show, finish their novel, and more…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 383: Embrace The Heads Up
Liz and Sarah talk about getting a “heads up” before a notes call, and why having notes in advance is so helpful to the development process. In Take A Hike…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 382: Work Together Wednesdays
Based on the level of productivity and flow they had during their recent time together in Ojai, Liz and Sarah are determined to spend more time in the same…
Happier in HollywoodEp. 381: Million Dollar Advice!
Want to know how to deal with a toxic work environment? Curious about the best way to give feedback to a Gen Z staffer? Wondering if you should change jobs?…