Happier in Hollywood

By The Onward Project

Education Business Careers

What's Happier in Hollywood about?

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 17 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.

4.9

2,154 ratings

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

Ep. 306: No Now Doesn’t Mea...

03.23.2023

Liz and Sarah talk about how a recent conversation about a former development project reminded them that “no now doesn’t mean no forever.” In Take A Hike, Liz discusses why you might want to do your own version of her ...

Happier in Hollywood episodes:

03.23.2023 Ep. 306: No Now Doesn’t Mean No Forever Liz and Sarah talk about how a recent conversation about a former development project reminded them that “no now doesn’t mean no forever.” In Take A Hike, Liz discusses why you might want to do your own version of her ...
03.16.2023 Ep. 305: Our Essential Tools & Put A Number On It Liz and Sarah share what tools they consider essential for their job as TV writers. On the list? Final Draft, Google Docs, dry erase board tiles, the reMarkable Tablet, and more. In A Day In The Life, they run through ...
03.09.2023 Ep. 304: Liz Vows To Be Positive (No Matter What) Liz tells Sarah she realized that she’s been going on endless rants about the state of TV writers in Hollywood — and she’s vowing to stop! From now on, Liz is going to be positive and try to manifest good ...
03.02.2023 Ep. 303: Why We Should All HUSSLUP Liz and Sarah talk to H Schuster about her plan to democratize and diversify access to the entertainment industry. The mission of H’s new company HUSSLUP is to transform Hollywood’s old clique with one click. Then, in The Mailroom, Liz ...
02.23.2023 Ep. 302: First Draft Difficulty & Setting Aside Worry Liz and Sarah are deep into the first draft of the pilot they’re writing — and discovering all over again how hard it is to write a pilot. Creating something out of nothing is never easy! In Take A Hike, ...
02.16.2023 Ep. 301: The Thrill (& And Terror) Of Being In Control As Liz and Sarah continue to work on the novel they plan to write, they realize that for once they’re in total control of their fate. That’s exciting — but also scary. There’s no one to blame but themselves if ...
02.09.2023 Ep. 300: Celebrating 300 Episodes! Liz and Sarah celebrate the 300th episode of Happier In Hollywood! What are some of listeners’ favorite moments of the podcast? Volunteers not recruits. Get to steppin’. Identify your personal canary in a coal mine. And so much more! For ...
02.02.2023 Ep. 299: The Excellence Of An Espresso Martini Liz and Sarah share an email from a listener that outlines the differences between writing a mystery and a thriller. One key takeaway? Curiosity fuels a mystery. Anxiety drives a thriller. Then they go Behind The Scenes of Episodes 203 ...
01.26.2023 Ep. 298: Liz & Sarah’s 20th Anniversary Trip (Finally!) Liz and Sarah are finally celebrating their 20th anniversary of being a writing team with a Caribbean cruise on the Regal Princess. Yes, they’re working onboard but they’re having plenty of fun too — including snorkeling over a shipwreck in ...
01.19.2023 Ep. 297: The Challenge Of Setting Our Own Deadlines Liz and Sarah are setting their own deadlines on a current project - and that can be a challenge for these two Obligers. How will they manage to stay on track? In Take A Hike, Sarah reveals how the recent ...
01.12.2023 Ep. 296: Back To Work & Behind The Scenes Liz and Sarah discuss what makes them feel like they’re back to work after a long break. For Liz, it’s getting on her treadmill desk. For Sarah, it’s setting an alarm. Then they go Behind The Scenes of Episode 201 ...
01.05.2023 Ep. 295: What Barbara Walters Meant To Us & New Year’s Resolutions Liz and Sarah pay tribute to the legendary Barbara Walters, whose career was an inspiration to both of them. Then they reveal their 2023 New Year’s resolutions. Liz is going to weigh herself every day. Sarah is making a 23 ...
12.29.2022 Ep. 294: Liz & Sarah’s Team Motto 2023! Liz and Sarah reveal (and explain) their Team Motto for 2023 — “Alt Ending Thelma & Louise!” They’re anticipating a difficult year but they’re in it together, just like ride or die pals Thelma and Louise. Then they revisit 2022 ...
12.22.2022 Ep. 293: They Got Dressed Up And Went! Recently, Liz and Sarah talked about how they were “all dressed up with no place to go” when a pitch meeting was cancelled last minute. Well, they got dressed and they went! Did they sell their pitch in the Zoom ...
12.15.2022 Ep. 292: The Perpetual Waiting Game As Liz and Sarah wait for news of a Season Three pickup of Fantasy Island, they discuss how in Hollywood there’s ALWAYS a wait. In HIH WFH (Happier In Hollywood Work From Home) they talk about why it’s a good ...
12.08.2022 Ep. 291: All Dressed Up & Freudenfraude Liz and Sarah discuss how they were all psyched up for a pitch meeting — and then it didn’t happen. The only consolation? Liz hadn’t paid for a blow out. In Take A Hike, they talk about the opposite of ...
12.01.2022 Ep. 290: The Note We Get And Give As Sarah and Liz hone a new pitch they realize that the note they often get is the same one that they always give — MORE EMOTION. In Take A Hike, Sarah talks about how doing jigsaw puzzles is keeping ...
11.24.2022 Ep. 289: The 2022 Thanksgiving Episode! Liz and Sarah discuss what they’re grateful for— Sarah’s Ojai life is looking up, Liz has taken charge of her health, and their Fantasy Island cast is… well, a fantasy. In Take a Hike, Sarah shares her decision NOT to ...
11.17.2022 Ep. 288: Hurry Up And Wait! Liz and Sarah talk about how often they rush to meet a deadline — and then realize there was no rush at all. Then, in Take A Hike, they discuss how the realization that accepting can be easier than rejecting ...
11.10.2022 Ep. 287: Liz & Sarah’s 2022 Gift Guide! This week Liz and Sarah share their favorite holiday gift ideas for 2022 — cute AirPod cases, the Fermob Balad Lamp, the Click and Grow Smart Garden, a personalized vinyl record, Corkcicle coolers, and SO MANY MORE!!! Get in touch ...
11.03.2022 Ep. 286: The War Of Attrition (And Lessons From Leslie Jordan) Liz and Sarah mention “the war of attrition that is life in Los Angeles” every week in the Happier In Hollywood opener. This week they discuss why combating attrition feels harder than ever — and tactics for winning the battle. ...
10.27.2022 Ep. 285: Talking Transparency After a recent meeting, Liz and Sarah discuss the concept of transparency. How much is too much? And when do you know if it’s safe to be transparent at work? In Take A Hike, they examine the difference between “managing” ...
10.20.2022 Ep. 284: Reframing Work “Politics” As Work “Diplomacy” Liz and Sarah discuss their recent realization that they should reframe work “politics” as work “diplomacy.” In Take A Hike, they share insight from a member of the HIH Facebook group — sometimes you have to stand still and do ...
10.13.2022 Ep. 283: Fantasy Island Composer Genevieve Vincent Sings The Theme Song! Liz and Sarah discuss why sharing their expertise helped them hone in on their strengths and weaknesses as Showrunners. Then — do you love the Fantasy Island theme music as much as Liz and Sarah do? In Hollywood Jobs, they ...
10.06.2022 Ep. 282: Picking A Team Talisman & Wearing Comfortable Shoes Liz and Sarah are back in work mode, and they went on an overnight retreat at the Emerald Iguana Inn in Ojai to brainstorm in person. The result? A hugely productive twenty-four hours and a new Team Talisman — the ...
09.29.2022 Ep. 281: Clearing The White Board & Sarah Does Hypnotherapy Vacation is officially over. Sarah and Liz are clearing their white boards and diving into a new project (or maybe two) while they wait for Fantasy Island Season Three to get the green light. How are they getting into the ...
09.22.2022 Ep. 280: What Should We Be Doing Right Now? Liz and Sarah discuss what they should be doing during their downtime. Coming up with TV show ideas? Writing a novel? Working on a new podcast? Or maybe... nothing at all? Then they Amplify a new TV show starring Roselyn ...
09.15.2022 Ep. 279: The Writers’ Room Survival Guide with Niceole Levy Liz and Sarah talk to TV writer Niceole Levy about her fantastic new book, The Writers’ Room Survival Guide. Practical tips about topics like what to do before the job even starts, how to navigate a toxic environment, and what ...
09.08.2022 Ep. 278: Stepping OFF The Treadmill Desk & A Call With Our Manager Dianne Fraser Stepping OFF The Treadmill Desk & A Call With Our Manager Dianne Fraser Liz and Sarah discuss the anxiety of stepping OFF the treadmill desk during their vacation. Then they share their vacation Hits and Bombs. Sarah gives Violet a ...
09.01.2022 Ep. 277: Another Summer Listener Questions Episode! Liz and Sarah received so many great questions from listeners that they decided to devote another episode to answering them. What does Liz have to say about Survivor? Why didn’t Liz and Sarah have an office for Season Two of ...
08.25.2022 Ep. 276: Summer Listener Questions! Liz and Sarah answer listener questions! Is being a showrunner what they expected? How do they come up with fantasies for Fantasy Island? Has Sarah ever considered taking up quilting? What is Liz’s favorite Real Housewives franchise? And so many ...
08.18.2022 Ep. 275: Air Dancers & Bel-Air’s Rasheed Newson This week, Liz and Sarah reveal what they’ve learned about themselves when they’re not buried in work. Then they talk with showrunner and author Rasheed Newson about his new novel, My Government Means to Kill Me. How did he write ...
08.11.2022 Ep. 274: Being Mindful Of STUFF — Stress, Time, Uncertainty, Fear, & Fatigue Liz and Sarah share some key takeaways from the excellent Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging training they recently attended, including how their personal identifiers impact their leadership styles — in both positive and negative ways. They also discuss the concept ...
08.04.2022 Ep. 273: Bad Sisters & How To Deal With “Crazy” Liz and Sarah discuss the upcoming Apple TV+ show, Bad Sisters. They developed the same show (based on a Flemish series) twice for ABC, but it (rightly) never got past the script stage. Now they’re excited to see how Sharon ...
07.28.2022 Ep. 272: From Book To Screen and Writer Friends! This week, Liz and Sarah discuss the importance of spending time with their TV writer friends! Then, in Amplify, Liz and Sarah recommend fellow showrunner and author Rasheed Newson’s new book, My Government Means to Kill Me. In The Mailroom, ...
07.21.2022 Ep. 271: Passing Off Worry & Big Bullseyes Vs. Small Bullseyes This week, Liz and Sarah are passing off their worry to the experts! They share how trusting your team can take the weight off. Then—one, two, three—in Take A Hike, they talk about how keeping a daily count can help ...
07.14.2022 Ep. 270: How To Write A Novel With Author Lian Dolan This week, Liz and Sarah have an update on their company, Fun Job Productions—after two years, did they decide to keep their fiction podcast company going? Then, Liz and Sarah are joined by author and fellow podcaster Lian Dolan! They ...
07.07.2022 Ep. 269: A Reality Check & The Writing Process This week, Liz and Sarah have a reality check for aspiring TV writers. From making less money to doing free work, the business has gotten even more brutal. Their advice? Follow your dreams, but know what you’re in for. In ...
06.30.2022 Ep. 268: Vacation Vibes & Email Etiquette Even though Liz and Sarah are still in the middle of post production for Season 2 of Fantasy Island, they discuss how they feel like they’re on vacation! In Take A Hike, they reveal their summer themes: Liz is planning ...
06.23.2022 Ep. 267: That’s A Wrap! Liz and Sarah celebrate wrapping production on Season Two of Fantasy Island! They discuss the Season Two “production curse” and how knowing even The Godfather faced challenges was a comfort. In The Mailroom, Liz and Sarah answer TWO listener questions—how ...
06.16.2022 Ep. 266: Spring Listener Questions: Part 2! It’s time for Spring Listener Questions: Part 2! What do Liz and Sarah wish they knew about life—and Hollywood—when they graduated high school? Did they ever have a crush on the same person? Get the scoop on everything from insider ...
06.09.2022 Ep. 265: Spring Listener Questions: Part 1! It’s time for Spring Listener Questions: Part 1! Besides the writing, what parts of showrunning do Liz and Sarah particularly enjoy? Why do TV shows today show so… much… vomit?! Liz and Sarah answer your burning questions on all things ...
06.06.2022 Introducing The Powers That Be: Daily Join Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Hamby, along with the team of expert journalists at Puck, as they let you in on the real conversations insiders are having across the four corners of power in America: Wall Street, Washington, Silicon Valley ...
06.02.2022 Ep. 264: YAGNI—You Ain’t Gonna Need It! Liz and Sarah have a new strategy: You Ain’t Gonna Need It! YAGNI—a tip from a listener—is helping Liz and Sarah think about work differently. One example? Not spending energy on projects before they’re done deals. In Take Two, listeners ...
05.26.2022 Ep. 263: Euphoric Relief & The Queens of Cutting Liz and Sarah have—knock on wood—finished writing Season Two of Fantasy Island! They discuss the euphoria they felt after turning in the last Studio/Network draft and share how they celebrated. What compares? Finishing a trial, the last day of school, ...
05.19.2022 Ep. 262: Big News, Room Lingo, & Loops Liz and Sarah have news—the Big Summer Fun of Fantasy Island is now Big Fall (Or Winter) Fun on FOX! They discuss getting the call and what the move to in-season means for the show. Spoiler alert—it’s good! Then, in ...
05.12.2022 Ep. 261: Senioritis & Sleeping While Stressed This week, Liz and Sarah discuss wrapping the Writers’ Room for Season Two of Fantasy Island! Now they have Senioritis, but there’s still so much to do... They also announce that Season Two premieres Tuesday, May 31st at 9/8c on ...
05.05.2022 Ep. 260: You Gotta Have Grit This week, Liz and Sarah have a special guest co-host, friend of the pod and camp owner extraordinaire, Audrey Monke! The three deep dive into grit—how grit helps at work, growing your grit, and why stepping out of your comfort ...
04.28.2022 Ep. 259: Back To Basics What’s missing around your workspace? Liz and Sarah discuss the importance of having solid basics—Sarah needs a good chair, Liz needs pens! Then, in A Day In The Life, Liz and Sarah take listeners through a typical day of showrunning ...
04.21.2022 Ep. 258: Dinner Parties and Slumber Parties! This week, Liz and Sarah share wisdom gleaned from Twitter—specifically, insights for lower level writers from TV writer Jeane Wong. One piece of advice? Think of the writers room as a dinner party. Next, in Take A Hike, they recommend ...

Older episodes