Susanne Daniels
Most comfortable at a company that super-serves young viewers, former MTV programming chief Daniels segued to her newly created post at YouTube this summer. She now oversees development and production of content for the world’s most-viewed video source, which has been ramping up its efforts to create original content from the likes of the Fine Brothers and Smosh. Her favorite way to unwind after a busy day? “Dancing with my kids in the yard to Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift—with an Amstel Light.”
What’s the most important aspect of mentoring?
General philosophies of mentoring: share breadth and scope of the work you are doing. Seek their opinions and teach them how to best express those opinions in a relevant and thoughtful way. When mentoring women, I talk to them about fighting for a fair salary, and not just to care about the “experience” and the “opportunity”.
What/who inspires you at work? What/who inspires you out of the office?
People who take risks inspire me. Like Oprah who started the challenging journey of building OWN. Or Sheryl Sandberg, who wrote “Lean In” and turned it into a platform to encourage women. I was once incredibly impressed by a talented temporary employee, who turned down my offer to be a development executive because she was determined to be a writer. And then there’s Stephen Friedman, my boss at MTV, who dedicated time to spotlighting important and meaningful issues on the network. All of these people–along with my husband and my parents–inspire me to try new things, think differently and forge new paths.
Your favorite trick for unwinding?
Dancing with my kids in the yard to Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift (with an Amstel Light).