Happier in Hollywood

Down With Exclamation Points!Are Liz and Sarah riding a dragon or a camel? They update listeners on their 2019 exam development motto — Ride The Dragon. Then they check in with their former assistant, Mary Mehrkens, who offers advice to assistants (or anyone) between gigs. She also shares one of her new boss’s favorite apps: Fantastical. This week’s Hollywood Hack will help your emails seem more professional: eliminate exclamation points! Period.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 Ruben, Do The Thing, and Side Hustle School. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Mary Mehrkens:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5766534/Dayna Lynn North:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0635998/ 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.

Liz and Sarah talk to actor and friend Dichen Lachman (Dollhouse, Altered Carbon, Animal Kingdom) about the audition pain point that almost made her leave the business, and what she did about it. Then Liz and Sarah discuss the psychology of documents — how does the look of a document impact its audience? This week’s flu season friendly Hollywood Hack: Throat Coat tea. Finally, Liz and and Sarah had yet another Hugo’s Celebrity sighting: Jon Voight.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 Ruben, Do The Thing, and Side Hustle School. If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends!Dichen Lachman:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1901842/Enver Gjokajhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm2222175/Throat Coat:https://www.target.com/p/traditional-medicinals-organic-throat-coat-herbal-dietary-supplement-herbal-tea-16ct/-/A-13376466?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Grocery%2BShopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Grocery&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9031201&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=CjwKCAiAlajvBRB_EiwA4vAqiH8VPaC0t40jJGLCZB8aIssDUot5NEdfseogrwVLYXKkClKDAAko4hoCsTYQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.dsJon Voight:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000685/Mailbox Toluca Lake:https://www.mailboxtolucalake.com 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.

TILiz and Sarah talk to their good friend Nichelle Tramble Spellman, creator and showrunner of the fantastic new Apple TV+ show TRUTH BE TOLD, starring Octavia Spencer, Aaron Paul, and Lizzie Caplan. Then, in Take A Hike, Liz reveals why she’s “failing on all fronts” during this extra busy time. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes courtesy of Nichelle: get a fabulous suit custom-made for a big event. Truth Be Told: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_Be_Told_(2019_TV_series)Nichelle Tramble Spellman: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2838492/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1Happier 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 Ruben, Do The Thing, and Side Hustle School. 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.

Liz and Sarah offer tips to executives and producers who are giving notes to writers during the development process. Do be direct! Don’t be an asshole! In a hits-only Hits & Bombs segment, Liz and Sarah share the many things they’re thankful for — including their amazing listeners! This week’s Hollywood Hack is a Chinese Proverb: “The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now.” Finally, they reveal their work hike Celebrity Sighting: Marissa Jarret Winokur. The Sheri + Nancy Show:https://thepillarlife.com/sheri-nancy-show/Marissa Jarret Winokur:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0935441/ 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.

Liz and Sarah answer questions from the Happier In Hollywood Facebook Group — and they answer them fast! Do they ever feel like their kids deplete their creative energy? Do TV writers take ownership of specific characters? How does Sarah feel about Liz touring? If they hadn’t moved to Los Angeles, what would they be doing today? What was it like to work with Kurt Sutter? And, most importantly, how are they surviving without an assistant? These questions and so many more...Photo by Brandon Morgan 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.

With development season at peak intensity, Liz and Sarah are putting their noses to the grindstone. What does that mean? They’re often giving up their precious nights and weekends — and accepting that they have to “just say no” to many social functions. Then in Take A Hike, Liz and Sarah talk about why there’s one activity they’re NOT giving up: their new monthly Mahjong game. They also answer a Mailbag question about how many scripts a writer should have under her belt before she makes the big move to Los Angeles. And this week’s Hollywood Hack will improve any presentation: if someone asks if you want to use a mic, the answer is ALWAYS yes. Mahjong:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong 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.

Liz and Sarah pitch “American Beauties,” a pilot script they sold (twice) to Fox. After the pitch, they critique their own work— and reveal what they would change if they were going to pitch the show today. Photo by Ameen Fahmy 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.

Liz and Sarah give an update on their efforts to reject anxiety during development season. Then they strategize about how to stay focussed on work when it feels like they’re in the middle of Armageddon. Between the wild fires and the news, it’s all too much! The advice they get from Liz’s sister, Gretchen Rubin? Turn off phone notifications and schedule time to worry. In Take Two, listeners weigh in on the subject of how to create likable characters. Liz and Sarah’s favorite take away — it’s not important that a character be likable, as long as the audience understands why she’s doing what she’s doing. This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from Liz’s recent touring: get a travel steamer. Finally, Liz and Sarah had another Hugo’s Celebrity Sighting: Mariel Hemingway. Gretchen Rubin:https://gretchenrubin.com/Travel steamer:https://www.amazon.com/iSteam-Steamer-Powerful-Handheld-Portable/dp/B072PY74HY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2ETJIKV214XMI&keywords=isteam+steamer+for+clothes&qid=1572998381&sprefix=Is+team+%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-3Hugo’s:https://www.hugosrestaurant.com/studio-city-menuMariel Hemingwayhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000446/ 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.

Liz and Sarah wish listeners a Happy Halloween and share a tip from The Whole 30’s Melissa Hartwig Urban about how to resist the temptation to eat candy. In From The Treadmill Desks Of, they talk about their decision to reject anxiety when it comes to the notes process during this development season. Their new anxiety mantra: “There is no space for you here.” Then Liz and Sarah answer a Mailbag question about how they keep their creative juices flowing even when they’re not feeling inspired. In Hits & Bombs, Liz gives a hit to the new (and final) season of the podcast StartUp. And they have a shared bomb — despite the best of intentions, they haven’t hiked in ages. Finally Sarah shares this week’s homegrown microgreen Hollywood Hack: Hamama.Melissa Hartwig Urban:https://whole30.com/about/Chef Chloe Coscarelli:https://chefchloe.com/#AmWritingPodcasthttps://amwritingpodcast.com/StartUp Podcasthttps://gimletmedia.com/shows/startupHamama:https://www.hamama.com/ 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.

Liz and Sarah announce their upcoming Bonus Episode! They’re going to pitch American Beauties, a pilot script they sold (twice) to Fox. Then they discuss strategies for conquering the fear of new things. Sarah’s suggestion? Rip off the band aid NOW. In The Craft (and Fain) segment, Liz and Sarah discuss the ins and outs of the famous Warner Brothers pitch document. If you want a copy, email them at happierinhollywood@gmail.com. This week’s Hollywood Hack: use Instagram as a research tool. Finally, they had a celebrity sighting at Hugo’s Restaurant: Rizwan Manji.Fiona Nicholson:https://www.instagram.com/shetlandfi/?hl=enDr. Melissa Doft:https://doftplasticsurgery.com/Rizwan Manji:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0542492/ 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.