Send us a text Welcome to Season 6 of the Today Is the Day Changemakers Podcast — and our first episode of 2026. This episode kicks off a special multi-part series featuring authors from the soon to be released book: Today Is the Day. LIVE IT! — Edge of Comfort to Center of Impact The book is currently ready for pre-orders online on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Walmart to name a few sites. This conversation brings together leaders, entrepreneurs, nonprofit founders, creatives, and visionar...

Send us a text Welcome to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast and the final episode of 2025! Five years ago, in the middle of a major life transition I had an idea I had carried for years: What if meaningful conversations with those making a difference in their corner of the world and beyond could help people feel less alone—and more hopeful about what’s possible? On December 30, Today is the Day Changemakers officially celebrates five years, and this final episode of 2025 is one of my ...

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...

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 Her...

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 pai...

Send us a text 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, a...

Send us a text 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 “rente...

Send us a text 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 & A...

Send us a text 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 ...

Send us a text 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 ...

Send us a text What does it mean to lead with authenticity when life throws you the unthinkable? For this week's podcast guest, Andrew Stadelberger, founder of the award-winning consultancy d, that question has defined his journey. At 15, Andrew lost his father on 9/11. That heartbreak could have closed him off. Instead, it ignited a drive to keep showing up, to keep saying “Yes, And”—a principle he learned through improv that became a philosophy for life and business. From sitting inside a m...

Send us a text What if money talk didn’t feel intimidating or off-limits—what if it could actually become one of the most powerful tools you have to shape your future? In this episode of Today is the Day Changemakers, host Jodi Grinwald welcomes Nik Agharkar, a financial concierge, attorney, and advisor who has spent nearly two decades guiding individuals, families, and business owners through the complexities of wealth, taxes, and legacy planning. Nik is known simplifying financial strategie...

Send us a text In this week's episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, Jodi speaks to - Racer Mom – Lisa Clark on Family, Ferraris, and Fearlessness 🚦 Racing wasn’t something Lisa Clark ever planned—in fact, she never even thought about it. After raising her family and building a career in real estate, she stepped boldly into her second act as an amateur Ferrari racecar driver competing on international circuits. Learn more about how a by chance interaction led to this path. ...

Send us a text In this episode of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I sit down with Lisa Allen—Coach, Strategist, Global Systems Consultant, Philanthropist, and Advocate for Healing and Innovation. Lisa’s story begins in the 1970s, when as a young child she was placed in foster care. Daily abuse, isolation, and neglect could have silenced her, but instead she taught herself to read by the age of three and leaned on resilience to survive. Despite unimaginable hardship, Lisa went on to...

Send us a text What if your daily coffee run was about more than just caffeine? In this heartfelt bonus episode of Today is the Day Changemakers, I sit down with Roylene Matthews, manager of the Barnegat Starbucks, and Corinne Laboy assistant manager, to explore how they create meaningful moments of connection—one cup at a time. For me, Starbucks has become much more than a coffee stop. It’s the place where my dog, Cello, earned his very first pup cup at just two months old—and still runs t...

Send us a text This week on the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, I had the absolute joy of sitting down with the amazing Debra Rizzi — award-winning entrepreneur, mentor, breast cancer survivor, and all-around inspiration. She’s also the President and Co-Founder of Rizco, a woman-owned business delivering brand-led marketing that is designed to matter. Our conversation felt more like two friends over coffee than a podcast interview — filled with laughter, honesty, and real talk. Togethe...

Send us a text Today’s caffeine shot is about the social media rollercoaster. Followers. Subscribers. Views. It feels like a never-ending popularity contest — and let’s be honest, sometimes people even pay to boost numbers that aren’t even real. What have we signed up for? We get stuck in the noise, measuring ourselves against metrics that don’t actually tell the full story. Some days it feels like no one’s watching. But here’s what I’ve learned: people are watching — even when they don’t hit...

Send us a text Welcome to the very first On My Way to Being Caffeinated - a new mini-series under Today is the Day. Think of these as your quick shot of inspiration (like a quick shot of caffeine) to fuel your day in between our full-length podcast conversations. For this first shot, I'm diving into Imposter Syndrome. In my recent interview, retired Four-Star General Stanley McChrystal admitted he felt imposter syndrome every time he stepped into the Oval Office. I've felt it too - espe...

Send us a text Welcome to the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast. General Stanley McChrystal, retired four-star general, leadership expert, and bestselling author - has appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Face the Nation, Amanpour and Company on PBS, and countless other news programs. In this exclusive conversation, he shares his biggest leadership lesson: why character over credentials should be the standard in how we lead, hire, and live. His new book is called On Character: C...

Welcome to the Today is the Day Changemakers podcast. In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Ready, a licensed mental health counselor and founder of Ready to Empower a nonprofit organization. Also joining us is Jasmeet Singh, a dedicated board member of Ready to Empower, and Director of Strategy and Operations for Johnson and Johnson. Amanda has spent over a decade creating space for women around the world to heal emotionally, mentally, and financially by building access to men...