107: The Beatles, Hollywood Writing, and Creative Ambition with Dan Greenberger

107: The Beatles, Hollywood Writing, and Creative Ambition with Dan Greenberger

Author: Joey Held March 30, 2022 Duration: 41:48

Help! I need somebody...to listen to all the good stuff in this episode. Dan Greenberger is the author of The Boys Next Door: A Novel About the Beatles, and he's diving into his writing process for this historical fiction novel, rules around creative liberties, and a Hollywood career that's spanned a quarter-century.  

We're also discussing how someone with creative ambitions can find a place in Hollywood, the best writing exercise Dan did while in college, and his top Beatles songs.

Support Good People, Cool Things

Want to support the show? Buy a copy of Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life's Relationships.

Pick up some merch at the shop.

Share this episode with a friend. Thanks for listening!


Each week, Joey Held sits down for a genuine chat with someone quietly building, creating, or exploring something fascinating. Good People, Cool Things moves beyond the usual headlines to find the entrepreneurs sketching ideas in coffee shops, the musicians crafting albums in home studios, and the writers piecing together stories that haven't yet found a mainstream audience. These conversations live in the rich space where society, business, and culture overlap, revealing the personal journeys behind interesting projects. You'll hear the unpolished stories of how things actually get made-the late-night doubts, the unexpected breakthroughs, and the simple joys of doing work that matters. It’s less about generic advice and more about the specific, often quirky, paths people take. This podcast has a simple premise: good people are out there doing cool things, and their experiences are worth sharing. Tuning in feels like pulling up a chair with friends who remind you that passion projects and side hustles can grow into meaningful lives. The tone is consistently warm and curious, making every episode an engaging dive into the human side of entrepreneurship and creativity. Discover a new story each week, and you might just find the spark for your own next endeavor.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Good People, Cool Things
Podcast Episodes
109: The Best NBA Players and Teams with Dave Heeren [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:53
The NBA playoffs are upon us! While I can certainly rattle off some random games for you, I don't hold a candle to today's guest: statistician Dave Heeren, who has watched more than 75 YEARS of NBA basketball. Dave start…
108: Customer Logic and Growing Business with Bryan Clayton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:42
So many businesses start by identifying a problem people have and trying to solve it. That was the idea behind GreenPal, the “Uber for lawn care” that connects homeowners with local lawn care professionals. But as GreenP…
105: Mystery Novels and Teaching Writing with John Copenhaver [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:08
John Copenhaver's latest book The Savage Kind has gotten something just about every author hopes for: a great review from The New York Times. That's just one small part of the writing process, though. Beyond two books in…
103: Learn to Code and Build Community with Julia Taylor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
Julia Taylor is a self-taught web developer and online business owner who, by her own accounts, is an "accidental entrepreneur." Yet she's turned that happy accident into GeekPack, a thriving community built around empow…
102: Running Businesses and Knowing When to Pivot with Sadie Higgins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:39
An entrepreneur at heart, Sadie Higgins experiences "hurry sickness," or a need to constantly keep doing the next thing. She founded her first business three months after having her first child. The day before the pandem…

«1...678910