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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

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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

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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

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This week on the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I sit down with someone whose story will stay with you long after you finish listening.
His name is Charles Allen Reed, and his journey is one of the most honest, heartbreaking, and ultimately hope-filled conversations I’ve had on this show.

Charles grew up surrounded by challenges most adults would struggle to handle, let alone a child. His mother courageously lived with MS, his home life carried deep emotional strain, and by the age of 13, Charles had already begun down a path of alcohol and drug addiction. His teenage years and early adulthood became a fast-moving spiral — one filled with rebellion, pain, and choices that pulled him further away from the person he truly was.

He speaks openly about the moments that broke him, the toxic patterns he witnessed at home, the addiction that consumed him, and the consequences that followed — including the moment he became a father while still trapped in the darkest parts of his disease.

But here’s where Charles’ story becomes extraordinary.

Because just when it seemed like all hope was gone…something happened.

Something he didn’t expect, wasn't looking for and something that changed everything — instantly.

And that moment led him to where he is today: sober, present, connected to his family, rebuilding his life, and helping others find their way forward through his work in the community, recovery organizations, and beyond.

I won’t give away what happened — you need to hear it in his own words.
Trust me, it’s powerful.

Charles is a husband, present father, sober, and sharing his story to help others.

If you or someone you love has ever felt hopeless, lost in addiction, or unsure whether change is possible, this episode is an absolute must-listen. Charles reminds us that even in the darkest places, transformation can begin in a single moment.

Subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast on our YouTube channel, or stream on all popular platforms.

And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Today is the Day Live It for updates, inspiration, and guest highlights.

If you or your organization are looking to deepen connection, strengthen client and customer relationships, unify executive and sales teams, or bring more alignment and purpose to nonprofit professionals, I’d love to partner with you. Through coaching, trainings, and collaborative strategy work, I help teams reconnect to each other, their mission, and the people they serve.

Let’s work together to make meaningful connection a cornerstone of your culture.

#addiction

#addictionrecovery

#Father

#Parent

#resilience

#sobriety

#connection

#todayistheday

#changemaker

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What does it look like to turn adversity into opportunity—and then use it to change millions of lives?

This week's guest is Ryan Sahlin, Founder & Executive Director of Greater Than The Game, a New Jersey–based 501(c)(3) media nonprofit dedicated to sharing uplifting, inspirational stories from the world of sports and empowering youth to build mental strength and resilience.

In this episode, Ryan shares the mantras that shaped him—“get up,” “keep pounding,” and “rented belief”—and how living with cerebral palsy and dyslexia fueled his passion to tell stories that spark hope. We talk about consistency, going viral, the power of perspective, and why his mission to spread the good in sports has reached millions of people worldwide.

Subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast on our YouTube channel, or stream on all popular platforms.

And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Today is the Day Live It for updates, inspiration, and guest highlights.

If you or your organization are looking to deepen connection, strengthen client and customer relationships, unify executive and sales teams, or bring more alignment and purpose to nonprofit professionals, I’d love to partner with you. Through coaching, trainings, and collaborative strategy work, I help teams reconnect to each other, their mission, and the people they serve.

Let’s work together to make meaningful connection a cornerstone of your culture.

#nonprofit #sports #sport #dyslexia #cerebralpalsy #TodayistheDay #Changemakers #getup #rentedbelief #consistency #mentalstrength #mentalhealth

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What happens when a community truly wraps around a child and family?

In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I sit down with three leaders from Ocean Partnership For Children (OPC)—a care management organization serving youth across Ocean County, NJ—to talk about support, safety, and hope during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and beyond.

Guests Include:
Jessica Pepe — Development Coordinator (OPC)
Katie Colhoun — Director of Community Resources & Advocacy (OPC)
Maureen DeSantis — Director of Care Management (OPC)

We cover:
What domestic violence really looks like (it’s not only physical) and how sometimes shame stops those who need help the most. There is so much support out there.
How OPC’s free, family-centered wraparound services stabilize crises and help kids thrive—from care management to youth groups and specialized supports.
The impact of social media on mental health—and practical ways families can set healthy limits.

Why one caring adult can be a powerful protective factor for a child.
Concrete ways to help OPC: donations, wish lists, events, and spreading the word.
Resources mentioned (U.S. & NJ):

National DV Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
NJ Coalition Against DV / NJ Helpline: 1-800-572-SAFE (7233)
NJ PerformCare (24/7 children’s system access): 1-877-652-7624
Ocean County: Providence House (via Catholic Charities)

🌐 Ocean Partnership for Children: oceanpartnership.org
If you or someone you love needs help, you’re not alone. There is support, there is safety, and there is a path forward.

Please subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast:

Also, learn more about how you can share your voice and impact on the podcast by going to TodayistheDayLiveIt.com

#DomesticViolenceAwarenessMonth

#DomesticViolenceAwareness

#Family

#Empowerment

#SocialMedia

#Survivorship

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In this Today is the Day Changemakers episode, Jodi Hope Grinwald sits down with Gokan Alkanat, Associate Provost for International Education and Chief International Officer at Rowan University. Born in Turkey and educated across continents, Gokhan shares the culture shocks that shaped him—from Istanbul to Alabama to New Jersey—and how those experiences fuel his mission to support 1,500+ international students from 53 countries.

Gokhan opens a window into Rowan’s student-first model: clear guidance through U.S. visa processes, extended orientations that teach international students everyday cultural norms and expectations, welcome packages that make day one feel human, and campus-wide town halls that meet fear with facts and care. He also reflects on advocacy moments that matter—like helping women from restrictive environments continue their studies safely—and why “opportunity” is the difference between potential and impact.

This conversation is a testament to leadership grounded in service, belonging, and contribution—living life in the most meaningful way by lifting others.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How culture shock became Gokhan’s leadership training ground
• What Rowan does beyond compliance to ensure safety, belonging, and success
• Real talk on visas, travel uncertainty, and communicating with families abroad
• Why small acts (like a pillow and blanket on arrival) signal big dignity
• Stories of students who turned barriers into breakthroughs
• The call to “live it”: contribute to your community, family, and the people you’ll never meet

About our guest
Gokhan Alkanat leads International Education at Rowan University, overseeing international student & scholar services, education abroad, partnerships, and the English Language Program.

Listen + share
If this episode resonates, pass it on to a student, parent, or educator navigating international education—and remember Jodi’s sign-off: Today is the day. You can’t go back to yesterday, and you don’t yet own tomorrow. So, what step will you take today?

🌍✨ On October 23, the Today is the Day International Changemakers Forum will feature six powerful conversations with leaders, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit professionals on resilience, purpose, entrepreneurship, fundraising, and embracing change.

🖥️ Register now at todayisthedayliveit.com
to be part of this transformative day.

🎙️ And don’t forget — stream and subscribe to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast for inspiring stories every week.

👉 Follow along on Facebook & Instagram: @todayisthedayliveit

#TodayIsTheDay #ChangemakersForum #Leadership #Connection #Resilience

#education

#studyabroad

#internationalstudents

#collegeeducation

#RowanUniversity

#GokhanAlkanat

#college

#borders

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What does it really take to go from being seen by the world to finally being heard—to stop living for expectations and start celebrating your own success?

This week's Today is the Day Changemakers podcast guest is the incredible Gwendolyn Osborne—actor, model, CEO, podcast host, and wellness speaker.

You may know her from seeing her when she was on The Price Is Right with both Bob Barker and Drew Carey or from her powerful presence in Wonder Woman 1984 and Tyler Perry’s All the Queen’s Men. But beyond the spotlight, Gwendolyn’s story is one of resilience, rediscovery, and redefining success on her own terms.

In this episode, Gwendolyn shares her journey from growing up between Bath, England and Miami, to breaking into modeling and acting, to finding her voice after years of being “seen but not heard.”

She talks about training as an Amazonian with six-hour days of stunt and fitness work on wonder woman 1984 to, becoming a meditation coach and the transformational moment when she finally looked in the mirror and said, "I see me".

She opens up about being a teen mom navigating the entertainment industry, raising three incredible children, and her passion for helping single mothers through She Is Hope LA.

And you’ll hear her powerful idea of “success parties”—celebrating our wins so we never forget who we are and what we’ve accomplished.

This conversation is about finding your happy, honoring your inner child, and giving yourself permission to play, create, and thrive.

To connect with Gwendolyn, visit gwendolynosborne.com, follow her on Instagram at @itsgwendolyn, and check out her podcast, Tea with Gwen, where she highlights the Wonder Women of our time and their wellness journeys.

Gwendolyn Osborne will be one of the three keynote speakers at the International Changemakers Forum on October 23rd. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience meeting her during this virtual, but very interactive Forum event —free tickets are available now at todayisthedayliveit.com.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Today is the Day Live It for the latest updates and inspiration.

And a heartfelt thank you to all of you tuning in from 131 countries and over 1,140 cities around the globe—your support is what keeps this community growing.

#WonderWoman, #TodayistheDay, #Changemakers, #PriceisRight, #DrewCarey, #Mediation, #Wellness

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