Tara Schuster

Author, Playwright and Entertainment Executive

Recorded 7.8.21
Hosted by: Catt Sadler

What are you drinking?

I’m drinking a tequila soda. Tequila is my very good friend. We are close. I like a tequila.

Is that one of your better relationships, would you say?

Historically, it’s a pretty good thing.

You were a successful Comedy Central executive and then everything changed when you put yourself in front of the world by writing a self-help memoir. How did that shift happen?

I’m going to take us back to the very beginning of it. I never set out to write a book. I was the VP in Talent and Development at Comedy Central. I was totally in the comedy world. I worked on shows like “Key & Peele” and with David Spade, that was my life. I was very professionally successful, but internally I was having a real struggle. So, I didn’t set out to write a book. I set out to save my life.

I had grown up in a very neglectful, abusive household where things came to die. Like all the pets died, all the plants died, a family of deer wandered into the pool and they died. And it’s not funny, except sometimes I have to laugh because it was so bleak and that’s my only deflection. But my sister and I, we made it out, and we made it out by being so dedicated to school. We were always really good at work. I was always good at presenting as I’ve got it together. Like, “Look at my grades, look at my career.” But internally, that whole time at Comedy Central, I was just imploding.

I’m so sorry if you sat next to me on the one train going Uptown in New York and I was sobbing on you. I was that girl just crying on a stoop, crying in the subway. And I didn’t know where all these emotions were coming from because, in my mind, I shouldn’t have it this bad. I didn’t have the worst childhood ever; I shouldn’t be allowed to be this miserable.

I wasn’t really dealing with it. I never really thought I needed help because my dad was a lawyer and my mom was a doctor. I shouldn’t feel this way.


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A Drink With Live!

Hosted by: Catt Sadler

Catt Sadler is an Emmy-winning journalist with 20 years of on-air experience. She spent more than a decade on E! Entertainment and has been a prominent voice in the equal pay movement. Also an entrepreneur and mother, Catt brings meaningful and entertaining intel to the conversations over drinks with influential changemakers.  Every week Catt toasts to inspiring guests with stories of how they — with resilience and strength — overcame challenging obstacles and came out the other side.

“A Drink With”® (adrinkwith.com) is an innovative, original interview series that sits down with prominent artists, athletes, celebrities and entrepreneurs in a candid, unfiltered light not typically found in traditional media. Our intention is to connect communities, inspire audiences and positively impact the world with our purpose-driven programming.

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think! ® Products is the high protein snack nutrition leader, recognized for outstanding taste, premium ingredients and smart snacking offerings. Founded in 1999 by a single mom whose passion for good eating led her to create nutritious food products that help support overall wellness, think!® was acquired by Glanbia Performance Nutrition in 2015 and rebranded to think! ® in 2019 with an expanded product offering. think! ® Products are made with thoughtful ingredients, packed with protein, minimal sugar and gluten free. think! ® Products include high protein bars, protein oatmeal and thinkKIDS protein bars. For more information on think! visit thinkproducts.com #StandForStrong

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