Kelly Corrigan: PBS Host on Cancer, Caregiving, and Her Year in Sydney

Kelly Corrigan never set out to become a writer. At 36, she was a nonprofit fundraiser, a mom to two young children, and facing stage three breast cancer when she self-published a book for her dying father. That book, The Middle Place, became a New York Times bestseller and launched a writing career that includes four bestsellers and two popular shows on PBS and in podcasting. On this episode of She Pivots, Kelly shares how life’s most difficult moments reshaped her understanding of what was worth writing about, from a transformative year in Australia to navigating cancer treatment while raising her daughters and caring for her dad. She also talks about the power of telling deeply personal stories and how our response to life’s challenges can help us hold on to wonder, even in the hardest seasons. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to She Pivots 00:27 Kelly Corrigan Introduction 02:07 Childhood Memories and Family Dynamics 07:46 The Turning Point in Sydney 10:29 The Power of Caretakers 11:47 The Birth of a Writer 15:16 Kelly's Expectations for Her Life 18:43 Cancer Diagnosis and Writing The Middle Place 23:46 Navigating Motherhood and Treatment 31:26 What's Next After The Middle Place 33:24 The Second Book Deal 34:30 The IVF Dilemma: A Book's Evolution 39:39 The Viral Essay 42:25 Low Point to Launch 45:17 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again? 47:10 Reflections on Kelly's Story 48:30 Podcast Production Credits Listen to Kelly Corrigan Wonders wherever you get your podcasts, and keep up with what Kelly is up to at kellycorrigan.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.