What happens when heartbreak becomes clarity, and resilience becomes a calling?

In this episode of Celebrate Your Story, Emily Goodson shares the journey that led her from a childhood brain injury to becoming an author and advocate for disability inclusion. She reflects on what it meant to grow up in a body that felt different, the years she spent wrestling with self-doubt, and the moment she chose to speak openly about dating.

Her Los Angeles Times essay about dating as a disabled woman sparked a powerful response and ultimately became a book that is already resonating with readers who see themselves in her story. Emily talks openly about the work of self-acceptance, the courage it takes to be vulnerable in relationships, and the responsibility she now feels to be the voice she once needed.

This conversation also speaks to the universal desire to be valued and understood. It reminds us that purpose often grows from the experiences that challenge us most.

If you've ever wondered whether your own experiences could help someone else, you'll find encouragement here. Emily's story is a reminder that when we show up honestly, we give others permission to do the same.

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This special Valentine's episode explores the deeper meaning of love, connection, and appreciation through the stories shared by the Celebrations Pulse community. Jim McCann reflects on how small, thoughtful gestures can make a difference, especially during moments of griefor uncertainty.

You'll also hear Jim's personal reflections on relationships and the widening scope of Valentine's, which is now a season that reaches beyond romantic love to honor the connections we share with family, friends, coworkers, and our wider communities. At its heart, this episode is an invitation to act on your thoughtfulness, invest in your relationships, and use your power to help someone feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

In this episode of Celebrate Your Story , I sit down with Ed Mitzen, founder and CEO of FingerPaint Group and Business for Good Foundation for a conversation about what it takes to build a company that lasts.

Ed walked away from a stable career at 30, with young children at home and no guarantees ahead. He started his business in a basement, pushed through years of uncertainty, burnout, and personal loss, and ultimately built FingerPaint into an 800-employee company serving some of the largest healthcare organizations in the country.

Along the way, he learned lessons many entrepreneurs discover the hard way — that the work never truly shuts off and that success often comes at a personal cost.

We talk about the parts of entrepreneurship people don't always share: starting over after divorce, carrying the weight of payroll and responsibility, and finding perspective after years of effort. Ed also shares how advances in AI are reshaping healthcare and the workforce, and why those changes have made questions of access, opportunity, and dignity even more urgent.

That urgency led Ed and his wife to create the Business for Good Foundation, using their business skills and resources to invest in workforce development, housing, and entrepreneurship in underserved communities. It's a reminder that while business can be demanding, it can also be a powerful tool for lifting others. What do you think? Share your thoughts and stories with me here.