Success is taught as something we will achieve in exchange for hard work, determination, and personal sacrifice. For hardworking, high-achieving women, it can be detrimental to discover that this isn’t always true. “She Pivots,” a podcast hosted by Emily Tisch Sussman, in partnership with Marie Claire, aims to empower women to redefine success for themselves.
In June, Sussman hosted a summer evening celebration for “She Pivots.” The event was held at her home in Water Mill and was an extension of the work she is doing with “She Pivots” to highlight the intersection of the personal and the professional through the stories of inspiring women.
“When I first started this podcast, it was because I needed stories of inspiration from other women and this group is just that — inspiring,” said Sussman. “When I left my decade-long career in D.C. politics, I could never have imagined the endlessly impressive women whose stories I get to share. Their personal stories are just the start of a whole new way to talk about our lives and professional careers. These driven, confident, and inspiring women utilized their own experiences and personal circumstances to pivot into a new career and in turn, garnered more success than before, and I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate them tonight.”
Sussman is transforming the way we talk about our personal lives as it relates to our professional careers and hosted this dinner to create meaningful connections between inspiring women. The goal is to amplify women’s voices, and with Marie Claire’s dedication to women’s issues, this event creates a space for women to voice their needs and allow other women to help support one another.
The season of “She Pivots” kicked off on International Women’s Day with Vice President Kamala Harris. Sussman interviewed the Vice President in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a live recording.
“I cannot think of a better way to kick off Season 2 than with Vice President Harris. This episode is honest, vulnerable, and I think will resonate with anyone who listens,” said Sussman. “Her ability to take on the challenge of every pivot and occupy spaces so many people told her she was not welcome is exactly what She Pivots is about.”
Vice President Harris spoke candidly about what led her to Washington, D.C. and how she continued to step into her power.
“When I was elected DA of San Francisco, I was the first Black woman to ever have been elected as DA anywhere in the state of California,” noted Vice President Harris. “And so, you can imagine when I took on an incumbent, the number of people that said to me, ‘Oh, they’re not ready for you.’ ‘It’s not your time.’ ‘It’s going to be hard work.’ And I didn’t listen.”
The episode highlights some of the Vice President’s vulnerable moments and explores what drove her to service in the first place.
“I don’t often talk about [it]. One of my best friends in high school, while we were in high school, I learned that she was being molested,” said the Vice President. “And, in many ways, that was one of the reasons I became a prosecutor, which was born out of a feeling that, you know, you have to right certain wrongs and address certain injustices and protect people who are vulnerable and deserve the autonomy of their bodies and their life.”
The show is born out of Emily’s own personal pivot after leaving her fast-paced job as the Vice President of Campaigns at the largest democratic think tank in DC, the Center for American Progress. After having her three kids in just three and a half years during the Trump presidency she had the heartbreaking realization that the career she had worked so hard to build was no longer sustainable.
“At the time, I felt like I was losing — my identity, my career, my friends, my hobbies,” said Sussman. “Success in our society is hierarchical, and it requires sticking to one profession, climbing the ladder to the top… I think we as a society are at a unique moment where women are rejecting traditional forms of success, and allowing our personal stories to shape our careers.”
Priyanka Chopra Jonas also joined “She Pivots” this season during her ongoing press tour for her new Amazon show, “Citadel,” and latest movie, “Love Again.” During her interview, Priyanka opened up about the appreciation and need for childcare as a new mom, her career goals, and her pivot from Bollywood to Hollywood.
“I am so grateful for my mom and my nanny every single day,” Jonas shared. “Before I leave for work, I say, ‘Thank you so much. Because you’re here, I am able to go and do my work without thinking about it.’”
Since the birth of her daughter in 2022 and turning 40, the actress shared how her life has changed.
“I am not looking for validation. I’m looking for a few tangible things. I’m looking for joyful moments. I’m looking for career achievements. I’m looking for time with my family, and my dogs, and my friends. I am looking for the next milestone I want to achieve. It’s just become really simple,” said Jonas.
Through it all, Jonas has found a new purpose in this new phase of her life.
“I just turned 40 last year, and I feel like I’m in this new decade of my life,” Jonas said on “She Pivots.” “I’m feeling the most free I have felt in my life. I feel more capable of dealing with life. I feel a lot more at peace. I feel the need to choose joy.”
Some of the other guests Emily has hosted on “She Pivots” this season include some of the world’s most prominent and inspiring women. From Olympian Allyson Felix, to actress Brooke Shields, to Holocaust survivor and author Dr. Edith Eger, and many more.
The event at Sussman’s home featured food from Shef, a meal delivery service that uplifts local chefs, 85 percent of whom are women and many of whom are immigrants from nearly 100 countries. The dinner featured a range of local and women-owned companies. Wölffer Estate Vineyard served an assortment of wine while Aplós and Gorgie served non-alcoholic options and speciality mocktails. The evening was concluded with a surprise dessert truck from Sag Harbor staple Buddhaberry.
Guests included dynamic women like Stacy London, Erin Lichy, Joey Wölffer, Laney Crowell, Alison Morris, Jennifer Esposito, Hillary Koota, Samatha Sage, Courtney Heggelerand, and Anastasia Ganias, to name a few. The women went home with Social Goods x She Pivots “She Works Hard For the Pivot” bag of goodies from other women-owned brands.
A Hamptons resident and mom of three, Emily continues to amplify the voices of women across industries and backgrounds on “She Pivots” and works to normalize and celebrate the conversation around both personal and professional pivots.