Season 8: Still Here • April 14, 2026

Inspirational, Philanthropic, Leadership

Shana Cosgrove talks to Lesli Creedon, CEO of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic

In this episode of the Outspoken podcast, host Shana Cosgrove delves into the Make-A-Wish Foundation with Lesli Creedon, CEO of Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic. They discuss the profound impact of granting wishes to children with critical illnesses, sharing personal stories and highlighting how these wishes bring hope, resilience, and joy to the kids and their families. The conversation also explores the complexities and challenges of leadership, the power of community support, and various ways individuals and businesses can contribute to making a difference. Additionally, Creedon discusses her personal journey, including her involvement with Make-A-Wish as a ‘Wish Mom’ when her son was diagnosed with leukemia. The episode is a heartfelt tribute to the life-changing work of Make-A-Wish and an encouragement for listeners to support this impactful cause.

Quotes

  • [02:49] “It has taken me a while to realize that I can say to them. I don’t know. I don’t know the answer, but we’re all gonna figure it out together.” – Lesli Creedon
  • [05:31] “Life isn’t a flat line, so you know, when you’re really struggling at home or have a health issue or a child with a health issue, work unfortunately has to take a back seat.” – Lesli Creedon
  • [12:04] “…the ripple effects of the wish and the good vibes, for lack of a better word, that it gives to our staff, our volunteers, the doctors and nurses who treat these children, our donors who get to see the impact of their contributions. That ripple effect is really powerful.” – Lesli Creedon

Timestamps

  • [00:00] Introduction to Outspoken
  • [00:42] Sponsorship and Guest Introduction
  • [01:35] Challenges of Leadership
  • [03:19] Insights from Vistage
  • [06:02] The Impact of Make-A-Wish
  • [06:54] Personal Story: Becoming a Wish Mom
  • [14:03] Types of Wishes and Their Impact
  • [19:17] Fundraising and Community Support
  • [22:32] Personal Reflections and Closing

Resources

Relevant Links

I’d love to hear from you — your feedback is important to me and I read all of it. If you enjoyed the podcast, I hope you’ll give us 5 stars. I’ll be sure to thank you via email. If not, let me know what you think we should do differently. Don’t forget to hit “subscribe” so you’ll receive notifications about guest interviews and other topics that drop every Tuesday.

Live well, Shana

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