

Happier in Hollywood
The Onward Project
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/
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 15, 2021 • 26min
Ep. 205: What Happens To Good Intentions When The Shit Hits The Fan
Liz and Sarah are in Puerto Rico to shoot Fantasy Island! And all of their good intentions to sleep, exercise, and eat right have gone by the wayside. Right now, they're just doing their best to keep their heads above water. In Take a Hike, they talk about the importance of taking the time to laugh -- even when there is no time. Then they face off with an L v. S-- staying in a hotel vs. an apartment while shooting on location. Finally, this week's Hollywood Hack makes working together so much easier: Final Draft 11's collaboration feature. 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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 8, 2021 • 31min
Ep. 204: It's Time For The Spring Listener Questions Episode!
When will Fantasy Island air? What's so great about Ojai? If Liz and Sarah could change careers, what would they pick? And most importantly, what pants did Liz buy for Puerto Rico? Liz and Sarah answer these and more burning questions!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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Vuori Wayfarer: https://vuoriclothing.com/products/womens-wayfarer-pant-black?variant=31858237374567Vuori Ripstop: https://vuoriclothing.com/products/womens-ripstop-pant-army?variant=23449297551418Athleta Brooklyn: https://athleta.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=198671#pdp-page-contentGap Cargo Pants: https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=679042042&pcid=999&vid=1&&searchText=womens%20cargo%20pants#pdp-page-content To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 1, 2021 • 21min
Ep. 203: A Good Reason to Embrace the Hate
Liz and Sarah discuss their recent realization that eight months ago, Fantasy Island wasn’t even on their project list— and now it’s their whole lives! If there’s one thing all of us have learned this past year it’s that we just never know what’s around the corner. Then Liz shares why “embracing the hate” has made her a better Showrunner. In Hits and Bombs, Liz gives a hit to the new book Just Work: Get Shit Done Fast & Fair, and Sarah gives herself a bomb for being scattered. This week’s Hollywood Hack: Do something on a lark. Sarah did, and now she’s moving to Ojai!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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Just Work: Get Sh*t Done Fast & Fair: https://smile.amazon.com/Just-Work-Done-Fast-Fair/dp/B088ZY9XH5/ref=sr_1_2?crid=18KL71QFEUFXR&dchild=1&keywords=just+work+get+sh+t+done%2C+fast+%26+fair&qid=1617045527&sprefix=Just+work+%2Caps%2C231&sr=8-2Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 25, 2021 • 22min
Ep. 202: Haters Gonna Hate
Prompted by a recent unpleasant email (and Taylor Swift), Liz and Sarah discuss the fact that “haters gonna hate.” Anytime they put themselves out there — creatively or on the podcast — they’re inviting criticism. And that’s OK! In Take A Hike, they talk about why “using your team” leads to greater mental and physical health. Then they debut a brand new segment — A Day In The Life — in which they explore the daily duties of running a show. Finally, this week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your mood: Choose a pick me up password.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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!“Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjK_6aQwcfvAhUSP30KHXO6BOMQyCkwAnoECAMQAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnfWlot6h_JM&usg=AOvVaw37Om1TudA9QLJm3lu3AvPY To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 18, 2021 • 22min
Ep. 201: Be A Volunteer (And Sarah Is Moving!)
Liz and Sarah often talk about one of their favorite mottos — volunteers not recruits. Today they remind themselves that as pre-production of their reboot of Fantasy Island gets more and more intense, they want to BE volunteers themselves. Enthusiasm makes the job... dare they say... FUN! In The Craft (& Fain), they talk about how to uncover “the note behind the note” in order to get more out of your notes sessions. Then Sarah gives Liz a big Hit and announces some huge life news. She’s moving to Ojai! This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve the look of your pants: Skims. 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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Skims:https://skims.com/collections/boy-shorts To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 11, 2021 • 29min
Ep. 200: Celebrating Our 200th Episode!
Liz and Sarah are celebrating the two hundredth episode of Happier In Hollywood! As they look back, they share some of the segments that have resonated most with listeners. Some favorites include “light a fire,” “volunteers not recruits,” and “choose a personal symbol.” Another stand out? “Remember the Mah Jongg card.” They also revisit their first ever Hollywood Hack — say “fuck” in a meeting. 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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 4, 2021 • 24min
Ep. 199: Liz & Sarah On Feeling Pressure From All Sides
As Liz and Sarah write the pilot for their reboot of Fantasy Island, they’re also feeling the pressure of getting a show off the ground after a straight-to-series pick up. Their best coping mechanism? Focus on the task at hand at any given moment. In Mailroom, they answer a listener question about the many behind-the-scenes details of making a show. This week in Hits & Bombs, Liz and Sarah give two Hits. Liz gives a Hit to the HBO Max show, It’s A Sin, about a group of friends coping with the AIDS crisis in London. And Sarah gives a Hit to Violet for the sweet gesture of putting toothpaste on Sarah’s toothbrush. This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your home popcorn experience: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray. 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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!It’s A Sin official trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnR5DxP2e2gI Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray:https://www.icantbelieveitsnotbutter.com/products/original-butter-spray/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 25, 2021 • 28min
Ep. 198: The Art Of Doing Extra
Liz and Sarah discuss the art of doing extra at work. It’s not about putting in more hours willy-nilly — you’ve got to pick your moments to make an impact. In Amplify, they talk to their former assistant turned full-time TV writer, Brook Sitgraves Turner, about Pep Packs, the charity she started for people in Los Angeles County who are recovering from Covid. Then in Take Two, Liz and Sarah share how listeners followed our Episode 194 advice to “light a fire.” This week’s Hollywood Hack soothes the soul: Choose an audio book based on the reader’s voice. Hint: Keep Sharp by Sanjay Gupta is one to try. 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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Pep Packs:www.peppacksla.comIG: https://instagram.com/peppacks?igshid=rjrcjeqitqhxKeep Sharp by Sanjay Guptahttps://bookshop.org/books/keep-sharp-build-a-better-brain-at-any-age/9781501166730 To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 18, 2021 • 27min
Ep. 197: Our Layer Cake Philosophy
Liz and Sarah discuss why they compare the creative process to baking a layer cake. A script isn’t going to be rich and textured with just one layer. The goodness builds as all the different elements come together over time. And the same is true for work relationships. Give them time to develop layers. Then in The Mailroom, they answer a question from their Facebook Group about what to do when a colleague refers to a young woman as “dear.” In Hits & Bombs, Liz gives a Hit to Pretend It’s A City, the Netflix documentary series about Fran Lebowitz. And Liz and Sarah give a Bomb to Brooks Barnes for his New York Times piece about the late powerhouse producer and executive, Jame Tarses. This week’s Hollywood Hack is a must: wear sunscreen every day. 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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Pretend It’s A City official trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MClMxqD-HNAMetropolitan Life By Fran Lebowitz:https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=11050210107&searchurl=an%3Dfran%2Blebowitz%26fe%3Don%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3Dmetropolitan%2Blife&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image2Jamie Tarses IMDB:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1399339/New York Times piece about Jamie Tarses:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/business/media/jamie-tarses-dead.htmlLancôme moisturizer with SPF:https://www.lancome-usa.com/skin-care/moisturizers/day-creams/renergie-lift-multi-action-ultra-face-cream-with-spf-30/3614272727281.html?GeoRedirectOff&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1KiBBhCcARIsAPWqoSobF90DOLMOHDFqYOfWs1ekKmaJHkcgg3UK1SPs_rgxKh4Rqql73OEaAg40EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 11, 2021 • 27min
Ep. 196: The Importance Of Being Okay With Other People’s Good Ideas
Now that Fantasy Island is ramping up, Liz and Sarah have been having LOTS of meetings. One revelation that’s come out of all these Zoom sessions? When there’s a potentially tricky issue or point of discussion, tackle it head on! You’re going to have to talk about whatever it is eventually, so take the opportunity to show you’re not scared of any challenge. Then, in The Craft (& Fain), they discuss why it’s SO IMPORTANT to set aside ego and insecurities in order to be okay with other people’s good ideas. Next up is a Listener Question — but this time Sarah and Liz are the ones who are looking for answers from listeners. What should they wear on the Fantasy Island set in Puerto Rico? Finally, this week’s Hollywood Hack is a tool to foster creativity: a set of cards called Oblique Strategies (by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt).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, Side Hustle School, Do The Thing, and Everything Happens with Kate Bowler . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Oblique Strategies: http://www.rtqe.net/ObliqueStrategies/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.