In this conversation with TV Comedy Writer Shelley Dennis, we talk about how pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and operating from a growth mindset can help you accomplish your goals and unlock your true potential. You’ll also hear about:

How investing in yourself pays off, and the benefits of taking classes and hiring life coaches at different crossroads in your career in order to grow past previous ceilings.

The day-to-day life of a TV writer working on a sitcom like Happy's Place and The Conners.

How focus and determination are just as important, if not more so, than talent and drive.

How Shelley overcame an extreme fear of public speaking by pushing herself to perform stand up comedy, and how she went from crying in her car after sets to loving performing.

Thinking of comedy like math, and studying and practicing the formula of jokes in order to perfect it.

How breakups can help you grow in ways you didn't think were possible, pushing you to become more self-sufficient and less dependent on others for your own happiness and fulfillment.

How Charlie, her dog, is the best at punching up jokes.You can find Shelley on Instagram ‪@shelleydennis‬ Thanks for listening! If you haven't, please subscribe. It really helps our channel more than you know.

In this episode with TV and Broadway Actor Christine Lin, we dive into her fascinating journey, from getting a biomedical and electrical engineering degree from Duke University, to giving up that path to be a theatre actor in Chicago before returning to it as a consultant, and eventually moving to NYC to star in a Broadway play (David Henry Hwang's "Chinglish") before settling in LA. We also dive into her martial arts training, the Chicago theatre scene, how being a mother sharpens your self-healing abilities, and the power of giving something a go even when you're unsure about the outcome. Other topics include landing representation, productivity apps, the importance of building up your savings when times are good if you work in a creative field, and how COVID and the strikes have impacted the entertainment industry. You can find Christine on Instagram @Christine2Lin . Thanks for listening! If you haven't, please subscribe. It really helps our channel more than you know.

In this interview with Actor/Writer Anna Carini and TV Writer/Producer Angela Trevino, we dive into our creative process for making this podcast as well as for auditions and writing. We share where we are in our journey eight episodes into creating The Big Twist, laugh at our mistakes, lament the pressures of being on camera and discuss our different approaches to hosting a podcast. We also introduce our fabulous producer, John! Anna shares how trusting her gut got her the job on a TV show, and Angela gets real about the experience of seeing herself on camera when she’s always tried to remain behind it. We also explore the current state of the industry in 2025, the impact the fires in January had on our communities, and what wins we’re celebrating this year! This episode is a pivot from our usual format of interviewing other creatives. Join us as we reflect on how far we’ve come in our podcasting journey, and what we’re looking forward to!

In this interview with Actor and Acting Coach April Billingsley, we dive into her emotional journey, from a child theatre actor, to establishing herself in the industry, to wanting to become a mother and then learning to let go of what she thought would be in order to embrace and take joy in what is. We also explore learning to enjoy the journey, how finding community and leaning into it helps you feel less alone, how to handle rejection, how to celebrate everything as a win, from getting the audition (when potentially thousands were submitted), to the callback, booking, etc. April imparts so much wisdom, such as “stories can change hearts and minds in a way no argument can” and “acting is a radical practice in all that is humanity.” Join us for her wonderful story of trusting what she loves over all else. Thanks for listening! If you haven't, please subscribe. It really helps our channel more than you know. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebig_twist/

In this interview with Hasbro development exec Lauren Chavez-Myers, we dive into her journey, from TV actor to starting from square one as an assistant at a studio before climbing up the Hollywood ladder. We talk about the importance of listening to yourself, what it means to be a true leader, how to embrace changing identities, and the challenge of giving up on one dream in order to fulfill another. We also explore the best way to give script notes, how creativity thrives in boundaries, why it’s important to remember that this is still a business as a creative, why ferrets make great pets, the brilliance of ANDOR, and how it all ties back to the movie BOWFINGER. Also, as mentioned in the episode, a link to the micro short film that Angela directed for a directing workshop and Anna starred in is found here for your amusement: https://vimeo.com/1078586781 Thanks for listening! If you haven't, please subscribe. It really helps our channel more than you know. #film #business #interview #hollywood #podcast

In this episode with Melisa D. Monts, we dive into her fascinating journey, from dental school, to digital content producer, to co-hosting and producing four podcasts per week, all while directing over 70 audiobooks, including WHAT WE CARRY by Amanda Gorman and BLACK SHIELD MAIDEN by Willow Smith. If that wasn't enough, Melisa is also a Staff Writer for PocketFM and has scripted several short-form drama series. We also explore what it takes succeed in the film industry, how you have to believe you can figure it out before you're ready and dive head first into a new skillset, and how that 'can-do' mindset is the rare gift that has gotten her this far. Other topics covered include SUCCESSION, soap operas, preventing deaths by choking, and tomato vine groomers, not in that order. You can find Melisa on Instagram @sheisnotmelissa. You can find the podcasts she co-hosts with Meghan Rienks @meghanandmelisa, including "Don't Blame Me / But Am I Wrong." Thanks for listening! If you haven't, please subscribe. It really helps our channel more than you know.

In this episode with lawyer turned TV Writer, Detra Hicks we discuss how saying yes to a simple invitation completely changed her life.

We also explore the nuances of having multiple careers, going from acting to writing, how as creatives so much of what we do is to embody others' emotions in the hopes that our audience will connect with them.

Recorded on the eve of the last presidential election, we also dive into politics, for as Toni Morrison once said, "All good art is political."

We discuss how conversations we may not be able to have with a friend or sibling can be broached if we see them played out on screen, and in this regard, how art can change people's minds or make someone feel seen that might feel invisible otherwise.

We also elaborate on how helping others helps ourselves and our creativity, how to see close calls as wins, how to make the most of a "pause," how learning diplomacy informs our art, how access to diversity and being “othered” shapes storytelling, seeing connection as a form of legacy, and how having a second career can further your creative career.

You can find Detra on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/scribblerhicks/?hl=en

If you haven't, please hit the subscribe button. It really helps the channel more than you know.

In this episode, we dive into Meagan Daine's background as a TV and crime podcast writer, including her work on the Amazon Prime series Cross, based on the NY Times bestselling detective series written by James Patterson.

We dive into her fascinating past, how she broke into the industry, her undercover decoy job working for an unscrupulous private investigator, and how this shaped her ability to write complicated characters who find themselves in sticky situations with the law.

We also explore how to make the jump from writers' assistant to staff writer on a TV series and the kinds of ethical decisions that creatives often face.

If you haven't, please hit the subscribe button. It really helps the channel more than you know.