How to Embrace Uncertainty: Welcome to Season 5

Welcome to Season 5, Episode 1 of Today’s the Day Changemakers! 

As we begin this new season, I (Jodi Grinwald), your host share a special message with our listeners.

Four years ago, this podcast began with a mission to spotlight changemakers worldwide. Now, with 152 interviews across 133 episodes, representing 12 countries and downloads in 855 cities, we’re embarking on an exciting new journey.

This season, I am so thrilled to continue to highlight changemakers who have powerful stories and invaluable inspiration to share. These conversations are designed to keep you motivated, connected, and inspired to take action in your personal and professional life. 

We're also expanding in exciting ways: launching a global Today is the Day membership community to foster ongoing connections, create opportunities for professionals to work together, master classes for people to learn from each other and more. We will also be publishing a book - compilation from Changemakers around the globe. One of the programs we will be introducing is the Impact Framework for entrepreneurs, along with a programs for nonprofit professionals, leaders, a mentorship program, and more. 

As we begin this year, remember to stay present. Time moves quickly, and finding perspective can make all the difference. Celebrate these highs, seek support in the lows, and stay connected to what inspires you. Let’s make an impact together!

Please follow us on FB and Instagram at Today is the Day Live It. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our Today is the Day Changemakers YouTube Channel.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to this podcast and being open to the messages that it may provide to you.

Join our mailing list to learn more about our programs and to connect with global changemakers.

Have a great week!

Transcript

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Jodi Grinwald: Hello, everyone and welcome to season. 5. Episode, one of the today's the day change makers. Podcast. My name is Jodi, Grinwald and I have been your host since we started.

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Jodi Grinwald: It is incredible. The journey that happens when your why is greater than your how? That's something that I love to share with my guests and my listeners all the time, because back in 2020, December 30th of 2020, when I launched the podcast

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Jodi Grinwald: I had no idea what I was doing, how I was going to make everything happen. Who was going to be a guest who were going to be the listeners and to date, I have interviewed 152 guests over the 4 years in 133 episodes, and those people came from 12 different countries around the globe.

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Jodi Grinwald: It is really incredible when you find something in your heart that means so much to you, and you take a moment, or you rush a moment, which is what I did. Because in October 2020, I said, "I'm going to make this happen".

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Jodi Grinwald: and December 30th it launched. But I do want to share that. It was 3 and a half years prior to that that I thought about having a podcast

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Jodi Grinwald: so sometimes things take time to happen. And when your why is greater than your how?

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Jodi Grinwald: And something just clicks, you start to move forward, and your passion and excitement

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Jodi Grinwald: becomes contagious. I'm sure you've met people who have that. You jump on board with something that they're doing. I know that people have done the same for you, and it is possible to make things happen that seem impossible. So please know that if you're listening, I have so many things I want to share with you, as there's so much coming up in season 5. Our 1st interview, or my 1st interview.

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Jodi Grinwald: will be with Ciaran Sheehan. He is an actor singer, and if you went to see on Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, you might have seen him as the Phantom.

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Jodi Grinwald: He performed for several years, as the phantom of the opera he's now performing with the 4 Phantoms. You can see him in concert. He's been in a couple of movies. He's performed all over the world in Carnegie Hall. Listen to his interview. It's not just about his singing and his acting. He's been through some very, very big challenges, and he also has had some incredible miracles happen for him.

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Jodi Grinwald: It will be a wonderful story to share coming up very soon. I hope you listen to that episode. That's the 1st one - next week.

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Jodi Grinwald: Our second interview is with Catherine Curry-Williams. Catherine has been in the acting world herself. Born, raised in New York as I am. She moved to California, and she has just been doing incredible things. So she is an author on a new book, and she is also a new Tedx speaker. So more to come. Take a listen to that episode, to learn more about her book, and to learn where you can listen to her Tedx, Tedx Talk.

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Jodi Grinwald: and so many more guests. We have already, many, many many episodes already pre done, ready to go so that we can share them with you.

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Jodi Grinwald: What I wanted to tell you is changemakers has become not just a podcast it is a movement. It is not just a forum. It is a community.

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Jodi Grinwald: The International Change Makers Forum, if you have not been a part of them before, and I am very sorry we did not have one in 2024. Unfortunately, there were so many different things going on for me, and being the person in charge of all of those roles, as I'm sure you know what that is like, and multiple companies and also having a bit of a major surgery in between. All of that, I unfortunately was not able to bring on a changemakers forum in 2024,

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Jodi Grinwald: but previously the forums were hosted with over a hundred people, virtually on for 6 hours, and the Forum consists of having the Change Maker guests. Those who want to be a part of it

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Jodi Grinwald: come together to formulate the topics that we will speak on.

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Jodi Grinwald: So 6 topics are chosen, breakout sessions are created, and those changemakers who are experts in the fields of which they choose to talk about

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Jodi Grinwald: come on and share some incredible words of wisdom, tips, tools, resources, and every time I've surveyed the guests and attendees post event, everybody says that they've walked away with some nugget. I always say, if you can walk away with one nugget from anything you go to, you have one. So with that being said, we're looking at 2025,

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Jodi Grinwald: in the fall of 2025 to have our next forum. Fred Wasiak is my co-chair, as he likes to say. He is the president, and CEO of the Food Bank of South Jersey, and he has been my co-host for about 6 episodes now. With that being said, you will hear in those episodes that he is due for his jacket. If anybody has watched Saturday night live, you will understand what that is about. I learned that from him, and soon we will be presenting Fred with his. Today's the day change makers jacket as well.

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Jodi Grinwald: The guests that I have on have ranged from the Cnn heroes, Tedx speakers, authors, Ceo's.

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Jodi Grinwald: and incredible people who are making a difference in the world. But titles don't define a human being, and so many times we use them to define ourselves. When we meet someone we say, Hi! My name is, and I am CEO of, or whatever your title may be.

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Jodi Grinwald: but you are so much more than that.

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Jodi Grinwald: You are a maybe a mother, a sister, a wife, a spouse, and a good human.

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Jodi Grinwald: And the reason I share this with you is that as I continue to put guests on to the Changemakers, podcast

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Jodi Grinwald: those guests are about sharing their stories, not their title, about the things that they are doing in their corner of the world and beyond, to make a difference.

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Jodi Grinwald: And because of that, we've been able to connect so many of the Change makers together. So it's incredible. One story is my changemaker who wrote a book, and he lives in Greece, was brought into New Jersey to share his story and the organization that brought him in but

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Jodi Grinwald: over a hundred of his books to share. That's just one of many different things that have happened and connections that have happened. Because this is a community, a global community. And the more I have seen the connections happen.

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Jodi Grinwald: the more I continue to think about the next steps and the next steps are a membership, an opportunity to come together in this community where you will meet people that you wouldn't typically meet. I want you to take a moment to just think about for a minute how far your reach is.

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Jodi Grinwald: If you let's say, like myself, live in New Jersey - typically our reach may be in our metropolitan area, right? It could include New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, surrounding areas.

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Jodi Grinwald: But typically not everybody would have a connection in Uganda or Greece, or the Uk or New Zealand or the Netherlands.

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Jodi Grinwald: and through changemakers that absolutely happens. But it doesn't just happen online. And it's not just talking to each other online

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Jodi Grinwald: as we move forward. And the things that I want to do here will include the opportunity to really connect with people globally.

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Jodi Grinwald: and what we will do best is really learn from each other.

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Jodi Grinwald: I cannot begin to tell you how much I have learned from the incredible guests that I have had on who have not only stayed guests, they have actually become friends a lot of times, as of late, I've been receiving requests from pr firms to see if they would if if they could get one of their clients on the podcast which is a true honor that that is happening

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Jodi Grinwald: with that being said.

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Jodi Grinwald: I then become friends with that specific guest. Typically, and then I help that guest connect with other people who may be able to help them in business or help them personally. And that's what change makers is all about.

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Jodi Grinwald: It's also about moving different types of topics together, talking about them, learning from each other master classes again, more to come on, something that I really want to create. And I don't love the word membership, but the membership is a community, really.

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Jodi Grinwald: And that's what I want to create this global, ongoing community, not only where we can meet virtually, but where we can connect in person when possible, the International Change Makers Forum, as I said, will happen in fall of 2025. That will be virtual, because it's very hard to bring. Last time it was 7 countries

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Jodi Grinwald: that were represented with Oh, way over a hundred people who were part of the zoom. Not only for the Forum do we have the 6 breakout sessions, but we also do a mission moment, and we also provide funding to an organization that's a nonprofit.

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Jodi Grinwald: And we also have an opportunity to network because networking is key.

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Jodi Grinwald: And when we just act as who we are, and it's not acting. It's just being true to ourselves. All the business in the world can happen when we become salesy and try to sell ourselves or sell our organizations in a very salesy way. We lose our authenticity.

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Jodi Grinwald: And that's why I have really seen not only people connect people hire people that were change makers just so many. I wish I could share all the stories more to come, and we will be creating a map, and I want to thank Fred Wasiak for coming up with that idea to kind of showcase all the connections that happen through change makers. So those are just some of the things that are in the works. But here is the last thing.

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Jodi Grinwald: I have wanted to be an author for a really long time.

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Jodi Grinwald: and I have so much I want to share through the things that I have learned and the lessons that I've learned in my life. We all learn from each other, and so many of our stories could be similar. But we're all unique because we're all originals. We think differently. We're made up of lots of the same things, but our processing is very different, and the experiences that we have is unique to us. They are unique to us. I should say

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Jodi Grinwald: so with that being said.

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Jodi Grinwald: I am creating a book called Inspiration from Everyday Change Makers. And with that book I am asking if our changemakers from around the globe would like to own a chapter. There is a cost to own a chapter. It's minimal compared to the things that you might have seen out there. It's not about the money. It's truly about the sharing

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Jodi Grinwald: connectivity happens organically when we share who we truly are experiences. This book is about inspiration from everyday changemakers. I had created a magazine yearly that was sent out to all those who attended the Forum and all of the Change makers who were part of the podcast

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Jodi Grinwald: but in this case.

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Jodi Grinwald: what I want to do is each chapter to be shared about the change making work, inspiration, think about it for lack of a better way of saying it. It's chicken soup for the soul for change makers.

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Jodi Grinwald: so I'll give you an example. I brought the magazine on the plane with me when I was afraid to fly. Then I hadn't flown for 27 years, and I used it to find inspiration. I just flipped to a page, and I read an article from John Bellazarre, from Soluna Holdings, who is, was one of my changemaker guests twice, not just once, and he wrote, just an incredible piece and something so inspirational and inspiring that in that moment I really, really needed it. I

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Jodi Grinwald: want to create a place that if you've wanted to be a published author, but had no idea how to do it and you really don't know what you want to say, but you have some inspiring words of inspiration, something that you could share with someone when they're maybe having a fabulous day, and they want to make it better, or they're not having a fabulous day. And they need some inspiration.

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Jodi Grinwald: It's about bringing again that global community together

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Jodi Grinwald: and creating authors from around the globe in one place.

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Jodi Grinwald: So I hope, if you're interested, do not worry about what the cost is. Come to me and let's have a conversation. It is really important that together as a community, we continue to help lift each other up.

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Jodi Grinwald: and if I didn't have the mentors in my life do that, I wouldn't be sitting here today. So please, please, if you're interested in learning more about the book, if you're interested in learning more about how to be heard on this podcast because you do have a story to tell. You can reach me at Jodi, at todayisthedayliveit.com today is the day, live it.com.

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Jodi Grinwald: Also please subscribe to our YouTube channel. We are downloaded in 855 cities around the globe which is so incredibly amazing. Our YouTube channel doesn't have as many subscribers. I hope to really help push that. Because again, the voices and the way the algorithm works just being honest is the voices get heard more. If there are more subscribers, I don't buy subscribers. I don't believe in that. Everything is organic the way I do it. So just know that

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Jodi Grinwald: that's very important.

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Jodi Grinwald: As we go into this New Year, I just wanted to share something with you every year I choose something or feel. Sometimes it chooses me that represents my year. Right? I had the year of the tree which is about staying grounded and rooted, no matter what comes my way. There was the year of the Dragonfly. There was the year of the Butterfly. This past year was the year of the whale, and the year of the whale was really about perseverance and wisdom, and this year

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Jodi Grinwald: I am excited to share that this year is about the year of the turtle.

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Jodi Grinwald: So I wrote a few things down that I wanted to share. Memorization is not my strong point at this age, but it's about patience and persistence and protection and longevity, especially after dealing with something as a major surgery that I had in 2024. And it's about being grounded and having balance.

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Jodi Grinwald: And, as I said last year, actually the whale was wisdom and healing and harmony and balance, so some of it is similar, but the turtle also has patience and persistence and protection, because at the end of the day we all get hurt from things that happen to us, and we all get let down when things don't go our way. So it's nice to feel like you have a little bit of a shell.

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Jodi Grinwald: so that you can protect yourself when things start to go a different way than you want them to, but the persistence will help you get to where you want to go to. So that's really key and important.

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Jodi Grinwald: I also want to share that. Most people don't know that I absolutely do have another couple of other businesses, and that's what I think is important. We all are multidimensional, some of us we stay focused on one thing because it drives us and we love it. Others, like myself.

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Jodi Grinwald: with what I say is adult ADHD, which I feel like I had since I was a kid. I need many factors to keep me going and to keep me thriving, and to help all of you connect with each other, because the more people I meet, the more I have a great spectrum of people to introduce you to.

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Jodi Grinwald: So just so, you know, I am the CEO and co-founder of the Zzak G. Applaud Our Kids Foundation, and also Today is the Day is also a consulting business where I do facilitation, seminars, trainings on multiple topics and Coach leaders and entrepreneurs.  I love talking to audiences and watching them have sometimes their incredible Aha! moment or moments where they're like, I don't really

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Jodi Grinwald: understand what you're saying, and I'm not getting something from it. And then we sit and we talk because we all learn differently.

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Jodi Grinwald: There's so much happening at today is the day. There's so much happening in my sphere.

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Jodi Grinwald: and I know for you there's so much happening in yours. All of us are super busy.

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Jodi Grinwald: All of us wear many titles and have many hats.

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Jodi Grinwald: But the most important thing is to find time to be in the present, to provide yourself with self-care that you need in this upcoming year there will be hurdles, there will be obstacles, but there will be joy, and there will be happiness, and if we don't stay present in that happiness, and there'll be a tool that I'm going to be sharing.

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Jodi Grinwald:  So sometimes you get this little nugget, you get to create it and make it greater and bigger, and just do whatever you can to customize it

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Jodi Grinwald: never feel like you're taking from someone unless you're going to make it bigger and better. It's always important to give back.

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Jodi Grinwald: And so, with that being said, as you can tell, my, I'm all over the place and excitement in this upcoming year, but a couple of quick things is self care. After having a major surgery, and realizing that self care is not selfish.

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Jodi Grinwald: I am going to challenge all of you to make sure

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Jodi Grinwald: I don't care if it's 1 min. I don't care if it's 5 min. I don't care if it's 10 min, or a half hour, or whatever it is that you feel you need

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Jodi Grinwald: be present in that moment.

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Jodi Grinwald: There are many things that will come up in our lives throughout this next year, as I said.

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Jodi Grinwald: and during those times take in the happy, take in the good, feel them, share them.

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Jodi Grinwald: and when the challenges come, feel them as well, but know that

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Jodi Grinwald: the next day in a week in a month, whatever it's going to be, the time will pass.

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Jodi Grinwald: and people are out there to support and help you. Throughout this year.

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Jodi Grinwald: There are people to lean on.

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Jodi Grinwald: and I just want everyone to always know that there is support out there for the things that we go through.

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Jodi Grinwald: So when you're happy when you share that joy, you connect better with people, and you lift yourselves up.

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Jodi Grinwald: and there are moments where you're like. How am I going to get out of where I am right now, and this feeling of feeling overwhelmed starting a New year can be super exciting. New Year new you.

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Jodi Grinwald: It can also feel challenging so much to do.

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Jodi Grinwald: So. There's a balance between the 2, and I'm here to help if anybody needs anything.

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Jodi Grinwald: I am so excited. Change makers is launching. Season 5. The Forum, some tips and tools and resources. Masterclasses a membership, a book.

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Jodi Grinwald: All of these things are happening.

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Jodi Grinwald: Stay tuned, please. Again. Download and subscribe.

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Jodi Grinwald: And remember, as I say, at the end of every episode, today is the day you cannot go back to yesterday, and you do not yet own tomorrow. So what steps, small or large, are you going to be taking today and this year to get yourselves closer to your goal? And I just want to share real, quick.

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Jodi Grinwald: I got a new puppy, and his name is Marcello, and he probably will be part

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Jodi Grinwald: of the podcast possibly most likely on my lap as my co-pilot, but I'm grateful to have him. Go to the YouTube Channel to meet him.