Claim Your Confidence with Lydia Fenet

What happens when the career you built no longer fits the life you’re living?

In this powerful season finale of Claim Your Confidence, Lydia Fenet sits down with Emily Tisch Sussman, political strategist, media commentator, co-owner of Gotham FC, and host of She Pivots, for a candid conversation about reinvention, identity, and what it really takes to rebuild confidence from the ground up.

Emily’s story is anything but linear. From working on presidential campaigns and shaping national policy to becoming a familiar face on cable news, she built a career many would consider the pinnacle of success. But behind the scenes, burnout, motherhood, and a shifting sense of purpose forced her to ask a difficult question: Is this still the life I want?

What follows is a masterclass in redefining success.

In this episode, Emily shares how stepping away from a high-profile career led her to her most meaningful work yet—creating platforms that elevate women’s voices, investing in women’s sports before the cultural wave hit, and building a podcast centered on the power of the pivot.

This conversation is honest, funny, and deeply relatable—especially for anyone navigating change, questioning their path, or wondering if it’s too late to start again.

Because as Emily proves, sometimes the most powerful move you can make… is a pivot.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why confidence isn’t built in the spotlight, but in the unseen work behind it
• The identity shift that comes with motherhood, and how to navigate it
• What it really takes to walk away from a successful career
• The surprising freedom that comes when you stop fearing judgment
• How women’s sports, and investing in them early, became a game-changing opportunity
• The inspiration behind She Pivots and why stories of reinvention matter more than ever

Key Takeaway:

Confidence doesn’t come from staying the course—it comes from having the courage to change it.

Follow & Listen:

Follow  and tune in to She Pivots for more stories of reinvention, and don’t miss Emily’s latest season launching soon.

And as always—remember: confidence is the key… and this is where you claim it.

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Known as the “internet’s big sister”, Erin McGoff is an award-winning director, content creator, and founder of AdviceWithErin–a career education platform dedicated to making quality career advice accessible to all. Starting out as a film director and editor, Erin brought her filmmaking skills to TikTok in 2020, sharing practical, candid, and humorous career advice to help give viewers the confidence they need to navigate today’s ever-shifting job market. Since then, she’s amassed a global audience of over 6 million followers. Additionally, Erin is the founder of Grey Films, a New York based production company, and StupidFish, a new website that helps people discover the career they are made for. Join us as we talk about Erin’s mission to make a positive impact, how she got started on social media, and her new book, The Secret Language of Work.

Don’t miss this episode of Claim Your Confidence where we discuss:

• Becoming a filmmaker and the story behind Erin’s feature documentary This Little Land of Mines
• How learning to navigate the film industry as a young filmmaker helped Erin develop the career skills she’s now sharing with others
• What inspired Erin to first start posting on TikTok and how being in tune with audience demand has helped her grow
• Why Erin wrote The Secret Language of Work and what readers can expect to learn from it
• Finding the confidence to pursue the job of your dreams and how Erin is helping end career confusion with her company StupidFish

Find Erin:

www.erinmcgoff.com

IG: @advicewitherin; @erinmcgoff

TikTok: @erinmcgoff

YouTube: AdviceWithErin

LinkedIn: Erin McGoff

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Mary Orton is a woman who wears many hats. After starting her career in investment banking, she took a leap of faith in 2013 and started a fashion blog dedicated to helping women find their personal style and confidence in the workplace. Since then, she has built an ever-growing online community centered around fashion, beauty, design, and confidence. Now, she’s also the founder and CEO of the first women’s luxury baseball cap brand, CHORD, which provides thoughtfully-made, elevated baseball caps designed to help women feel polished and put-together no matter where the day takes them. In this episode, we discuss Mary’s online journey from blogging to Instagram, the story behind CHORD, and how the things that terrify you most often take you the farthest.

Join us as we talk about:

• Mary’s creative childhood, her early career in investment banking, and what inspired her to start a blog
• Tuning out the noise and the freedom that comes with de-centering the opinions of others and pursuing what brings you joy
• How fashion can enhance confidence and finding your personal style in your work wardrobe
• Making the jump from a corporate job to being a full-time content creator and entrepreneur
• Founding CHORD, the source of Mary’s confidence, and how she’s continuing to evolve her brand

Find Mary:

www.memorandum.com

www.shopchord.com

IG: @maryorton

X: @maryortonMEMO

LinkedIn: Mary Orton Scudellari

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

If you’re an avid reader, chances are you’ve already heard of Elizabeth Day. An award-winning author, broadcaster, and the founder of Daylight Productions, Elizabeth has written ten books spanning both fiction and nonfiction and is a Sunday Times #1 bestseller. Beyond the page, she is also the creator and host of How To Fail With Elizabeth Day, a chart-topping podcast that celebrates the things in life that haven’t gone right. Every week, guests like Kate Winslet, Jon Bon Jovi, and Gloria Steinem discuss the lessons they have learned from failure throughout their careers. Join us for this episode as we talk about Elizabeth’s writing process, embracing shared vulnerability as the antidote to shame, and how there is no success without failure.

Don’t miss this interview where we discuss:

• Elizabeth’s podcast How To Fail, why she started it, and what our failures can teach us about ourselves
• How imposter syndrome and fear of failure often go hand in hand and the liberation that comes with viewing failure as an opportunity for growth
• Elizabeth’s lifelong love of fiction writing, her background in print journalism, and why she began writing nonfiction as well
• Observation, curiosity, and finding time to be creative amidst busy schedules
• The common thread present in all of Elizabeth’s work and where she finds inspiration for both her fiction and nonfiction writing

Find Elizabeth:

www.elizabethday.org

IG: @elizabday

TikTok: @elizabday

X: @elizabday

LinkedIn: Elizabeth Day

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

In 2017, Cecily Mak decided to rethink her relationship with alcohol. What started as a 30-day experiment eliminating alcohol quickly revealed a life that felt clearer, richer, and more intentional without substances. Inspired by this change, Cecily began sharing her story on social media, and ClearLife was born–a movement dedicated to helping others reclaim clarity, presence, and intention in their lives. Now, Cecily is the co-founder of Wisdom Ventures, ClearLife Reset, and the voice behind ClearLife. In her new book Undimmed, Cecily shares her framework to empower readers to choose practices, habits, and priorities that support a life of presence, healthier relationships, and deeper alignment. Join us as we talk about the story behind ClearLife, Cecily’s book Undimmed, and what it means to live clear.

Don’t miss this episode of Claim Your Confidence where we discuss:

• Cecily’s early career as a lawyer and Silicon Valley executive and trying to find balance in a work hard, play hard environment
• What “dimmers” are, how we use them day-to-day to escape discomfort, and the steps we can take to regain clarity and presence 
• The inflection point that inspired Cecily to reevaluate her relationship with alcohol and why she began sharing her journey with others
• Cecily’s Eight Awarenesses framework and how she created it
• Embracing vulnerability and discomfort and how Cecily found community through social media

Find Cecily:

www.cecilymak.com

IG: @clearlifejourney

Substack: @cecilymak

LinkedIn: Cecily Mak

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Michelle Cordeiro Grant is a powerhouse founder who knows how to build a brand–and community–from the ground up. In 2015, she founded LIVELY, a lingerie company dedicated to empowering women to live confidently. LIVELY broke new ground in the lingerie industry by prioritizing style and comfort, coining the term Leisurée. After LIVELY’s monumental $105 million acquisition after just three years, Michelle founded her next community-driven brand, GORGIE, an energy drink that combines benefits from green tea, essential vitamins, and biotin to make wellness fun. In this episode of Claim Your Confidence, we discuss Michelle’s journey as a founder, how leveraging your network is one of the biggest shortcuts in business, and mastering branding.

Join us as we talk about:

• The meaning of “proximity is power” and how Michelle found success in her early career
• What Michelle learned about branding while working at Victoria’s Secret and the importance of curating your company’s “trailer”
• Why you should view your business as ever-evolving rather than static
• How Michelle founded LIVELY and GORGIE and her community-focused approach to creating a brand
• Letting go of the noise, remembering the why, and pursuing your own vision of success

Find Michelle:

www.michellecordeirogrant.com

IG: @the_michellegrant

TikTok: @the_michellegrant

LinkedIn: Michelle Cordeiro Grant

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

A pastry chef turned entrepreneur, Kate McLeod’s best-selling Body Stones–solid moisturizer bars designed to intensely nourish the skin–started as a personal self-care ritual. After discovering the transformative properties of cocoa butter on her own skin, Kate formulated the first Body Stones in her kitchen, drawing from her culinary background and blending in luxurious oils to create a highly concentrated and plastic-free product that harnesses the power of natural ingredients. Join us as we talk about the story behind the Body Stone, the importance of pursuing what gives you energy, and how reconnecting with yourself can spark connection with others.

Don’t miss this episode of Claim Your Confidence where we discuss:

• Kate’s career before she became a founder–from Goldman Sachs to culinary school–and the skills she brought with her when starting her business
• Why Kate began making her own lotion formulations at home and what inspired her to begin sharing it with others
• Reconnecting with your body, trusting your gut, and leaning into what fuels you
• Mastering your sales pitch, bootstrapping, and how Kate was able to sell her product anywhere–even in Uber rides home
• How finding her co-founder helped Kate scale and the importance of giving your business space to grow

Find Kate:

www.katemcleod.com

IG: @katemcleod

TikTok: @kate__mcleod

LinkedIn: Kate McLeod

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Photographer, director, producer, and host Sophie Elgort is a master at telling powerful stories through images. Her work has been featured in top publications including Vogue, ELLE, Rolling Stone, and Glamour, capturing iconic personalities like Kylie and Kendall Jenner, Brooke Shields, Rosario Dawson, and many others. Beyond the lens, Sophie is currently the host and executive producer of All Arts on PBS series Portrait Mode with Sophie Elgort. And, she is also co-founder of Through Our Lens, a nonprofit mentorship program that helps high-school-aged girls from underrepresented communities gain access to, and explore, careers in fashion through photography education. In this episode of Claim Your Confidence, we discuss how Sophie built her career as a photographer, putting yourself out there, and her tips for feeling confident in photos.

Join us as we talk about:

• Sophie’s creative childhood growing up in NYC and her first exposure to photography
• Being an artist, dealing with rejection, and how success doesn’t always come in the form you think it will
• Sophie’s approach to portrait sessions, embracing spontaneity, and the importance of establishing trust between photographer and subject
• Her series Portrait Mode and her favorite photoshoot moments
• How Sophie knows when she’s got the shot and the importance of collaboration

Find Sophie:

www.sophieelgort.com

IG: @sophieelgort

LinkedIn: Sophie Elgort

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

Throughout her life, Sarah Wragge struggled with gut issues that no prescription could cure. It wasn’t until she reexamined her diet that she discovered the power of food as medicine and experienced a complete health transformation. Inspired by her results, Sarah became a certified holistic health coach and launched Sarah Wragge Wellness in 2016. As founder and chief nutritionist of SWW, Sarah educates and empowers people to discover the connection between nutrition and well-being. Join us for this episode of Claim Your Confidence where we talk about unlocking energy through nutrition, Sarah’s tips for eating better, and how she turned a health crisis into a career.

Don’t miss this interview where we discuss:

• Sarah’s health journey and how she transformed her life through changes to her diet
• How Sarah started building clientele through social media and eventually turned SWW from a side hustle to a full-time business 
• Intentional eating and the small adjustments you can make in your diet today for more energy and less inflammation
• How to run your business without it running you, and Sarah’s advice for scaling
• The creation of Sarah’s viral Alkalize Detoxifying Greens Powder and her most recent launch, Optimize

Find Sarah:

www.sarahwragge.com

IG: @sarahwraggewellness

TikTok: @sarahwraggewellness

LinkedIn: Sarah Wragge

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.

As the founder of Briogeo Hair Care and Makers Mindset, Nancy Twine knows how to build a business from the ground up. After leaving her career as a VP at Goldman Sachs to follow her passion for clean beauty, Nancy launched Briogeo in 2013, growing it from a small startup to a globally recognized brand worth nine figures in less than ten years. Now, Nancy is inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs through Makers Mindset–a podcast, workshop, community, and accelerator that gives aspiring founders the insights, tools, and resources they need to build their businesses. Join us as we discuss Nancy’s finance background, what inspired her to create Briogeo, and the recipe for a successful business.

Don’t miss this episode of Claim Your Confidence where we talk about:

• What Nancy learned at Goldman Sachs and the skills she took with her when becoming an entrepreneur
• The hurdles Nancy faced during Briogeo’s early stages and how she overcame them
• Knowing your brand’s identity, staying authentic, and being the energetic epicenter for your team
• The importance of leveraging your story when marketing your business
• How Nancy is supporting entrepreneurs with the Dream Makers Founder Grant and Makers Mindset

Find Nancy:

www.nancytwine.com

IG: @nancytwine

LinkedIn: Nancy Twine

Follow Lydia:

www.lydiafenet.com

IG: @lydiafenet

LinkedIn: Lydia Fenet

Questions or comments, we'd love to hear from you...send us a text!

To stay up to date with Claim Your Confidence and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram and on YouTube.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify or where ever you get your podcasts.

Recorded at The Newsstand Studios at Rockefeller Center.

Thank you for listening.