Keli Lee: The Day Her Heart Stopped

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. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to She Pivots 00:28 Guest Introduction: Keli Lee 04:28 From South Korea to All Over the USA 10:08 New York City: If You Can Make It Here... 12:39 Getting Into Casting 18:17 Disney and Diverse Representation 27:26 The Toll: A Near-Death Experience 33:13 Pivoting to Women's Soccer Ownership 35:47 The Art of Identifying the Undervalued 39:37 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again? 40:49 Closing Thoughts and Show Information You can Follow Keli on Instagram @kelilee7 and you can scheck out her substack for Kurioscity at https://kelilee.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.

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