In every interview on C-Suite Success, I have the privilege of sitting down with leaders who have transformed an idea into something meaningful — something measurable — something that changes the way people live, work, and experience the world. But every so often, a story emerges that is not just a leadership case study, but a reminder of why leadership matters in the first place.
My recent conversation with Jessica Radetsky, Founder and Executive Director of Broadway Hearts, is exactly that. It is a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership, resilience, and the strategic execution required to turn a deeply personal mission into a high-growth national enterprise.
Jessica spent nearly 21 years performing in The Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest-running production after a historic 35-year run. She performed in almost 6,500 shows and witnessed something extraordinary behind the curtain — children from organizations like Make-A-Wish visiting the theater for a once-in-a-lifetime moment of joy. When too many of those children had to cancel due to their health, she asked a powerful leadership question:
“If they can’t come to Broadway, how do we bring Broadway to them?”
That question became the spark for Broadway Hearts — a 501©3 nonprofit that brings elite Broadway performers directly into children’s hospitals across the United States, both in-person and virtually. What began in 2017 with seven volunteers has grown into a national movement with partnerships in nearly 50 hospitals and more than 100 performers lending their talent to uplift children and families in their most challenging moments.
Executives and founders often talk about “purpose,” but Jessica demonstrates what it looks like when purpose is not a slogan — but a strategy.
Seeing Success in Its Purest Form
When I asked Jessica when she first understood what success could look like — not for her personally, but for Broadway Hearts — she recalled a moment now engraved in her memory: one of their earliest hospital visits, standing with a handful of volunteers in a small room singing to a toddler. The little girl burst into giggles. Her mother, exhausted and scared, watched her daughter experience a rare moment free from pain.
That moment became a truth Jessica could not unsee: Music is medicine. Connection is healing. Joy is impact.
Executives often search for metrics to define success. Here, the metric was unmistakable: one child, one moment, one emotional breakthrough. And from that undeniable proof, a scalable enterprise was born.
What is powerful for leaders to recognize is this: Jessica did not wait until she had a business plan, a full team, or a funding strategy. She acted on the validity of a single, mission-aligned result. That is how disruptive companies are built — by recognizing early evidence of impact and committing to scale it.
Jessica embodies a principle I preach constantly: Mission-driven leaders don’t seek the spotlight — they create a spotlight that shines on others.
Her endless humility comes from her upbringing. With warmth and deep emotion, she spoke about her parents — brilliant, generous, artistic people who modeled passion, perseverance, and unconditional support. They didn’t hand her a path; they modeled how to build one. She became a professional dancer because she simply decided she would be — and they backed her with everything they had.
And when she lost her father in 2009, the world dimmed. She longed for a way to honor the man whose love for music, performance, and joy shaped her. Broadway Hearts became that tribute — a living expression of his spirit.
It’s a reminder to all executives: Our deepest purpose often emerges from the greatest love or the greatest loss.
Scaling Purpose: Leadership Lessons for Every Executive
Jessica is the first to admit she came into the nonprofit world with no roadmap. And yet, Broadway Hearts now operates with the sophistication and reach of a top-tier enterprise. Her journey offers powerful lessons for leaders at every stage:
1. Ask for help — early and often.
At the beginning, she tried to do too much alone. Like many executives, she didn’t want to “bother” people. Yet people want to help when your mission is clear, meaningful, and authentic. Asking sooner would have saved her significant time and accelerated impact.
2. Surround yourself with leaders who fill your knowledge gaps.
She built a powerhouse board — including performers, business leaders, hospital specialists, and the late Frank Shankwitz, founder of Make-A-Wish. A visionary leader doesn’t know everything. A visionary leader assembles the people who do.
3. Start small but start now.
Broadway Hearts began with one visit, one room, one giggling child. Big things grow from small things done consistently and intentionally.
4. Treat nonprofit leadership like enterprise leadership.
Jessica rejects the idea that nonprofits operate with different expectations. Leadership is leadership. Execution is execution. Impact is measurable. The same strategic rigor that scales a business also scales a mission.
A Model for the Future of Leadership
Executives today are navigating unprecedented change — AI, economic pressure, workforce expectations, global uncertainty. And yet, the leaders who rise above the noise are the ones anchored in purpose and driven by service.
Jessica Radetsky is that kind of leader.
She created an organization that not only entertains children but changes their emotional, physical, and psychological well-being in ways that hospitals now recognize as critical to care. She built partnerships across sectors. She mobilized talent around the country. She converted compassion into a nationally replicated model of healing and hope.
And she did it all by believing that one moment of joy can change a life.
For every executive striving to build something meaningful—something that grows, scales, and endures, Jessica’s story is your blueprint:
Lead with purpose. Execute with excellence. Surround yourself with brilliance. And never underestimate the power of one spark to ignite a movement.
Broadway Hearts is changing lives. And Jessica Radetsky is showing the world what purpose-driven leadership truly looks like.
