Happier in Hollywood

Happier in Hollywood

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/  

  1. Ep. 406: Stop The Stewing!

    6 DAYS AGO

    Ep. 406: Stop The Stewing!

    We’ve all tortured ourselves by stewing over something we said or did — or didn’t say or didn’t do. It’s time to stop the stewing! Liz and Sarah’s advice? If you think you’ve offended someone, reach out. In Take A Hike, Liz and Sarah talk about a reader who reframed taking a walk as “genius activation,” and it’s inspired them to reframe things in their own lives with whimsical monikers. Sarah’s now thinking of picking up poop as “yard beautification” and Liz is calling Orange Theory Fitness “kangaroo time.” This week in Hits & Bombs, they give two Hits. One to Sarah for getting a new printer for her house, and one to both of them for planning more work lunches. Then Sarah has a printing hack: Make things smaller to print them, which saves paper and makes documents (like recipes) easier to manage. Finally, Liz recommends the new season of Mike White’s The White Lotus on HBO. 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, 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: Epson EcoTank ET-2803 Wireless Color All-In-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer: https://amzn.to/3EFMLlj The White Lotus Season 3 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwQRkOK5KC4 Survivor Season 37: David vs. Goliath (featuring Mike White): https://amzn.to/4i4MshZ Walton Goggins: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0324658/ The Shield  trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klSVH4dJrGU Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    24 min
  2. Ep. 405: A Workspace Of One’s Own

    13 FEB

    Ep. 405: A Workspace Of One’s Own

    Sarah talks about how much her work life has improved since she got an office space in downtown Ojai — and how it’s made her realize that Liz needs to make her office into her own space too. In Take A Hike, Sarah shares how participating in Emily Gaines Demskey’s Three Good Things Substack every day has made her happier. Liz is passionate about this week’s Hollywood Hack: Croc slides. Next, Liz and Sarah both had sort of Celebrity Sightings. Liz saw a crew filming for the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic starring Jeremy Allen White on her street. And Violet’s nanny, Dawn, almost ran over Ted Danson. Finally, Sarah recommends the Homeschool Moms Unfiltered podcast. 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/3EdV9YP Tell Me 3 Good Things Substack: https://substack.com/@emilygainesdemsky Croc slides: https://amzn.to/4gDcyYt Homeschool Moms Unfiltered podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2-ep2-the-realities-of-homeschooling-gifted-kids/id1746633244?i=1000684826371 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    25 min
  3. Ep. 404: Listener Questions Winter 2025!

    6 FEB

    Ep. 404: Listener Questions Winter 2025!

    Liz and Sarah are answering all of your questions! What advice do they have for someone new to Hollywood given the state of the industry? Do they receive residuals from TV shows they’ve worked on? What is their opinion about the ongoing legal conflict between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni? Do Jack and Violet listen to the podcast? They discuss all these and more!  If you want to see videos of Liz and Sarah answering even more questions every Saturday, sign up for their free weekly Substack newsletter at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com.  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: All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation by Elizabeth Gilbert: https://amzn.to/4grtUHy Show Don’t Tell: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld: https://amzn.to/4jJXJ9q Colored Television: A Novel by Danzy Senna: https://amzn.to/40LcTlS White Lotus Season 3 trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwQRkOK5KC4 Love Is Blind Season 8 trailer: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/love-is-blind-season-8-release-date-news Photo: Aakash Dhage For Unsplash+ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  4. Ep. 403: An Era Of Completion

    30 JAN

    Ep. 403: An Era Of Completion

    Liz and Sarah have entered an era of completion. They’ve had so many open projects, but now some are wrapping up — or at least moving to the next phase. It feels good! In Take A Hike, Sarah shares her list of things to do instead of doom scrolling. Some ideas? Meditate, bake something gluten-free, or “organize a small space.” Next, they revisit an L v. S (Liz versus Sarah) about planners. Liz has come around to Sarah’s planner love! This week’s Hollywood Hack will help you end meetings smoothly: Announce when there are two (or five or twenty) minutes left. Finally, Sarah recommends the book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s Substack Newsletter at  happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com.  Get in touch on Instagram and 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! LINKS: Legend Planner: https://amzn.to/40QvSwT On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King https://amzn.to/3EdV9YP Waterpik Sonic Fusion 2.0 Professional Flossing Electric Toothbrush: https://amzn.to/4giJchZ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    28 min
  5. Ep. 402: We Declare Ourselves Content Creators And So Should You

    23 JAN

    Ep. 402: We Declare Ourselves Content Creators And So Should You

    Liz and Sarah have decided that it’s time to embrace the identity of “content creator” — in the evolving world of Hollywood, it’s part of stepping into the future. In Take Two, they revisit the topic of allowing for “disproportionate joy.” Turns out the idea is catching! Next, in The Mailroom, they answer a question from Liz’s sister, Gretchen, about getting notes. This week’s Hollywood Hack is an upgrade of a past Hollywood Hack: Loop Switch 2 Adjustable Earplugs. Finally, Liz has a book recommendation — Dinner For Vampires, a memoir of her time in a cult by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz. 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: Pasadena Humane Society: https://pasadenahumane.org/ Wildfire Recovery Fund: https://www.calfund.org/funds/wildfire-recovery-fund/ LAFD Wildfire Recovery Fund: https://supportlafd.kindful.com/?campaign=1040812 Loop Switch 2 Adjustable Earplugs: https://amzn.to/4hltuDG Dinner For Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz: https://amzn.to/3WqCqzv   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    30 min
  6. Ep. 401: Crisis Fatigue & Sarah’s No Buy List

    16 JAN

    Ep. 401: Crisis Fatigue & Sarah’s No Buy List

    Along with everyone else in Los Angeles, Liz and Sarah are feeling so much love for their city. But they’re also suffering from crisis fatigue. Every time they think life in L.A. is getting back to “normal,” something else happens. This time, it’s the devastating wildfires that have taken lives and destroyed thousands of beloved homes and businesses. In Take A Hike, Sarah reveals the twenty-five categories of things she is NOT going to buy in 2025. Next, in The Craft (& Fain), Liz and Sarah share a tool of the trade that’s helping them with their new Substack newsletter — Notebook LM. This week’s Hollywood Hacks come in handy when the power is out (as it has been for Sarah and many Angelinos this week): a battery-operated neck light and a wireless bottle lamp.  LINKS: Notebook LM: https://notebooklm.google/ Carson Dual Headed COB LED neck light: https://amzn.to/3PsMzrH Wireless bottle lamp: https://amzn.to/404dqz4 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/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    27 min
  7. Ep. 399: The Joy Of Being In Charge

    2 JAN

    Ep. 399: The Joy Of Being In Charge

    Liz and Sarah are thrilled to announce that Happier In Hollywood has moved to Lemonada Media! It’s 2025, and Liz and Sarah are VERY excited about their huge new undertaking — they’re going to have a Substack newsletter! They’ll be sharing Hollywood spotlights of the week, pro tips, HIH retreat and meet up info, and so much more. Sign up at happierinhollywood.com or send an email to happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com. In The Happiness Project Revisited, Sarah looks back at 2024 and shares what changes have come about because of her Happiness Project. One big development? She manifested an office in downtown Ojai! Next, in The Craft (& Fain), Liz and Sarah share a new metaphor they’re using when they break stories. This week’s Hollywood Hack will make next year’s gift giving season less stressful: Giftful. Finally, Sarah recommends one of her favorite Substacks: Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jess Craven.  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: Lemonada Media: https://lemonadamedia.com/ To sign up for the HIH free newsletter, send an email to: Happierinhollywood@substack.com Giftful: https://giftful.com/ Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jess Craven https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/about Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min

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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 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/  

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