The Ambition Code

Michael Levitt + Building a Legacy: Purpose, Persistence & Baylen Out Loud Some people spend their careers waiting for the right opportunity to find them. Michael Levitt has spent his life creating the opportunity, asking the question, finding the way in—and then making something unforgettable once he gets there. He started early. Long before he became an acclaimed executive producer, Michael was already bringing people together, following his curiosity and figuring out how to turn an idea into something real. That instinct would eventually become an extraordinary career spanning live events, awards shows, game shows, unscripted television and some of the most memorable moments in entertainment. His credits include the Billboard Music Awards, TV Land Awards, Scream Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards, Hollywood Squares, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Skin Wars, the Michael Jackson Memorial, and many more. But even a body of work this deep and accomplished doesn't fully explain Michael - or the tenacity, heart and sheer force of will behind it. I've known him for close to two decades - we produced Bravo's first A-List Awards together with Kathy Griffin - and what has always struck me is the way he moves through a room and through his life. Michael lights up a room, and then somehow makes sure the spotlight lands on everyone else. He is warm, funny, relentlessly creative and genuinely interested in people. He has the rare ability to make something feel possible before anyone has figured out exactly how to do it. And underneath that bright energy is enormous tenacity. When Michael believes in an idea, he stays with it. When one route closes, he looks for another. And when something becomes important to him personally, he has found a way to give it a much larger purpose. That combination of instinct, persistence and heart has led to some of the most meaningful work of his career. His passion for dog rescue grew into nationally televised programming including Fox's Cause for Paws, All-Star Dog Rescue Celebration, American Rescue Dog Show and Stanley Pup (with the NHL) taking the skills and relationships he had built over decades in entertainment and using them to help animals find homes. And then there is Baylen Out Loud. Michael discovered Baylen Dupree on TikTok and saw far beyond a viral video. What followed became an award-winning TLC series filled with humor, family, vulnerability and enormous heart - a show that allows audiences to know Baylen as a young woman building a life, rather than allowing Tourette syndrome to define her. Michael describes that shift beautifully in our conversation, you won't want to miss this. And maybe that says something important about Michael's work as a whole. He sees people. He sees possibility. And after decades of making television, he is increasingly interested not simply in whether something will entertain an audience, but in what it can leave behind. This conversation is about much more than producing. It is about knowing your value before someone else validates it. Having the courage to ask for what you want. Understanding when a "no" actually means not this way, not yet. Learning to pivot without abandoning the thing you believe in. Staying relevant by continuing to learn. Following the things that matter to you - and eventually asking whether the skills you spent your life building might be useful for something bigger than yourself. Michael talks about work ethic, rejection, reinvention, kindness, risk, purpose and the responsibility that can come with success. He also speaks candidly about an entertainment business in profound transition and why creativity now requires more resourcefulness than ever. And through it all is one of my favorite things about Michael: he has never confused ambition with taking up all the oxygen in the room. His version of ambition has room for other people. It has room for kindness. It has room for joy. And increasingly, it has room for impact. As Michael reflects near the end of our conversation, the work he is proudest of has given him something greater than another credit: the knowledge that what he created mattered to someone. He hopes the life he is building will leave behind "a legacy that matters." In this episode The courage to ask for what you want Knowing your value before anyone gives you permission to claim it Why rejection doesn't always mean the idea is wrong Turning persistence into possibility Building a career across multiple lanes without allowing yourself to be pigeonholed Creating the moments audiences remember How to pivot when the original plan stops working Navigating massive industry change Finding purpose inside the skills you already have Using success and influence in service of something you care about The instinct that led Michael to Baylen Out Loud What Baylen and her family have taught us about humanity, compassion and difference How dog rescue became both a calling and a creative mission Why kindness and ambition are not opposites Building work - and a life - that leaves something meaningful behind The Ambition Code takeaway You do not have to know exactly how the dream is going to happen before you begin moving toward it. Ask. Follow the instinct. Believe in the idea. Learn the workaround. And when your experience finally meets something you care deeply about, pay attention. That may be where ambition becomes purpose - and where a career begins to become a legacy.     ABOUT MICHAEL LEVITT Michael Levitt is the President and Executive Producer of Michael Levitt Productions, an Emmy-nominated producer specializing in live event and unscripted programming. His extensive body of work includes Baylen Out Loud, Stanley Pup, American Rescue Dog Show, Skin Wars, Hollywood Squares, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Scream Awards, TV Land Awards, Daytime Emmy Awards, Billboard Music Awards, the Michael Jackson Memorial and many more. Michael is also a longtime animal rescue advocate whose passion for rescue has inspired multiple national television franchises. CONNECT WITH MICHAEL Michael Levitt Productions Website: michaellevittproductions.com IG: michaellevitt_1     THE AMBITION CODE The Ambition Code is a podcast about ambition, identity, reinvention and what happens when the life or career you imagined begins to change. Through honest conversations with extraordinary people—and solo episodes exploring the questions many of us are asking privately—Julie Kellman Reading looks at how we move through change, take risks, trust ourselves and keep building lives that feel meaningful. Your Life Is Waiting For You. CREDITS Creator, Host + Executive Producer: Julie Kellman Reading Guest: Michael Levitt Produced by: Love + Daydreams Music: Moby Gratis / @moby.gratis A Love + Daydreams Production LISTEN, WATCH + FOLLOW The Ambition Code Instagram: @TheAmbitionCodePod YouTube: @TheAmbitionCodePod Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and everywhere you get podcasts. CONNECT WITH JULIE + LOVE + DAYDREAMS Julie Kellman Reading / Love + Daydreams Email: [email protected] Website: LoveAndDaydreams.com Instagram: @loveanddaydreams LinkedIn: @juliekellmanreading For podcast, production, creative partnership and business inquiries: LoveAndDaydreams.com.

The Art of Being Human How to Navigate AI, Change & the Future Without Losing Yourself Guest: Dermot McCormack - CEO, Investor, Media Futurist & Technology Advisor There is so much noise right now about AI, jobs, technology and what the future is going to look like. Dermot McCormack brings something we could all use in the middle of it: clarity. Dermot has spent his career at the leading edge of media and technology, navigating enormous periods of disruption and helping companies understand what may be coming next. But what makes his perspective so compelling isn't simply how much he knows about technology. It's how deeply grounded he is in humanity. In this episode of The Ambition Code, Julie and Dermot step back from the headlines to ask a much bigger question: As technology becomes more powerful, how do we make sure we don't lose the things that make us human? This is a conversation about AI and the future of work - but it's also about instinct, fear, risk, reinvention, resilience, human connection, critical thinking, purpose and learning how to move forward when you don't know exactly where you're going. Dermot shares why he believes our human-anchored skills may become more valuable, not less, in the years ahead - and why the people who learn how to combine the extraordinary capabilities of technology with judgment, creativity, empathy, experience and independent thought may be uniquely positioned for the future. It's also a reminder that when the world around you changes, the answer isn't always to hold tighter to the life you already built. Sometimes you have to redefine the problem, reboot the dream, and simply start to move before you know exactly where the road is going. ABOUT DERMOT McCORMACK Dermot McCormack is a CEO, investor, media futurist and technology advisor who has spent decades working at the intersection of media, technology, innovation and business. Throughout his career, he has helped build, lead, advise and invest in companies navigating major periods of technological change. His perspective on the future is informed not only by where technology may be headed, but by a deep interest in people, culture, human behavior and the forces that shape how we live and work. Connect with Dermot: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dermot100/ THE AMBITION CODE The Ambition Code is about ambition, identity, reinvention and what happens when the life or career you imagined begins to change. Through honest conversations with extraordinary people - and solo episodes exploring the questions many of us are asking privately - host Julie Kellman Reading looks at how we move through change, take risks, trust ourselves and keep building lives that feel meaningful. Your Life Is Waiting For You. CREDITS Created, Hosted & Executive Produced by: Julie Kellman Reading Produced by: Love + Daydreams Music by: Moby Gratis / @moby.gratis A Love + Daydreams Production CONNECT The Ambition Code Instagram: @TheAmbitionCodePod YouTube: @TheAmbitionCodePod Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. Julie Kellman Reading / Love + Daydreams LinkedIn: @juliekellmanreading Website: LoveAndDaydreams.com For podcast, production, partnership and business inquiries: Love + Daydreams | LoveAndDaydreams.com  

Susette Hsiung + The Making of a Remarkable Leader Leadership, Curiosity, and the Courage to Do Things Your Own Way There are careers defined by achievement. And then there are careers that become legacies. For more than four decades, Susette Hsiung built one of the most remarkable careers in modern entertainment. She began in the defining early years of MTV, helped launch the comedy channel that would become Comedy Central, moved to Singapore at just 30 years old to help launch MTV Asia and two 24-hour networks, and ultimately spent nearly three decades at Disney, rising to Executive Vice President of Network Production Management and Operations for Disney Channels Worldwide. Along the way, Susette and her teams oversaw thousands of hours of programming and more than 100 Disney Channel Original Movies, with work spanning many of the shows and franchises generations of families grew up with - including Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Descendants, Zombies, Phineas and Ferb, Kim Possible, Raven's Home, The Proud Family, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and many more. But this episode isn't really about the credits. It's about what Susette learned while earning them. Again and again, she stepped into opportunities before she had a roadmap for exactly how they would unfold. She took on new industries, new formats, new countries and increasingly bigger responsibilities - driven not by certainty, but by curiosity, a willingness to learn, and the confidence to keep moving toward the next challenge. And then, as she rose to the highest levels of the business, something equally important happened: Susette turned what she had learned into an investment in other people. She became known not only for what she accomplished, but for how she led - building exceptional teams, developing talent, creating opportunities, mentoring emerging executives and helping people see possibilities in themselves that they may not yet have seen. I know that personally. I am incredibly fortunate to call Susette one of my own mentors. Her guidance has influenced my career and the way I think about leadership, opportunity, growth and what it means to bring people with you along the way. That is what makes this conversation such a gift. Whether you are just beginning your career, stepping into leadership, wondering whether it is time to take a risk, navigating an industry in transition, or thinking about what you want the next chapter of your life to look like, Susette offers the perspective of someone who has been through all of it - and is willing to share the experiences and lessons that she has learned. We talk about the courage to take on something you have never done before. How to keep investing in yourself throughout a long career. Why curiosity can be more useful than having all the answers. How great teams are built. What meaningful mentorship looks like. How leadership evolves as responsibility grows. And why success ultimately has to be defined by something deeper than a title. Now retired from Disney, Susette is turning her attention toward family, herself, and the work that matters most to her - including a deep commitment to Autism in Entertainment, an organization helping people on the autism spectrum explore their creative passions, build community, develop their skills and pursue careers in entertainment.  Learn more at AutisminEntertainment.org/Ambition. There is decades' worth of wisdom in this conversation, but perhaps the most powerful lesson is also the simplest: You can build an extraordinary career without following someone else's blueprint. You can remain curious. Keep learning. Take the opportunity. Build the team. Invest in people. Change direction when you need to. And you can do it your own way. In This Episode A conversation about leadership, ambition, mentorship, risk, curiosity, reinvention, building exceptional teams, investing in yourself, navigating change, and creating a career - and ultimately a life that reflects what matters most to you.     About The Ambition Code The Ambition Code is a podcast about ambition, identity, reinvention and the choices that shape a life - through intimate conversations with people who have built extraordinary careers and lives on their own terms. ✨Your Life Is Waiting For You.✨ Credits Created, Hosted & Executive Produced by: Julie Kellman Reading Produced by: Love + Daydreams Music: @MobyGratis ✨A Love + Daydreams Production✨ Connect The Ambition Code Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and everywhere you get podcasts. Love + Daydreams Creative studio developing and producing podcasts, series, branded content and storytelling for every platform. loveanddaydreams.com For podcast, production, partnership and business inquiries: Love + Daydreams | loveanddaydreams.com  

Raquel Bruno + Music, Motherhood, and a Life Off-Script The Lessons of an 8-Year IVF Journey Raquel Bruno is a powerhouse. The thing I've always loved about Raquel is that she understands perseverance. She knows how to keep going, how to find another way, and how to keep believing when the answer in front of her is no. And nowhere was that perseverance tested more profoundly than on her eight-year road to motherhood through IVF, loss, uncertainty, and ultimately, two incredible children. Raquel and I have something in common: neither of us has ever been particularly good at accepting the word "no." In our careers and in our lives, "no" has often meant something else entirely: "So, you're telling me there's a chance". Raquel is an executive producer, talent manager, CEO, DJ and entrepreneur who has spent decades fiercely advocating for the talent she works with while making sure producing teams get what they need to create an excellent project. She understands that great work happens when talent feels protected, heard and supported—and when everyone involved is working toward the same goal. But Raquel has never been just one thing. She grew up surrounded by music. Her mother was a jazz singer. Her father was a songwriter. They rubbed shoulders with Frank Sinatra and Casey Kasam. Music has remained a constant through every version of who she has become, and even now, while running a company and raising two children, she is still behind the turntables. For Raquel, music isn't a hobby. It's a life force. And then there is her road to motherhood. Raquel opens up with extraordinary candor about eight years of trying to become a mother, pregnancy loss, multiple rounds of IVF, the emotional and physical toll of infertility, and reaching a point where she felt financially, emotionally and spiritually depleted. Ultimately, a different path led her to become the mother of two incredible children. It's a conversation about perseverance -but also about learning that not everything can be solved by pushing harder. Sometimes persistence has to make room for patience, surrender, trust and a path you never expected. And after decades of achieving, producing and proving, Raquel's definition of ambition has changed too. Today, success is about alignment, her children, creativity, choosing the right work - and understanding that freedom is a form of payment and time is a commodity. Come for the stories. Stay for the lessons. In this episode, we discuss: Why "no" doesn't always mean no- it can mean not this way Raquel's eight-year IVF journey and road to motherhood Pregnancy loss and the loneliness of infertility How she found the strength to keep going when she felt depleted Becoming a mother later in life Learning when to persist - and when to surrender Why your life doesn't have to follow anyone else's timeline Building Drive Entertainment Group and betting on herself Recognizing the human being behind the celebrity Why kindness and relationships matter so much in entertainment Growing up in a musical family Why DJing has remained essential to who she is Building community through music on Twitch Refusing to abandon your creative identity as your life evolves A different kind of imposter syndrome The danger of shrinking yourself to make other people comfortable Why failure can be one of our greatest teachers How her definition of ambition has changed with age ✨Follow Raquel Bruno✨ Instagram: @RaquelLovesDrive LinkedIn: Raquel Bruno Twitch: DJ Aviva  -  twitch.tv/DJAviva Website: driveentertainmentgroup.com ✨The Ambition Code✨ Creator / Host / Executive Producer: Julie Kellman Reading Produced by: Love + Daydreams Music by: @Moby.Gratis The Ambition Code: Your Life Is Waiting For You.

The Risk of Wanting More How do you stay open after life changes you? What happens when you survive something that changes you - and then life asks you to believe in possibility again? In this solo episode of The Ambition Code, Julie Kellman Reading explores what it means to want more after heartbreak, disappointment, reinvention, or any experience that fundamentally divides your life into a before and an after. Surviving something difficult doesn't make you smaller. It can introduce you to a version of yourself you had forgotten was there. Julie talks about rebuilding after divorce, meeting herself again after decades, and discovering an unexpected kind of fearlessness on the other side. This episode explores the psychology of staying open when your brain has learned to protect you, the difference between fear and intuition, why our past can begin writing our future, and believing in the future without knowing exactly how it will turn out. Because reinvention isn't only about recovering from what happened. It's about deciding what happens next. In this episode: Why difficult experiences can change the way we approach possibility The instinct to protect ourselves from disappointment How your past can begin making decisions about your future Rediscovering yourself after a major life transition The unexpected fearlessness that can come from survival Choosing curiosity over certainty Learning to stay open without abandoning everything you've learned The Ambition Code is a podcast about ambition, reinvention, creativity, career, and the defining moments that shape our lives  -  and how we keep moving forward when the path doesn't look anything like we expected. Credits Creator, Host + Executive Producer: Julie Kellman Reading Produced by: Love + Daydreams Music: @Moby.Gratis Connect Email:[email protected] Julie Kellman Reading on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliekellmanreading/ Love + Daydreams: https://www.loveanddaydreams.com Listen to The Ambition Code on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ambition-code/id6790585618 Follow The Ambition Code wherever you listen to podcasts, and please like, subscribe, and share! ✨Because - your life is waiting for you.✨ 🩷✨🔥