A few years ago, Debbie Wolf came across a TikTok video that would change her professional life.

It was Mayan Lopez calling out her very famous father, George Lopez. In that video,

Debbie saw something bigger, a story about fathers and daughters, the value of therapy,

and the bravery required to share your truth. Debbie was already a very well-established television

writer. Her credits include ABC's The Connors, Freebies Primo, Netflix is one day at a time,

but executive producing and showrunning NBC's Lopez versus Lopez challenged her in ways she did not

expect. Debbie shares the roller coaster ride that is working in Hollywood, her insights on how to create

and then protect intimacy and psychological safety on set and in the writer's room,

the importance of following the universe of signs, and the value of affirming yourself

every single day. Debbie, thank you so much for doing this.

Oh, thank you for having me.

You don't come up thinking you're going to do television.

You come up thinking they're going to do film.

You go to film school in Orlando.

You have this short called Gordita that gets a lot of attention,

lands you at a bunch of the festivals, you win the audience award at NBC's Diversity Festival.

And part of what's interesting to me is you end up in a room with a lot of people who are

like, you should really be applying to our television program. And part of what I find

compelling about your story, Debbie, is that, like, I think other people

would have heard that and just applied, but you, you, like, professionalized it. You, like,

sign up for a spec class. You study modern family. Like, you are so clear about the fact that

opportunities like this don't come along all the time and that you can't take them for granted.

...