She Pivots

From the time she was a little girl, Hayley Paige knew exactly what she wanted to do: design wedding dresses. And she did it. By her early thirties she had a million Instagram followers, a recurring spot on Say Yes to the Dress, and gowns selling in hundreds of stores worldwide.

And then she lost all of it. Her name. Her Instagram. Her right to design. Even her right to publicly call herself Hayley Paige.

What followed was years of fighting in court, broke, locked out of everything she had built, just to reclaim what should have been hers from the start. And when she finally did, she turned that experience into something bigger, founding A Girl You Might Know Foundation and She Is Cheval to make sure other women don't have to go through the same thing.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

01:29 A Childhood Dream Takes Shape

09:55 Breaking into Wedding Dresses

13:54 Building a Brand on Social Media

17:31 Personal and Professional: Wedding and Divorce

20:57 The Legal Battle Begins

31:57 Rebirth and Reinvention

36:02 Buying Back Her Name

42:02 Rebuilding After the Fall

45:54 Love and Resilience: Hailey's Personal Growth

49:25 Low Point to Launch

52:21 Reflecting on Hayley's Unique Pivot

53:11 Podcast Credits

You can keep up with Hayley Paige on instagram @misshayleypaige, and check out her foundation at https://www.agirlyoumightknowfoundation.org/ 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patricia Delgado: From Principal Ballerina to Tony Award Winner

Growing up Cuban-American in Miami, Patricia Delgado found her love of performance early and spent seventeen years with Miami City Ballet, a decade of that as a principal dancer. But when she faced a series of injuries, she was forced to confront a question she wasn't ready to answer: what comes next? In this episode, Patricia opens up about the physical and emotional toll of stepping away from the only identity she had ever known, how she found her way into choreography alongside her husband Justin Peck, and what it meant to reconnect with her Cuban roots through the Broadway hit Buena Vista Social Club, leading her to be the first Latina to win a Tony Award for Best Choreography.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

02:54 Patricia's Dance Journey Begins

08:43 First Introduction to Theatre

17:38 Navigating Ballet's Challenges

30:06 Patricia's Final Ballet Bow

38:22 Buena Vista Social Club

41:53 Tony Award Triumph and Its Significance

44:50 The Power of Visibility in Choreography

48:20 Embracing Change and Future Possibilities

50:22 Reflecting on Patricia's Pivot Story

51:22 Podcast Credits

You can keep up with Patricia Delgado on Instagram @pattiedeldancer

Don’t forget to tune into the Tony’s this Sunday, June 7th at 8pm on CBS and Paramount+

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really does help!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Heela Yang built Sol de Janeiro, one of the most beloved body care brands, from her dining room, but her path there looked nothing like a typical business plan. After twelve years in corporate beauty following stints at Goldman Sachs and a Harvard MBA, she left New York for Brazil for love, only to find herself pregnant, isolated, and unable to do the work that had always defined her. A single afternoon on a beach, surrounded by women of every shape in a very small bikini she'd been talked into, changed everything. In this episode, Heela shares how that moment became the emotional blueprint for Sol de Janeiro, the cult-favorite brand that launched a craze for mists and body care and built a business around embracing your body and skin as it is, no matter what size or shape. 

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

01:36 From Korea to America: A Cultural Shift

06:37 The Importance of Skincare in Korean Culture

09:16 Early Entrepreneurial Ideas

12:13 Moving to Brazil: A New Beginning

13:33 Pregnancy and Isolation in a Foreign Country

17:41 The Pivotal Beach Moment

23:19 Building a Brand Around Embracing Yourself

27:50 The Power of Being Welcomed, Not Just Accepted

29:10.440 Low Point to Launch

33:24 Reflecting on Heela's Journey

34:18 Podcast Credits

You can check out Sol de Janeiro basically anywhere you get skincare or body care products– and keep up with what they’re up to on Instagram @soldejaneiro

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Victoria Lai has lived several careers in one lifetime: presidential appointee at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, entrepreneur, and now business advisor and nonprofit COO. But her biggest pivot came when she nurtured her passion for making ice cream on nights and weekends while working a serious government job. In this extra sweet episode, Victoria walks us through how a $25 Craigslist ice cream maker and a promise to herself led to Ice Cream Jubilee, the award-winning DC-area business celebrated by Food & Wine, the Washington Post, and Thrillist, and what it felt like to eventually sell the business she'd spent nearly a decade building. She also opens up about her family's Chinese immigrant history and how it shaped both her flavors and her sense of purpose, and why she considers her latest pivot back to mission-driven work the most fitting chapter yet.

Chapters:

00:00    Welcome to She Pivots

00:28    Guest Introduction: Victoria Lai

01:58    Childhood Memories and Family Influences

06:57    The Path to Law School and Government Work

10:58    Finding Inspiration in New York City

13:02    The Birth of Ice Cream Jubilee

26:36    Taking the Leap: From Government to Ice Cream

32:46    "Ice cream-preneurship"

36:07    Achieving Success and Letting Go

39:02    A New Chapter: Coaching and Personal Growth

44:18    Closing Thoughts and Gratitude

44:40    Podcast Credits

You can keep up with Ice Cream Jubilee at their website, www.icecreamjubilee.com

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In June 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her bedroom at knifepoint and held captive for nine months, enduring abuse that would have broken most people beyond repair. Against extraordinary odds, she survived, and then she decided to step fully into the public eye; not in spite of what happened to her, but because of it. She has testified before Congress, helped author a Department of Justice handbook for kidnapping survivors, and founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation to dismantle the shame culture that compounds survivors' trauma. In this powerful episode, Elizabeth walks us through the night that changed everything, how she held onto hope during nine months of captivity, what justice looked and felt like after nearly eight years of waiting, and why she believes that being seen is one of the most radical things a survivor can do.

Chapters:

00:00 Content Warning

00:10 Welcome to She Pivots

01:32 Elizabeth Smart's Early Life

07:10 The Night Elizabeth was Abducted

12:08 Captivity and Torture

17:57 Elizabeth’s Will To Survive

20:16 A Sign of Hope

22:41 Why Elizabeth Didn't Run

26:17 The Rescue

28:45 The Return Home and Aftermath

35:32 Navigating the Justice System

41:01 Advocating for Change & Raising Her Children

45:22 The Elizabeth Smart Foundation

46:17 Low Point to Launch

49:26 Unasked Questions and Final Thoughts

50:58 Closing Remarks and Resources

51:39 Podcast Credits

Learn more about Elizabeth’s work at elizabethsmartfoundation.org

If anything in today's episode brought something up for you and you need help, please reach out to someone you trust or visit rainn.org 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's guest is someone pretty special to Emily Tisch Sussman—it's her mom, Laurie Tisch. Laurie grew up as the only girl in a big, loud family full of brothers and cousins, navigating public scrutiny while quietly figuring out who she really was. She navigated the complexities to become a woman carved out an identity that was entirely, unmistakably her own. 

On this special Mother's Day episode, Laurie sits down with Emily to talk about founding her own philanthropic foundation, becoming a force in New York's arts and education world, and ownership of the New York Giants.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

00:30 Laurie Tisch Guest Introduction

01:46 Childhood and Early Life

05:14 Finding Her Own Path

09:20 Laurie Returns to New York City

13:18 Laurie's Entrance to Philanthropy and Culture

17:02 The Impact of The Children's Museum

22:17 Definitions of Success

24:32 The Illumination Fund: A New Chapter

28:54 Sports and Family Legacy

34:44 Low Point to Launch Point

35:27 My Mom's Favorite She Pivots Episodes!

37:00 Closing Thoughts and Happy Mother's Day!

37:26 Podcast Credits

Check out the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund at thelmtif.org

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elmo, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster probably helped raise you, and the woman now leading Sesame Street traces her path there back to one transformative act: adopting her daughter Lily from China. Before joining Sesame Workshop, Sherrie Westin had already built a remarkable career at ABC News and as one of the highest-ranking women in George H.W. Bush's White House. On this episode, Sherrie shares how adopting Lily in 1995 sparked a profound pivot, and how that personal transformation shaped her 26-year journey at the helm of one of the most beloved nonprofits in the world. She opens up about leading the creation of Julia, Sesame Street's first autistic Muppet, securing a landmark $100 million grant to bring early education to refugee children across the globe, and navigating the financial uncertainty that ultimately led to a groundbreaking new deal with Netflix.

Chapters:

00:00.00 Welcome to She Pivots

00:25 Guest Introduction: Sherrie Westin

01:58 Childhood and Early Life

03:28 Communications and the White House

09:44 The Transformative Power of Motherhood

12:53 From ABC News to Sesame Street

17:56 Representation and Global Impact

23:48 The Experiment of Sesame Street

25:20 The Power of The Arts on Children

27:55 Making a Difference To Communities in Need

31:44 Financial Challenges and Becoming CEO

36:00 What I Learned From Mom

36:53 From Low Point to Launch Point

37:20 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again?

38:09 Children and AI

39:20 Closing Thoughts and Credits

Learn more about Sesame workshop’s mission at Sesameworkshop.org

Check out Sherrie’s new book: What I Learned From Mom: 27 Celebrated Individuals on How Mother's Wisdom Shaped Their Lives. 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kerry Docherty has spent her life being two things at once: the good girl the world expected, and someone far more complicated underneath. Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer of beloved B-Corp clothing company Faherty Brand, Kerry had a winding path, moving through Yale, human rights law, a mindfulness business, and a beach trailer selling swimsuits before landing somewhere she never quite planned. In this episode, Kerry opens up about the tangled dynamics of building a family business with her husband and his twin brother, her struggles with motherhood, and her own affair, all of which she recounts in her new debut memoir, Selfish: Unlearning, Reclaiming, and Telling the Truth, a book her loved ones didn’t want published.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

00:29 Introduction to Kerry Docherty

02:08 Growing up in Buffalo

07:43 From Yale to Thailand, from Law to Mindfulness

15:48 The Birth of Faherty: A Family Affair

21:53 Marriage and the Business

25:20 The Friendship, The Letter, The Affair

32:59 Truth-Telling and Writing Selfish

38:11 Reception of Selfish

39:57 The Power of Writing and Self-Discovery

42:39 Reflecting on the Low Points of Motherhood

44:48 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again?

45:03 Closing Thoughts and Credits

If you liked Traitors, you’ll love Kerry’s book. Get a copy of it here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2242030/kerry-docherty/ 

You can follow Kerry on Instagram @kerrydocherty 

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At just 25 years old, Ali Truwit has already lived several lifetimes' worth of pivots. A Yale graduate and competitive swimmer, Ali was on the cusp of launching her consulting career when a shark attack during a celebratory beach vacation changed everything, costing her part of her leg and forcing her to reimagine her future. In this episode of She Pivots, Ali shares how she fought her way back to the water and earned a silver medal on one of the world's biggest stages, all while still starting her career in consulting. She also opens up about running a marathon and the deeply personal mission behind her work supporting women and girls with limb loss and advocating for water safety.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to She Pivots

01:02 A Young Athlete's Journey Begins

01:47 Swimming: A Lifelong Passion

06:20 College Dreams and Career Aspirations

10:29 The Shark Attack: A Life-Changing Moment

13:46 Facing Fears and Setting New Goals

18:40 Answering Questions: Setting Boundaries

24:25 The Road to the Paralympics

29:23 Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Change

33:41 Ali on Team USA at the Paralympics

35:06 Using Her Story for Good

36:30 You Are Stronger Than You Think

39:28 From Swimming to Running

41:15 Ali's inspiration for her Nonprofit

42:39 Pivoting and Embracing Change

43:20 Low Point to Launch Point

45:29 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again?

46:01 Closing Thoughts on Ali's Impact

46:47 She Pivots Podcast Production Notes

You can find Ali on Instagram @AliTruwit

www.StrongerThanYouThink.com

Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever watched Top Chef, you may know Carla Hall and her signature catchphrase, Hootie Hoo! But Carla didn’t start her career in kitchens. Before she became a beloved TV personality and celebrated chef, Carla was a CPA at Price Waterhouse who quickly realized her destiny was not in spreadsheets. What followed was a series of bold, joy-fueled pivots: modeling in Paris, launching a lunch delivery service out of her kitchen, competing on Top Chef, co-hosting ABC's The Chew, and now taking the stage in her own one-woman show. In this episode, Carla opens up about the courage it took to keep betting on herself at every turn—from enrolling in culinary school at 30 to building a platform for women over 50—and what she's learned about cooking, performing, and living with love at the center of it all.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome Back to She Pivots

01:53 Little Carla

05:15 Sunday Suppers at Grandma's

09:11 Beginning with Accounting

14:44 Moving to Paris for Modeling

19:34 The Birth of Lunch Bunch

21:36 Culinary School and Alchemy Caterers

27:41 Finding Love

31:36 Top Chef Audition and Experience

36:23 Food meets Performance on The Chew

41:10 Restaurant Venture and Saying Yes

44:23 Please Underestimate Me: Manifesting A Dream

47:15 Embracing Life's Transitions and Future Plans

48:48 Closing Questions

49:58 Closing Thoughts and Upcoming Projects

Carla’s instagram: @carlaphall 

Carla’s website: carlahall.com

thememenu.com

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Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration.

She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success.

Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com

Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. 

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NEW YORK PIVOTERS: Come see us do a live podcast recording with Broadway star Mandy Gonzalez at the Museum of the City of New York next week on April 15th! Tickets on sale now. PS– She Pivot listeners can use the code MCNY10 for a discount.

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She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.

Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.