True North Story® Original Podcast Series

Jen Grisanti is an critically acclaimed international guest speaker and story/career consultant at Jen Grisanti Consultancy, Inc. She is also a writing instructor for Writers on the Verge at NBC, a former studio executive, a blogger for The Huffington Post and author of Story Line: Finding Gold In Your Life Story, TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write a Script That Sells, and her upcoming book, Change Your Story, Change Your Life.
Twenty-three years ago, Jen started her career as an assistant to Aaron Spelling, who served as her mentor for 12 years. She quickly climbed the ranks and eventually ran Current Programs at Spelling Television Inc., covering all of Spelling’s shows including Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place and Charmed. In 2004, Jen was promoted to Vice President of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount where she covered numerous shows including Medium, Numbers, NCIS, 4400 and Girlfriends.
In January 2008, she launched the Jen Grisanti Consultancy, Inc., a highly successful consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry. Drawing on her years of experience as a studio executive where she gave daily notes to executive producers/showrunners, Jen personally guides writers to shape their material, hone their pitches and focus their careers. Since launching her consulting firm, she has worked with over 800 writers specializing in television, features and novels. Due to her guidance, seventy-five of her clients have staffed as writers on television shows, forty have sold pilots, and five of those pilots have gone to series.
Currently, Jen is expanding her brand into storytelling in business with the launch of her new book, Change Your Story, Change Your Life due to come out in May 2013. As a way to inspire business owners and entrepreneurs she is offering the following presentations: “How To Give A Winning Pitch: Finding Your Voice, Story-Driven Success” and “Moving Beyond Your ‘All Is Lost’ Moment.”
After surviving and learning from two major turning points in her life — a long-term relationship that ended after a short marriage and a beloved job that ended after 15 years with the same company — Jen is able to draw from her own story and use it to create her own success. From the lectern, she empowers others to do the same.
Jen Grisanti’s speaking points include: how to tell your story to ensure results; how to add fiction to your truth in your writing; how to be an active hero in your story; and how to be the author of your life. Her company hosts Storywise Seminars and Teleseminars as a way to deliver this message internationally and she also has a Storywise Podcast Series available on iTunes and via her website, www.jengrisanticonsultancy.com that digs more deeply into our top storytellers’ histories as a way to motivate and inspire listeners to go after their dreams.


Jen has also taught classes for the TV Writers Summit (in LA and London), The TV Writers Studio (in Australia), The Big Island Film Festival, Chicago Screenwriters Network, Scriptwriters Network , Screenwriting Expo, the Great American Pitchfest, the Northwestern Screenwriter’s Guild in Seattle, and the Alameda’s Writer’s Group. In addition, she has served on panels for the WGA, iTVFest, UFVA, PGA and The Writer’s Bootcamp, telling her story to inspire others. She has spoken at the ERG for Google in April of 2014 and is a tried and true Trojan, attending USC, receiving a B.A. in Communications.
Jen has proven to and continues to be an incredible inspiration to all us who admire from afar her abilities to weave story, subtext and narrative into her own life, while inspiring,