Living the Damn Dream

This is it! Mike and Sarah talk about when to give up in this business, how to tell if you have what it takes to succeed in entertainment, and what's next for them. And Sarah cries.

She's the voice of Apple News, Time.com, and literally hundreds of audiobooks. Dara Rosenberg teaches us all how to start and maintain a career doing voiceover work, no matter what your voice sounds like.

There's major (and sad) podcast news this week. But then! Mike finally answers The Damn Dozen.

Working in media can be fun and glamorous. But here are all the reasons Sarah and Mike wish they worked in other industries.

New York Times-published writer Ashley Oken -- an LTDD listener, so you know she's smart -- tells us how she left her career pursuits as a teacher to follow her true dream of writing. A true inspiration for anybody looking to drop their shackles and chase a career in media.

Learn how to use social media to interact with other people in the industry, get more exposure for your brand or content, and not be a spammy DMer.

Sarah's worked with a social media coach for the last couple months, and she and Mike are here to teach you some of the biggest lessons to improve your social media game.

Find out what Sarah and Mike have been up to on hiatus, from hosting TV with Snoop Dogg to what happens when you send a viral tweet that gets more than 3.7 million impressions.

Mike and Sarah share their own personal experiences with applying for and being on game shows, and tell you how you can get on them. Plus, some big show news (besides Mike's microphone not working).

Mike and Sarah interview Eugene Byon -- who's been a contestant on Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and The $100,000 Pyramid -- for all his tips and advice on how to get on a game show yourself.

It's tax season! Mike and Sarah have tips on how to minimize your tax burden if you're a freelancer, some of their tax horror stories as independent contractors, and hear why Sarah's accountant is ghosting her and holding her taxes hostage.

Does the college you go to matter? Can Sarah and I get you a job where we work? We had so many things to debunk last week, we're doing it again!

We're looking at some of the biggest assumptions about life in media and telling you what's real or fake. Also, Mike reads his adult erotica audition, no big deal.

Lots of news actually: Sarah moved out of state and maybe suffered identity theft applying for a gig? Mike is coming back to the Mets and maybe forgot how to host once he puts a mask on? That, plus: a new app where you can pay to dictate an influencer's daily decisions, would we host podcasts for 4-year-olds on PBS, and Sarah is not used to all the sun in her new apartment.

Planning on making a life or career change? Sarah's overhauling her entire online personality with a professional coach; Mike's starting his own new business; and they both have the stories and tips to get you off your plateau this week. Plus: do you like hanging out with your siblings in just underwear? Then boy do we have the job for you!

She's a celebrity interviewer and entertainment host who's worked in sports, pop culture, and interviewed everyone from Bad Bunny to Vanessa Hudgens. Neha Joy talks about switching from an acting career to a hosting one, her time with the New York Mets and Amazon, and, of course, answers the Damn Dozen.

Sarah tells you how she landed hosting Tsu, HQ Trivia, and some of her biggest recent acting gigs. Mike explains how he ended up hosting for the Mets, American Kennel Club, and Billboard News. And in both cases, as Sarah wanted it, you will gain VALUE from our stories!

Your favorite content creators don't just show up on set and read lines like Ron Burgundy. Mike and Sarah break down all the other hats they have to wear to make their on-camera careers a reality.

The new HBO documentary took three unknown people and tried to turn them Instagram famous with fake followers and scams. And it worked! Mike and Sarah obviously have lots of thoughts. Plus, Mike gets an offer for foot fetish work!

The podcast is now available in video! To celebrate, Mike and Sarah each pick their three best tips from the history of the show. And turns out Sarah takes this video thing a lot more seriously than Mike.

How do you deal with rejection? Luckily, tons of jobs have turned Mike and Sarah down for their looks, told them no because of their Instagram posts, or flat-out ghosted them. So they've got the stories for you to laugh at, and the tips for you to get past any rejection in your own life.

How do you explain a career to family and friends when none of them understand what you do? Or date someone who wants you to quit your dream job? Mike and Sarah have gone through it so you don't have to!

Mike's back from Spain meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time, and Sarah's trying to change her entire social media image. Plus, all the newest gigs and wildest auditions they've both got to start 2021.

Mike and Sarah say peace out to the worst year ever. They share the biggest professional lesson they each learned in 2020, and their career resolutions for 2021. And: does Sarah have the chest girth to play a Russian astronaut, and just how is Mike getting to meet so many teenagers?

Nobody messed up this week and we have an episode -- a Christmas miracle! Time to catch you up on everything we've been up to, including Sarah being on set for 10 hours in the cold with no food to play a toe, and Mike getting a job two years after a company first rejected him for an Australian guy. Plus, guess how much Amazon is paying new hosts for a 10-week on-camera gig -- *internet clickbait voice* THE ANSWER WILL SHOCK YOU!

They're the award-winning executive producers and co-founders of NikoFrank Productions: Maggie and Spiro join the show to answer The Damn Dozen, offer tips for success in front of and behind the camera, and talk a lot about AJ McLean. Plus, Sarah shares some huge news and how you can (seriously) make $2,000 and your acting debut.

In an episode unlike any other (what happens when one of the two hosts of a podcast forgets to turn his mic on?), Mike and Sarah welcome actor and director Chris Naoki Lee to answer the Damn Dozen.

Mike and Sarah celebrate 1 year of Living the Damn Dream by looking back at how their careers have changed in the last 12 months (pandemic, anyone?) and what lessons they've learned that can help you in your professional and personal life.

Mike and Sarah give thanks to all of the tech, apps, and other stuff (aka Mike *loves* his makeup powder) that power their careers, and share all the recommendations on which items they use that can make your life easier.

After remembering the late Alex Trebek, Sarah and Mike tell you everything you need to know about acting and performing unions. How do you get into SAG-AFTRA? What are the perks and drawbacks? And, why did Sarah leave the union to become a scab?!

We have no idea what your (or our) mental space might look like on or after Election Day, so here's a fun episode to listen to no matter when you get to it: Sarah answers our own Damn Dozen! Her worst audition ever, first celebrity crush, advice to be like her, and more.

Would Sarah want Flo from Progressive's career? What job made Mike audition for 6 hours? And would you let a couple live with you for a week to film your life for $100/a day?

We're going back into Sarah's DMs...a scary place to be! Anybody who's online deals with trolls. But for people who work in media, it's almost a job requirement. Mike and Sarah break down the different kinds of internet trolls, tips for how to deal with them, and share some real examples of abuse they've taken from strangers.

You'll know why he's called "The Man With the Voice" about 3 seconds after hearing Marcellus Shepard speak. So not only does the radio host/actor/voiceover artist answer the Damn Dozen, but he gives Mike and Sarah tips on how to make their voices sexier, reveals which celeb singer was the worst interview of his career, and why -- wait, really? -- Bette Midler in "Beaches" was his first crush growing up.

Social media is ruining our lives. Fun! Mike and Sarah react to some entertainment news, like Tyler Perry filming four shows in 51 days in a total bubble, and the cast of Riverdale mouthwashing before every makeout scene (6:01). Then, they break down Netflix's "The Social Dilemma" and what the future of social media looks like for content creators (17:50). And in the Casting Calls of the Week (54:14), who's single and ready to jingle?!

How much time do Mike and Sarah spend on Instagram, Twitter, and (lol) Facebook? What about on podcasts, reading, watching TV, or music? And when do they consume what? Time to break down how they spend their days online and what it might mean, so you can compare your day too. And just a very brief mention of porn.

Manon Mathews joins the show through itchy eyes in a California wildfire to talk about how she's turned what was the worst year of her life into one of the most successful professionally, how you can get in the headspace to do the same, which of the "Friends" actors bought her new book, and answer the Damn Dozen.

After some life updates (Sarah's hosting again! Mike is...not!), we dive into reader stories on what you've had to deal with in 2020, how your mental health has changed this year, and offer some advice and perspective on how to all get through this together.

Mental health is a big deal in any walk of life. Mike and Sarah share the specific challenges people in show business deal with, themselves included. After remembering Chadwick Boseman and Sarah making a very big announcement (1:14), they get into those issues (14:06), offer solutions they've used for how you can better your own mental health (38:48), and then both found some naked jobs in the Casting Calls of the Week (56:25).

Life's a pitch! If you've ever had an idea and thought "That would be an awesome TV show or movie," this is the episode for you. Sarah and Mike tell you what you need to do with your pitch, and how to do it. Plus: they need your help for next week's episode!

Movie theaters and gyms are reopening across America, so Mike and Sarah talk about whether or not they'd go to those yet, plus if they'd go to an indoor restaurant, concert, comedy show, sports game, flight, or TV studio to work right now. Then, in the Casting Calls of the Week, it's Trump and Karens -- like we haven't had enough of both already.

Mike's back from vacation! He and Sarah give updates on their job situations, then break down the "executive orders" the President signed this week to help Americans financially, why they aren't quite what they seem, and how it all affects workers in media (18:59). Then, in the Casting Calls of the Week (32:30), find out how you could win $1 million!

With the federal unemployment bonus benefit running out this week, Mike and Sarah share how they've been spending and saving differently in the pandemic, what side jobs they're considering to make ends meet, financial resources for media and freelancers to take advantage of, and tackle what's true and false about the idea that collecting unemployment means people won't look for work.

Time for a guest! Michelle Margaux joins the show (3:07) to pick her favorite job out of a career including stints at FOX Sports, AT&T SportsNet, and SNY; share how an embarrassing musical theater audition kept her on track for a career in sports; and reveal why Monica Lewinsky would play her in the movie of her life. Then in the Casting Calls of the Week (43:50), Mike and Sarah explain why if you want to hire them, you need to pay more than $1.

Mike just turned a pretty scary age, Sarah refuses to say how old she is, and both hosts come to grips with getting older in an industry that's always looking for the new young thing. How do people (allegedly) in their 30s compete against the TikTok generation? Why doesn't Hollywood make more things like "Grace and Frankie?" And what to do about all these wrinkles?!

Mike and Sarah *promise* a surefire strategy to skyrocket your IG numbers in this episode, plus break down what's fact and fiction about how to grow your social media audience.

Your delirious duo tackle social media in part one of a two-part episode. After explaining why this week's show is a little loopier than normal, Mike and Sarah get into tips for using the different social media platforms personally and professionally (7:03), and how working in media means worrying if posting a picture wearing nothing but a beaver tail might cost you jobs -- or not having enough followers actually has (30:54). Then in the Casting Calls of the Week (48:05): how much would you have to pay Mike to get him to emcee a wedding naked?

And two white podcast hosts aren't the voices you should be listening to on the topic. That's why Mike and Sarah use this week's episode to share some of the black voices they've been engaging with as America continues its fight against racism. They've got recommendations on what podcasts, videos, accounts, authors, movies, music, and TV shows will help broaden your perspective on race relations and make you a better ally.

Mike and Sarah comment on The Ringer's new HQ Trivia podcast, welcome 20 new countries to the show, and wonder how John Krasinski just made millions on something they were doing years ago. NFL Network's MJ Acosta jumps in (10:22) to talk about what to use when you have no toilet paper in quarantine and how she's letting NFL players plan her wedding. Then MJ answers The Damn Dozen (20:44): hear how she bombed her first-ever ESPN audition and which Backstreet Boy was her first celebrity crush.

We get Johnny on Zoom to talk his breakout role in FX's "Pose," how he's handling quarantine, and generally just be a fun and warm human being (5:30). In the Damn Dozen, learn why Marie Kondo would be proud of his most surprising secret skill, his dueling crushes on Jason Priestley and Ricky Martin, and why he had to pick two favorite Disney characters. Then it's the Casting Calls of the Week (36:20), which goes from Mike working at Red Lobster to Sarah maybe taxidermying her dad? Quarantine's getting weird.

After Mike and Sarah give their latest quaranTV recommendations, NBC's Paul Costabile jumps on to tell us how he's balancing a marriage, raising a toddler, and still hosting TV during quarantine (6:28). Then Paul answers the Damn Dozen (12:55), where it turns out he's already been dressing up as his favorite Disney character for the last two months, and all three hosts reveal their awkward late-'90s attempts at being Puff Daddy. Plus, in the Casting Calls of the Week (43:59), will Sarah join The Menstruators? Follow your hosts on social media @mikejanela and @sarahpribis