How One Woman Went from ‘Nothing’ to Starring on Netflix

Catie Maillard, an HR expert from Los Angeles, shared how she unexpectedly landed a guest spot on a Netflix show alongside comedian John Mulaney, detailing the journey in a viral LinkedIn post titled “From Nothing to NPR to Netflix.”

Maillard appeared on Everybody’s in LA with John Mulaney, a weekly Netflix talk show where Mulaney brings in quirky experts to tackle unusual topics. Her episode featured her as an HR specialist, joining a lineup of guests that has included Johnny Knoxville, Bill Hader, and Chelsea Peretti.

She broke down her unconventional path to the screen in six steps:
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1. It Started with a Networking Post – Maillard saw a call for HR professionals in one of her consulting groups, seeking guests for a podcast on layoffs.
2. She Jumped at the Chance – Already thinking about starting her own podcast to demystify workplace decisions, she applied to get familiar with the process.
3. It Became Something Bigger – She was interviewed for the Proxy Podcast with Yowei Shaw, which eventually got picked up by NPR’s Planet Money.
4. An Unexpected Email – A year later, she received a surprise message from Netflix producers who got her info through NPR.
5. She Almost Missed It – The initial email went unnoticed because her home had recently been destroyed in the Eaton Canyon fires. Luckily, she caught a follow-up on a quiet Friday.
6. She Was Chosen for TV – After an interview, producers decided she was a fit for live television—even though she jokes, “We’ll see if that was the right call.”

Maillard credited her success to simply showing up and staying open to unexpected opportunities. Her segment on the show involved giving real-time advice to callers about workplace drama, all under Mulaney’s comedic direction.
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Mulaney has described the Netflix show as intentionally chaotic and proudly unimportant. At a Netflix event, he joked: “We will never be relevant… Netflix will always provide us with data that we will ignore.”