She Pivots

Jaksot

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  Chelsie Hill: How a Wheelchair Dance Team Went Global 16.09.2026 49min

  At seventeen, Chelsie Hill was a competitive dancer with her sights set on a career as a professional performer, until a car accident with a drunk driver left her paralyzed and changed everything overnight. Her first question to the doctor wasn't about walking again; it was whether she could still dance. On this episode of She Pivots, Chelsie talks about rebuilding her identity after the accident, the moment she decided to stop waiting for permission to chase her dream, and how she turned her own search for community into the Rollettes, a wheelchair dance team that's grown into one of the largest networks for women and girls with disabilities in the world. From performing in Kelly Clarkson's "Invincible" video to dancing at the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics, Chelsie shares how dance became the thing that carried her through the injury, marriage, motherhood, and building a space made for women like her from the ground up.
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  Mandana Dayani: From Religious Refugee to Media Powerhouse 09.09.2026 42min

  Mandana Dayani grew up in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war, in a Persian Jewish family that had been trying to flee since the 1979 revolution. She couldn't play in the park across the street, sirens were routine, and she had a gun pointed at her more than once before she was five. In 1987, her family escaped on a one-day visa, signing away their home and everything they owned to start over in New York with no English and little money. On this episode of She Pivots, Mandana takes us from that five-year-old holding her mother's hand through a career that took her from Rachel Zoe to running Prince Harry and Meghan's media company, scaling major brands across fashion, media, and tech, and co-founding one of the country's biggest nonpartisan voting organizations. She also opens up about the video she made after October 7th about her own childhood, which has now been watched more than fifty million times.   Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to She Pivots 00:28 Guest Intro: Mandana Dayani 02:02 Who is Mandana? 02:51 A Childhood in War-Torn Iran 04:31 Growing Up As A Religious Refugee 14:18 From Lawyer to Fashion Brand Builder 19:27 Leaving Rachel Zoe 21:57 The Birth of I'm A Voter 30:26 Archewell 33:06 The October 7th Viral Video 38:55 Low Point to Launch 40:33 Reflecting on Mandana's Journey 42:00 Podcast Credits Learn more about what Mandana is up to on Instagram @mandanadayani or on her website www.mandanadayani.com    Subscribe to her Substack All Of It at mandanadayani.substack.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.
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  Remembering Gloria Steinem: 92 Years of Activism, Storytelling, and Travels 04.09.2026 46min

  In light of Gloria Steinem's passing this week, we are re-releasing our episode with her from earlier this year with a new intro reflecting on Gloria's life and legacy. This episode was recorded in February 2026, and originally released on Gloria's 92nd birthday. It honors her impact on our culture and on the lives of every individual she spent her life fighting for. Gloria dedicated her life's work to bringing people together across generations, identities, and movements to imagine a better future for everyone. In this special episode, Emily talks to Gloria about what inspired her activism, her early travels in India, her belief that change happens in inclusive circles and through storytelling, and the legacy she hopes to leave. Learn more about Gloria's life and Legacy at gloriasfoundation.org, and consider donating to support the incredible work they do.
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  Minda Harts: The Window She Jumped Out Of 02.09.2026 30min

  Minda Harts grew up working the counter at a Dairy Queen to help cover her family's utility bills, and she climbed her way to the corporate career she'd always dreamed of. But being one of the only Black women in the room wore her down in small ways that piled up over ten years, until she found herself sitting in a parking lot, crying, and neglecting her health despite having "made it." On this episode of She Pivots, Minda talks about the breaking point that led her to start a blog just to get her thoughts out–a blog that grew into the bestselling book The Memo, three more books, a film in festivals, and a teaching career at NYU. Recorded live in front of a room full of women media-builders at The Riveter's Gathering summit in Washington D.C., this conversation traces how Minda went from dimming her own light to building the trust-focused career she never had. As she put it: "I jumped out of the window of corporate America, and women caught me."
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  Space Gal: The 100th Woman in Space 26.08.2026 50min

  Emily Calandrelli (more widely known as Space Gal) grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, with no scientists or engineers in her orbit. She chose engineering for the paycheck, discovered a love of science communication along the way, and eventually became the first woman in the country to solo-host a national science show. On this episode of She Pivots, Emily talks about pitching adult science shows for a decade only to hear that networks didn't think their male-dominated audiences would relate to a female host; pivoting to create Emily's Wonder Lab (the Netflix show that made her a household name to millions of parents and kids); and turning the show's cancellation into two bestselling books and a thriving YouTube channel. She also opens up about announcing her second pregnancy via a weather balloon at the edge of space, fighting for a federal law after being humiliated by TSA over breast milk ice packs, and why she's finally letting herself scale back with baby number three on the way.
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  Keli Lee: The Day Her Heart Stopped 19.08.2026 41min

  For over two decades, Keli Lee ran talent and casting at ABC and Disney, shaping shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and Modern Family while building the industry’s first program designed to get overlooked actors in front of the right people, helping launch the careers of Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, and Pedro Pascal. She created Disney’s first international studio from scratch, all while crisscrossing time zones between London, Australia, and LA for four years straight. And then her heart stopped, leading to eight days in the ICU that changed everything. On this episode of She Pivots, Keli talks about the night Viola Davis made history, the toll of nonstop work, how her father’s illness sent her looking into her own family history, and how that journey became the foundation for her brand Kurioscity, built to help others live with more intention.
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  Missy Tannen: From Stay-at-Home Mom to $250 Million Founder 12.08.2026 47min

  Missy Tannen spent five years teaching third grade and a decade as a stay-at-home mom before she ever thought about starting a company. But when she couldn't find bedding that was high-quality, ethically sourced, and traceable, she and her husband Scott started Boll & Branch out of pure frustration. On this episode of She Pivots, Missy talks about betting the family's life savings on an idea, borrowing against their own house even while sales were taking off, and what it took to scale from a garage operation to a 200-person company without losing what made it different in the first place. She's brutally honest about the mess behind the milestones (a full batch of ivory sheets that came out green!) and about running a family business—that’s now worth over $250 million—with her husband while raising their kids.
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  Amanda Kloots: What Nick's Death Taught Her About Living 05.08.2026 59min

  Amanda Kloots has never been able to keep her personal and professional lives separate, which is exactly why her story resonates. She's taken on so many roles: Radio City Rockette, Broadway performer, fitness entrepreneur, bestselling author, daytime TV host, and founder of the wellness brand, Proper. And every pivot she's made was sparked by something deeply personal: a divorce, a new marriage, a cross-country move, and the sudden loss of her husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero, to COVID in 2020. On this episode of She Pivots, Amanda talks about clawing her way back after losing her Broadway income, building a fitness business from scratch in LA, and how an Instagram Live during the darkest ninety-five days of her life turned into a movement she never could have anticipated. She opens up about grief cracking her life wide open, why she calls her divorce the low point she's most grateful for, and how she's carried every version of herself (dancer, teacher, founder, widow, mom) into the next chapter, including her new podcast and her role in Netflix's Let's Marry Harry.
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  Amanda Calabrese: Redesigning the Tampon for Athletes 29.07.2026 52min

  Amanda Calabrese was a middle schooler at a swim meet when she got her period for the first time. Her team captain told her to figure it out in thirty minutes or she was off the relay. That moment stuck with her all the way to Stanford, where she met her future co-founder Greta Meyer and started sketching what would become Sequel, the first tampon redesign in nearly a hundred years. On this episode of She Pivots, Amanda talks about the four-year fight to get a tiny piece of cotton past the FDA, why she treats the tampon as game-day equipment rather than something to whisper about, and how Sequel landed in locker rooms from middle schools to Audi Field, Yankees Stadium, and the Indiana Fever. Now a nine-time champion turned product design engineer, Amanda is on a mission to change how period care is talked about in sports and in every space where women show up to compete.
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  Dystany Spurlock: The First Black Woman on the NASCAR Track 22.07.2026 47min

  Dystany Spurlock has been fast her whole life—and is now a She Pivots-sponsored NASCAR driver! This is She Pivots’ first-ever sports sponsorship, because we believe in Dystany’s ability to break records and win. From a Barbie Corvette and go-karts at five, to fighting her way onto the boys' football team in middle school, to setting a motorcycle world record in a sport built for anyone but her, Dystany is a powerhouse. Getting to NASCAR meant driving trucks, working flight attendant shifts, and living in her mom's RV while she waited for the call that would change everything. On this episode of She Pivots, Dystany talks about that winding road to becoming the first Black woman to race in NASCAR, the family that held her together through the hardest parts, and why she refuses to leave her signature face sparkles at the door. We also discuss what it means when little girls stop her in the grocery store to say they want to drive too and the details behind the She Pivots purple car she's racing in this week at Indianapolis.
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  Flavor Flav: The Hype Man for Women's Sports 15.07.2026 32min

  For the first time ever, She Pivots is flipping the mic to a man. Flavor Flav joins Emily for our very first "He Pivots" episode to talk about his work as a hype man for women's sports. From sponsoring the US women's water polo team (yes, he got in the pool) to throwing this weekend's three-day "She Got Game" celebration in Vegas for female Olympians and Paralympians the White House snubbed, Flav explains why he's become one of the loudest voices for female athletes who rarely get their flowers. He also opens up about cutting class to teach himself piano, chasing a real Grammy after his Lifetime Achievement win, bowling at the White House with Dr. Jill Biden, and why, nearly 40 years into his career, he still doesn't think he's made it to the top.
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  Carolyn Tisch Blodgett: Inside Women's Soccer's Biggest Year 08.07.2026 48min

  There's one guest Emily brings back every single season: her sister, Carolyn Tisch Blodgett. Carolyn's had one heck of a year: she's Governor of Gotham FC (who won the championship again this year!), and she represents the family's ownership stake in the New York Giants. In this episode of She Pivots, Carolyn dives into what it's actually like to build something as it's happening in real time, the bets that could've gone either way, and all the unglamorous stuff nobody posts about. The sisters get into the night Gotham flew to Kansas City as total underdogs, why the new locker room design has an L-shaped entrance, and what's coming this summer as Gotham takes on the Washington Spirit at Citi Field in front of what could be the biggest crowd in NYC women's sports history.
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  Ana Huang: Consultant by Day, Erotic Romance Author by Night 01.07.2026 39min

  Ana Huang spent years living a double life: international relations scholar, Georgetown grad, geopolitical consultant by day, and secret romance novelist by night. She quietly uploaded chapters to Wattpad under a pen name no one in her life knew, and kept writing even as she built a conventional career that would make her immigrant parents proud. On this episode of She Pivots, Ana shares how COVID cracked her life open, how she taught herself TikTok before BookTok was even a thing, and how she built a community of millions one chapter at a time, all while still clocking in at her day job. She talks about the moment she finally told her family the truth, why she said no to major publishers when Twisted Love blew up, and what it means to bet on yourself. Her Twisted series has now sold over 25 million copies, been translated into 34 languages, and is headed to Netflix—and her new book, King of Gluttony, is out now.
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  Hayley Kiyoko: Lesbian Jesus 24.06.2026 45min

  From child actor to Disney star to pop icon dubbed "Lesbian Jesus," Hayley Kiyoko built a career creating the representation she never had as a half-Japanese, queer artist. In this episode of She Pivots, Hayley opens up about becoming a community's symbol practically overnight while still figuring herself out, and how she moved from leading with fear to leading with confidence and self-love. She also shares how she found her fiancée, Becca Tilley, and reflects on the decade-long journey that culminated in her Girls Like Girls film and album—a project that started with high school heartbreak twenty years ago.
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  Dr Sian Proctor: The Space Poet 17.06.2026 51min

  Dr. Sian Proctor grew up the daughter of a NASA hidden figure, with the stars in her sights until a pair of glasses at age fourteen seemed to close the door on her dream of becoming a military aviator. She kept reaching anyway, pursuing a career in geoscience and science communication, coming agonizingly close to NASA selection before receiving a rejection that sent her life in a different direction. In this episode, Dr. Sian Proctor talks about the long, winding road from that childhood dream to becoming the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft; hitting a low point after a painful divorce; and the unexpected creative awakening that ultimately launched her to space. And once she got there, she did what she's always done: made art.
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  Hayley Paige: Reclaiming Her Name 10.06.2026 54min

  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.
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  Patricia Delgado: From Principal Ballerina to Tony Award Winner 03.06.2026 52min

  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.
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  Heela Yang: The Unexpected Detour That Led to Sol de Janeiro 27.05.2026 35min

  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.
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  Victoria Lai: The Story Behind Ice Cream Jubilee 20.05.2026 45min

  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.
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  Elizabeth Smart: Surviving the Kidnapping That Shook the Nation 13.05.2026 52min

  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.