

Happier in Hollywood
The Onward Project
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/
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 20, 2025 • 24min
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 UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 13, 2025 • 25min
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=1000684826371See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 6, 2025 • 31min
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.

Jan 30, 2025 • 28min
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/4giJchZSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 23, 2025 • 30min
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.

Jan 16, 2025 • 26min
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.

Jan 9, 2025 • 26min
Ep. 400: Celebrating 400 Episodes & Team Theme 2025!
It’s Episode 400 of Happier In Hollywood! Liz and Sarah are so grateful to all the listeners who are part of their dynamic podcast community! In honor of this milestone (and the state of Hollywood) Liz and Sarah are declaring a reset. They’re stepping into the future with all of the excitement and blind optimism they harnessed at the beginning of their career. Next, Liz and Sarah reveal their 2025 Team Theme — “Flower and Fly 2025.” Their symbol is a bee, and they both got rings to keep their theme top of mind. This week’s Hollywood Hack is earth friendly and fun: Facebook Marketplace. Finally Liz recommends Landman, starring Billy Bob Thornton, on Paramount+. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s upcoming Substack at happierinhollywoodpod@substack.com. LINKS: Facebook Marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/ Landman trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxh49-bsIkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jan 2, 2025 • 31min
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 UnsplashSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 26, 2024 • 25min
Ep. 398: Haunted (In A Good Way)
“Is this just a dirge?” Liz and Sarah discuss how a question from mega-producer and friend of the pod David Hoberman about a show they were working on has stayed with them for years. Sometimes a single comment can put a filter on all future work — and that’s a good thing. In Take Two, they revisit the topic of authenticity. Then, in The Craft (& Fain), Liz and Sarah share why it can be so helpful to color code scenes when they’re breaking an episode. This week’s Hollywood Hack is an app that helps organize thoughts and ideas: Muse. Finally, Liz recommends the reality show The Later Daters on Netflix. Sign up for Liz and Sarah’s upcoming 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: David Hoberman IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0387674/ HIH interview with David Hoberman: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happier-in-hollywood/id1236845161?i=1000519248795 WritersRoom Pro: https://www.writersroompro.com/ Muse App: https://museapp.com/ The Later Daters trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PutwAZwHIk8 Photo: Unsplash See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dec 19, 2024 • 29min
Ep. 397: Lizness School With Liz Dolan
Liz and Sarah sit down with friend of the pod, Satellite Sister Liz Dolan, to talk about her new podcast Lizness School, which chronicles her fascinating year as a Fellow at Stanford University’s Distinguished Careers Institute. What compelled her to move to Palo Alto for nine months? Which of the institute’s three pillars of purpose, wellness, and community is resonating most with her? This week’s Hollywood Hack comes from a listener who doesn’t like “to do” lists: Create a “want to do” list. Next, Liz had a Celebrity Sighting on her recent trip to New York — she saw Anthony Michael Hall. Finally Sarah has two recommendations: A Man on the Inside on Netflix and Bug MD Clothes Moth Boss Traps. 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: Lizness School Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lizness-school/id1775855173 The Marriage Sabbatical: A Novel by Lian Dolan https://amzn.to/3ZLX2V3 Anthony Michael Hall: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001309/ A Man on the Inside - Official Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhsVj_4ONoA BugMD Clothes Moth Boss Traps: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08R7B84Y8?ref=t_ac_view_request_product_image&campaignId=amzn1.campaign.35FEN7HXBIJO0&linkCode=tr1&tag=happierinh066-20&linkId=amzn1.campaign.35FEN7HXBIJO0_1733853982558 Photo: Ave Calvar For Unsplash+ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


