🎙️Carrie On!

Your Network Isn't Your Net Worth. Your Relationships Are.

This week on Carrie On!, I'm joined by fellow community builder, professional door-opener, and all-around fabulous connector Jodi Hope Grinwald, founder of Today is the Day LLC, host of the Today is the Day Changemakers Podcast, and author of Today is the Day LIVE IT! — Edge of Comfort to Center of Impact.

And ladies, we're not talking about collecting LinkedIn connections or suffering through another awkward networking event with cold coffee and stale pastries. We're talking about REAL relationships that open doors, create opportunities, and sometimes completely change the trajectory of our lives.

We get into the power of authentic relationships, why women need to stop competing and start collaborating, how to protect your network without closing doors, and why it's never too late to reinvent yourself.

Because we're over 40, not out of opportunities!

In this episode, we talk about:

• The promise Jodi made to her father that changed everything.
• Why authentic connection beats transactional networking every time.
• How to become a professional door-opener without being taken advantage of.
• Why women need to ditch the scarcity mindset.
• Finding that ONE person who believes in you.
• Moving from your comfort zone into your impact zone.
• Why your story matters, even when you think nobody wants to hear it.
• The importance of emotional safety and vulnerability in community.
• Learning to slow down without feeling guilty.
• Why the best time to take your next big leap is TODAY.

Connect with Jodi Hope Grinwald

Website: https://todayisthedayliveit.com/meet-jodi

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Todayisthedaychangemakers

Podcast: Today is the Day Changemakers

Book: Today is the Day LIVE IT! — Edge of Comfort to Center of Impact

Coming Spring 2027: Today is the Day. OWN IT!

Let's keep the conversation going!

Have you ever had ONE introduction, ONE opportunity, or ONE person who believed in you and completely changed your life?

Drop a ❤️ in the comments, and let's celebrate the people who opened doors for us!

And while you're here, don't forget to LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE this episode with a woman who needs a little reminder that it's never too late to start something extraordinary.

Keep your head above the chaos, and as always, Carrie On!

#CarrieOn #JodiHopeGrinwald #WomenSupportingWomen #ConnectionIsTheWork #WomenOver40 #FemaleEmpowerment #Reinvention #CommunityBuilding #CollaborationOverCompetition #TodayIsTheDay

🎙️Carrie On!

What if, instead of mourning the people we've lost, we threw them a party?

In this special episode of Carrie On!, I'm taking you to Oaxaca, Mexico, where I experienced the magic of Día de los Muertos with Two Peacocks Travel. Think marigolds, music, incredible food, colorful traditions, and yes, lots of mezcal. Because we're over 40, not dead!

But this wasn't just another fabulous girls' getaway.

I brought a photograph of my Mexican grandfather, Popo, back to his home country and placed it on an altar surrounded by candles and flowers.

What started as a trip became a deeply emotional homecoming. A chance to reconnect with my roots, celebrate his life, and remember that the people we love never truly leave us.

In this episode, we're exploring:

• The beautiful meaning behind Día de los Muertos and why it's a celebration, not a funeral.
• How families in Oaxaca honor their ancestors through ofrendas, marigolds, candles, food, and storytelling.
• My emotional experience placing my grandfather's photograph on a sacred altar.
• The incredible women, artisans, food, mezcal, and traditions that make Oaxaca unforgettable.
• What it's really like to experience Día de los Muertos, from colorful parades to candlelit cemeteries.
• Why travel after 40 can be about so much more than sightseeing.
• How remembering the people we've lost helps us carry their stories forward.

Plus, you'll see me attempt to make tortillas, admire beautifully painted alebrijes, stumble into an incredible wedding parade, and do a little damage shopping. Naturally.

⏱️ CHAPTERS

00:00 – Mezcal, Memories & Welcome to Oaxaca

00:48 – What If We Celebrated Death Instead of Fearing It?

01:40 – Traveling to Oaxaca with Two Peacocks Travel

02:30 – Marigolds, Music & the Magic of Día de los Muertos

03:20 – Meeting Local Artisans & Discovering Oaxacan Traditions

04:42 – The Sacred Side: Candlelit Cemeteries & Honoring Ancestors

05:45 – My Attempt at Making Traditional Tortillas

07:31 – Shopping in Oaxaca: Alebrijes, Textiles & Local Art

08:40 – Understanding Ofrendas & the Meaning of Remembrance

09:52 – Bringing My Grandfather Home: A Personal Tribute to Popo

12:07 – Weddings, Parades & Celebrating with Our Ancestors

13:25 – Oaxaca's Incredible Food, Mezcal & Travel Tips

14:30 – Why Oaxaca Deserves a Spot on Your Travel Bucket List

15:55 – Carrie On Homework: Keep Their Memory Alive

16:47 – Until Next Time, Carry On!

💜 YOUR CARRIE ON HOMEWORK

Find a photograph of someone you've lost. Put it somewhere you can see it. Say their name. Tell someone a story about them.

Because remembering someone is its own kind of celebration.

And sometimes the most beautiful way to carry on is to carry them with you.

I'd love for you to share the name of someone you've lost and loved in the comments. Let's create our own little digital ofrenda and keep their memories alive.

🌎 EXPLORE & CONNECT

🦚 Two Peacocks Travel – Curated travel experiences for women over 40

🌺 Zapotec Travel – Local cultural experiences in Oaxaca

🎧 Listen to Carrie On! on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

📺 Subscribe to Carrie On! for conversations about reinvention, empowerment, travel, community, and navigating life before, during, and after midlife.

🎙️Carrie On!

What happens when you stop waiting for permission and build the room yourself? Rozalyn "Roz" Lucero Corona is the founder and executive director of Chingona Community, a nonprofit that advances leadership, economic opportunity, and community impact for women and youth. She once looked back on a single year and counted 52 events she'd hosted without realizing she was building a movement.

Carrie and Roz talk about owning a name people said was "too rough," why financial literacy is non-negotiable, the corporate mentor who said "you can do it" when others wouldn't, and the honest work of keeping a nonprofit funded.

In this episode:

✨ What "chingona" means, and how her daughter came up with the name

✨ The year of 52 events that turned a side business into a 501(c)(3)

✨ Why financial literacy sits at the center of the mission

✨ Youth Day, book bag drives, and $13K+ in scholarships for young women

✨ Plans to go national, starting with Kansas City

✨ The Xerox mentor who opened the first door

✨ Building a board that gives, gets, and shows up

Timestamps (approximate)

00:00 Cold open

00:25 Welcome to Carrie On!

01:40 Meeting through She Angels

03:20 What "Chingona" means

05:20 What 12-year-old Roz would say

06:35 The year of 52 events

09:05 Sponsor: Ready for TED

09:45 Why financial literacy matters

11:15 Youth Day and the book bag drive

13:35 Going national: Kansas City and beyond

16:20 The woman who opened the door

20:40 Funding a nonprofit and building an active board

25:20 How Roz keeps going 27:50 The "best payday"

29:30 How to get involved: executive sponsors

31:00 Annual awards and scholarships

32:50 Where to find Chingona Community

Connect with Roz and Chingona Community

🌐 chingonacommunity.com

📸 Instagram and Facebook: @ChingonaCommunity

🍷 Chingona Vine, a business partner of Chingona Community

💼 Interested in becoming an executive sponsor or sponsoring a table at the June awards?

Visit the website.

Episode sponsors

🎤 Ready for TED with Tony Purry. Her 8-week program helps you craft your signature talk: readyforted.com

💜 Be Woman Marketing: www.bewomanmarketing.com

✈️ Two Peacocks Travel: www.twopeacockstravel.com

Leave a 💲 in the comments to help lift up Chingona Community, then like, comment, and subscribe.