HUSSLUP Big Break Podcast

In this episode, I break it down with Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Peabody, Emmy, Gracie and GLAAD award-winning nonfiction company 44 Blue Productions, which is also a HUSSLUP partner. With her husband Rasha, she executive produces many series, including Netflix’s “Life After Death with Tyler Henry,” Discovery+ award-winning limited series “Last Chance Transplant,” and Oxygen’s true crime franchises “Real Murders of Orange County” and “Real Murders of Atlanta.” From local news to Whacky World of Sports to Wahlburgers, Stephanie and I discuss working at a studio vs owning your own shop and trying to read Excel spreadsheets, Khloe Kardashian and partnering with great talent, and opportunities for women in unscripted. Stephanie shares how 44 Blue is sourcing teams from underrepresented communities by working with the TV Academy Foundation and HUSSLUP. And she offers this advice: have an insatiable appetite to learn about the business, do your homework, and talk to the person next to you!

In this episode, I break it down with longtime manager and HUSSLUP member Mark Schulman, a partner at 3 Arts where he has helped manage the careers of diverse clients including Mario Lopez, Chrissy Teigen, Craig Robinson, Howie Mandel, Sherri Shepherd, Tyra Banks and Chelsea Handler for over 25 years. Mark has produced shows for Netflix, ABC, Fox, Peacock, E!, VH-1, Showtime, and other networks and streamers. Recently, Mark was an EP on “Killing It” for Peacock and he is part owner of the newly relaunched Menudo boy band, along with his client Mario Lopez.  Join us, as Mark and I talk about signing Craig Robinson a week into his job at 3 Arts, working with creators who want to generate IP, and scouting new talent by reading the newspaper. From penpal “stalking” the legendary Brandon Tartikoff to joining 3 Arts when they had 7 managers and 2 shows to today, Mark and I discuss working at DreamWorks, why he signed HUSSLUP member Kayden Phoenix, the impact of AI on the industry, and how much everyone loves Craig Robinson. And Mark shares his professional filter: “I have gravitated to voices, and I have found more voices of diverse talent who have something to say.”

In this episode, I break it down with Erica Shelton Kodish, an incredibly talented writer, producer, and TV showrunner who was a consulting producer on “The Equalizer,” starring Queen Latifah, co-ep on “The Good Wife,” and showrunner of “Being Mary Jane,” starring Gabrielle Union. Her career as a TV writer began on the Jerry Bruckheimer series, “CSI: New York.” Erica has also developed projects for Universal TV and CBS Studios under multi-year overall deals. She was named one of Variety’s “Ten Writers to Watch” and has been featured in The Root 100’s annual ranking of most influential African-American leaders. Join us, as Erica and I talk about “The Shield” and writing complicated characters, doing the dishes on “Thirtysomething,” and the streamers’ new interest in procedurals. From Mrs. Lasky’s seventh grade writing assignment to revamping “Being Mary Jane,” Erica and I discuss what a consulting producer really does, running a writers room during quarantine, developing on an overall deal, and the future of diversity programs in entertainment. And Erica shares her best advice: “You have to just persist. The only people who I know that didn’t actually make it were the ones who gave up.”

In this episode, I break it down with my dear friend David Eilenberg, Vice President and Head of Content for Roku Media where he shepherded “WEIRD: The Al Yankovic Story,” “Meet Me in Paris,” “The Great American Baking Show,” and many others. Prior to Roku, David was CCO at ITV America where he spearheaded Emmy-winning “Queer Eye” on Netflix, “Love Island” and other hits. Prior to ITV, David served as SVP of unscripted development, late night and specials at Turner, and head of development and current programming at Mark Burnett Productions.  Join us, as David and I talk about Jennifer Aniston’s sweater and buying stuff on TV, Cobra Kai and reboots, and contortionists and the creator economy. From doing script coverage, to spending the night in a Task van, to running divisions of global media companies, David and I discuss getting an original format to series, emotional endurance, and being one helluva nice guy. And David explains his biggest lesson: “The person who is your assistant today, you should always try to envision what the person could be for you in a few years. People grow and relationships grow.”

In this episode, I break it down with Monica Levinson, an accomplished film and TV producer who has worked in a variety of genres. Monica’s productions have received both popular and critical acclaim, including “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “Wander Darkly,” “Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Trumbo,” “Captain Fantastic,” “Bruno,” and “Zoolander.” Recently, Monica co-directed her first feature, a documentary about her own family that she also produced called “The Stories of Us.”  Join us, as Monica and I talk about her early jobs on Ron Howard’s “The Paper” and Alan Pakula’s “Pelican Brief,” getting arrested on the set of “Borat,” and joining Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson’s Color Force full time. From producing films without a lot of resources, to having to know a guy… or a gal, Monica and I discuss working with Al Pacino, why “Lars and the Real Girl” is her favorite film, and her mantra: “My job is to make sure the creative ends up on the screen. My approach is to never say no and think through the process.”

In this episode, I break it down with Todd Milliner, an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer who co-founded Hazy Mills Productions with Sean Hayes. Todd has produced over 400 hours of television, two dozen stage productions, and a feature film. His TV credits include NBC’s “Grimm” and “Hollywood Game Night,” “Hot in Cleveland,” and Netflix’s “Q Force.” In his spare time, Todd just wrote his first YA novel titled “Time Out” that hits shelves this May. Join us, as Todd and I talk about performing at the Second City Theatre in Chicago, partnering with Sean Hayes to form Hazy Mills Productions, thinking up “Grimm” in the shower, and producing TV with diverse characters. From auditioning for “Talk Soup” to producing Doug Wright’s new play “Goodnight, Oscar,” which just opened on Broadway starring Sean Hayes, Todd and I discuss his favorite Betty White stories, how to form a great partnership, and his words to live by: “Don’t let go of that passion because there is plenty of time to do something you hate!”

In this episode, I break it down with diversity advocate Effie T. Brown, who is CEO of Gamechanger Films and an accomplished producer. Effie is known for her work on “The Inspection,” “Dear White People,” “Project Greenlight,” “Real Women Have Curves,” and Lee Daniel’s Fox series “Star.”  Join us, as Effie and I talk about producing inclusive stories, lifting up other diverse producers, working with talented filmmakers like Elegance Bratton and Justin Simien, and her “deathbed movies.” From participating in Film Independent’s Project:Involve and working with Tim Burton, to running Gamechanger Films and chairing the Academy Museum’s Inclusion Committee, Effie and I discuss being Oprah Winfrey’s and Jerry Bruckheimer’s baby, the Thunderdome Hustle of a producer, and her sage advice: “Don’t feel like an Imposter. You are at the table.”

In this episode, I break it down with accomplished screenwriter, director, and producer Zak Penn, known for his work on a long list of amazing movies, including “Free Guy,” “Ready Player One,” “X-Men 2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “Elektra,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and “The Avengers.” Zak sold his first script, “Last Action Hero,” at the age of twenty-three. Since then he has written, directed, and/or produced TV series and films, including his award-winning “hoax” documentary “Incident At Loch Ness,” starring Werner Herzog, and improvised indie feature “The Grand,” which also featured Herzog and an eclectic cast including Woody Harrelson, David Cross, Ray Romano, Cheryl Hines, and Dennis Farina. Join us as Zak and I talk about writing Marvel movies, improvising with Herzog, working with Steven Spielberg, and playing basketball with Ben Affleck. From winning a car on MTV’s “Remote Control,” to being Mike White’s playwriting TA at Wesleyan, to the current WGA-AMPTP negotiations, Zak and I explore his prolific career, expansive network, the state of our industry, and his words of wisdom: “Turn disappointment into motivation.”

In this episode, I break it down with my former colleague Jimmy Fox, President of three-time Emmy-winning Main Event Media, a Religion of Sports company, and executive producer of Netflix’s Dated and Related and Girl in the Picture, United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, Peacock’s comedy series Punky Brewster, HBO Max’s Sweet Life: Los Angeles, and Discovery’s Shark Week among others. Jimmy is also a prolific podcaster, hosting Unscripted and Unprepared.  Join us as Jimmy and I talk about how to move from producing unscripted to scripted, working for Ben Silverman, The Michael Kagans, network notes, and selling treadmills. From “House Hunters” to “Housewives,” we debate the greatest unscripted formats of all time and Jimmy explains his philosophy: “Nobody is going to do it for you.”

In this episode, I break it down with my longtime friend Sarah Goldfinger, an Emmy-winning TV writer, producer, and showrunner. Recently, she executive produced Trinkets and Partner Track for Netflix. Previously, she wrote and produced Jane the Virgin, Parenthood, Brothers and Sisters, Hawaii 5-O, Charmed, Grimm, and CSI among others. Join us as Sarah and I talk about moving to LA with a one-way ticket, the value of becoming a writers assistant, and the TV development process. From the early days of CSI to showrunning Trinkets, we discuss Must See TV, checking the lunch order, writing crossword puzzle television, the year round staffing season, and being pigeonholed. And we explore Sarah’s advice: “You can write your way out of anything.”

In this episode, I break it down with my dear friend and former boss, Eli Holzman, CEO of The Intellectual Property Corporation and the President of Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction, where he oversees the independent production companies that form the SPT Nonfiction group. Eli is the former head of Miramax Television, Ashton Kutcher‘s Katalyst Films, Studio Lambert, All3Media America, and Industrial Media, which was recently acquired by Sony. He has won four Primetime Emmy Awards and a PGA Award. He has developed and produced hit formats and docu-series, including Project Runway, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, Undercover Boss, and Project Greenlight. Join us as Eli and I talk about Project Runway, Scientology, inspirational biographies, and the future of the unscripted business. From his early days at Miramax to his new gig running Sony Pictures Televisions Nonfiction, Eli and I dive into everything from how to launch a successful production company to choosing a great business partner. And we explore Eli’s mantra: “A career is like sailing a boat.”

In this episode, I break it down with one of my favorite people, Fenton Bailey, who co-founded and co-runs World of Wonder with Randy Barbato. World of Wonder has earned 26 Emmys andinspired Oscar-winning performances. Programming highlights includeTV franchises such as Emmy-winning RuPaul’s Drag Race and Million Dollar Listing LA & NY (Bravo), and award-winning films and documentaries including Party Monster, Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, and Inside Deep Throat. Fenton and Randy launched the global SVOD platform WOW Presents Plus across 190 territories, and they operate RuPaul’s DragCon, music label World of Wonder Records, and the WOW Podcast Network. Join us as Fenton and I talk about Jessica Chastain, RuPaul, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and anatomically correct dolls. From public access TV to his new book, we dive into our favorite TV shows, least favorite trends, and Fenton’s theory that “popular culture is queer culture.”