Happier in Hollywood

Podcast Power! Liz and Sarah go behind the podcast curtain and talk to Panoply's Director of Nonfiction Programming and By the Book co-host Kristen Meinzer about what it takes to grow a successful podcast. Pro Tip: treat it like a college thesis. They also introduce their new assistant, Mary Mehrkens! What makes her Happier in Hollywood? Supporting her peers instead of stabbing them in the back. This week's Hollywood Hack: personalized stationery. Finally, Liz has a VEEP celebrity sighting.  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.

Assistant extravaganza! We talk to our former assistant, Elysse Applebaum, about her super intense Writer's Group— there’s an admissions process. We also sit down with our very first assistant, Tony Dodds (now a successful sitcom writer) to talk about what it takes to be not just a good assistant, but a GREAT one. Tony also provides this week's Hollywood Hack: using the PDF Reader to prepare a pitch. Finally, a celebrity sighting: Mandy Moore! 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.

No assholes! Liz and Sarah talk to ABC's Agents of Shield Executive Producer, Maurissa Tancharoen, about her "no asshole policy" -- and about being a high-powered, ass-kicking writer/producer, boss, and mom all while living with Lupus. One way she copes — embracing the Spoon Theory. Then Liz has a Hit this week — reading books to Jack’s class at school — and Sarah has an exercise-related Bomb. Finally, this week's Hollywood Hack will up your parenting game: create a kid bag for the car.  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.

This episode is all about change! Liz and Sarah discuss big changes in their professional lives and how they’re managing to stay (more or less) calm despite the chaos. They also reveal the changes they plan to make in 2018. Yes, it’s New Year’s Resolution time! Then, this week’s Hollywood Hack will up your selfie game: the Lumee. Finally, Sarah dishes on her bowling alley celebrity sighting. 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.

Sarah and Liz talk to former L.A. gang members Richard Cabral and Jose Arellano about their new podcast "Without Your Permission." Richard (who's now an Emmy-nominated actor) and Jose share how they survived traumatic childhoods, gang life, and years in prison, and then came out the other side through faith, hard work, and the help of the organization Homeboy Industries. Also, Liz responds to a listener who wants to know why she uses bad language on "Happier In Hollywood," but NOT on "Happier With Gretchen Rubin." Plus, this week's Hollywood Hack, which comes from Sarah's Swedish high school boyfriend: the neti pot. Finally, Liz and Sarah reveal their latest Celebrity Sighting (which has a 90210 zip code). 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.

They say "writing is rewriting," and this week Liz and Sarah talk about The Bad Draft. They've finally managed to finish a draft of their pilot script, but will it ever be... good? How do they move forward and dig in to make it not just good but great? Then they talk to Young Adult author extraordinaire Melissa De La Cruz (The Descendants series, Alex & Eliza, Pride And Prejudice And Mistletoe)about her experience with the popular prescription drug Adderall. Taking it helped her be insanely productive -- but at what price? Liz and Sarah also share this week's Hollywood Hack: rain pants! Finally, Liz shares the MANY celebrity sightings she had at the Hollywood Film Awards -- including Angelina Jolie, Harrison Ford, and Sean "Puffy" Combs.  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.

It's officially the holidays! Liz and Sarah discuss how they cope with working over the holidays when they'd rather be drinking cocoa and making cookies.  Pro tip -- compartmentalizing, setting boundaries, and reframing help them NOT turn into Grinches. Then Sarah and Liz debate the merits of giving business gifts.  Will they get their lawyer wine this year?  They also explain the very Hollywood concept of a "crew gift." Plus a Hollywood Holiday Hack: hire a company to put up Christmas lights!  And Sarah and Liz reveal their past Holiday Celebrity Sightings -- Debra Winger and Matthew McConaughey (who told Sarah she has a great smile). 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.

We’re thrilled to present Panoply’s Fall 2017 lineup of shows. They include the satirical self-improvement show “Dexter Guff is Smarter Than You (And You Can Be Too),” the creepy paranormal series “Haunted,” “Family Ghosts,” in which people play detectives in their own family mysteries, “You Must Remember Manson,” which dives into the links between Charles Manson and Hollywood, the immersive fiction podcast “Tumanbay,” and “Battle Scars,” which features frank and sometimes funny conversations with the men and women fighting today’s wars.In addition to new shows, season 2 of “By The Book” launches with Jolenta and Kristen trying to go on a digital diet, “Why Oh Why” talks with the founder of a dating app for men with beards, “Happier with Gretchen Rubin” offers holiday happiness hacks, “Happier in Hollywood” considers whether holiday gifts are necessary in the workplace, and “Side Hustle School” revisits some of its best hustlers.Learn more about all our shows at https://www.megaphone.fm 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.

Emmy nominated actress Jenna Fischer (The Office, Blades of Glory) talks to Liz and Sarah about her new book The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide. From headshots gone wrong, to a breakdown Pottery Barn, to finally understanding that it takes fifty no's to get one yes, Jenna's experience will help anyone trying to make it in Hollywood and beyond. Then Liz and Sarah share an update on their Facebook group and the growing Happier in Hollywood community (hint — you should join!) and reveal this week's Hits and Bombs —  Liz bonded with other 2nd grade families at a resort in Palm Springs while Sarah traumatized Violet with a book about death. Plus, a Hollywood Hack that will make you feel like a professional photographer — portrait setting on the iPhone!  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.

Inspired by their Shondaland co-workers, Liz and Sarah reject the only-have-one-box approach to office space and embrace decorating. Then Sarah re-frames having to get up at 5 a.m. to write as a “Season of Sacrifice,” an approach she learned from a member of the Happier in Hollywood Facebook Group.  Liz shares how her fantasy self and real self merged into one when she went to The Promised Land! That's right, Liz and Gretchen went to Oprah's house for a gospel brunch, which means there were celebrity sightings galore! This week's Hollywood Hack: dry clean your t-shirts. (Seriously. Do it.)  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.