Action 2 Impact Podcast with Gwen Jones

Send us Fan Mail Most of us can tell a great story at dinner or read a children’s book with feeling, then we walk into work and suddenly talk like a robot. That gap is costing us trust, clarity, and momentum. I’m joined by Gavin, author of Story Business, to get brutally practical about what storytelling actually is and why it changes the decisions people make. Gavin’s definition is disarmingly si...

Send us Fan Mail Wishing gets dismissed as childish until you realize how much brain science is hiding inside it. I sit down with author Ranelle Landrum (The Art And Science Of Wishing) to talk about what she calls “cosmic wishing,” a way to keep the joy of wishes while using real frameworks from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and social behavior. If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at a wish...

Send us Fan Mail Division sells, but it doesn’t have to run our lives. We sit down with Adam Mazell from Us United to talk about National Unity Day and the bigger question behind it: how do regular people rebuild trust when politics, media, and social media keep pulling us into smaller bubbles and harsher labels? Adam shares the origin story that starts in 2020 and turns into a cross-country road...

Send us Fan Mail We catch up with Evan Burrell for a third conversation, from his lowest point of depression and nearly quitting Rotary to finishing a tough year as district governor. We talk honestly about criticism, leadership pressure, member experience, and why he still believes in showing up for the bigger mission.  • Evan’s path from burnout and clinical depression to re-engaging with Rotary...

Send us Fan Mail A building sways, the air turns sharp with jet fuel, and a guide dog wakes up ready to work. Mike Kingson, New York Times best-selling author of Thunder Dog, takes us back to the 78th floor of World Trade Center Tower One on September 11th and walks us through what kept him moving when thousands of people were trying to survive at the same time. What stands out isn’t a movie-style...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Elaine about trading symptom chasing for lifelong well-being built on daily choices that protect independence as we age. We dig into why “normal for your age” is a dangerous story and how simple nutrition, hydration, and authentic movement can change what aging looks like.  • shifting the focus from studying disease to studying health and well-being  • defining well-b...

Send us Fan Mail AUGUST ENCORE SHOW: Today we are talking Adults with Clubfoot with  fAnne Onyango from the World Disability Rotary Action Group. Not only does Anne have clubfoot, but she has taught yourself how to make shoes not only for herself but for others . Anne is also helping adults with the stigma of clubfoot.. join us for an inspirational "can do it" story of Rotary. Support th...

Send us Fan Mail AUGUST ENCORE SHOW: I'm off to Grapevine TX to talk wine with Presisident of the Rotary Wine Enthusiasts Fellowship Conrad Heede. We're talk all things wine and fun. If you know a little or a lot about wine, this is the show for you! Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

Send us Fan Mail I’m back after brain surgery and I’m choosing to come back talking about longevity, beauty, and the quality of life we all deserve. James Stroll joins me to explain why living longer is becoming mainstream, why access may widen over time, and why a longer life has to mean more than just lasting longer.  • James’s longevity origin story after losing his grandmother  • Why he writes...

Send us Fan Mail We catch up with our friend Aaron Stines as he wraps up his year as district governor and comes home from his first Rotary International Convention in Taipei with his daughter. He shares why he wrote The Power of Significance and how choosing impact over impressions changes the way we lead, serve, and tell our stories.  • finishing a district governor year with pride in relationsh...

Send us Fan Mail JULY ENCORE SHOW: Time to talk, even if it's uncomfortable? Join me as I talk to Sidney Smith. PDG of 5180 who is bringing his "5 Points of Conversation" not only to Rotary but to the world.  Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

Send us Fan Mail We travel to the United Arab Emirates to learn what Rotary looks like on the ground when your clubs are truly multicultural and your youth programs are built as a pipeline. We challenge common misconceptions about the UAE, then dig into how Interact and Rotaract in Dubai grow from reactivation to real demand and measurable service. • how Rotary operates in the UAE through the Asso...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Jean Weidman about radical longevity as a life-oriented mindset, a science-forward health plan, and a humanitarian stance against treating anyone as expendable. We also dig into what’s real, what’s risky, and how to stay skeptical and smart while exploring new tools like peptides, exosomes, and even young plasma exchange.  • Gwen’s perspective on turning 60 as a reset...

Send us Fan Mail We talk cryonics with Charlie Kam and treat it like a serious end-of-life option, not a movie trope. We dig into how cryopreservation works, why the brain is the main focus, and what “plan B” means if future medicine can repair what killed you.  • what cryonics is and why “legally dead” matters  • cooling, cryoprotectant, and vitrification in liquid nitrogen  • why speed after dea...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with David Muhindo, founder of Be Well Child Care Initiative in Uganda, to talk about protecting vulnerable children and using soccer as a doorway into healing, mentorship, and life skills. We also trace David’s path from making bricks to pay school fees to leading a growing effort to build safety, dignity, and opportunity for kids who have nowhere else to go.  • David...

Send us Fan Mail WE ARE HEADING WAY, WAY ,BACK TO SEASON 3 FOR THIS MONTHS ENCORE   What's it like to be the president at one of the oldest Rotary groups in the world? Meet the President of Seattle 4, Jeff Borek, this week on the podcast Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

Send us Fan Mail We test a big idea for Rotary district conferences by bringing together four district governors who combine four districts into one event to grow fellowship, strengthen networks, and raise the bar on programming. We share what worked, what cost more than expected, and why collaboration may be the future for district-level gatherings.  • why four districts decide to merge one confe...

Send us Fan Mail We talk dirt with Eric Gardner from Loaves and Fishes and Chuck Corrigan from Rotary, digging into how food waste can become soil instead of methane. We walk through the real numbers, the grant that funded an industrial composter, and the simple composting habits that make the “full circle” possible.  • Loaves and Fishes growth from a church closet pantry to a four-county operatio...

Send us Fan Mail We question what “democracy” really means when choices feel filtered and money shapes outcomes more than voters do. We unpack Metin Perkin’s argument that party politics captures democratic institutions and explore a bold blueprint for reform that starts with everyday citizens.  • democracy defined as power resting with the people  • three layers of gatekeeping through candidate f...

Send us Fan Mail MAY ENCORE SHOW: Join me and my new friend Robyn Curtis from the Rotary Climate Change Action Group. We are talking ECO, we are talking big problems, and even some big solutions. We are talking about one of our 7 areas of focus that maybe doesn't get all the love and attention that it should. Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actio...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Cindy Kish to decode what Rotary Membership Coordinator and International Assembly learning facilitator really mean, and why those roles matter when clubs feel stuck. We wrestle with the hard part of change: keeping people feeling seen while still building a Rotary culture that new members actually want to join.  • Rotary acronyms explained and what the jobs invol...

Send us Fan Mail We talk with Wayne Wasagaga in Uganda about building Changia Africa, a refugee-led nonprofit rooted in education, skills, and human dignity. His story reframes refugee life as a place where purpose, leadership, and real community impact can still grow.  • Wayne’s life path from the DRC Congo to Uganda and the early challenges of displacement  • Rotaract leadership in the Nakivale...

Send us Fan Mail We sit down with Jacob Kirchner, senior strategic advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Washington, DC, to unpack what neutral humanitarian work really looks like in modern wars. We connect the ICRC’s principles and legal mandate to overlooked crises like Sudan and to the human need for dignity, closure, and peace.  • Jacob’s path from Rotary World Peace Fell...

Send us Fan Mail APRIL ENCORE SHOW: Can we find Peace though music? Can we find understanding? Can music be a bridge to understanding the world we live in...why not. This week meet Rotarian Peace Fellow Diego Carneiro,as we ask some of these questions and more. Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

Send us Fan Mail Soccer becomes a practical pathway to peace when we pair skills training with family-focused lessons on respect, safety, and belonging. Ron and Marcos share how a “Soccer Plus” model that began in 1994 now scales through Rotary to serve kids from Cabo San Lucas to communities across Africa.  • defining Harmony Through Soccer as peace building through football  • tracing the origin...