Nancy Daniels

Along with overseeing Discovery Channel, Science and Animal Planet, Daniels is among the senior decision makers involved in planning content for linear channels and the discovery+ streaming app, which boasted 12+ million subscribers within its first two months. When COVID-19 hit, she sought programming about the pandemic’s impact on communities and nature and instituted protocols to keep productions safe while ensuring a steady flow of new content. Once, while a male colleague was trying to overshadow her work at a high-level meeting, Daniels received a text from another male colleague that changed her perspective. It read, “FIGHT BACK,” and Daniels says “That small gesture lit a fire inside of me and I think back to it often to reignite that fire.”

Best advice for someone looking to re-enter the workforce after a hiatus?
I’ve noticed women who have been out of the workforce after a hiatus often have a crisis of confidence. They don’t see their time away as “experience,” but I feel there is always something you can take from the personal to bring into the professional. From managing households to elder care to PTA work, every experience you have are valuable nuggets that can influence your life at work. It’s important to have those 3-5 value points that you can bring to the table and use those as your talking points with how they translate to your professional experience.

Also, on the flip side, as a manager, I’d be intrigued by someone who is coming back because they are likely hungry. Use that to your advantage and show that if someone gives you a hand, how hard you will work.

Do you have an example of male allyship that made a difference to you?
Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav has been instrumental in giving me the opportunity to take big swings. His trust and confidence in my ability as a leader has been monumental to my career.

I remember once at a high-level meeting there was a conversation happening where one male colleague was trying to overshadow some of my work. At that moment, I looked down and happened to see a text from another male colleague who was in the room that read, FIGHT BACK. That small gesture lit a fire inside of me and I think back to it often to reignite that fire.

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