Today is the Day Changemakers

Hosted by Jodi

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206

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Sep 2026

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About the show

Through connecting with and highlighting changemakers, self-starters, and those who are disrupting the status quo, Jodi Grinwald’s ‘Today is the Day Changemakers’ channel will provide content that will connect listeners to real stories, from real people who are making a real difference in their corner of the world. These intimate interviews with inspiring and relatable guests will act as an opportunity for you to peer inside the minds of the latest gamechangers and creators. Changemakers believe in the greater good. They identify a specific issue or challenge and give themselves permission to do what is needed. Learn more about their tenacity, determination, motivation, and their innate ability to move past the challenges even when it is not easy. Every Wednesday a new interview will be released. Remember....Today is the day! You cannot go back to yesterday and you do not yet own tomorrow! Please follow on social media @todayisthedayliveit or email jodi@todayisthedayliveit.com.

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September 30, 202657 min

He Built Businesses. Together They Fought for his Life. Stage 4 Melanoma & the Smilo Foundation

Send us Fan Mail What do you do when you’ve spent your life building businesses—and suddenly, you’re told you may have only weeks to live? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers podcast, host Jodi Hope Grinwald welcomes entrepreneurs and Smilo Foundation co-founders Mike and Bethany Smilovich for a deeply personal conversation about cancer, advocacy, partnership, and finding hope when the future feels uncertain. Mike’s business experience spans healthcare, wellness, and consumer brands, including European Wax Center franchise locations, VIO Med Spa, and Bang Cookies. But a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis brought an entirely different challenge into his and Bethany’s lives as parents of two young children. Mike was also diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease, which they describe as cancer spreading into his cerebrospinal fluid—the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. During the interview, they recount being told that the average lifespan associated with his prognosis was eight weeks. Bethany stepped into the role of caregiver and advocate, researching treatment options, seeking additional opinions, and connecting with doctors and scientists. Together, they describe navigating major medical institutions, gathering information, and bringing what they learned back to Mike’s care team. Their search eventually took them to Germany for T-cell therapy. Mike and Bethany share their experience with that treatment, the results they reported at the time of our conversation, and the questions they continued to explore. Throughout their journey, hope gave them motivation to take the next step. Hearing stories of people who had survived difficult diagnoses helped them believe other possibilities existed—and encouraged them to keep reaching out, learning, and asking questions. Their experience also revealed how difficult it can be to find relevant treatment information, even with resources, business experience, and an extensive network. That realization helped inspire the Smilo Foundation. Through the foundation, Mike and Bethany are working to connect patients and caregivers with information about cancer research, treatment options, and advocacy resources. They also discuss their plans for Smilo Compass, a tool intended to help patients identify potential treatment options to discuss with their doctors, with expert human review included in the process. This conversation explores the connections between entrepreneurship and advocacy, the emotional realities of caregiving, raising young children through uncertainty, and creating a mission to help others from a life-changing personal experience. Learn more about the Smilo Foundation, its mission, and opportunities to support its work: smilofoundation.org Follow the foundation on Instagram: @thesmilofoundation Please share this episode with someone who would value hearing Mike and Bethany’s story. Their discussion reflects their personal experience; treatment decisions should be made with your medical care team. ABOUT TODAY IS THE DAY The Today is the Day Changemakers podcast features conversations with changemakers, inspirers, and people disrupting the status quo in the best way possible. With more than 200 episodes and downloads in 143 countries and territories and over 1,400 cities, the podcast brings together voices whose experiences encourage us to think differently, connect more deeply, and take action. Host Jodi Hope Grinwald is the founder of Today is the Day LLC and creator of Connection Is the Work™. Through coaching, consulting, speaking, and training, she helps leaders, teams, and organizations strengthen connection and create sustainable growth. EXPLORE LIVE IT! Jodi’s book, LIVE IT! — Edge of Comfort to Center of Impact, brings together 31 voices sharing experiences and perspectives on moving beyond comfort and creating impact. Learn more about the book and Jodi’s work at todayisthedayliveit.com . STAY CONNECTED Subscribe to Today is the Day Changemakers on YouTube and follow the podcast on your favorite listening platform. Follow Jodi on Facebook and Instagram: @todayisthedayliveit Facebook: facebook.com/todayisthedayliveit Instagram: instagram.com/todayisthedayliveit Website: todayisthedayliveit.com Today is the day. You cannot go back to yesterday, and you do not yet own tomorrow. What small or large step will you take today to get closer to your goal? #entrepreneur #cancersurvivor #melanoma #BangCookies #wellness #medspa #nonprofit #cure #changemakers #todayistheday Support the show

September 22, 20261 hr 7 min

From Red Carpets to Breaking News: Bill Cunningham's Front Row Seat to History

Send us Fan Mail This is such an incredible Today is the Day Changemakers episode! You won't want to miss this conversation... What does a career spent covering everything from Hollywood’s biggest nights to some of the country’s most difficult breaking news stories teach you about people? Bill Cunningham is an independent, award-winning producer of thousands of stories and live shots in 12 countries, broadcast on network, cable and syndicated television in North America and Britain with viewing audiences in the millions. Based in Los Angeles, Bill brings decades of experience collaborating with television anchors, correspondents, celebrity contributors, producers, directors, writers, bookers, photographers, editors and engineers around the world. For 21 years, Bill produced stories for Good Morning America . His career has taken him backstage at the Grammys and Oscars, inside the Vatican, to George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch and into coverage of the O.J. Simpson trials. His behind-the-scenes work has also included Dancing with the Stars , Comic-Con International, Pixar Animation Studios and so much more. Bill's story goes far beyond his impressive credits. Bill shares what it took to get a story on the air under intense pressure, the career mistakes he still remembers, lessons learned from decades in television, and why kindness, curiosity and staying connected truly matter. One of the most powerful moments in our conversation comes when Bill shares how staying connected helped change the trajectory of his career. After moving to Los Angeles without a job lined up, he reached out to a former television executive he had intentionally stayed in touch with over the years. That connection ultimately helped open the door to ABC and what became a 21-year career with Good Morning America . That moment speaks directly to something I believe deeply: Connection Is the Work™. We never really know where one genuine relationship, one note, one conversation or one act of kindness may lead. There is also a very personal connection woven into this episode. My special co-host, Fred C. Wasiak, M.S., CPC , has known Bill for more than 40 years — but you’ll have to listen to find out exactly how they know each other. Even after all those years, Fred heard stories from Bill during this conversation that he had never heard before. I first met Bill at our Los Angeles LIVE IT! Book Launch, and I am so grateful that he took the time to share not only stories from an extraordinary career, but also the personal lessons that came with them. And toward the end of our conversation, Bill leaves us with another simple but powerful thought: “And to be curious about other people. That can be a gift.” — Bill Cunningham The Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast features conversations with people who are making a difference in their corner of the world and beyond. With more than 200 episodes and listeners in 143 countries and territories , the podcast brings together leaders, entrepreneurs, nonprofit changemakers, authors, creatives, educators and people using their experiences to create meaningful impact. Because Connection Is the Work™. Subscribe and follow so you don’t miss an episode. YouTube: Today is the Day Changemakers Facebook & Instagram: Today is the Day Live It Website: todayisthedayliveit.com Read Today is the Day. LIVE IT! — Edge of Comfort to Center of Impact LIVE IT! brings together 31 powerful voices sharing personal stories about moving beyond comfort, making courageous choices and creating impact. And coming Spring 2027 : Today is the Day. OWN IT! A new collection of voices exploring what happens when we take ownership of our choices, our direction and the life we are creating. Your life. Your choices. Your call. Learn more about the books, upcoming events, speaking, coaching and the Today is the Day community at todayisthedayliveit.com . If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe , follow, share the episode and send it to someone who needs to hear it. Every share creates another opportunity for connection. #TodayIsTheDayChangemakers #BillCunningham #GoodMorningAmerica #Storytelling #TelevisionProducer #ConnectionIsTheWork #Changemakers #LIVEIT #OWNIT #CareerLessons #Podcast Support the show

September 16, 20261 hr 1 min

Leading with Vision: Mentorship, Monmouth, and the Springsteen Center

Send us Fan Mail What becomes possible when you listen to those who believe in you—and allow their belief to help shape your journey as you grow into the leader you are meant to become? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , I sit down with Dr. Patrick F. Leahy, president of Monmouth University and Chair of the Board of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music. Patrick shares how his professional journey began in a completely different industry before leading him into higher education. Along the way, mentors and others who believed in him helped him recognize new possibilities, take unexpected steps, and grow into the university leader he is today. You will also hear how deeply he believes in Monmouth University’s students—and in creating the access, support, and opportunities that empower them to recognize their potential and achieve more than they imagined possible. We also go behind the scenes of an extraordinary undertaking years in the making: his work with Bruce Springsteen and others to transform a bold vision into the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music—a $50 million, 30,000-square-foot destination dedicated to preserving Bruce’s legacy while celebrating the diverse history of American music. This conversation is about more than becoming a university president or helping to bring a world-class cultural center to life. It is about the people who recognize something in us before we fully recognize it in ourselves, the relationships that open unexpected doors, and the responsibility leaders have to create opportunities for others. This is an inspiring conversation about mentorship, leadership, education, music, legacy—and what becomes possible when vision is put into motion. FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE Follow @todayisthedayliveit on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to the Today Is the Day Changemakers channel on YouTube. Please like, follow, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear its message. CONNECT WITH TODAY IS THE DAY If you would like to be considered as a featured guest or explore partnership opportunities to promote your business, organization, or nonprofit through the Today Is the Day ecosystem, contact Jodi at: jodi@todayisthedayliveit.com #PatrickLeahy #MonmouthUniversity #BruceSpringsteen #BruceSpringsteenCenterForAmericanMusic #AmericanMusic #HigherEducation #UniversityLeadership #LeadershipJourney #LeadershipDevelopment #MentorshipMatters #Mentorship #Changemakers #PodcastInterview #LeadershipPodcast #TodayIsTheDayChangemakers Support the show

September 8, 202659 min

Finding Your Diamonds: The Courage to Heal, Evolve, and Become Limitless

Send us Fan Mail What if changing your relationship with fear could change your entire life? In this deeply honest episode of the Today Is the Day Changemakers Podcast, Jodi Hope Grinwald sits down with Liz Svatek—transformational coach, speaker, healer, author, podcast host, and Founder of the Warrior Woman Movement. Liz shares what it was like growing up in a volatile home and living in “two worlds”—the life others saw and the painful reality behind closed doors. She explains how those experiences created hypervigilance that followed her into adulthood and why writing her book, Finding Your Diamonds, allowed her to finally validate the experiences she had hidden and minimized for years. Liz also introduces the idea that changed everything for her: radical personal responsibility. This does not mean blaming yourself for what happened. It means owning the choices you make next so you can become the driver of your own life. Together, Jodi and Liz explore: • Creating boundaries within complicated family relationships • Accepting people for who they are—not who we need them to become • How healing yourself can create a ripple effect in others • Reinventing your identity when you know there is more for you • The difference between actual danger and the fear that accompanies growth • Why fear may be a green light rather than a stop sign • How one decision can completely change the trajectory of your life Liz works with women who feel exhausted, overwhelmed, stuck in old patterns, or as though they have been silently drowning while caring for everyone around them. Her work helps women awaken, remember who they are, reclaim their voices, and return to the expanded, powerful, and deeply alive women they were always meant to be. Liz reminds us, “You can’t really change another person, but you can be the ripple effect.” And for anyone wondering whether life holds something more, her message is clear: “If you think there is more, there is.” EVOLVE WITH LIZ—FREE LIVE CLASS Join Liz September 14–16 for EVOLVE , a free live class designed to help you evolve your relationships, your parenting, and—most importantly—YOURSELF. Register here: https://www.lizsvatek.com/evolve-experience BECOME LIMITLESS Liz’s LIMITLESS program is a 12-week online, deeply connective experience that can change your life. Jodi has personally participated in LIMITLESS and highly recommends it to any woman who is ready to grow, heal, break free from old patterns, and discover what is possible in her next chapter. It was a gamechanger for Jodi and can be for you as well. As Liz says, “All it takes is 12 weeks to change your life, your legacy, and the woman staring back in the mirror.” Learn more at Warrior Women Inc.: https://www.lizsvatek.com/ Liz’s book, Finding Your Diamonds , is available now on Amazon. She is also the host of The Liz Svatek Show and will be a featured author in the upcoming collaborative book that Jodi is curating titled, Today Is the Day. OWN IT!, coming in late spring 2027. This is not only Liz’s story. It may be the beginning of yours. FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE Follow @todayisthedayliveit on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to the Today Is the Day Changemakers channel on YouTube. Please like, follow, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear its message. CONNECT WITH TODAY IS THE DAY If you would like to be considered as a featured guest or explore partnership opportunities to promote your business, organization, or nonprofit through the Today Is the Day ecosystem, contact Jodi at: jodi@todayisthedayliveit.com #connection #changemakers #evolve #limitless #awaken #coaching #womenleaders #leadership #womeninbusiness #TodayistheDay #changemakers #overcomingfear #trauma #family Support the show

September 2, 20261 hr 2 min

Humble Beginnings, Brilliant Impact, Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Community

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a 38-year career, lead a company through 20 years of growth and adversity, and stand up for the things you believe in—even when doing so isn’t easy? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I sit down with Philip “Phil” Brilliant, founder and owner of Brilliant Environmental Services, LLC , a full-service environmental consulting firm celebrating 20 years in business. Phil has dedicated more than 38 years to environmental science, helping protect the water people drink, the air they breathe, and the communities where they live. During his career, he helped grow an environmental company from four employees and $400,000 in annual revenue to 68 employees, four offices, and more than $9 million in revenue. His leadership extends far beyond his business. Phil is a longtime community advocate, frequent lecturer on environmental remediation, original member of the New Jersey Site Remediation Professional Licensing Board, and host of the Simply Brilliant Podcast . He continues to speak up, step forward, and stand behind the issues he believes matter—even when doing so makes him a target. But to understand the leader Phil became, you also have to understand where he came from. Raised by a single mother with limited resources, Phil learned about sacrifice, perseverance, and generosity at an early age. His mother raised two children, later returned to school, and earned her college degree at 50. When Phil was eight or nine years old, he tried to help her pay the bills. He found what he believed were postage stamps, licked them, and carefully placed them on the envelopes. He soon discovered that they were actually the family’s food stamps for the week. His mother also taught him the power of making people feel seen. She kept gifts in the trunk of her car because she believed you should never arrive at someone’s home empty-handed. She would even give a gift to a stranger celebrating a birthday in a restaurant. Today, Phil honors her legacy through a scholarship that helps high school seniors continue their education. Phil also speaks candidly about one of the most difficult chapters of his professional journey. After discovering his company was losing money on every job, he faced approximately $700,000 in bills with only about $100,000 coming in. He reduced his staff from 45 employees to 10 and ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Through honesty, resilience, and the willingness to ask for help, Phil rebuilt his business without losing a client or vendor. His advice to entrepreneurs is something every leader needs to hear: You may know something, but you do not know everything. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you in the areas where you need support. This is a conversation about business success, leadership, family, community advocacy, bankruptcy, rebuilding, and having the courage to use your voice. Stories like Phil’s are at the heart of my book, LIVE IT! From the Edge of Comfort to the Center of Impact . Through real and deeply personal stories, the authors share how they moved beyond judgment, uncertainty, fear, and challenge to create lives of greater purpose and impact. The book is available in paperback and Kindle wherever books are sold. Listen to the full episode, subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, and please like and share this conversation so more people can hear Phil’s story. Follow @TodayIsTheDayLiveIt on Facebook and Instagram for more conversations with leaders, changemakers, entrepreneurs, and people creating meaningful impact in their communities and beyond. Would your company or organization benefit from reaching an audience of leaders, business owners, nonprofit professionals, and changemakers? Customized podcast sponsorship opportunities are available, providing meaningful visibility while supporting the real stories and conversations that inspire people to take action. Visit todayisthedayliveit.com or contact Jodi@todayisthedayliveit.com to learn more about the podcast, Leadership & Business Growth Strategy services, purchase LIVE IT! , or explore sponsorship, and partnership opportunities. #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Resilience #StandUpForWhatYouBelieveIn #LeadershipLessons #EnvironmentalLeadership #SmallBusiness #CommunityLeadership #OvercomingAdversity #PurposeDrivenLeadership #Changemakers #Podcast #TodayIsTheDayChangemakers #LiveIt Support the show

August 18, 20261 hr 11 min

Calling You Can't Deny: Changing Girls' Futures in Kenya

Send us Fan Mail How is ZanaAfrica transforming menstrual health, girls’ education, reproductive health, and gender equality in Kenya? In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, host Jodi Hope Grinwald speaks with Megan Mukuria—founder of ZanaAfrica , Ashoka Fellow, Harvard University graduate, and award-winning social entrepreneur. Megan grew up in Connecticut and attended Harvard University. But after working with girls in Kenya, she recognized a truth that changed her life: poverty is a lack of opportunity—not a lack of talent. In 2001, she purchased a one-way ticket to Kenya and followed a calling she could no longer deny. Megan later founded ZanaAfrica after witnessing how period poverty, limited access to sanitary pads, and a lack of trusted reproductive health education affected girls’ health, safety, dignity, and education. Today, ZanaAfrica provides menstrual products to more than 100,000 users and works with 250 teachers and 50,000 students—with the goal of helping bring its health curriculum to 13 million students across Kenya. In this conversation, Megan shares: How her Connecticut upbringing and Harvard education influenced her journey Why she left the United States for Kenya How ZanaAfrica is advancing menstrual health and girls’ education What she learned after six years without funding Why menstrual products and health education must work together How courage, purpose, and persistence can create systems change Why everyone—not only founders—can contribute to social impact If you are interested in Megan Mukuria, ZanaAfrica, Harvard alumni creating social change, menstrual health in Kenya, period poverty, girls’ education, gender equality, women’s health, nonprofit leadership, or social entrepreneurship, this episode is for you. Watch and listen: YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts Search Today is the Day Changemakers wherever you stream podcasts. Learn more about Megan Mukuria and support ZanaAfrica at ZanaAfrica.org . Learn more about Jodi Hope Grinwald, the podcast, books, leadership programs, and the Today is the Day Changemakers ecosystem at TodayIsTheDayLiveIt.com . Subscribe, follow, review, and share this episode to help more people discover Megan’s work. #MeganMukuria #ZanaAfrica #HarvardUniversity #HarvardAlumni #Connecticut #Kenya #MenstrualHealth #PeriodPoverty #MenstrualEquity #GirlsEducation #GenderEquality #WomensHealth #SocialEntrepreneurship #NonprofitLeadership #GlobalHealth #SocialImpact #Changemakers #TodayIsTheDayChangemakers Support the show

August 12, 20261 hr 3 min

From “Yes, But” to “Yes, And”: Turning Change Into Possibility

Send us Fan Mail I’m Jodi Hope Grinwald, host of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast. In this episode, special guest co-host Fred Wasiak, Principal Owner of Humanics Consulting , and we sit down with motivational keynote speaker, author and improv comedian Avish Parashar for a powerful and refreshingly honest conversation about navigating change, moving beyond apathy and replacing “yes, but” with “yes, and.” Avish reminds us that life isn’t scripted—it is the ultimate improvisation. We are constantly facing unexpected changes, challenging conversations and circumstances we cannot control. The question is: Will we resist what is happening, or will we adapt and explore what could be possible? One of my favorite insights from Avish’s book, Say “Yes, And!” to Change, is: “Yes, but” is a brake. “Yes, and” is an accelerator. When someone presents an idea and the response is, “Yes, but that won’t work,” the idea can be shut down in seconds. But responding with, “Yes, and what if we also…” can open the door to creativity, collaboration and entirely new possibilities. Avish explains how changing our default response from “yes, but” to “yes, and” can help us: • Adapt more effectively to change • Strengthen communication and teamwork • Move beyond resistance and complacency • Unlock creativity and innovation • Become more comfortable with uncertainty • Say “yes, and” to ourselves and the possibilities we may be dismissing Our conversation also takes an unexpectedly honest turn when Avish shares his unusual personal theme: to become more “bored, awkward and rejected.” Why would anyone choose that? Because boredom creates space for imagination. Awkwardness can mean we are stretching beyond what feels comfortable. Rejection means we had the courage to try. Avish explains that when we stop immediately escaping discomfort through distraction, we give ourselves the space to create, grow and achieve better results. We also explore approval-seeking and how easy it is to focus on the one person who did not like what we did—even when 100 others did. Avish openly discusses his own desire for approval, the vulnerability behind performing and why being honest about what we are experiencing allows others the opportunity to support us. Avish also challenges the belief that every goal must feel achievable. While SMART goals have value, he believes we also need an “impossible goal”—one that makes us think, “I have no idea how I’m going to accomplish that.” An impossible goal requires us to experiment, learn, collaborate and use our creativity. When individuals or teams pursue an ambitious goal they genuinely care about, that renewed engagement can begin to replace apathy. Most importantly, Avish reminds us that bringing “yes, and” into our workplaces, relationships and communities must begin with saying “yes, and” to ourselves. How many times have you thought, “I want to do that,” only to immediately answer yourself with, “Yes, but I don’t have the time,” “Yes, but I might fail” or “Yes, but I’m not ready”? This episode invites us to change that response. If you are navigating change, leading a team, pursuing a goal that feels beyond your reach or struggling to move past your own “yes, but,” this conversation is for you. Listen to From “Yes, But” to “Yes, And”: Turning Change Into Possibility with Avish Parashar. CONNECT WITH AVISH PARASHAR Learn more about Avish: https://www.avishparashar.com Learn more about Say “Yes, And!” to Change: https://www.sayyesandtochange.com CONNECT WITH TODAY IS THE DAY Subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers YouTube channel and join a global community committed to creating meaningful change. Learn more about me and the work of Today is the Day: https://www.todayisthedayliveit.com #leadership #changemanagement #yesand #TodayIsTheDayChangemakers #AvishParashar #leadershipdevelopment #adaptability #personalgrowth #teamengagement #creativity #innovation #growthmindset #workplaceculture #communicationskills #podcast Support the show

August 5, 202639 min

One Sandwich Sparked a Movement—And a Life Meant For More

Send us Fan Mail One Small Act of Kindness Can Change Everything: A Conversation with Karen Olson What if one small act of kindness could change the course of your life—and ultimately impact millions of others? On this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast , host Jodi Hope Grinwald sits down with Karen Olson, founder and CEO emeritus of Family Promise, for an inspiring conversation about kindness, compassion, purpose, and the extraordinary impact one person can create. Karen’s desire to help others began early in life. After losing her mother as a child, she experienced a depth of hurt that made her want to protect others from feeling the same kind of pain. Although she once dreamed of becoming a nurse, her life took her in a different direction, and she built a successful career as a marketing executive at Warner-Lambert. Then, one encounter outside Grand Central Station changed everything. On her way to a business meeting, Karen stopped to help an unhoused woman named Millie. She offered her a sandwich and orange juice—and, even more importantly, took the time to sit with her, listen, and learn her story. That single decision opened Karen’s eyes and heart in a new way. It led her to begin volunteering, learn more about family homelessness, and bring communities together to create meaningful solutions. Karen eventually founded what would become Family Promise , a national nonprofit dedicated to helping families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity achieve lasting independence. Through the power of compassion, community, and human connection, she rallied more than one million volunteers and helped build a movement that has served more than one million children and adults. In this deeply personal conversation, Karen opens up about childhood loss, depression, unexpected roadblocks, her transition from corporate leadership to nonprofit service, and the life-altering health crisis she later faced. She also shares how volunteerism transformed her own life and why compassion has the power to heal both the person receiving kindness and the person offering it. Karen’s journey reminds us that purpose does not always arrive through one grand plan. Sometimes, it begins by noticing the person in front of us, listening to our hearts, and choosing to take one small step. Karen’s memoir, Meant for More: Following Your Heart and Finding Your Purpose , chronicles her journey from personal tragedy to a life of compassion, service, and national impact. The book is available through Amazon , Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. Learn more about Karen at KarenOlsonAuthor.com and about Family Promise at FamilyPromise.org . About the Host Jodi Hope Grinwald is a Leadership & Connection Strategist, author, collaborative publishing strategist, and host of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast . She partners with companies, nonprofits, leaders, and professionals through leadership and team development, career transition coaching, nonprofit fundraising strategy, and organizational consulting. Through her Connection Is the Work™ methodology, Jodi helps companies and nonprofits turn meaningful human connection into measurable organizational outcomes—including stronger leadership, more effective teams, improved workplace culture, greater employee and client engagement, increased retention, sustainable fundraising, and long-term growth. Jodi is also the creator and lead author of Today is the Day. LIVE IT!—Edge of Comfort to Center of Impact , featuring the stories and insights of 31 changemakers. She is currently curating the second collaborative book in the series, Today is the Day. OWN IT! , scheduled for release in Spring 2027. Today is the Day. LIVE IT! is available through Amazon , Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target, and other major online booksellers. Learn more about Jodi’s consulting, coaching, speaking, podcast, and books at TodayIsTheDayLiveIt.com . #homelessness #nonprofit #Princeton #Florida #Author #CEO #cryotherapy Support the show

July 29, 20261 hr 5 min

Humor is a Healer: Replay of July 31, 2025 Episode

Send us Fan Mail On July 31, 2025, we released an episode about what humor means and how it is a true connector. Today, we’re honored to share it again. In this episode I am joined by Lenny Dave, Kermit Cole, and special guest co-host, Michael Gershe. Humor connects people. Humor heals people. Humor is much more than telling a joke. Listen in the hear more about what humor means to us as a society. Last month, we said goodbye to our dear friend, Lenny Dave who is one of the guest's in this episode. His passing leaves an incredible void, but his voice, wisdom, and unwavering spirit continue to inspire all of us who had the privilege of knowing him. Lenny was also a featured author in LIVE IT! , where his Chapter 8, “Lost and Found,” captures the resilience, perspective, and joy that defined his life. One of his unforgettable lessons? “Life is a gravy sandwich.” It was quintessential Lenny—finding light even in life’s most difficult moments. As the co-founder of Humor Camp , Lenny understood that humor wasn’t about telling jokes. It was about creating connection. He had a remarkable gift for helping people feel seen, welcomed, and part of something bigger than themselves. That gift transformed countless lives and built a community that will forever carry his legacy forward. His absence will be deeply felt at this fall’s Humor Camp and throughout both the Humor Camp and Today is the Day Changemakers communities. As we mark one year since this episode first aired, we invite you to listen—or listen again—and celebrate a man who showed us that laughter can heal, connection can change lives, and the way we make people feel is often the greatest gift we leave behind. Thank you, Lenny. Your legacy lives on. Click to purchase the book and learn more about Lenny in Chapter 8 of Today is the Day. LIVE IT! Support the show

July 22, 20261 hr 3 min

Unbroken Motion

Send us Fan Mail What happens when one moment changes the direction of your life—and you must decide how you are going to move forward? On July 20, 2017, Matthew Fumo dove into shallow water while swimming with friends near the Longport Bridge in Ocean City, New Jersey. He struck his head on the bottom, sustained a C4 spinal cord injury, and was paralyzed from the shoulders down. He was told he could remain on a breathing tube for up to three years and would never move anything below his neck again. But Matt’s story did not end with what he was told. In today’s episode, Matt and his sister, Julia Fumo, share the realities of that day, the long and continuing road of recovery, and what the experience taught their entire family about resilience, hope, support, and moving forward. Today, Matt is president of Unbroken Motion, and Julia serves as secretary. Together, they are building a community to support individuals living with spinal cord injuries and the families walking beside them. Learn more, get involved, or support their mission at UnbrokenMotion.org , and follow @UnbrokenMotion on Facebook and Instagram. Before we begin, please download and follow the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers YouTube channel. You can also follow Today is the Day Live It on Facebook and Instagram. Please like, comment, and share. Every interaction helps us bring these powerful stories to more people around the world. Today is the Day. LIVE IT! — Edge of Comfort to Center of Impact , is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Target online. If you are sitting at the edge of a decision or unsure how to move forward read what 31 authors from across the U.S. and Uganda have to share. #spinalcord #spinalcordinjury #motion #TodayistheDay #Changemakers #ocean #surfing #watersafety #family #community #healing #mindset #connection Support the show