Welcome to the Today is the Day Changemakers podcast.

What happens when a game becomes more than just strategy and competition and instead becomes a pathway to purpose, growth, and real-world change?

On this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers podcast, I’m joined by Aston Roberts, a nationally ranked U.S. Chess Federation Expert and founder of Checkmate to a Better Future, a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to transforming lives through chess. And the most incredible part? He’s just 17 years old. Aston’s work spans classrooms, communities, and even the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center, where he’s pioneered a chess-based curriculum focused on foresight, behavior, and life skills.

Also joining us is his Dad, Adrian Roberts. Adrian is a driving force of support behind Aston’s journey. Together, we’ll explore how one teen’s passion for chess is creating ripples of impact far beyond the board.

Checkmate to a Better Future is having their inaugural Livingston, NJ Summer Chess Tournament and Fundraiser on Saturday, August 9. Go to Home to learn more.

Before we dive in, don’t forget to subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @TodayIsTheDayLive

Today is the Day is more than this podcast—

It’s a movement rooted in clarity, courage, connection, and impact.

Through coaching and consulting, I help individuals and teams find clarity of focus, the courage to move forward, and the connections that lead to growth. Whether you’re leading a mission, launching a vision, or navigating change, I help you build the kind of network that lifts you up—and supports the impact you’re meant to create.

And be sure to save the date for the Today is the Day Changemakers International Forum, where global voices come together to embrace transformation and inspire action. Go to our website with more information.

Lastly, if this episode or any prior episodes have helped you to feel connected, inspired, empowered or just seen a little more consider giving back. Your contribution, no matter the size, helps keep these stories alive and accessible to all. Today is the Day is not just a podcast. It includes an International Forum and soon to be a new Changemakers Connective. Help us keep growing this connective movement. Today is the Day Changemakers (Today is the Day Changemakers Support)

Let’s get into this incredible conversation.

Because today is the day.

Have a great week!

#chess, #chessplayer, #chessforbetterfuture, #NewJersey, #emergingchangemaker, #changemakers, #todayistheday, #makingadifference

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Welcome to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast.

How can speaking with true intention toward ourselves and others not only calm the ego, but nourish the spirit?

Today on Today is the Day Changemakers, I’m joined by Kalyani Pardeshi, a multi award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and Canada’s only certified Flowcess Trainer. Kalyani helps people embrace their true selves by identifying and dissolving two often-ignored causes of burnout: self-bullying and living outside their intrinsic motivators.

Her powerful book, Beyond the Inner Critic: Understanding and Conquering Your Conscious and Unconscious Bullies, won the International Impact Award for Self-Help within four months of publication. She’s been featured on CTV Morning Live, Global News Calgary, and QR Calgary Radio, and continues to inspire schools, organizations, and communities across North America.

Today’s episode dives into how seemingly harmless jokes or offhand comments—especially when directed inward—can do lasting harm. Kalyani shares how both external bullying and the inner critic shaped her journey, and how presence, self-awareness, and accountability can become tools for personal and collective healing.

Before we dive in, don’t forget to subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers YouTube channel and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @TodayIsTheDayLive

Today is the Day is more than this podcast—

It’s a movement rooted in clarity, courage, connection, and impact.

Through coaching and consulting, I help individuals and teams find clarity of focus, the courage to move forward, and the connections that lead to growth. Whether you’re leading a mission, launching a vision, or navigating change, I help you build the kind of network that lifts you up—and supports the impact you’re meant to create.

And be sure to save the date for the Today is the Day Changemakers International Forum, where global voices come together to embrace transformation and inspire action. Go to our website with more information.

Lastly, if this episode or any prior episodes have helped you to feel connected, inspired, empowered or just seen a little more consider giving back. Your contribution, no matter the size, helps keep these stories alive and accessible to all. Today is the Day is not just a podcast. It includes an International Forum and soon to be a new Changemakers Connective. Help us keep growing this connective movement. Today is the Day Changemakers (Today is the Day Changemakers Support)

Let’s get into this incredible conversation.

Because today is the day.

#innercritic

#TodayistheDay

#Changemakers

#Bullying

#innerbully

#overcomingobstacles

#clarity

#courage

#impact

#connection

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Welcome to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast.

In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers podcast we talk about the power of deficits, discipline and dedication.

Today, we’re honored to welcome back a powerhouse changemaker — M. Quentin Williams, founder and CEO of Dedication to Community (D2C), and newly named to the WORTHY 100 by Worth Magazine for his extraordinary leadership in social impact and justice reform.

Q is an attorney, an educator, and a national voice for change. He’s a former FBI agent, federal prosecutor, and has held senior roles with the NFL, and NBA. He’s also a guest instructor at the FBI National Academy.

But what sets this conversation apart is the depth of it.

If you’re ready to hear what it looks like when a person turns deficits into discipline, and discipline into legacy — you are absolutely in the right place

This is not just another interview — it’s a masterclass in resilience, purpose, and walking your mission out loud. From poverty and a reading comprehension deficit to having the discipline to get through law school and so much more. There is too much to summarize in this very dynamic and important conversation. Take a listen and let us know if anything you hear resonates or inspires you.

🌀 And remember — Today is the Day Changemakers is not just a podcast. It’s a reminder.

If today you woke up feeling stuck…

Disconnected from your purpose…

Like you’ve checked all the boxes but still wonder, Is this really it?

Or maybe you’re leading a team that’s lost momentum, where collaboration feels hard and the mission feels blurry, or the goals are a struggle to meet...

It may be time to talk to someone who can help you — or your organization — realign, reconnect, and move forward with intention.

That’s the work I do.

Know that when your why is greater than your how, the path forward starts to reveal itself — if this speaks to you reach out to jodi@todayisthedayliveit.com for more information or Click Here.

Subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers YouTube channel, follow us on Instagram and Facebook @TodayIsTheDayLiveIt.

Let’s dive in.

#Changemaker

#CEO

#LearningDisability

#NewYork

#Yonkers

#Dedication

#Community

#Author

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