Go For Parents

In this episode, we talk with Los Angeles based Costume Concept Artist, Husband, and Father of One Daughter, Phillip Boutte,Jr.  You’ve seen his work in features such as “Black Panther,” under Costume Designer Ruth E.Carter, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” *CD Arianne Phillips, and the Pilot for “Westworld,” *CD Trish Summerville...just to name a few;) Phillip has been instrumental in helping to create the looks for so many different characters in numerous stories. 
We dive on in with Phillip’s early days as a Child Actor, which spawned his love for film and production. Phillip attended Cal State Long Beach gaining a general BFA in Illustration with a minor in Film, and thus began the next chapter-working on the other side of the camera as an Artist, and he hasn’t stopped, adding the roles of Husband and Father along the way!

Here are a few of Phillip’s picks! Can’t wait to share the full episode with you! 

READ 📚 : “The Last Kids on Earth” by Max Brallier with Illustrations by Douglas Holgate 

WATCH 📺: Phillip and his daughter loved the “The Last Kids on Earth” series on Netflix after reading the books! 

LIVIN: “I LOVE living in Valencia. It is pretty, secluded, quiet, and not about “the business”. So I love being in my neighborhood, taking walks on our Paseos, walking past manmade lakes and feeding the ducks and turtles, and just overall taking in the peace of not being directly in the craziness of the city.”

EAT 🍴: “We honestly love having what we call “Car picnics”. We grab food, park somewhere in our neighborhood, and chow down while listening to music. Sometimes we go through an automatic carwash while eating. It’s our time and we love it.”

FAVORITE SPOT TO EAT ALONE- “Alone? What is this magical alone? Ha!”

FAMILY TRADITIONS ❄️ : “Every Christmas, we drive to Vegas to visit my mother in law. Last year was amazing because it was actually snowing and we got to get out of the car and play in it.”

IN HIS BAG: “My iPad. I love drawing on it.”

WORK: “I am lucky to have never stopped. I am working on Black Panther 2 with Marvel’s Visual Development team led by Ryan Meinerding.” 

To check out Phillip's incredible work, follow him on IG, @phil_boutte 🔥

Next episode is up with Janace Tashjian!

Post Production Supervisor-Production Manager-Mother of one boy and Stepmother of two boys-we are excited to share this interview with everyone. 

Janace has had a pretty remarkable career. Jumping right in to Production at an early age after moving to California she started working on commercials as a PA.

Her first experience with an LA production company was shooting “Back to the Future,” trailers on the central coast. Janace explains growing up with a strict upbringing she had no idea what an actual “trailer,” for a movie was lol but quickly figured it out and the film industry hooked her. 

She landed a job on the Universal lot at 19 years old, and steadily built her career from there. 

From job to job-growing her network and putting all her efforts and time into her career-she tells us that she “feels like her career has taken on a very steady slow progression, with very regular growth.” As a Producer, she is drawn to “bringing people together, and finding pieces that can be brought together to get great results.” 

It’s really incredible to hear how Janace met her ex-husband and became a Step Mother to his two children fairly quickly. She then had a child of her own-another boy-and learned to navigate her career and life as a Mother. We talk life with kids, childcare, co-workers, and the importance of family and co-parenting. After hearing her talk about a recent experience where a College student told her that they had been TOLD “You can’t have a family AND work in the film industry,” “Janace is determined to make a difference and help change the narrative as she is a prime example that you CAN-“-being a Woman who has done both. 

Parenthood to Janace is…”The Best Thing Ever.” 

Janace’s Mantra: “The Way is Simple, but the Road Takes Courage”. This is very meaningful to me and I keep it in my mind and heart all the time, particularly when I am facing adversity and needing personal strength.

Our episode this week is with Producer, Marlene King🎙 

This very busy working Mother joined us a few weeks ago and we had such a wonderful chat! 

We are so grateful she took the time to talk with us about her path into the Industry and then into Parenthood. Screenwriter-Producer-Director-Showrunner, Creator, Marlene is also a Wife and Mother of two boys. 

Marlene was raised in the Midwest, left home for Los Angeles to study in College, and has resided here ever since. 

A “self-taught Screenwriter,” Marlene has had much success in her career trajectory including Freeform’s “Pretty Little Liars,” and “Famous in Love.” Marlene also wrote “Now and Then,” (!! Talk about a classic coming of age chick flick! 🤩🤩🤩 )about her experiences during the summer of her 6th grade year. With her motto of “

If you are looking for a little inspiration, motivation and support right now as a Professional and a Parent-this is a great listen.  Marlene emphasizes how “Moms talking to Moms about their experiences-Moms helping Moms-that’s how we get through it.” “We have good days and bad so we should lift each other up!” Our thoughts exactly!*

Here are some of @imarleneking picks…looking forward to sharing our interview with you. ⚡️⚡️⚡️

READ: “Love You Forever” Written by Robert Munsch+ Illustrated by Sheila McGraw 📖 

EAT: Craig’s-our favorite family restaurant 🍴 

FAVORITE FLICK: “On Golden Pond” 🎣 

WATCH: Family picks “Jaws” and the National Lampoon films 🦈 🧳 

WORKOUT: Firefly Cycling in Sherman Oaks, CA 🚲 

LISTEN: James Taylor’s Greatest Hits 🎶

Follow Marlene on Instagram: @imarleneking

This Episode of, “Go For Parents” features Los Angles based Costume Designer Hannah Jacobs. With a resume that includes Costume Designer of Starz’s hit show “Vida,” and HBO’s “Togetherness,” Assistant Costume Designer for HBO’s “The Newsroom,” and FX’s “Feud: Bette and Joan,” Hannah added the role of Mother to a little girl in February of 2019. 

Really looking forward to sharing Hannah’s story. Hannah recalls visiting sets at an early age to see her Production Designer Father, and experiences in school that led her to learn Costumes from Oscar Winning Costume Designer, Deborah Scott.  We dive into her education and work experiences, career path before becoming a Mother, making the leap to “The Other Side,” aka Motherhood, life in Quarantine, the respect she has for stay at home Mothers (*and love for her Mom) and how she’s fairing during this journey she has embarked on as a Career Woman, Wife and Mother. Here are Hannah’s current picks we are excited to share…

READ: “The Pout Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen with Pictures by Dan Hanna. 

*Her Bianca loves this book and has worn down the centerfold with slobbery kisses for the Pout Pout fish*

EAT: Dinners as a family at Salazar in Frogtown-Los Angeles, CA. PS is open-and you can make a reservation on @resy 

VISIT: “As a kid, I was always a huge fan of riding the Ponies in Griffith Park and going to the Zoo, so have been excited to share those with Bianca as well. Other family faves have been Huntington Botanical Gardens and Zuma beach.”

PUMP: “Elvie Handsfree-Wearable-Silent-Breastfeeding Pump. I pumped at Barneys (RIP), in fittings, production meetings, and no one knew or could hear! 100% recommend to other mothers + hope in the future that our Insurance could offer this pump for our members.” 

CHILDCARE: Meredith & Co. based out of Pasadena, CA has been a helpful resource for Hannah finding help with her little Bianca. You can find Meredith on IG @meredithandcompany

WATCH: Hannah is a lover of all HBO and her latest binge was HBO’s “Perry Mason,” and loved supporting the talented Chris Chalk *who she also worked with on “The Newsroom.*

Follow Hannah on Instagram @costumesbyhannah 

Our next podcast airing tomorrow-Friday September 18th is with Shawn Wilt-Producer and Mother based out of the greater Los Angeles area. You may have seen her work- “The Tracy Morgan Show” “Grounded for Life,” “Switched at Birth” and most recently Hulu’s “Love, Victor.” 

Shawn hails from Los Angeles-headed to New York after high school to get into the biz-and ultimately returned to Los Angeles to continue her career. Always knowing she wanted to work in the business-Shawn worked numerous positions assisting which led her to move upward to Producer. A quick glimpse about her path to motherhood-Shawn and her husband Val, who is a Production Designer, have one daughter Haley. Shawn shares her experience with infertility and miscarriages, which led to their journey through the adoption process and bringing home a little girl 13 years ago.

We are so excited to share this episode with you! 

Here are Shawn’s picks! 

READ: “A Sick Day for Amos McGee” Written by Philip C. Stead and Illustrated by Erin E.Stead 🐘 

WATCH: “The Good Place” been bingeing with the family 📺 @nbcthegoodplace 

EAT: Local restaurant family favorite-Gasolina in Woodland Hills @gasolinacafe 

Also Everyone’s fave @sugarfishbynozawa 

FAMILY GET AWAY: Die Hard fans of El Capitan Canyon-Glamping in Santa Barbara @elcapitancanyon 🌲 4th of Julys in San Francisco and also staycations at El Encanto in Santa Barbara. 🤩🤩🤩

Adoption Resource: Shawn and her husband Val adopted a baby girl-Haley-through Vista Del Mar 13 years ago:) Vista Del Mar is based out of Los Angeles, CA. “Vista Del Mar serves the changing needs of all children and families in our community by offering high-quality treatment programs for children with significant emotional, social, learning, and developmental disabilities. In a safe and nurturing environment, we provide a range of exceptional programs in education, autism, adoption, residential care, prevention, and early intervention.” @vistadelmarorg 

Follow Shawn on Instagram @faulconerwilt

This episode features Husband and Wife Jimmy Sprague- UPM/Line Producer and Dorenda Moore-Stunt Coordinator + Stunt Performer-based out of Southern California. 

TALK ABOUT A POWER COUPLE 🔋 

These two were together for many years before marriage, and 5 years married before their daughter was born in 2005. We enjoyed talking to them admist the weirdness of this quarantine about life as working parents and how they both have managed to have successful career, while also raising their daughter. 

Our favorite quote from the interview comes when Jimmy says, “Strong couples raise strong children.” 💯 

READ 📚 

Favorite Children’s Books

Jimmy-“Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Dr. Seuss

Dorenda- “The Land of Happy Days” Dorothy Nell Whaley + Charles W.Knudsen

*a story her mother read to her which she also read to Hannah as a child ❤️ 

EATS 🍣 🍕 

Local favorite restaurants include Love Sushi Newhall and The Porthole Restaurant in San Pedro

TRAVEL 🧭 

Favorite spots they have traveled as a family have been Europe and Thailand.

QUARANTINE ACTIVITY ⛵️ 

Jimmy gives us a good laugh with his countdown to retirement, he and Dorenda plan to travel the world on their sailboat. They enjoy watching Youtube Sailing blogs together in preparation. During the Quarantine, they have been sailing as a family, paddle boarding, and love to be out on the water all together. 

WORKOUT 🏋🏼‍♀️ 🏋🏻‍♀️

Just by listening to them talk, we hear how physical fitness is a huge part of their routine. Jimmy enjoys P90X3 and Dorenda likes VSHRED. Dorenda also has a background in Martial Arts.  Their daughter has been a cheerleader and is now getting into aerial silks. 💥

“When didn’t I know I wanted to be a Costume Designer, is the real question.” 😉❤️

This 🎙episode is with Costume Designer Cate Adair.

We talked with Cate Adair, who is also the Vice-President of the Costume Designers Guild, 7 years strong, about her journey becoming a Costume Designer following with the role of Wife then Mother of one son.

Cate had an unconventional childhood.  Because her father was a member of the Royal Air Force in England, she traveled around the world with her family.. 

Cate shares with us her love of making things, and how her diagnosis of clinical dyslexia resulted  in a strong visual memory which she says can be “annoying to her crew,” 🤪 as she" reads slowly but retains everything.” 

Cate’s love of theatre was sparked at an early age after seeing “Peter Pan” in London.  That, coupled with her fascination with clothing, fabrics, and notions, led her to move post education to the United States, finding her groove working in Washington D.C. then making the jump to Los Angeles. 

We hear how she made a name for herself as a Costume Designer, and how her choice of projects changed once she had her Son-who is now 24. Cate shares the sacrifices that she made in advancing her career coupled with being fully present in her son’s life.

An empowering message Cate shared: "We are really smart-we are really good at multi-tasking-we are really good at thinking outside the box. Its why we do what we do. Everyday they throw a curve ball at us-and every single day we are brilliant at solving those problems. Make sure in amongst solving those problems-just add ten minutes and take deep breaths/go thru your mantra.” 

Follow Cate on Instagram @cate.adair

Cates Children’s Books Recs: “Winnie The Pooh” by A.A. Milne + “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein 

This week's episode is with Costume Designer Genevieve Tyrrell ⚡️

This Podcast is very special to us Gals at GFP since two of us have assisted Genevieve in the Costume world. 

Genevieve has been working as a Costume Designer based out of Los Angeles, CA for over 20 years. She worked for 11 years in the industry before having her son-Hank aka “Giant Child…GC for short.” (He’s 16 years old and 6’3.)

We go into Genevieve’s story starting with styling a multitude of artists' music videos including “The Counting Crows,” and then going on to design independent features llanding her landing her an agent at the age of 25 (!!) and from there her career took off. 

While Genevieve was designing “Entourage,” for HBO she became pregnant with her son. She was also going to UCLA for Landscape Design. “Not a lot of consideration or compassion for a pregnant Costume Designer," during that project and Genevieve coming to the realization that she “wasn’t Wonderwoman hit me like a brick wall.” She then had to refocus her attention to becoming a Mother and balancing Work/Life.

Genevieve guides us through pressures and Mom-Guilt she felt that came along with being a working Mother. The added anxiety of racing from work to childcare was a daily stressor when Hank was young. She shares with us memories and sacrifices she made of the jobs she took-some for creative endeavors, and some to get by and be able to pay the bills. How many of us can relate to this?!

We appreciate Genevieve sharing her personal experience as a Mother to Hank and Co-Parenting with Hank’s Father and Step Mother.  Hank is a now a teenager and G shares with us how their dynamic has changed, and how their Mother Son relationship has evolved. 

Supportive, talented, kind, and respectful of her crew and their time and outside lives. The work environment she strives for is “nurturing,” and we couldn’t agree more. 

Parenthood to Genevieve is "tough and a beautiful challenge."

"At the end of the day you don’t love anything or any person more than you love that child although they may have aggravated you or put you thru the ringer.” 😜

Follow Genevieve on Instagram @gtastic

This week our guest is Costume Designer Pam Withers Chilton ⚡️ This interview was so much fun! 🎙 

Pam shares her story of joining the industry-being single-having so much fun working on location jobs prior to meeting her husband and becoming pregnant with her first daughter. Working while pregnant with her first daughter, Pam remembers sleeping on the trailer floor at lunch, her Supervisor’s voice being “very loud,” (gotta love those weird pregnancy senses) and how when she finally “told” her crew she was pregnant on a feature, they had already known. Since she’s started designing, she’s done her absolute best to put together a like minded crew which makes a work/life balance a priority, and having a holistic approach to a lead a healthier lifestyle. 

Pam shares with us her journey of postpartum, feelings of “I’ll never work again,” and struggling with that. Going from the pace of multi-tasking and a high level of creativity to feeding an infant x amount of times a day. Sleep deprivation-crazy hormones-and the thoughts that this was so strange to her since she had always wanted to become a Mother. She shares how acupuncture and finding her tribe in Los Angeles made a huge contribution to her mental health as a mother. 

Pam’s recent work on “Modern Family,” sounded like a dream job. She explains how family friendly the show was, and what a blessing that was for her family. 

With bringing her girls to work, "Someone always showed them where the candy was stored and they gained much needed confidence to go back to it when I was in a fitting and wouldn’t notice. They both learned to drive a golf cart and security pretended not to notice. Weekend shopping turns into trying on high heels or pics with 3rd street promenade performers.Dancing in the Fox parking lot after a days work. Tired late night shopping online for last minute changes. They have witnessed it all. I wonder what they will say as adults of this profession I am lucky enough to be a part of. “

We talk quarantine-cooking-and what “boogle days,” mean to her family. Parenthood to Pam is “never boring.” If you want a good listen and a good laugh, check it out!!! 

Follow Pam on Instagram @pamchilton 

This week we are thrilled to welcome Costume Designer Whitney Galitz Berger ⚡️

Whitney is a Costume Designer based out of Los Angeles, and joined Motherhood just over a year ago-welcoming a little baby Girl.

We talk with Whitney about her background in Costumes-starting in theater during College designing plays, and then setting her sights on Hollywood. 🎥 

Driven to succeed-Whitney shares with us her journey of hard work and discipline, working her way up from PA-Costumer-ACD-that led her to taking on the role of Costume Designer for ABC’s “Agents of Shield,” for three seasons.  @agentsofshield 

She credits other Designers for advice on negotiating “maternity leave,” and sharing their experiences pre-natal and post partum while also being a department head-which was very helpful to her. Thank you- @meredith_costumes ❤️

Whitney explains the significant power of a wonderful support team which her Agents of Shield team delivered! 

"Support systems in your work life as well as home life-very important.”

We are so grateful she shares real-honest talk of how she felt leaving her Design job early to bring her little one into the world. (Feelings so many of experience when our projects are our “babies.”)

Whitney also talks how she returned to work as an Assistant Designer/Shopper post partum-being “super nervous” about hiring a nanny and being able to work on a “set schedule.” “A set schedule was something that felt like a huge hurdle because we are so used to working till the work is done-a set schedule is a little harder when you have a child." (Truth*)

Passed down from her Grandmother-to her Mother-to Whitney-her motto is “This too shall pass…” which helps her get back to the present, breathe, and “take everyday as its own day."

Parenthood is “holy life changing,” says Whitney.

Thank you for sharing your story, Whitney! 💥Follow Whitney on Instagram @whitneyhg