She Pivots iHeartPodcasts

Alexis McGill Johnson never had taking over Planned Parenthood on her life’s bingo card. But as a woman whose family tree is full of inspirational women, it’s no surprise that Alexis has been able to steer the organization through one of the most tumultuous times for women’s health care access. On this episode of She Pivots, Alexis shares the stories of her grandmother and mother who paved the way for her success, pivoting from teaching at Yale and Wesleyan to organizing, working at the intersection of politics and hip hop, founding and growing the Perception Institute, and becoming the leader of Planned Parenthood. She also details what the reproductive health care landscape looks like now and what’s ahead in the fight for abortion rights. 
 
She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Alexis, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jennifer Esposito grew up in Staten Island, surrounded by the violence of the Mafia and dreaming of escaping and making it to the big screen. But it wasn’t until her recent film, Fresh Kills, that she was truly able to claim her career for herself and tell the stories of the human experience that she longed to share with the world. On this episode of She Pivots, Jennifer talks with Emily about the disappointments in her early career, her battle with celiac disease, and why Fresh Kills is so deeply personal to her - a letter to her former self.
Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode!
She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Jennifer, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shannon Watts had been a stay-at-home mom for five years when she turned on the TV to see horror unfolding at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. After witnessing the aftermath of the murder of 20 children and 6 adults on that cold day in December, Shannon knew she had to channel her rage into action. What started as a Facebook page called One Million Moms for Gun Control eventually became Moms Demand Action, one of the leading advocacy groups in the country fighting our country’s gun violence epidemic. In this episode of She Pivots, Shannon recounts growing up with ADHD and finding her passion for journalism; leaving behind her successful PR career to prioritize her kids; the lessons learned from losing the vote on universal background checks; the importance of diversity in leadership; and what’s next for her after stepping down as CEO of Moms Demand Action.
Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode!
She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Shannon, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first 42 years of Julia’s life, she lived in a ultra-Orthodox community working as a teacher. But her decision to leave that community in 2013 set her on an entirely new course, launching shoe and clothing lines, writing a best-selling book, and becoming the star of her own reality TV show, My Unorthodox Life. In this episode of She Pivots, Julia reveals what life was like in the Haredi community, how a comment from her daughter pushed her to leave, her commitment to women and making their world better, and how she fought back in her very public and very controversial divorce battle. 
Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode!
She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Julia, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fran Drescher is an American pop culture icon, having made her mark in the 1990s in the starring role of her sitcom, The Nanny. But Fran has faced her fair share of pain, too–pain that inspired some of her most impactful career pivots. In this special episode of She Pivots, recorded live at Lincoln Center, Fran discusses the inspiration for The Nanny, how she leveraged her international fame and personal fight with cancer to create Cancer Schmancer, and her experiences serving as President of SAG-AFTRA during the longest strike in the union’s history.
Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode!
She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Fran, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kelly and Norah were on very different life paths. Kelly was a model, who spent her free time volunteering with Head Start - an experience that opened her eyes to how many children lacked basic necessities, like properly fitting shoes. Norah was a lawyer at a high-powered New York City firm, who enjoyed engaging in pro bono work, especially in helping low-income women secure housing and other resources. But a dinner between the two - arranged by Kelly’s father-in-law - revealed their shared passions for nonprofit work, their new status as mothers, and their interest in pivoting in their careers, eventually leading to the two women becoming the CEOs of Baby2Baby. Now, Baby2Baby provides millions of diapers and other essentials to those in need and garners support from an impressive list of celebrities, including Jessica Alba, Kim Kardashian, Ayesha Curry, and Drew Barrymore. In this episode of She Pivots, Kelly and Norah talk about the role of celebrity engagement in Baby2Baby, the logistics of their first 100,000 diaper donation, and overcoming sexism they have faced as CEOs of a female-led non-profit.
Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode!
She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Kelly and Norah, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.