She Pivots

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: 00:00.240 Welcome Back to She Pivots 01:53.240 Little Carla 05:15.520 Sunday Suppers at Grandma's 09:11.840 Beginning with Accounting 14:44.160 Moving to Paris for Modeling 19:34.200 The Birth of Lunch Bunch 21:36.960 Culinary School and Alchemy Caterers 27:41.200 Finding Love 31:36.480 Top Chef Audition and Experience 36:23.120 Food meets Performance on The Chew 41:10.840 Restaurant Venture and Saying Yes 44:23.640 Please Underestimate Me: Manifesting A Dream 47:15.480 Embracing Life's Transitions and Future Plans 48:48.134 Closing Questions 49:58.440 Closing Thoughts and Upcoming Projects Carla’s instagram: @carlaphall  Carla’s website: carlahall.com thememenu.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.  -- 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. -- She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Huma Abedin has spent decades at the center of American power, as Hillary Clinton's closest aide, Deputy Chief of Staff at the State Department, and Vice Chair of a historic presidential campaign. But when her personal life collapsed in the most public way possible, she faced a reckoning that had nothing to do with politics. In this episode, Emily talks with Huma about her remarkable rise through the highest levels of government, the very public unraveling of her marriage, the decision to reclaim her story through her New York Times bestselling memoir, Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds, and finding love again on her own terms.    Chapters:   00:29 Introduction to Huma Abedin 01:52 Growing Up in Saudi Arabia 06:38 Returning to the United States 09:48 Stepping into the Political World 13:16 Public Service, Public Scandal 17:08 2016 Presidential Election and Aftermath 25:05 Telling Her Story: Public Reinvention 30:08 Embracing Change and Future Plans 35:27 Reflections on Huma's Journey 36:08 Credits   Huma’s Instagram: @humaabedin Huma’s website: huma-abedin.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.

She Pivots is back for Season 5! If you’re new here, She Pivots was created by Emily Tisch Sussman, who made a major career pivot out of politics after having three kids in three years. She Pivots is dedicated to telling the stories of women who have pivoted in their careers due to a personal life event. And now we’re back with honest conversations about career pivots, personal reinvention, and the choices that shape our lives, so that you can be inspired to make your own pivots with confidence.   Right in time for Women’s History Month, we’re starting with one of the most iconic feminist leaders of all time: Gloria Steinem. Gloria has spent her life bringing people together across generations, identities, and movements to imagine a better future for everyone. In this special episode - launching on Gloria’s 92nd birthday! - 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.   And big news– Gloria’s new memoir An Unexpected Life just announced today! Check out the Vanity Fair article all about it here.   Chapters:   00:00 Welcome back to She Pivots! 00:31 Emily's Pivot and Inspiration for the Show 01:42 Season Five Introduction 02:13 Gloria Steinem: A Living Legend 03:08 Gloria's Early Life 06:44 Gloria's Abortion and Her Fellowship in India 08:45 Early Career and the Playboy Bunny Exposé 15:24 The Birth of a Feminist Journalist 23:16 The Rise of a Feminist Leader 25:06 Gloria's Pivot Into Marriage 27:40 Talking Circles and the Future of Democracy 33:27 Gloria's Home as an Hub for Activism 40:18 Will Gloria Pivot Again? 42:54 Reflections on Gloria's Legacy 44:11 Closing Thoughts and Credits 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.   Gloria’s Substack: https://gloriasfoundation.substack.com/  Gloria’s Instagram: @GloriaSteinem    She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women’s voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with inspirational narratives of how personal pivots can redefine professional success.   Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: https://shepivots.substack.com/   Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website www.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.

Every woman has a moment when everything changes. But what does it actually take to pivot? Season 5 of She Pivots premieres March 25th and we are SO excited bring you honest conversations about career pivots, personal reinvention, and the choices that shape our lives, so that you can be inspired to make your own pivots with confidence. Hosted by Emily Tisch Sussman, She Pivots is the podcast where women share the bold career moves and personal turning points that changed everything. This season, we’re diving even deeper into the stories behind success, the risks, the doubts, and the moments that redefine what’s possible. We’re launching with a very special guest and a season full of powerful insights you won’t find anywhere else. Follow now to be the first to listen when Season 5 drops, and join our community of women who support each other's pivots, great and small!Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week marks a special moment on She Pivots—it’s our season finale, and Emily is joined by the incomparable Paloma Faith. On this episode, Paloma opens up about her boldest reinvention yet: pivoting from chart-topping singer and actress to author of her raw and bestselling memoir, MILF: Motherhood, Identity, Love and Fckery*. With her trademark candor and wit, Paloma shares the unfiltered realities of IVF, miscarriages, postpartum depression, fractured relationships, and the messy, complicated truths of motherhood and womanhood that are too often left unsaid. She reminds us that embracing imperfection is not only liberating but essential—and that every reinvention can be an expansion of who we are. 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 Paloma, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julie Wainwright’s career (and personal life) is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention, having seen Pets.com collapse on the very same day her marriage ended. On this episode of She Pivots, Julie opens up about the highs of leading companies at the forefront of the dot-com boom, and the devastating lows of reaching a personal professional rock-bottom on the same day. Rather than letting failure define her, she rebuilt from the ground up, ultimately founding The RealReal and taking it public—becoming one of the few women to lead a company she created all the way to IPO. Julie reflects on what it means to move through public scrutiny, personal heartbreak, and professional betrayal, and how each so-called failure became the launchpad for her next chapter. Now, with her latest venture AHARA and her memoir Time to Get Real, she is proving once again that reinvention is not only possible but powerful.   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 Julie, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Latham Thomas is changing the way the world thinks about birth, wellness, and motherhood. As the founder of Mama Glow, she’s helped families, including celebrities like Alicia Keys, Anne Hathaway, and Gabrielle Union navigate the journey to parenthood with knowledge, support, and joy. On this episode of She Pivots, Latham opens up about the birth of her son and the gaps in care that inspired her mission. Drawing on lessons from her mother and her own experiences, Latham built Mama Glow to empower families, train doulas, and advocate for Black maternal health. Today, she’s a leading voice in a global movement redefining maternal care with equity, dignity, and purpose. 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 Latham, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sloane Stephens is a Grand Slam champion whose career has been defined as much by resilience as by remarkable wins. On this episode of She Pivots, Sloane opens up about her journey from a late-blooming tennis prodigy to a U.S. Open champion, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. She reflects on navigating the grief of losing her father and stepfather at a young age, building balance and normalcy in a sport that demands constant travel and pressure, and pursuing new goals - from higher education to a broadcasting career - while battling injuries. Beyond the court, she shares how founding the Sloane Stephens Foundation and launching her body-care brand, Doc & Glo, have allowed her to channel her values into impact, expanding her legacy far beyond tennis.   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 Sloane, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.  Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elizabeth Sneed is the face and founder of Curvy Surfer Girl—a global body-positive movement empowering women of all shapes and sizes to find strength, joy, and belonging in the waves. But few would have guessed that she would make a career from the waves after she nearly drowned at fourteen. In this episode, Elizabeth shares her journey from a turbulent childhood in rural East Texas, to a high-pressure career in politics, to eventually facing her deepest fear of the ocean. That leap of faith–and a move to Hawaii–opened the door to a completely new life. Elizabeth now inspires her hundreds of thousands of followers to embrace their bodies and discover the power that comes from reconnecting with nature and themselves.   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 Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.