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 00:25.836 Guest Introduction: Sherrie Westin 01:58.259 Childhood and Early Life 03:28.160 Communications and the White House 09:44.959 The Transformative Power of Motherhood 12:53.840 From ABC News to Sesame Street 17:56.682 Representation and Global Impact 23:48.774 The Experiment of Sesame Street 25:20.535 The Power of The Arts on Children 27:55.460 Making a Difference To Communities in Need 31:44.265 Financial Challenges and Becoming CEO 36:00.269 What I Learned From Mom 36:53.572 From Low Point to Launch Point 37:20.029 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again? 38:09.920 Children and AI 39:20.765 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.

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