Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: And that was the moment for me where I was like, what the fuck are you talking about?
She just had an explosion to the face.
And you guys are mad that she went home where she's going to work remote.
She's not going to know. It was just this moment of like, oh, this is so bad and I can't, I can't be a part of this anymore.
[00:00:28] Speaker B: I'm Luke Steinfeld.
[00:00:29] Speaker C: And I'm Wyatt Sarkisian.
[00:00:30] Speaker B: We made the 5050 podcast to support you on your filmmaking journey.
[00:00:34] Speaker C: 50% business, 50% creative.
[00:00:36] Speaker B: Every Tuesday, a new how to.
[00:00:38] Speaker C: This week, we talk with the outspoken writer, comedian, and most importantly, former assistant Grace Guy. Grace guides us into the world she knows all too well. Bosses tripping out on their own ego. Impossible tasks expected to be finished in impossibly small time frames and endless cycles of blame and thankless work. But more importantly, we discuss how Grace turned all of that assistant trauma into a burgeoning comedy career.
Lots to cover this week, so let's get right into it.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: Oh, oh, oh.
[00:01:09] Speaker C: But wait, there is one more week to get tickets for the 5050 Comedy Festival. And this year we are partnering with brain dead. 50-5-3 50 comedy. 50-5-3 50 Comedy. 50-5 5050 tickets in description. Enjoy the episode.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: What is, what, what is early?
[00:01:31] Speaker A: Like 6:30.
[00:01:32] Speaker B: Oh, okay.
[00:01:33] Speaker A: Yeah, like not crazy.
[00:01:35] Speaker C: You're not like a 4am type.
[00:01:36] Speaker B: I was. I was like a four.
[00:01:38] Speaker A: That's people. Unless you have like a sleep issue. I'm not charmed by the 4am Wake up. You know what I mean? I'm not.
[00:01:46] Speaker C: It feels kind of performative, doesn't it?
[00:01:48] Speaker A: Because really, does it really give you that much more? I don't.
[00:01:51] Speaker C: You know, it feels like you're waking up at 4 4am only to make a video about how you're waking up at 4:00am you know, thank you.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: And it's always centered around like, well, I have to get to the gym. And I'm like, okay, but they don't
[00:02:06] Speaker B: open for an hour.
[00:02:07] Speaker C: You have to get to the gym parking lot where you like, wait for an hour.
[00:02:11] Speaker A: Thank you. Or you wait for it to open. Or like, you know, to.
I also am not charmed by the people that take forever to journal. Write down whatever you think. But I, I'm not like an hour of journaling. You're doing too much. You. You've crossed over.
[00:02:25] Speaker C: That's so funny.
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Do you do the. The artist way like that type of journaling?
[00:02:30] Speaker A: I've done it. But yeah, I have. I have some thoughts for Ms. Cameron, though, I have some, you know, Julia, is it?
[00:02:38] Speaker C: Julia Cameron? Is that her name?
She stares at me every single day, asking me, will you read me today?
No.
[00:02:45] Speaker A: Perhaps you'll go on an artist date, which financially is just like, you have to be rich to do the artist's way. If I'm honest.
[00:02:52] Speaker C: That's so true.
[00:02:53] Speaker A: They would say, no, you don't.
[00:02:55] Speaker C: Or, yeah, you have to be, like, comfortable with money or, like, be willing to not make money for a couple months to really go forth.
[00:03:01] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:03:02] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:03:03] Speaker B: Why is it, like, quit your job situation or, like, what is. What does the book tell you to do, aside from morning pages? Because that's.
[00:03:11] Speaker A: That's where I got the morning pages, which we're all familiar with, which is great and for the most part, free. Even though we're not going to talk about how journals are, like, $30 these days, which is.
[00:03:21] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, we promised we would not talk about that. So let's. Let's keep that.
[00:03:25] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, cut it out. Because I can't go there because my engine gets too revved. But it's.
So then once a week, you're supposed to do an artist date where you're supposed to, like, go and interact with something that's either, like, you know, beauty or going to do something, and it has to be just you alone. And, you know, it can be whatever. But I always found that it's like, I'm going. I'm spending $35 to go to the Getty, or, like, you know what I mean? Like, it's like I'm spending so much money and time to go do these artist dates when it's like, the parameters are not flexible. Also, you can't do your morning pages on a laptop, which is fine, but I just have so much more fun.
And it goes.
I understand why it must be written.
[00:04:11] Speaker C: It sounds like you're bumping up against kind of the rules and regulations of it all, which I definitely like. I have a lot of friends who have done it, and I feel like. And I haven't done it, or I haven't even, like, cracked open the book. It is famously on my bookshelf. But I find that you kind of take bits and pieces, right? Like, with anything. Like, if you're an actor, you take things from Meisner method. You're taking things from Method. Like, you're taking things from all these things that, like, for morning pages, I do 10 minutes a day of writing, and I just. Like, that's any. Literally, anybody can do that. And I have these, like, yellow Notepads that I got from Amazon, they're like, I just do it on my lunch break at work. Like, and that. Honestly, that. To do 10 minutes a day, there's something about that that has, like, really helped me because it. Even if I, like, I find that, like, if I read a script and I'm, like, about to, like, go into a meeting talking about it, doing 10 minutes of just, like, thinking about, like, what do I really think of this? Or what are my, like, notes? It's like rehearsing. It's almost like rehearsing what you're going to, like, say to people. Like, it can be anything, which I love.
[00:05:12] Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. Yeah. I mean, I think it's. It is you should shop everything you read, because I. I'm not a fan of just being like, well, this is perfect. A dear friend who's like, the artist way is perfect. And I'm like, you're crazy. But that's okay. But, yeah, I mean, I. I feel like I. I read a lot. I read a lot, and I read a lot of different. Like, you know, I've read pretty much every how to Be Better at Writing Book under the Sun.
[00:05:45] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:05:47] Speaker A: So, you know, a lot of them say the same thing. So I go, okay, there must be something. If we're all repeating ourselves or something completely new that feels too out of left field. I'm like, well, then I want nothing to do with this because nobody else agrees with you. So it really is this gray area where I'm the only one that's right. And that's how everyone should feel, I think, at all times.
[00:06:05] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:06:06] Speaker A: It's like, you should be operating from a seat where whatever you're doing is the right way to do it. And if people don't like it, fuck them for sure.
[00:06:13] Speaker B: Have you read.
Is. Is there. Is there a one writing book out there that you're like, okay, this is actually pretty helpful.
[00:06:22] Speaker A: Hmm. I mean, obviously, I. I've read Rick Rubin's book. I really actually, I read it as, like, a hate read. Being like, oh, I'm not gonna like this shit. This guy. I've seen the interview where he says he knows nothing about music. I'm gonna hate this. And then I actually was like, oh, that's so interesting, where he had a lot about just, like, following the flow and the pull rather than. Because I think there's a lot about discipline, and I find a lot of freedom and discipline. Like, I'm a very formulaic, routine person, but I think the Rick Rubin stuff was good. For me, because it's like, oh, just follow what, when and why and how you're feeling rather than the structure of everything. But I also really enjoy Anne LaMotte's work. Big fan of Bird by Bird, which is more about, like, writing novels, but there's a lot to take out of there. And then I just read her book with her husband called Good Writing, which is all about, like, the etymology of words and language, which.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Cool. Whoa.
[00:07:21] Speaker A: Whoa. But very cool. So.
[00:07:23] Speaker B: So, yeah, I'm writing down Bird by Bird because I've heard of that one.
[00:07:27] Speaker C: I know. I'm like, it's a good one. I'm like, go slower because I'm like, taking all these notes at this point.
We're like, grace, you're.
[00:07:34] Speaker B: You're a writer.
[00:07:35] Speaker C: Yeah, Grace, let's. Can you give us. Yeah, let's. Let's get a little intro from you about, about yourself, because we've, We've been introduced to you through. I mean, it was. I think we first met at Wiley's event, which we, you know, we've referenced a couple times on this show, but would love to know about you and what you were doing at that event specifically. And we can kind of get into you and your history and what you're working on these days.
[00:08:04] Speaker A: Totally, yeah. I mean, I feel like the way that I always talk about myself, as I say I'm a former assistant, current writer, comedian, performer, just because the assistant thing is also very, like, I identify with that a lot. So. So, yeah, so I'm a, you know, I'm a writer and basically I'm a comedian who also writes and performs all of that. But what I'm working on right now is I had a play that I just did at the Hollywood Fringe Festival, where we had three sold out shows. It was a really fun response. The play is about an agent and an assistant getting trapped on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
It's based on, loosely, my experience as an assistant to a boss that I'm sure everybody has had at some point like that.
And I'm taking that play to Edinburgh with the same team. We did it in la. So super excited about that.
[00:08:58] Speaker C: That's gonna be amazing.
[00:09:00] Speaker A: But, yeah, so, yeah, I work very closely with Wiley, who we all know love, which I was listening to the podcast so much that now I'm like, hearing you guys talk to me feels very surreal because the Riley episode was so great. I've never heard her be more serious than she was in that interview. I was, I was loving it.
[00:09:19] Speaker C: She did have Serious moments. She's. She. She toggles between the two pretty well.
[00:09:23] Speaker A: Well, she can't stay in one lane too long or else she gets antsy. She's got to pop it and up. So. So, yeah, I guess that's me. I mean, yeah, I'm, you know, jack of all trades, master of none.
[00:09:35] Speaker C: I love that.
[00:09:36] Speaker B: I'd love to hear more about this display, like, the actual story. I don't know how you feel about giving the story away to our audience, if you care about that, but I'd love to hear about this a bit deeper and the personal ties as well. And if you as an assistant ever had a story like this and the genesis of this and all that stuff,
[00:09:59] Speaker C: even that logline, I relate to it to some extent. Being an assistant and the way you introduce yourself as a former assistant, current writer, you definitely, like, hold that assistantship as part of your identity.
And I do think assistants, oftentimes it's thought of as just a temporary position on the creative ladder. And I think there's merit to thinking of it as a full identity and being like, I embrace this job and this is who I am. This is the job that I hold at this moment. And it's not just like a step on the ladder towards, like the permanent position, you know.
[00:10:37] Speaker A: Totally. Yeah. I mean, I feel very strongly that I would not be where I am if I was not an assistant. And also where I am is, like, subjective, but I just mean even creatively, like, being an assistant was such a valuable yet awful experience that makes you grow up really fast. I feel like where I showed up in LA like everybody else, where I'm like, my dreams are on the other side, like, as long as I do this position, whatever. And so I bounced around a lot too. So I've been at. I've been at agencies, management companies, you know, kind of all over the place a little bit. So I've seen a lot of different workplace environments. And the one thing is always the same, which is everybody takes it too seriously and it is not brain surgery. And, you know, a lot of people, a lot of agents and managers use their position to make themselves feel way more important than they are. And there's something so fascinating about that. And yeah, I mean, but also being an assistant, I've met the best people in la. The best people in LA are the assistants. Like, without a doubt, the smartest people are the assistants. The hardest working people are the assistants. And it's just, I think, very funny that nobody wants to be an assistant. No one wants to Identify with that. Like, everyone wants to be like, oh, well, I'm a director. You know, I do this where it's like, I have always felt very strongly where it's like, why are we trying to be coy about this job that I am very good at and, like, loved doing to a certain extent. And then it was like, you know, so anyway, the play was written in a very interesting time in my life because I worked at a management company for almost two years for the same person.
And, you know, it was an experience that was.
Had its ups and downs. Had its ups and downs, but left on, like a good place. But when I left, I was like, I'm gonna go full send it comedy mode. Here I go out here. I'm leaving, being the assistant. I've saved up money, I'm gonna go figure it out.
And then of course, three months, four months, five months into that, I needed money. And the only tangible skill I have from my.
From my time in LA is being an assistant. So of course I'm doing like temporary assistant gigs. During that, my old boss comes back around and basically harasses me via text and phone call about how I've betrayed him.
And so it was like this very visceral thing where, like, we went from, okay, we have worked together. Whatever happened that is in the past to this moment where, you know, you're calling my new bosses, you're texting me every day, all day, you know, I'm blocking you on everything. Like, it's. It was a very visceral experience. And then being an assistant, which is like kind of an entry level situation, I. I dealt with a lot of, well, I haven't done anything because I burnt my only bridge because I stayed there for two years. Now I have nothing because he is saying that I'm a liar, I'm terrible, whatever.
So.
So I go home after my temporary job has also now ended. So I'm like, I have. I. Even the job that I took is over. I'm feeling so hopeless and terrible. And so I wrote a play based on this guy that I used to work for and my relationship and kind of basically deckhand takes place in Catalina on a boat. So it's like, oh, emergency client is on Catalina Island. We've got to get her dress over there. And the agent is very like, I got this. This is my boat. We're gonna make it happen. Like, you just need to, like, be here and work remote from this boat and we're gonna, you know, make it happen. And then halfway there, the boat Dies. And it takes place over the course of a day where it basically devolves. They've got no food, no water, no way to do anything, no reception, and they're just dead in the water. And it kind of examines the power dynamic, for sure. And it shifts in different ways because all's equal at the end of the day.
And.
Yeah. But it also, I think, was just for me to start, but has become a very universal thing for people I know. And a lot of. Not a lot, but, like, I've had a couple people come up to me and be like, I did quit my job after watching it, which has been like, wow, that's awesome.
Wow. Because I also do believe that being an assistant is a trap for young people. I think. I love it. I'm very passionate about it. But I think that it also is a manipulation station. Like it is.
[00:15:25] Speaker C: Well, it's. I think it depends.
Whenever I talk about being assistant, I think it. It depends so much on, like, the boss assistant relationship. Because if. If your boss is the type that, like, regardless of the relationship, the boss needs you really badly. They need you. If you left, their life would be in shambles. That's like, you can be pretty certain that, like, 90% of the assistant to boss relationships are like that. But then it's like, does your boss want to keep you in that position forever? Because they don't have the headspace to really, like, think about your future or promoting it, which is like, essentially why you join the role, because you want to, like, move up and want to be doing the more interesting creative part where you're making more money and you have, like, a. More of a career.
So it's. It's tough, right? Like, it's. Because there are some bosses that want to be like, okay, you did two years. Like, what are we going to do with you now? Like, let me guide you, you know, and whether. And sometimes it's like, you did two years and they were hell, and I put you through it, and I, you know, it's like a weird form of hazing. But then it. You come out on the other end. But then there are other ones where you're there for three and a half years and you're like, oh, this person doesn't care about me. And if I succeed, you know.
[00:16:38] Speaker A: Yeah. I mean, I think there's something that I wanted to touch on in the play, because everybody's wrong all the time. I think just in life, like, no one is 100% right all the time. So it's. It's this weird dichotomy of like, you know, you're promising my dreams. If you're the assistant, you're promising my dreams and I want you to see those through.
But the boss, agent, manager, whatever, is saying, I made you no promises, I gave you an opportunity. So it's this weird push and pull of make my dreams come true. I don't have to do that, but I have the power to do that potentially. And I think what really is discouraging to me about the assistant thing is I think even if your boss is amazing and you have the best boss in the world who wants to help you and backs you 100%, if the company isn't interested in, you know, a path forward for assistance, it can get very. I, I've watched a lot of really amazing assistants be pushed out, treated terribly, completely given up on, you know, fired, whatever.
Because the company, even if they have the best relationship with their boss, the company will turn its back on assistance eventually, no matter who you are. Which I think is a great lesson to learn because, you know, for me I was like, oh wow. Like it really isn't as simple as if I stay here and do everything right, they're going to make it happen for me. And that was really empowering to be like, so then what the fuck am I doing here? I could have a different day job where, you know, I don't have to pick up dry cleaning and worry about where a 36 year old man is going to park his Kia. Like I, I can't give a about that. So, so yeah, but you know, I sound like a hater too, but maybe I am. But.
[00:18:25] Speaker B: Well, it feels like it's very much coming from a, like a deserved place to, to feel.
[00:18:33] Speaker A: It's, it's, it's so interesting because all, all companies, at least allow me to say it, my perspective is more in representation, so I can really only speak to that. Production companies live your life all day, all night. I cannot speak to you. But I think in representation, the thing that I think is so funny is they say they want to hire people who want to be agents. They don't want to hire creatives. They say that, so they're red in the face. It's not true. And every assistant that's hired basically has another dream going.
So it's this weird dance of I either told you something that was a lie to get in the door or I'm gonna pretend I want to be an agent, or I'm not pretending and I'm trying to get something from you.
And how do you navigate that? I think companies in general representation, companies that is, need to place higher importance on the way that you. They treat assistants like. The way that assistants are talked about, looked at and utilized in these companies is a joke. Like I cannot think of an industry that is more okay with their employees feeling like trash than Hollywood assistants. Because they want you to feel bad in a way. They want you to feel like everything is your fault, everything is life or death, so that they don't have to think about anything. Because if you have a neuro. Because for me at least, like I'm very neurotic, I'm very organized, I'm type A. So when I make a mistake, it is earth shattering and terrible and it affects me for weeks because I, you know, that's just who I am because I'm a creative, I'm obsessive, whatever.
That's who they want to hire. And I know a hundred people just like me where it's like they're great assistants because it's terrible for them if they make a mistake. Whether that's their boss makes them feel terrible, which is usually the case or they themselves make themselves.
[00:20:38] Speaker C: They're going to feel, they're going to feel like that anyway because they care and they want to do well, you know.
[00:20:43] Speaker A: Exactly. Whereas of course care about your job. But there really is no incentive for assistance to care as much as usually they do. Which I just think is so fucked up. But again, this is my soapbox. This is my, my big. Controversial.
[00:20:58] Speaker C: Totally. And this is why we brought you on. This is the, this is the point of this. We want to hear from you.
[00:21:03] Speaker B: Isn't, isn't that, I mean you're getting at it. Which is the passion piece and the dream piece, which like you said, there are a large amount or there's a group of people with dreams who go to be an assistant. Maybe they're not from la, maybe they want to build a network. Whatever it is. And like you said, it helps expand the network and they get to see it from the inside.
But the thing that keeps them going back the next day is that dream. Is that like higher in their head, that like higher goal? Higher. Almost like purpose of sorts where it's like this is just a step so I'll be able to keep pushing, you know, and that, that's where if it's not because we've had plenty of assistants on here. Like Wyatt is a creative and assistant too and like clearly has learned so much and it seems to be an incredibly healthy and like Just exactly that of learning, networking, helping with the creative, if anything, helping become a better producer, all of that. But like in, in a case like yours where it might not be the most helpful at all and almost what sounds a little dangerous, but because of that dream and because of this, like, deeper, like you said, like, to make in this industry, you gotta be incredibly ambitious. Like, this is not easy on any side. And like, you gotta, if you don't believe in yourself, no one will kind of thing. And like you said, the creatives like you who have that ambition and passion are gonna be able to tell themselves, no, this is worth it. I'm gonna keep going, I'm gonna keep pushing, you know, and that's super dangerous. That's.
[00:22:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
And I just, you know, now I work as a paralegal, so kind of, you know, doing something completely different, which I love, and it's so much better for me. But like, I. There is no, no other paralegal that I work with that wants to do anything else, that they're either going to be a paralegal or want to be an attorney. And either way, it's like, there's paths for those, there's opportunity for those where I can't think of, you know, a different industry where there's a situation like this where you're working in representation.
And I want, I don't want to be anything like those.
[00:23:20] Speaker B: So interesting.
[00:23:21] Speaker A: It's. It's such a weird thing. And I think even people that I've known like that, you know, want to be managers, agents, all of the above.
Sometimes they get the worst assistant screw over of all because they've been promised a path forward. And then at the end of the day they're like, oh, actually. Because the industry fluctuates on a fucking dime. It's like, well, actually, no, we don't have room. We don't have room for anyone. And then you have to start all over basically at a whole new company and prove yourself there all over again, which I guess is fine. But like, it just has been such an interesting thing to observe of these people that like, are so hardworking, driven, talented, kind, good to just by the end watch them be like, oh, you hate your life. You hate your life. And it's so sad.
[00:24:12] Speaker C: You kind of get it stomped out of you.
[00:24:14] Speaker B: What was the moment for you, if there was one or time for you where you were like, okay, enough is enough. Because again, going back to the point of like, you're creative, like, you have that type A, you know, sensibility, whatever, and like, you don't want to make mistakes and quitting is. Again, it's a. That is a word that I'm just going to say, but of like, leaving or changing paths a lot of times is incredibly difficult for a person like that. So. And especially with that dream, too, of like, I know this is a step to my ultimate dream.
[00:24:51] Speaker C: I'm. I'm at least closer to it here than I would be if I wasn't here.
[00:24:54] Speaker A: Totally. If I was. Yeah, totally. And that is addicting. As to me, like, the idea was like. But like, you know, or you love the clients. Like, for me, it's like, I made these relationships. I love these people. I get to talk to them every day because of this, the moment for me. I love that you asked that one because I did have like a full, like, epiphany moment. Because I guess.
And this is. It says weird things about me, but it is true. Where you can pretty much do anything to me and I'm going to be like, 100%, that's so fine.
Because it's me and I can do anything and I can take any kind of treatment and I really don't give a shit except for when I'm debilitated and, you know, whatever. But I was so steeped in, well, my dreams are going to come to me if I stay here, if I take all the terrible treatment, if I just do the next thing, my dreams are going to come true. I just have to stick it out. Whatever. I was so in it. And I worked at a management company out of a house. So it was a full house. So the offices, the bedrooms were offices. Which, you know, creates a really interesting dynamic because it's five assistants that you see every day and you work out of a house, so it's like a. They're like, we're family. And you're like, this is terrible. Anyway, there's this one assistant, and she was relatively new and she was just so cool, so driven, passionate. Like, just like a really all around great girl. Like, you guys should talk to her, by the way. Shout out Mahalia all day. She's working on Abbott elementary now. Love her. Love her to death. But she just showed up and, you know, it's kind of an old house, and so the power goes out and no one knows what to do. But obviously all of our bosses are like, this is life ending. And so someone has to go switch the place.
[00:26:42] Speaker C: They're freaking out.
[00:26:44] Speaker A: Yeah. You have no, like, the amount of texts I'm getting. Oh, my God. Whatever. I'm like, okay, okay. And Mahalia's like, I'm gonna go switch the breaker.
[00:26:52] Speaker C: They're running around the house, like, what are we doing?
[00:26:56] Speaker A: What the.
[00:26:57] Speaker C: Like, it's daytime. I'm going outside. Like, chill.
[00:27:00] Speaker A: It's also, we are next to a coffee shop. Like, if it's really that deep, like, go over there. Anyway, so Mahalia goes down there so naively to switch the breaker, and the breaker explodes in her face.
There is an explosion in the office that sounded like a bomb went off.
And, you know, all of us run down there to see what happened. And her glasses were black, charred. If she was not wearing them, I'm worried about what have happened to her eyes.
[00:27:30] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:27:30] Speaker A: The breaker explodes in her face, and she's, like, shaking because she got electrocuted as well.
And so then she's shaking. She was all shaken up. We're like, oh, my God, Go home. That was so crazy.
This. Please go home. Take care of yourself. All of us are like, all the assistants are with her, all this shit, whatever.
She leaves because she's covered in char also. So we were like, go home. She leaves. And then no one checked up on her. And everyone was mad that she left.
All of the managers and higher ups, hr, everybody. Why did she leave? She didn't get improvement. She didn't get approved to do that. And that was the moment for me where I was like, what the are you talking about?
She just had an explosion to the face.
And you guys are mad that she went home where she's gonna work remote.
She's not gonna know. It was just this moment of like, oh, this is so bad.
And that I can't. I can't be a part of this anymore. I can't. I can't do it morally. So that was, you know, because just to watch someone that, like, is 10 out of 10, top of the line, amazing get treated like absolute shit, which, you know, people have now told me have been like, well, girl, it was a little touch and go for you. But I'm like, I couldn't watch a friend go through that and then be like, it's, you know, time to come back. I was like, no, I'm gonna go.
[00:28:59] Speaker C: Yeah. So what. How did you. How did you navigate stepping away from that job? If you wouldn't mind sharing.
[00:29:06] Speaker A: No, I mean, it's a hard thing to do because also, I was very intertwined personally with my boss, so I watched his dog, his house, and his two children constantly, all the time.
I have also a lot of thoughts about my position as, like, A woman assistant, I think, where it's like, I had a lot of responsibility that I think is just placed upon me because I am a woman. Where it's like they're going to ask me to babysit, where they're not going to ask, you know, whatever. So I was super intertwined. And so I was very worried that he was going to be upset, lash out, whatever.
And so I just went into the next day, I just went into his office and I was like, hey, I think, you know, he also. They love to do this thing where they start hinting that you should maybe leave, that maybe you should leave. But it's not. It'll be like, if I make a mistake, it'll. We'll start talking about, well, what are you thinking for next steps? And I'll say like, oh, I'm a writer. I want to do this. Would you read my stuff? Whatever. Send him the stuff, never reads it kind of vibe, whatever. So I'm like, okay, I got to figure out my next steps. But nobody knows. And writers job, writers assistant jobs, showrunners, assistant jobs are also something that we put clients up for. So I watch that and then be like, well, I don't have fucking shit. So anyway, so I just went into his office and was like, this might come as a surprise. I want to do this as delicately as possible. I will. I knew that I really had to be, you know, on my best behavior. So I was like, I'll stay for a month. I'm telling you at the first of the month. I'm leaving by the end of the month. Which of course then turned into two months.
So, you know, then I entered into the two month phase of finding somebody, which during that time was also very interesting because I also perform and stuff. And so he would be like, you know what?
We just got an amazing opportunity. Why don't we have grace tape for that? And I would be like, this is gonna change my life. Let's have grace tape. That is about to change my life. So. So I'd put myself on tape. He would watch it in front of me and then say things like, this is amateur hour. I don't even know why you thought that this like, like crazy shit where he would be like, this is unbelievably bad is the subject. So I'm. I'm leaving no matter what. I'm losing my job, which I made the choice to. But now on top of that, my confidence is like, well, this is. I'm also bad. I'm also terrible. So I don't know what I'm doing. So was this weird then? Of course, you know, we go through a phase of hiring someone in and this is where, you know, he said I really want someone who wants to be a manager. And so I find someone that wants to be a manager and then when I leave, finally get out, it then turns into he's calling me every day because he hates his replacement and how did I leave him with this? How could I do this? Like I didn't. I.
So then it becomes this other, you know, so the bottom line is there's no right way to do it. I've now left three jobs and it one always give ample time because they're going to want more time than what they say.
So have a heart out, make it longer than what you give them and go from there. But yeah, I've never had, I've only had like one, I would say positive experience leaving a job and that was just because I worked for two women who were very like it was a temporary position so they were like, oh yeah, we should find someone that wants to be a manager or whatever. So.
So yeah, yeah.
[00:32:40] Speaker C: I'm curious because there are a lot of people who are either, you know, looking for assistant gigs or are currently in an assistant gig watching this. What are some of those? And it seems like your situation was to some extent as bad as it gets, you know, on the scale of like best job in the world to worst job ever. Like it's more towards the latter, I think. And assistant jobs can really be so many different things. Even Spanish from representation as you mentioned, production company, studios, like there's so many versions of that job. But I'm curious, you know what, what are some of those like coping skills that you found within the job?
Whether it's seeing your boss in a specific way, understand, trying to understand them as a person, self care things for yourself. Like I, I do want to just get into that because it, it is important and people are in all sorts of jobs around the world where they might want to hear this sort of thing. So I'm, I'm curious if you found anything from just going through that experience.
[00:33:44] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean I think the first thing I would say is every assistant needs to remember that. Especially if you're working in Hollywood. I would say if you're working in Hollywood, everybody needs to understand that this is for fun.
What we make is stuff for entertainment that's fun. So it really is not something that I would.
I think everybody treats their jobs way too seriously. I think care for sure Care as far as you can, but it is. It's not going to do you any favors to give it all of your personality, everything you have 24. 7. You can give that to your co workers, to relationships with them, but like I think to the job itself. Protect a piece of you at all times is what I would say.
[00:34:29] Speaker C: I love that
[00:34:32] Speaker A: you'll leave with feeling like nothing. And that is the saddest thing in the world.
Two, I think you have to be friends with your co workers. That has been my saving grace. Is like caring about my co workers giving a shit about the projects they're working on.
Every job I've had, the reason you show up the next day is the dream. Yes, but it's also the people where it's like you. The future is the people you're working with at these jobs. It's not the person you work for. Sorry, hate to break it to you, but I just am so much more interested in the people I've worked with than the people I've worked for.
So I think that's a fun one.
And then, yeah, write about it. I think agents and managers specifically are two.
I was so, so scared to write deckhand. And I've also gotten some bad feedback too where people were like, you're gonna get sued.
Which I'm like, no, I'm not. Because I work in law now. Okay, So I know, but, but you know, people being like, I wouldn't have done that. That is, you know, a little too abrasive or brash. But I think assistants and managers get to treat people terribly because they know that those connections usually get people there, whatever the fuck. They leverage that so that you stay silent about your experience, I think. And I'm really not interested in perpetuating that. So I think if, if someone is being shitty, talk about it and talk about it at work. You know, the whole don't gossip and shit just protects the people that are acting crazy. So I'm not a fan of that. So I think, you know, talk about it, write about it, interact with it. Like, you know, I. At my last assistant gig, I did a whole stand up set about what being an assistant feels like. And on my last day at the job, my boss was like, and by the way, that came across my for you page. And I was just like, and what did you. And what did you think, babe? And she was like, it was funny. So, you know, everybody should be able to laugh about how shitty it feels to be an assistant sometimes. And some people are like, my life is awesome. As an assistant. And I love that. That's great. I think that is more rare, so.
[00:36:45] Speaker C: Yeah, of course. Well, there's a lot there and I do think it's like, it is interesting sort of thinking about specifically in representation managers and agents because it is such a personality driven business.
If you look at like the tops of the tops of the agencies, like these are guys who because of their personality to some extent have risen to the top, which is tough. Which is tough because they will do anything to preserve that personality, you know, which is throw people under the bus.
A lot of the reason why assistants are there sometimes is for someone to blame. You know, it's someone who you give 15% of the ownership of your identity so that you can blame that 15% when something goes wrong, you know, a
[00:37:29] Speaker A: hundred percent and it is.
And then it trickles down. Well, if this hadn't happened, that my assistant had been more on top of. That's usually the way it goes. So it's, it's a game of it's not my fault, which is so stupid. Which, you know, but keeps me coming back, I won't lie.
[00:37:49] Speaker C: Yeah, it's, it's, it's Hollywood and like, just like, you know, there are characters in movies, there are characters in, in these companies and, and it, sometimes that goes even more than like the business foresight, you know, like there or think sway in specific ways. Yeah, it's, it's a super complex thing and there, there is obviously it's like a near impossible road to navigate. So that is why I asked that question about coping mechanisms and things like that because I think I hate to come on this podcast and you know, talk about a problem so much without finding some sort of solution, you know.
[00:38:28] Speaker A: Well, I mean I think the solution is don't put your dreams on someone else. That was something I really was like, oh, there's the solution. It's like don't ever believe what your boss is telling you, which is a crazy thing to say. But like don't believe it until they've done it because you will just fall in love with what they're telling you, which any creative would.
So I think that's a way to go about it and also place more importance on the relationships of your co workers and you than the relationships of you and your boss.
[00:39:02] Speaker C: Absolutely. And you see it, you even see it with your boss of like the people that they grew up with, you know, being, you know, hopefully your boss was an assistant at some point. That's the way that it like ideally
[00:39:14] Speaker A: they have that I've also dealt with a lot of people where it's like, it was so much harder for me. So I can do pretty much anything to you, which is the worst case scenario. Where like, especially in agencies, I get that a lot. Where it's like, well, for me it was so difficult to get where I am to be an agent and I was put through shit to get here. So I'm gonna put you through something and be like, well, it was fine.
[00:39:37] Speaker C: So, you know, that's not the way that things progress. Like what? Like that's just like not like societally how things should be. It should be like I went through that so I'm gonna make things better. Better for the person. Like that's just like the simplest logical societal thinking that they're not computer, you
[00:39:55] Speaker A: know, I think there is nothing logical about the entertainment industry. Like it is so emotions and like how I feel or how that impacted me or it's just, it's really all about. Everyone in Hollywood pretty much gives a shit about themselves more than anybody else, which is so, you know, whatever, do your thing. But I think to create workplace, you know, environments based around people that are going out for themselves every step of the way, it gets really muddy really quick.
[00:40:30] Speaker C: So, so, so now, now that you're on the other side of things and you are a writer and you do have a job that's, you know, pretty outside of the industry, how do you, how do you interact with that side of the industry? Because, you know, you are putting on a show that's going to be in Edinburgh where like there's a lot of mainstream people who come to that and you obviously want to progress as a writer in a career. So how do you navigate having this, Having had this experience?
[00:40:59] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, I think I have a really.
I think I identify as an assistant. So I think that is something that keeps me in the scene, in the mix where it's like I'm not.
I really dislike people that want to pretend that they didn't like. I, I really hate the people that forget the people that got them to where they are. That is something that I feel very passionate about. Where it's like if I interned with you, I'm still in touch with you. If I worked with you, like you or dislike you, I. You are still someone I invite to things, talk to. So like I keep those relationships, you know, intact and a lot of those people also are out of the industry, into the industry, whole different sect and like that keeps it fresh for me. And I also think Just I am someone that very much so believes that if I'm pushing the boulder up the hill, I will get it to the other side. I'm just not gonna. You know, if I keep putting shit out there, the right person or the right, you know, whatever will connect itself to me. I'm not willing to connect myself to someone and give up on my morale to do so. So I think that that's what's going on. But, yeah, I think it's. It's. It's really hard. It is really hard, though. I won't pretend that it's not, but I am so much happier outside side of being an assistant, so it's worth it.
[00:42:30] Speaker B: Are you. Are you repped currently?
[00:42:34] Speaker A: No, I'm.
Get ready for this. I'm repped for musical theater and commercials, but that's it.
So.
[00:42:43] Speaker B: Because. And I guess it's kind of a. An addition to White's previous question about your relationship to that side. But of course, now, being an artist, like, being considered talent and, you know, representation, I assume, is. It is here, and it is. Probably you'll be wrapped as a writer or mp, whatever it is. But, like, yeah. Are you kind of like, I don't want that. I do want that. I'm gonna go about it like this. I'm gonna keep myself very distant or I'm gonna be very friendly.
How are you thinking about that? If you are?
[00:43:18] Speaker A: I mean, of course I'm thinking about it. And I. I think, again, this is where it all gets super muddy, is it's like, well, I have these dreams. A lot of people are like, I need a rep to make those dreams come true or whatever. So it's like, yes, at some point, I would love to have somebody to blame to have that rep, to be like, well, you could have. I'm kidding. I. I don't know. I think 1. Sorry. Me being like, I'm looking for someone to blame.
But I think I.
I care so much more about just doing what I want to do.
I'm gonna keep doing it even if no one is backing me, because that's what's important.
If I were to, you know, want to be repped, go out there looking for reps, I would want to work with someone I either know very well and, you know, have worked with in the past, I. E. If an assistant that I, you know, whatever, like some nursing that and, like, really keeping that, because those are the people I enjoy working with. Absolutely. For me, like, riding that wave, I am way more comfortable doing that than being like, oh, I'D love to. To have a general. Like, I'm like, you know.
[00:44:27] Speaker B: Right.
[00:44:28] Speaker A: I just, I'm. I would be more interested in that. But I think also I just take so much more gratification on being someone that does it on my own. So, like, going to Edinburgh is completely. Just because I want to. And I think it's a great step for me, and I think it is the next step. So I don't need someone to tell me that that's the next step. I've made the choice. I sound crazy.
[00:44:52] Speaker B: You don't.
That's the. When we talk about a lot on here of like, at some point you got to look inward and say, am I doing the work? No one's going to do it for me. Um, I have a question about writing for you.
[00:45:05] Speaker A: Oh, my God.
[00:45:06] Speaker B: And I wrote down Keeping contained interesting because you have a couple characters.
You're on a boat.
How. How did you go about keeping that story interesting? And I know we. We haven't even spoken about comedy or improv, but there is so much.
[00:45:24] Speaker A: My first love.
[00:45:25] Speaker B: But. But improv is like such a. Such a wonderful tool for writing for specifically something like this, where it's like, let's find just. We're in one space, it's two characters. That's so much information. Let's just stay with this information, this data here, and dig into that rather than blowing it out of proportion and going crazy and there's a war happening and this and that.
[00:45:46] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, the first play that I ever wrote and was like, oh, this is something I'm happy with was a different, like, forced proximity play where it took place on a train.
So that was like the first one. Second one has been this boat. Who knows, maybe plane is next. But I think the most interesting thing to write about for me personally is relationships and dynamics between people.
I just have so much more to say about that. And I also, like, I feel very passionate about writing what I know and what I feel and, like, situations and stuff like that, where it's like, you know, I, you know, working with other assistants, it's like you meet someone and you're like, oh, my God, you're writing a historical drama, One hour Pilot. And it's like, I.
Not. Yeah, yeah, I love it. I love it. But I'm like, that is so for sure where I'm.
[00:46:41] Speaker B: You're.
[00:46:41] Speaker C: You've. You've sort of found your. Your.
Your first passion and like, this, like, niche that you can really dig into, it seems like.
[00:46:49] Speaker A: Totally.
Yeah. So force, proximity. Is huge for me because I just think also the agent and Stuck in an Elevator. Classic, you know, it's classic. And so much comes one of my, like, one of the first movies. I remember being like, this is an amazing movie.
And one just so, you know, have rewatched it. It's not. It's not. But I remember at, like, 8 years old, watching a movie called Devil.
Have you heard seen this movie. I think it's called Devil. It's about a bunch of people that get stuck in an elevator, and one of them is the Devil.
[00:47:24] Speaker C: Wow.
[00:47:25] Speaker A: I'm sorry. That pitch just sold itself like that to me. I was like, this is a great idea.
And so, you know, like, I think, you know, everybody wants to kill their boss for the most part. And I loved playing with that with Deckhand, where it's like, you know, I want to kill you. I literally hate you, and I can't. And I also feel like I need to keep it together because I have to show up to work on Monday with you. And so it's this interesting.
I'm still playing a part. I'm playing the assistant, but I am fearing for my life, and you're telling me it's fine and playing with that and, like. Because I think a lot of assistants is like one of my dear friends who's producing the comedy show Assistants, Only with me, we used to say, like, you know, talk about how, like, a little piece of us dies every day. A little bit of us gets chipped away every day. A little bit dies every day. And so I thought about it a lot as, like, okay, and today is the day where it all falls apart. Like, what is that day?
And I loved writing it, and it was just this huge kind of purge. And then working on it with Wiley, who is. One thing about me is like, I am not visual. I have no desire to direct. I think it sounds like the scariest, worst job in the world. And I'm just like, I try to design a room and it looks terrible. Like, that is like, I have shortcomings. And Wiley is like, the perfect puzzle piece.
[00:48:54] Speaker C: Yeah. Such a visual person. Yeah.
[00:48:57] Speaker A: So meticulous, so under, you know, just was the perfect person to work with me on this because she just made it so much better. So I think the writing was so cathartic, so great for me. And then Wiley just literally brought it to life. And so it's been the best experience of my life, has been working on this with Wiley.
[00:49:17] Speaker C: So having having two characters that both towards the other person. It's like I hate you, but I need you. That, that is.
[00:49:25] Speaker A: I hate you, but I need you.
[00:49:26] Speaker C: Yeah, that. That's a really fun. Like, I'm curious about, you know, getting into the actual writing process. Like, what was the timeline on that? And then if we could talk about. Also, like, because. And, And I love you called it a forced proximity play. But it's also, you know, you.
You run the risk of maybe losing structure to some extent or things like that. So how do you, like, structure something to do that? Like, you know, make that. That arc that people. Keeps people tuned and when do you choose to reveal information, Things like that? Like, I'm. I'm curious about getting into that, too.
[00:50:04] Speaker A: Yeah, I mean, it's. I mean, we. There was a lot of different iterations about, like, time and how to play with time. And, you know, the first one, of course, is, I'm like, on a projector. We'll display our one. And then Wiley was like, absolutely not. There's no reason to do that.
We don't need to do that. And so then it's like, you know, lighting, I think, shows time and everything. And for me, what was really important is scene by scene, it has to get worse. Has to get worse. Because I think your worst days don't stop getting worse. They just keep getting worse. That is, at least in my experience, where it's like, it's never one thing happened, and now I hate my day because I can get through one thing.
Oh, my God, it keeps getting worse. It's more and more humiliating, I feel, you know, and so that was really important to me. But also it was important for me to make it funny and to make it feel not just like, this young girl is being degraded.
[00:51:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:51:00] Speaker A: Literally.
[00:51:00] Speaker C: I mean, like, cathartic.
[00:51:02] Speaker A: Yeah. And I.
I'm kind of a. I used to be very. Like, I need to write a certain amount of pages per day or I need to, like, do a bunch of outlining or whatever. And, like, sometimes I still engage with that, but I think with the. When I read the Rick Rubin thing, it was like, I was like, well, or I can just sit down and write this. I'm just going to sit down and write it in one day. So I wrote the original draft in one day. It was bad. Obviously, it was bad. I wrote it at home because I. This was like, you know, it was. I was driving home to. I'm from Temecula, California. Okay, people, shout out.
Shout out to Macula. Okay, huge. Temecula.
I was driving home.
[00:51:50] Speaker B: There's no way. Do you guys Call each other Temeculin. Is that a real.
[00:51:54] Speaker C: Hell, yeah, of course.
[00:51:55] Speaker A: Temecula is the south of California. Like it?
[00:51:58] Speaker C: I've never even.
[00:52:00] Speaker B: That's amazing.
[00:52:01] Speaker A: Don't worry, you'll go for a wedding. I'm sure someone will.
[00:52:03] Speaker C: There's always weddings, though. That's so true.
[00:52:06] Speaker A: Thank you.
So.
So I was on the way home and I was literally being. It's like a two or three hour drive and I was being berated with phone calls and text messages and all the bullshit, and I was just like, I'm pissed off.
I love boats. Time to sit down and write this.
So that was like, really how I wrote it. And then I just did painful drafts, painful drafts over and over and over and over and over until I got to a place where it all worked together. So. And I'm still working on different drafts and stuff and thinking about how a US audience versus a UK audience is going to respond to this material. But.
But that's also fun and the piece is alive. And that's why I love that it's a play and not a short film.
[00:52:58] Speaker C: Yeah. It's always living and breathing. I love that. And you can rework things based on how the audience perceives it. Things like that. Are you planning to put it up at all before Edinburgh and work things out?
[00:53:10] Speaker A: Yeah. So we're planning on doing some previews. It's gonna be at Nico's Wines at the end of July.
[00:53:16] Speaker C: Amazing. Yeah, amazing. We'll for sure promote that. That's fantastic.
[00:53:21] Speaker B: I. I wrote down writers jobs I don't have in quotes, and you mentioned that in talking about your boss back in the day, reps or was putting clients up for rooms and showrunner positions.
[00:53:35] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:53:35] Speaker B: And you thought to yourself, like, again, I don't. I don't have.
What is. Is this play? Is it. Is it just a sample? Is it a short film? Is it like, what is that? Yeah.
[00:53:50] Speaker A: That is the ultimate question that all of us are chasing. Also, I think where, you know, I. The first job I ever had, I was a floater, but then I ended up working for one of the, like, newer agents at, you know, this talent agency, whatever. And the first, like, crack in the glass for me was there was a writer's assistant job and we were calling and pitching clients on it for an assistant job. And I was just dumbfounded. I was like, wait, I didn't realize that's how that worked. And I've seen that at every job I've had where it's a showrunner's assistant writer's assistant and they are pitching their clients to do that job, which for me, I was just like, that is fundamentally, I mean, it's at that point, it's not an entry level position for the writers room then. So you need to figure out something even lower than that because clearly if you have to be, you know, whatever. So I think for me, what I kept running into is I have a pretty big body of work. Like, I've written pilots, features, plays that I'm always writing and working on stuff, you know, because that's just how I am. But I think the thing that was really hard for me is it doesn't matter if what I, if I have everything, if I check all the boxes, if I don't have the Nepo connect or someone really pushing from the inside, it probably is not going to happen.
And that was just, I mean, it's just, it's hard to know that. It's hard to know that and then still have faith in getting that job. And not to say that it doesn't happen for people, it does. And you know, the interview process occasionally prevails and I go, power to you. But the amount of times that I have been up for a position and then later it gets back to me that it's a cousin or, you know, somebody's blah, blah, blah. It just. And also that's everybody's story. Every assistant trying to get a writer's assistant or whatever. So, so, yeah, but, but that again,
[00:55:56] Speaker B: it sounds like you've, you've learned that and are so aware of that and have taken that in stride. Rather than the opposite, where it's like, I guess I'll give up.
Instead, it's like, I'm going to do this, I'm going to keep pushing, I'm going to keep creating and making and making and writing and writing until they like, you can't ignore me, you know, as, as simple as that. And that's how you do. Like, that is the one proven track of, like, if you push hard enough for long enough and continue to put out great stuff like it, it's impossible for someone to not see you. And by the way, at that point, who cares? Because if you actually genuinely care about it, you're doing the thing for yourself. And who cares about any of that stuff?
[00:56:37] Speaker A: It's like, that's really where I try to operate from, is more from like the, like. Yeah, like, because also, like, I, I think I'm very, I can be very. Well, this is the, this is the thing. I hate X or whatever, but the truth is, it's like, you know, if someone came to me and was like, please apply for this writer's assistant job for the show you love. I'm all over that.
But I. What had to change in me is that blind faith where this is going to be the thing that changes it. This is going to be the thing that has to be dead. Because the thing that matters is what I'm doing day to day, what I'm pushing towards.
[00:57:17] Speaker C: Don't put your dream on other people. Yeah, it.
[00:57:20] Speaker A: Because it's not gonna work. And if it does, then there's all these other weird things that I've seen come up too, where it's like, oh, you got it, but.
And that. And so there is no right way. There is no path. There is only being happy and making that you feel very passionate about. And I feel, you know, that that's where I want to operate from. But also, I'm still learning, growing, changing all of the above.
[00:57:50] Speaker B: So absolutely, there's real power in, like, with the festival with like sponsorships and stuff. I used to get so excited when I'd like, get an email back or a phone call and they're like, yeah, we're super interested. This sounds awesome. We'll do this.
And then there's never a contract or the contract comes, they don't sign it and I would lose my mind. I would be like, this is. It's over, I'm done.
[00:58:14] Speaker C: Because you've put like, you've put your self worth into these other people.
[00:58:18] Speaker B: Yeah, you're in it, you've seen it. And I've learned over the years and so many moments like that, whether with venues falling through or films or sponsorships, it's like, I will not get excited until the thing is signed. And by the way, once it is signed, it's like there's still so much more work to do. You know, it's like it's a very different kind of mindset where it's like, I'm not. Like you said, it's that blind faith is a waste of energy.
[00:58:44] Speaker A: You know, it's so. Yeah. And like, I also just feel like, you know, in the interview process of what? Whatever. It's like the amount of times I've done three interviews and by the third interview you're like, well, this one's a formality.
The third one is, I've got this. And then you don't get it. And that feeling of, oh, I'm not good enough, or I didn't have what it takes to do X Again, sound crazy, but just isn't valuable to me. I don't want to interact with that feeling.
It'll come up, sure.
But if I can kind of check myself at the door and be like, if I get it, great. If I don't, well, I really have a lot of work to do on X. That's usually where I'm at, is it's like. And I feel that way with, like, auditioning for UCB and auditioning for, you know, other stuff where I have a lot going on at all times. And that's how I've always been. So I can't really stay in one place, in one failure, in one shortcoming for too long because I get bored,
[00:59:45] Speaker B: you know, so it's fantastic.
[00:59:47] Speaker C: I love that.
Well, I. I do want to be wary of time. And we do always close out the episodes asking the guest one question, which is, Grace, what is the dream?
[01:00:00] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I mean, the dream is to write and perform my own stuff. So, you know, the people I look at are the fleabags, the baby reindeers of the world, that kind of thing where it's like, Edinburgh, it's the right path and that, you know. Well, of course that's also on the mind. But, like, you have a project that you have just put your 100% in and it's you and it's your voice, it's your tone. Ideally, I would love to follow kind of that thing, but I think my dreams are constantly in flux, which I love. I love to make new dreams. I love to, you know, stay flexible with it. Because, like, you know, even in doing a play, I was like, my dream isn't to be a playwright. But then I was like, maybe it is because I'm having a great time doing this and love theater. And I did that my whole life. So, like, I think I don't box myself in, which I think, you know, in a world full of label yourself for marketing, I'm like, you know what? Fuck that. I. I want if. As long as I'm writing and performing shit that I think is funny, my dream, dream has come true.
[01:01:09] Speaker C: So I love that. And no matter what you are, you'll always be an assistant, right?
[01:01:14] Speaker A: I'll always be an assistant. I love being an assistant. I love assistant humor. I. All of it. There's such a culture with assistance. It's beautiful.
[01:01:25] Speaker C: You know, Grace, it's been so, so inspiring talking to you and I, as you. As you know, we've discussed.
We don't want to just bring up a problem without Providing a solution. And I feel like we feel very empowered to solve our problems after this episode.
So thanks for coming on. We really appreciate it.
[01:01:47] Speaker A: Thank you so much for having me. This was an absolute pleasure.
[01:01:52] Speaker B: Thank you, Grace. Enjoy. Where are you? The Hollywood Hills. Are you in the Hills? Enjoy. The Hills.
[01:01:57] Speaker C: There we go. One final day in the Hills.
[01:02:00] Speaker A: Exactly.
[01:02:01] Speaker C: I love it.
[01:02:01] Speaker A: That's my memoir.
[01:02:06] Speaker C: And now it's 5050 after hours.
Lots to unpack here.
[01:02:13] Speaker B: Lots to unpack. She's off first of all. Awesome.
Yeah, Very inspiring.
[01:02:19] Speaker C: Very.
[01:02:20] Speaker B: I love the energy.
I. I was very shocked to hear that she was writing throughout all of that. Like it, it. During the, the assistant days. Shock might be the wrong word, but like it seemed like she got to a point where she's like, okay, I can't do this anymore. I have to write. But she was writing the whole time.
[01:02:40] Speaker C: You know what? I. So I had to wake up relatively early this past week and I was looking at like, you know, you can like label alarms like 6:30am you know, go, go to airport.
One of them for 6:30 was Luke writing. And I was just like thinking back to like when I was an assistant at fourth Wall. And we would like, you would for some reason entertain me waking up and starting writing at 7 and writing from 7 to 8:30.
And we would do that fully with Hunter. And it's just, it's a.
And I think we more than not. I was just like too exhausted to write. But there were times, you know, and every, every person in that sort of grueling position has their own bandw and like, you know, view on their mental health too, which is like so important. But it's tough to be doing that.
And she, it seems she's so prolific already with just the amount of stuff that she was talking about having written. And you know, it's really cool.
[01:03:43] Speaker B: The play sounds awesome. Like I want to see that.
[01:03:45] Speaker C: And so it sounds so cool. I love the idea of a forced proximity play. I'm gonna like bar. I for some reason have never had.
I have not eaten that term.
[01:03:54] Speaker B: I've not either.
[01:03:55] Speaker C: But it's great. She's awesome.
[01:03:58] Speaker B: I. I really liked how she introed herself. I think every episode we should just kind of throw it on the guests and be like, pitch yourself to us.
[01:04:07] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
[01:04:08] Speaker B: You know, it's like.
[01:04:09] Speaker C: And we'll decide if we want to talk with you for the rest. Like.
[01:04:12] Speaker B: Cool, thanks.
We're gonna go. Yeah.
[01:04:15] Speaker C: It turns out to be a two minute episode.
[01:04:17] Speaker B: Yeah. No, but I, I think that's an important skill of, like.
And you don't really get to do that in a playful setting ever.
[01:04:24] Speaker C: Totally.
[01:04:25] Speaker B: You know, it's like, it could be a fun little addition of, like.
[01:04:30] Speaker C: I don't know if we just to make sure, because we. We sometimes have the issue where we'll, like, get into a conversational flow so easily, and we'll be talking about whatever for so long, and then we'll be like, oh, wait, your name's Grace. Right. You know, and it's like, it's 15 minutes in, so we forget that.
[01:04:46] Speaker B: I like that we forget that the listeners can't see us sometimes.
[01:04:50] Speaker C: You know, I like that. As a formatting thing, for sure. Could be fun.
[01:04:54] Speaker B: Bird by bird. Bird by bird. I'm gonna buy that book.
[01:04:58] Speaker C: So many books to probably link in the description, I would say.
[01:05:02] Speaker B: Yeah.
[01:05:03] Speaker C: And then she has a show at Lyric Hyperion, the Assistant show.
Assistants only is what it's called.
And then she has her play Deckhand, that there will be a couple previews, which we'll promote probably towards the beginning of the summer, May, June, and then she's heading to Edinburgh, which is, I think, late August. So if you're in Edinburgh or you're just a fan and want to keep track of stuff going on there, Grace Guy is going to be there with Deckhand.
[01:05:32] Speaker B: And she mentioned. She mentioned Fringe Fest. Is that, like, the festival out here?
[01:05:37] Speaker C: Yeah, so. Well, it's technically. So there's Hollywood Fringe, which is sort of like a precursor to.
Precursor to Edinburgh, which also serves as its own thing, is sort of like, you know, every theater that holds 50 people in Los Angeles participates in Edinburgh Fringe. It's really cool, super convenient to go to. And there's varying levels of, like, you know, professional elements to the plays. You know, like, it could just be like, a bunch of college students putting something on, or it could be someone who is heading. Testing stuff out to head to Edinburgh right after. And then Edinburgh Fringe Fest is like the historically significant sort of birthplace of Fleabag baby reindeer. All the stuff she mentioned.
[01:06:20] Speaker B: Whoa, wait, Fleabag started as a.
[01:06:23] Speaker C: As a play? Yeah, it's actually on.
It's on some streaming service. You can see, like, a film version of the play. And it's cool. It's really cool.
[01:06:32] Speaker B: I don't think Grace mentioned it because I know she mentioned performing, but, like, in her dream, too, of wanting to write and perform her own stuff. Did she say she's acting in it? I don't think she said that.
[01:06:42] Speaker C: I don't think she is. She talked about. She actually didn't talk about the person who would be playing her. Maybe it is her, but, you know,
[01:06:50] Speaker B: Yonose, pretty cool, though. It's pretty cool.
[01:06:53] Speaker C: She's like, she clearly has that. Those elements of like, okay, this person's like a force to be reckoned with. Like someone in the theater scene who also writes pilots and features and is like, so prolific. And that's what you got to do, you know, Regardless, as she said, that's like one of the main takeaways I found is like, nobody's going to do your dream for you. Like, do not rely on, on anybody for that, for that true dream. Obviously, they're the people who come up with your frequent collaborators. But, like, you got to do it for yourself, you know?
[01:07:25] Speaker B: I love that. And you had a. I was loving your questions too. Specifically when she's talking about being an assistant, you were kind of asking how she'd take care of herself in that time. And I do think so much of any of we just said of like chasing your own dreams is you got to know your dreams, you know? Yeah, you gotta. You gotta know what you want to be able to go for the thing.
[01:07:45] Speaker C: Yeah, the.
[01:07:46] Speaker B: And that takes time. That takes time. You gotta.
[01:07:48] Speaker C: You gotta pick up the call. The self care part always goes on the back burner. You see it, however old you are, you could be a senior agent and still like, really on the basic levels of figuring out self care, you know, it's tough for sure, especially in a job where you're never supposed to prioritize yourself.
That's what an assistant is.
Your job is to support your boss or bosses, but you just pick up what you can along the way. And I, for one, I think my personal view is that I do try to do the best to learn my boss's job when I'm an assistant and take those times outside of work for utilizing your boss's work and the people they're talking to to meet their assistance. And if their assistants are at a company that you find is cool, go ask them questions.
Just soak up as much as you can as an assistant. I think that's one of the biggest benefits of the job.
[01:08:51] Speaker B: I mean, for me too, having heard a lot of stories from assistants on the podcast and also from you and friends, it's like, this was one that stands out, like Grace's story of like, whoa. Like, this is that side that people mention and kind of whisper about of like, the potential of maybe that could happen. I've never actually spoken to someone that has actually had that so it's interesting to hear.
[01:09:17] Speaker C: We always try to preface on the podcast, which is like, you know, the assistant job is a grind. It sucks a lot of the time, no matter what. And then I'll always try to be like, well, there are, like, extenuating circumstances where it is, like, dangerous.
I think we found our extenuating circumstances.
[01:09:31] Speaker B: Right.
[01:09:31] Speaker C: Like, it's, you know, crazy.
[01:09:33] Speaker B: I mean, I feel horrible for. For her in that time and everything, but it seems like she really kind of put a positive spin on it and was able to write something and make it very personal and is now sharing it with the world. You know, it's.
[01:09:47] Speaker C: It's. It's incredible. It's exactly how it should work. It's like the best version of that. So. Yeah, it's awesome. And she's awesome. Yeah. Grace. Guy.
[01:09:56] Speaker B: Hey, Wyatt, you're awesome, too, man. Wyatt is awesome.
[01:09:59] Speaker C: Luke, you're all right.
[01:10:01] Speaker B: Wyatt is a good dude.
[01:10:03] Speaker C: All right. All right, I'll see you, man.
[01:10:05] Speaker B: What are you doing today? You around? What do you. Yeah, you hopping around?
[01:10:09] Speaker C: Yeah, I'll probably take you wanna do
[01:10:10] Speaker B: you wanna maybe hang out?
[01:10:11] Speaker C: No, no, no, no, no. I'm kind of back to back.
[01:10:15] Speaker B: Maybe. Maybe dinner or something. Do you want to maybe get dinner later?
[01:10:18] Speaker C: I'm good, man. Oh, happy birthday, by the way.
[01:10:21] Speaker B: Thank you. I. Yeah, I mean, I was just trying to have a dinner with just you and me for my birthday.
[01:10:26] Speaker C: No, no, I'm not around, but I'm probably gonna be.
[01:10:30] Speaker B: I mean, I kept doing my own thing today.
[01:10:32] Speaker C: Thanks.
[01:10:32] Speaker B: I could talk to my dad and push my birthday a couple days, if that.
[01:10:36] Speaker C: Yeah. You know what? I am going on probably a long trip soon that I. It's gonna be like. I can't really talk about it, but
[01:10:45] Speaker B: it's a. I mean, are you back. Are you back sometime this week or maybe next week?
[01:10:50] Speaker C: All right, dude. Yo. Happy birthday.
See you around, dude.
