Happier in Hollywood

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 passion for fashion. In Take A Hike, inspired by her recent trip to the Renaissance Fair, Sarah shares why you should attend an Immersion Event. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help you understand fandom better (your own and other people’s) — a breakdown of the five kinds of fans. Finally, Sarah recommends going to a honey tasting at the Heavenly Honey Company of Ojai.    Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s free weekly newsletter at  https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com.   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/   LINKS: When Stars Align by Melissa de la Cruz: https://amzn.to/43bOJlN   Melissa de la Cruz: https://melissa-delacruz.com/   Heavenly Honey Company: https://heavenlyhoneycompany.com/   Photo by Sarah Lee on Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laverne McKinnon, an executive and leadership coach with a rich background at CBS and Epix, joins the conversation. Liz reveals her struggle with mild face blindness, sharing awkward moments from her work life. Laverne introduces valuable career insights, focusing on the journey from 'sprouting to blossoming' in professional growth. They discuss the importance of support systems and knowing when to pivot. Plus, tips for creating inside jokes to strengthen coworker bonds add a fun twist!

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 go of boundaries can lead to powerful art. In The Craft (& Fain), they talk about what makes a great work bio. Next, Liz gives a Hit to her sister Gretchen for convincing her to get rid of her giant computer monitor, and Sarah has a Bomb for Douglas from Facebook Marketplace who failed to show up for their appointment. This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your work life — use a bag organizer. Finally, Sarah recommends Holy Honey.  Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s free weekly newsletter at  https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/   LINKS: Walton Goggins: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0324658/   The Shield trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klSVH4dJrGU   Sarah’s bag organizer from Etsy:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/1823579579/boat-and-tote-compatible-extra-large-xl   Givlefly Handbag Organizer: https://amzn.to/42GIxDs   Holy Honey: https://www.holyhoney.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 have an uncomfortable conversation. In Take A Hike, they share a fun AI exercise from the M(AI)VENS Substack — make a family crest. Then in The Craft (& Fain), Liz and Sarah talk about the importance of saying the obvious thing when giving notes. This week’s Hollywood Hack will extend the life of your office chair — armrest covers. Finally, Liz recommends The Studio, starring Seth Rogen, on Apple+. Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It will come right to your inbox! Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ LINKS: Happier In Hollywood on Substack: https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search   Clue Trails & Crime-Lines Mystery Screenwriting Workshop: https://www.howtoliz.com/home/classes-and-consults   M(AI)VENS Substack: https://womenai.substack.com/   Soft Neoprene Chair Arm Pad Covers: https://amzn.to/4lRJxvX   Isccdy Soft Chair Arm Pad Covers: https://amzn.to/4lPSXYP   The Studio trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIQuE7JGXU8  Photo by Getty Images on Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 is it? Why should they do it? And what is a SWOT analysis? Todd has answers! In The Craft (& Fain), they share an insight from fellow writer and Substacker Bill Gullo — writing is different than talking is different than thinking. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help you network: the HiHello business card app. Finally Sarah shares a true crime podcast recommendation — Murder 101.  Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/   LINKS: Todd Schulkin:  http://schulkinmanagement.com/about.html   The Julia Child Foundation: https://juliachildfoundation.org/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12864069783&gbraid=0AAAAABcKBvXlfeoLI5DANczF6cKuM5gF2   Storytellers Social Club: https://bgullo.substack.com/   HiHello:  https://www.hihello.com/   Murder 101 podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/introducing-murder-101/id1724019923?i=1000640430098   Photo by Wim van 't Einde on Unsplash  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 a state of flow. In Take A Hike, Sarah shares why “art yarn” is a great metaphor for fighting perfectionism. In Take Two, they revisit the topic of muses and decide they’re going to start asking themselves, “What is your creative priority?” This week’s Hollywood Hack will make you smell good: Morton Essentials stick deodorant. Finally, Liz has two reality competition show recommendations for people who are missing Traitors — Million Dollar Secret on Netflix and Got To Get Out on Hulu. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ LINKS: Happier In Hollywood on Substack: https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search   Fain’s Honey Vintage Patch Hat: https://fainshoney.com/shop/ols/products/gray-fains-honey-hat   CALPAK Terra 35L Water Resistant Zippered Tote Bag: https://www.calpaktravel.com/products/terra-35l-water-resistant-zippered-tote-bag/juniper Amplify Planner: https://www.amplifyplanner.com/?srsltid=AfmBOop7j8kFvguFn83s9FdJWGXSFgNoCxcjCe13l1OPaWMKCXFZwe5c Legend Planner: https://amzn.to/3RPIoXU Expertly Dyed blog: https://expertlydyed.com/blog On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King https://amzn.to/3FAN1lP Morton Essentials deodorant: https://mortonessentials.com/products/sensitive-skin-orange-vanilla-deodorant-stick Got To Get Out trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MRebuiHW5I Million Dollar Secret trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daeL3XxrS-c Photo: David FoodphototastyFor Unsplash+See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 early, and try to connect with deeper conversation. In Hits & Bombs, Sarah gives a Hit to the neighbors who bandaged her bleeding finger, and Liz gives a Bomb to how long it took her to relax during her Palm Springs getaway. Then, in The Craft (& Fain), Liz and Sarah choose a Team Muse! (Their 15-year-old selves.) This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from friend-of-the-pod Karine — keep an apron in your car. Finally, Sarah recommends the incredibly compelling book Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ LINKS: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King: https://amzn.to/4lfZFH9 Careless People: A Cautionary Tale  of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams: https://amzn.to/4hYAE0oSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 in Hollywood, their work stays the same. The outcome will be what it will be. In Take A Hike, they discuss why their slow read of Stephen King’s memoir (with pens and highlighters in hand) is giving them a collective pep in their step. Next, The Craft (& Fain) is inspired by the revisions they did of their pitch — try swapping the beginning and ending of whatever you’re writing. Sarah uses this week’s Hollywood Hack whenever she washes her hair: the Kosmu Hair Towel. Then Liz recommends the limited series ZeroZeroZero on Amazon Prime. Finally, Liz had a Celebrity Sighting — Kyle Richards from RHOBH.  Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It will come right to your inbox! Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ LINKS: On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King https://amzn.to/3FAN1lP Kosmu Hair Towel: https://amzn.to/4icfBIM ZeroZeroZero trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HoRfUKcvdY Kyle Richards:  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724202/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Liz and Sarah talk to Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Charles Duhigg, about his fantastic book Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection. One piece of advice? Ask the deep question. Then, in Day In The Life, they share a typical day in their work life right now. They’re kind of all over the place — in a good way! This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from Charles’ Substack newsletter, The Science of Better — to improve a meeting, serve spicy food and pass out Vitamin D supplements. Finally, Sarah recommends the Charleston Artist Collective. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/ LINKS:   Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection: https://amzn.to/4kw64h8   The Science of Better Substack newsletter: https://charlesduhigg.substack.com/   Charleston Artist Collective: https://charleston.artistcollectives.org/   Chris Dahlquist:  https://chrisdahlquist.com/ Photo by UpsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 down the ABC’s of Substack from a user’s point of view. In Take A Hike, Sarah talks about why giving micro loans through Kiva makes her happier. Then Liz and Sarah answer a question about the signs that project isn’t going well. The biggest sign? Silence from the executives. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from a listener — list a loved one by a special name in the contacts on your phone. Finally, Liz recommends Say Everything: A Memoir by Ione Skye. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com.  Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, andSide Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! Note: Go to the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group for Liz and Sarah’s extensive Teens/Tweens Gift Guide. Thanks to listeners for such great ideas! Link below. https://www.facebook.com/groups/903150719832696/permalink/3081705578643855/   LINKS: Happier In Hollywood on Substack: https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com/?utm_source=global-search   Kiva: https://www.kiva.org/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9vUP-yNTM5QGOn77jB9BwcUb2ZN&utm_campaign=branded&utm_medium=ad_grant&utm_source=google_cpc   Say Everything: A Memoir by Ione Skye: https://amzn.to/3DxOQzo  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.