Ep. 452: Buying In & Chickening Out

Ep. 452: Buying In & Chickening Out

Author: The Onward Project January 8, 2026 Duration: 32:38
Liz and Sarah discuss what they learned about New Hollywood in 2025 and how those lessons are impacting their approach to 2026. The key? Buy in! In Take Two, Liz grills Sarah about her Year of No Buying. How did it go? Is she still an overbuyer? In Hits & Bombs, Liz gives a Hit to Sarah for introducing her to the wonders of Legend Planner, and Sarah gives a Hit to Violet for her skill at gift-giving. This week’s Hollywood Hack will improve your shower experience — Kitsch shampoo and conditioner bags. Finally, Sarah has an exciting recommendation related to her plan to roast a chicken every week in 2026 — her new Substack newsletter Chickening Out.   Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCraft Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It will come right to your inbox! 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/4ssHNww   Kitsch Bar Shampoo & Conditioner: https://amzn.to/4pqAB1c   Kitsch Bar Soap Saver Bags: https://amzn.to/4sqJNW5   Chickening Out Substack:  https://happierinhollywood.substack.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For over two decades, television writers Liz Craft and Sarah Fain have navigated the unique pressures of Hollywood as a team, and their Happier in Hollywood podcast pulls back the curtain on that journey. This isn't just industry gossip; it's a candid conversation between two friends who have built a career and a life inside a famously tough town. Each episode feels like grabbing a table at the commissary with them, where they translate their personal and professional hurdles into relatable lessons. You’ll hear how a blend of stubborn optimism and pragmatic Midwestern grit helped them thrive in a male-dominated field, offering tangible advice that goes far beyond writing a script. Their discussions tackle everything from navigating office politics and difficult conversations to the small, daily practices that maintain sanity. This Happier in Hollywood podcast, from The Onward Project, transforms specific Hollywood struggles into universal themes about resilience, partnership, and finding your footing in any high-stakes career. It’s about the unglamorous work behind the glamour-the ass-kicking, the occasional ass-kissing, and yes, even the office yoga-that actually makes a sustainable life possible. Tune in for a surprisingly grounded perspective from two veterans who have learned to carve out happiness on their own terms.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Happier in Hollywood
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 467: Let’s Celebrate Mimsy May! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:35
Every week on the podcast Liz and Sarah mention “how they balance a career and friendship.” They usually talk about the career part, but today they’re leaning into friendship. Find out what they’re doing just for fun and…
Ep. 466: 10 Things We Don’t Feel Bad About Anymore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:08
Liz and Sarah are entering Phase Two of working on their novel, Bad Trip. Next up? They have a plan to be done tracking each character through the story by the end of May. In Take A Hike, they each share a list of ten th…
Ep. 465: Help! We Need Book Therapy! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
Liz and Sarah talk to their thriller writing mentor and book therapist, best-selling author Greer Hendricks, about how to approach tense and point of view in their work-in-progress novel, Bad Trip. Their biggest takeaway…
Ep. 464: Meet Our Pitch Coach! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:08
Liz and Sarah sit down with their amazing pitch coach, Jordana Oberman, to talk about how to create and deliver a pitch that will actually sell. One piece of advice? Lead with theme and emotion. Save plot for later. Also…
Ep. 463: Doubling Down On Our Novel Deadline! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:48
Liz and Sarah finally have some momentum on their novel, Bad Trip, about a group of friends who travel to Peru to do ayahuasca. And they’re vowing to finish the new break by April 1. In Take A Hike, Sarah shares why usin…
Ep. 462: Begone Inner Censor! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:03
Liz and Sarah have decided to confront their inner censors! One way to free their minds? Natalie’s Goldberg’s daily ten minute writing practice. In Take A Hike, Liz explains why her recent visit to New York City made her…
Ep. 461: Ebbs, Flows, & “Sheetography” [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:39
Liz and Sarah discuss the ebb and flow of Hollywood. Careers here can die and then come back to life bigger than ever. Then they talk to Intimacy Coordinators Ariel Leigh Cohen and Morgan Smith about what an intimacy coo…
Ep. 460: The Inside Board Is Everything [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:54
Liz and Sarah recently learned the concept of an “Inside Board.” From now on, whenever they run a show they’ll be forming one. In Take A Hike, they share how a listener turning Sarah on to a fiber center in North Dakota…
Ep. 459: The Cat Is Dead, But Verticals Are Alive! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:58
Liz and Sarah got news that their Netflix pilot isn’t moving forward, and they expected to be devastated… but they’re totally and completely fine. Why??? Next they talk to writer Shelby Farrell about Verticals, the newis…
Ep. 458: Find The Fun & The 80% Promise Method [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:10
Lately, Liz and Sarah are finding the fun in their work, and today they break down the reasons why — setting priorities, taking ownership, embracing adventure, and more. In Career Lessons With Laverne, they talk to Caree…