Introducing... your new co-Editors in Chief

Natalie Lifson & Lucy Stover

The Hollywood Assistant Founder, Cathy Campo, here with one final hurrah. I’m thrilled to welcome you to this month’s special issue of the newsletter, the first edition officially helmed by your incredible new co-Editors-in-Chief. It has been an honor and privilege to help make Hollywood a more inclusive place. Natalie Lifson (Buchwald) and Lucy Stover (More/Medavoy Management) are excited to carry on this mission. But let’s hear more about it in their own words, shall we?

In classic THA fashion, let’s introduce them with an interview:

Cathy: Let's jump in - why don’t both of you share a bit about yourself and your background?

Natalie: I’m from the New York area, so I was lucky enough to be surrounded by live entertainment my entire life. I first fell in love with theater as a playwright, then started producing my own shows off-Broadway and realized I liked that even more.

I had a few theater internships, then explored different parts of the entertainment industry with internships in development and production at various film and TV production companies, in broadcast journalism at NBC, and at fashion week with a designer brand. I even studied business and consulting for a while, before I transferred to NYU to study media, producing, and the business of entertainment. I eventually became an executive assistant to a Broadway producer my sophomore into junior year of college. I worked part time, so I crammed my classes into 2 days a week, early mornings, and late nights. Then the pandemic hit, Broadway shut down, and I fully transitioned into working in film and TV. I ended up loving TV more than I had ever loved theater, and I’ve never looked back.

Today, my day job is as an Agent Trainee and Executive Assistant at the talent agency Buchwald. By night (and on weekends) I’m a pitch deck builder and consultant at my own company, Fever Pitch Media. I’m on the board of the Junior Hollywood Radio & Television Society (JHRTS) (a great resource for networking and professional development!), am a producer and executive at an arts collective called the Aurelians, and am currently remotely pursuing an Entertainment Law Certificate at USC. I know it’s a lot, but it doesn’t feel like it when I’m so passionate about everything I’m doing.

Lucy: I was born & raised in rural New Hampshire far, far away from the glamor of Hollywood. As a product of the theater to film pipeline myself, I, of course, could sing before I could talk. But it was all I knew. I had no idea working in film was even an option till I had to adapt Othello into a short film in junior year history class (I turned it into a “High School Musical” moment, don’t you worry). That summer, I studied Mass Media & Communications in the Advanced Studies Program at the St. Paul’s School which introduced me to media literacy, video journalism, and “SNL.” I was hooked.

I was privileged enough to attend Syracuse University in the Television, Radio & Film department of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Comm (as well as Women & Gender Studies). While attending school, I served as the President of the Professional Cinematic Arts Fraternity Delta Kappa Alpha, the Digital Director of student publication JERK Magazine, the Social Media Director of SASSE (Students Advocating for Sexual Safety & Empowerment) and completed several internships at NBCUniversal, Phoenix Pictures, American High Productions, Kreativ Artists, and probably a few others I’m missing. My internship at Phoenix is actually what led me to my current job as the Executive Assistant to Talent Manager/Co-Founder Brian Medavoy at More/Medavoy Management – but that’s a whole other story!

Cathy: What do you both like most about your current positions?

Natalie: My favorite part about working at a talent agency is that I get to work on so many projects at once alongside so many interesting people who are passionate about what they do. Every day is unique, it’s very rewarding to help others achieve their goals, and there are new “wins” all the time.

I’m also very grateful for the guidance I’ve been given by people who care about teaching me - not just my boss, but others as well. I think one of the benefits of working at a mid-sized agency, and for people who are invested in my success, is that I’ve had the opportunity to learn by doing and to explore my interests within the realm of representation beyond just typical assistant tasks and beyond my department.

Lucy: It’s so funny to me that Natalie and I both work in representation, but have vastly different day-to-day lives. In school, I never would’ve imagined myself working in management… probably because I didn’t truly understand what it was.

Natalie: I didn't see myself working in representation either! I think a lot more young people would be interested in it if they knew more about what we actually do. Center for Communication is actually hosting a great panel next month called "Representation Matters: Explore Careers in Talent Management & Development."

Lucy: Yeah, like most students, I was convinced I wanted to be in development. But now I feel oh-so-grateful to have landed exactly where I want to be. And development is actually a huge part of my daily life without being my whole life. Anyways, my favorite part of my position is having the opportunity to work intimately with creators who are not only absurdly talented, but incredibly good people who put heart into everything they do. I am inspired by every self-tape and every podcast guest appearance. Seriously, I watch them all.

Also, I have to agree with you, Natalie, I am so thankful to work at a company where I am not only supported, but encouraged to learn-by-doing and push the definition of your typical “assistant.” I work on a strong, tight-knit team that takes the time to guide me at this integral part of my career: the beginning. Wouldn’t be here doing this interview without them and, in particular, my boss, Brian.

Cathy: So how’d you two first get involved with The Hollywood Assistant?

Natalie: I first came across The Hollywood Assistant exactly one year ago and immediately knew how important it was that something like this existed, especially as the WGA strike was winding up to begin and assistants were increasingly in need of support, information, and community.

I had already been keeping a running document of most important information from the trades to share with my friends, and I emailed Cathy asking if she wanted me to add it to the newsletter. Thus, the "Hollywood Buzz" section was born. I eventually got even more involved and wrote an article about the effects of strikes on assistants, which was featured in Business Insider. And now, here I am as your new co-Editor-in-Chief, excited to continue Cathy's great work.

Lucy: I also found the newsletter very early on, back when I was on my LinkedIn grind… aka I was looking for my first job post-grad. I remember reading Cathy’s first-ever interview with Billy Gleeson and being completely obsessed. I told everyone I knew. I decided I wanted to be Cathy when I grew up.

Cathy: Haha, oh please.

Lucy: No, I’m so serious! Cathy became a real role model for me. Even more so when we met in person. I stayed a fan first and a friend second. And when Cathy began to think about handing the newsletter off, she reached out because she knew how important THA’s mission is to me.

Cathy: That was actually going to be my next question! Do you wanna talk about what the mission means to you?

Natalie: First, let’s share our mission statement with everyone: The Hollywood Assistant aims to provide free & equitable access to entertainment resources for all, offer career development catered to assistants across entertainment fields, make assistants feel heard & supported, and foster a community for a group of people who are often undervalued and underappreciated.

Lucy, do you want to start us off here?

Lucy: Sure. I think it’s so easy to feel out of place in an industry centered on being “in” or “out.” Even at Syracuse, I often felt a part of the “out” group as someone who depended on scholarship, financial aid, and work-study to attend. I’ve been paying my student loans off long before I even stepped on campus– a concept foreign to most at my school– and I had to work twice as hard to forge relationships, build enough financial stability to move across the country, and somehow make time for unpaid internships. All that to say, accessibility is everything to me. And I strongly believe in breaking down the barriers that make a career in entertainment unattainable for anyone who isn’t white cis straight upper-middle class with a daddy in publicity at Universal. We are the generation that will revolutionize equity in the entertainment industry; and it starts with us assistants.

Natalie: I completely agree. I didn't know a single person in the entertainment industry growing up, and when I was just starting out, it was so intimidating and scary to hear people say over and over again that your success is based on “who you know.” I was lucky enough to go to NYU, where I was able to make a lot of connections with peers and professors and realized that connections really were crucial.

No matter where I'm at in my career now, I'll never forget how terrifying and devastating it was to feel like my ability to follow my dreams was based on circumstances I had no control over. I want to dedicate myself to making sure nobody ever feels that way, to providing resources that allow people to succeed on their own merits.

Lucy: Even if you don’t have a single “connection” in this industry, you will have us. Natalie, me, and the THA community. That’s our goal right there.

Cathy: Wow, it makes me so happy that THA’s mission resonates so deeply with you both. As you know, it was a huge part of why I chose you to carry on the newsletter in my absence. Why do you both want to work in this industry?

Lucy: Put simply – to champion voices to create stories that matter & share them with the world. I strongly believe that television and film has the power to promote social change on an individual and global scale.

Natalie: I totally agree with you, Lucy. Of course, we’re not in the peace corp or anything, but I still believe that media is impactful. Especially content that people view more as entertainment than art, like superhero movies and reality TV. Even though it doesn’t explicitly promote social change, by depicting the change we want to see we can influence the way people view and interact with the world. Plus, I love it and can’t imagine doing anything else.

Cathy: What are your goals? Both in your career and otherwise.

Lucy: Uhhh, to win an Emmy and buy a great, big house in the Palisades with an en suite so my family can come stay with me? I’m half kidding (no I’m not). To be honest, I have a very detailed list of goals to accomplish in the next 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 years. They’re all handwritten and taped on the wall next to my bed. But my two biggest goals, one career one otherwise, are to 1) produce a film with enough cultural impact to become a college course and 2) use the money I hopefully have to revolutionize Title IX resources & reporting processes to protect survivors from institutions prioritizing convenience over justice.

Natalie: I used to map out my entire life and career like you, but I eventually realized none of my detailed plans actually came to fruition, yet the different directions life ended up taking me were right for me at the time. I’m trying to follow my gut and my interests more and be a little less type A about my future.

When I think about my goals on a deeper level, I realize that what I really want - 5, 10, 20 years in the future and beyond - is to do something I find fulfilling, positively impact peoples’ lives on a massive scale, be both creative and analytical at the same time, and work in an environment that’s fun, challenging, and fast-paced. Right now for me, that’s representation, but who knows what the future will hold?

On a personal level, one day I want to open a school for gifted children with learning differences who aren’t able to achieve their full potential within the structure of the typical U.S. school system.

Cathy: And with all the things you’re involved in, how do you stay focused on achieving those goals?

Lucy: Great question… I wish I knew. A part of it is vigilance, holding yourself accountable for creating the life you want to live. You have to wake up every morning and want it. No one else is going to do the work for you. But a bigger part of it, for me, is surrounding yourself with other, like-minded people who want it just as bad. Like our team here at THA! I’d say 80% of the people in my life are in the industry. The other 20% remind me what “normal people” are like.

Natalie: What she said. I think it’s as simple as I love what I do and I’m excited to do more of it. I was also a 4 season athlete for over a decade, and that disciplined mindset never really goes away. My time playing sports instinctively taught me to always want more - every time I achieve a goal, I quickly move on to the next one. I’m very competitive, but I also want to see my teammates succeed, and the only way to be successful (and happy) in this industry is to view your peers as teammates.

Cathy: How about the flip side – what’s your favorite activity to take your mind off work?

Lucy: Well, considering that a lot of my old favorite leisure activities now feel like work too (watching tv, films, even social media), I’d have to say reading, watercolor painting, and being with animals. Even walking passed an animal on the sidewalk. Literally. It’s a part of why one of my side-hustles is pet sitting. Pets genuinely bring me so much joy and I can’t wait till I can adopt one of my own.

Natalie: I totally get what you mean! Every time someone asks what my hobbies are I’m like “uh… work?” Aside from that, I love to go to themed events (including comic cons!) and make my own costumes. One time a photo of my best friend and I at a Netflix’s “Wednesday”-themed party made it to the 2nd page of the style section of the Sunday Times. I also enter a lot of lotteries for free tickets to shows and like to go in blind and debrief with my friends afterwards. My biggest win so far was the VMAs last year. I also go to a ton of comedy shows, which I can afford because I work in comedy at a talent agency and people give me free tickets!

Despite all that, I’d say my dogs are my biggest hobby. We go to the park every day, go to the farmer’s market most Saturdays, eat dinner together at night, and sometimes wear matching outfits.

Cathy: So Lucy, you live on the West Coast, and Natalie, you live on the East Coast. How’d you choose where to move?

Lucy: Obviously, I picked the city with no snow.

Natalie: And I chose the one that’s been ranked best city in the world by Time Out six years in a row! Also, I’m from here.

Lucy: After going to school in Syracuse and walking through 2 feet of snow to go to class every day, I was so over it. I need the sun and the sand and I know I’m a cliché but so be it. In all actuality, I would have moved anywhere to be able to work this job in scripted entertainment. Even Antarctica. I just happened to end up in the most beautiful, diverse, fun & queer-forward city in the world. It’s my version of paradise (for now). What more could I ask for?

Natalie: That’s funny, I actually almost moved to LA after graduating because people kept telling me that was the only way I’d ever be able to work in scripted TV. But New York was home and I desperately did not want to leave. I decided to give myself a few years to try to make it work in New York before moving to LA if it didn’t. So far, New York is working out pretty well for me, but we’ll see what the future holds. First, I’ll have to visit LA at least once! I’ve still never been.

Lucy: Guess I know where you’re taking your next vacation! Ha. Like we get those.

Cathy: To wrap up, tell us what changes readers can expect to see to THA in the coming months? How can they get involved?

Natalie: We want to get more people involved and give assistants a platform! We're going to expand our content, starting with some new columns in the coming months, which we'll post on our upcoming website. Going forward, all interviews will be conducted by different assistants every issue to give networking opportunities to as many people as possible. We also hope to eventually host virtual and in-person networking events and community discussions. We're looking for sponsors to make those initiatives and more happen, so if you know anyone who might be interested, let us know!

We also want to double down on our commitment to being truly bi-coastal. Our first step: having one co-Editor-in-Chief in LA and the other in NYC.

Lucy: And the very best way to get involved or to just learn more is to come to one of THA’s virtual open houses! We will be meeting on Zoom on Sunday, April 14th at 1p PT/4p ET and Monday, April 15th at 6p PT/9p ET. You can check out all the details & RSVP below!! It’ll be cool and casual and an amazing way to network from your couch. No $15 cocktail purchase necessary.

RSVP for Sunday, April 14th at 1p PT/4p ET.

RSVP for Monday, April 15th at 6p PT/9p ET.