Send us a text

This week on the Today is the Day Podcast, I’m joined by actor, speaker, and public speaking coach Brian LaFontaine, whose journey is a powerful reminder that one conversation can change everything.

Brian grew up in Rhode Island and later attended college in North Carolina on a golf scholarship, fully expecting his future to be on the course. After his first year, he was told he would no longer be able to remain in the program. What could have ended a dream became the beginning of a new one. One conversation led to stand-up comedy, then acting—and ultimately a decades-long career on stage and screen. Brian remained in North Carolina, where that unexpected pivot reshaped his life and career.

Brian has appeared in Stranger Things, Ozark, Nashville, The Vampire Diaries, and Outer Banks, among many others. Today, he brings that experience into his work helping people communicate with clarity, presence, and impact—whether they’re pitching an idea, leading a team, stepping onto a stage, or finding their voice in a moment that matters. Through his Speak Easy experience and coaching practice, Brian helps people learn how to truly be seen, heard, and remembered through storytelling.

I’m your host, Jodi Hope Grinwald—a career and leadership coach and consultant who works with professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs, organizations, and teams across the country. Through my coaching and consulting work, I help individuals gain career path clarity, help leaders become more effective and aligned, and help teams develop from the inside out—strengthening communication, trust, and collaboration in ways that lead to stronger, more dedicated clients and customers.

I’m also the founder of the Today is the Day ecosystem, which includes this podcast, a global forum, and my upcoming book, Today is the Day. Live It!—a global mosaic of voices sharing what becomes possible when we step to the edge of comfort and into meaningful impact.

This podcast exists to amplify stories, ideas, and people doing changemaking work. If you are building something meaningful—whether in business, leadership, community, or service and believe in the power of connection, I want to share your work through this platform. The Today is the Day Podcast is heard in over 130 countries, and sponsorship opportunities are available for individuals and organizations who want their voice heard by a global, purpose-driven audience.

🎙️ In this episode, we explore:

• How unexpected setbacks can become career-defining pivots
• Why communication is a leadership skill, not a performance
• How one decision—or one conversation—can change everything

📘 Today is the Day. Live It! (coming soon)
🌐 todayisthedayliveit.com
📲 Follow @todayisthedayliveit on Facebook & Instagram

#speaker, #coach, #golf, #publicspeaking, #actor, #StrangerThings, #Ozark, #Nashville, #TV, #Film, #stage

Support the show

Send us a text

On this week's episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast my guest is someone whose story will stay with you long after the episode ends: Luke Mickelson, founder of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

Luke’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.
He didn’t create a nonprofit — he sparked a national movement.

Featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, and recognized as a Top 10 CNN Hero, Luke has been sharing a truth most people never even consider:

There is a crisis happening in America that we don’t talk about.

Not every child has a bed.

Since 2012, over 250,000 children have received brand-new beds because of Sleep in Heavenly Peace and its army of volunteers. Yet the need continues to grow.

We talk about hunger.
We talk about clothing.
But we rarely talk about the child sleeping on a cold floor…
or a blanket in the backseat of a car…
or a couch they share with siblings.

Luke has seen those children.
He has delivered beds to those families.
And he has witnessed the look on a child’s face when they receive something many of us take for granted — a safe, warm, comfortable place to sleep. A moment that restores dignity, hope, and childhood itself.

And here’s what makes this story even more powerful:

Luke didn’t seek out this mission — it found him.

A simple act.
A moment of paying attention.
A heart that refused to look away.
That is all it took to ignite a movement.

Today, with national partners like Lowe’s and DeWALT, SHP has chapters across the country — but many communities still have none. The need is everywhere. Which is why Luke speaks so passionately about starting new chapters in towns, cities, and states nationwide.

In this unforgettable episode, we discuss:

· The moment that changed Luke’s life — and thousands of others

· The emotional reality of child bedlessness in America

· What it feels like to hand a child their very first bed

· Why heart health — emotional and physical — is intertwined with service

· How YOU can start a Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter and help change lives

This isn’t just a story — it’s a wake-up call.
A reminder that one act of service can ripple into something life-changing.

Let’s make sure no child sleeps on the floor in our towns — or any town.

#TodayIsTheDayPodcast #LukeMickelson #SleepInHeavenlyPeace #Changemakers #Service #Leadership #NonprofitImpact #EveryChildDeservesABed #CommunityAction #BeTheChange #Sleep #Bedlessness #Community #Volunteers #Lowes #DeWalt

Support the show

Send us a text

This week on the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I welcome Tanya Newbould. This is a story of courage, advocacy, and transformation.

I’m honored to welcome Tanya Newbould — Life Transformation Strategist, ACC/ICF Certified Coach, speaker, entrepreneur, author, and founder of DelPozzo Jewelry and SOZO Heart. Tanya’s journey includes being adopted in the U.K., moving to Los Angeles becoming an actor, producer, surviving postpartum depression, and transforming her pain into purpose. Her openness about her own experience helped ignite global awareness when she co-produced the award-winning documentary When the Bough Breaks, narrated by Brooke Shields.

Her work not only gave countless women a voice, but also shifted the public conversation around maternal mental health. And through her coaching, storytelling, and creative ventures, Tanya now empowers others to rise from their most challenging moments and reclaim their lives with clarity, courage, and connection.

Today we’ll talk about what healing really looks like, the power of sharing your story, and how Tanya's positive and courageous outlook has helped her turn adversity into a life of service and transformation.

To learn more about Today is the Day and the global Changemakers who share their stories on this platform, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Today is the Day Live It. Stay connected to upcoming episodes, the International Changemakers Forum, and the work we do to amplify voices around the world.

As a Certified Professional Coach, I help leaders lead more effectively, support entrepreneurs in growing their businesses, and equip teams to strengthen communication, alignment, and performance all while ensuring bottom-line sustainability and growth.

Across every platform, I champion one essential truth: connection drives everything in our lives — how we lead, how we communicate, and how we create meaningful impact.

Click to learn more about all that Today is the Day has to offer.

#lifestrategist

#postpartum

#postpartumdepression

#Coach

#entrepreneur

#actor

#producer

#TodayistheDay

#Changemakers

#Jewelry

#Candles

#Wellness

Support the show