Action 2 Impact Podcast with Gwen Jones

Gwen Jones

Since 2019, host Gwen Jones — a proud Rotarian — has been sharing powerful stories of extraordinary people who turn bold ideas into meaningful impact. While many guests are Rotarians making a difference through service, the heart of the Action 2 Impact Podcast goes far beyond any one organization. Each episode spotlights inspiring individuals from around the world who took a single step to make life better for others — and ended up changing communities, and sometimes the world. Listeners will discover uplifting stories, practical inspiration, and proof that real change doesn’t require perfection or permission — just action. Because impact isn’t reserved for a select few. It starts with one person, one idea, and one step. Listen, subscribe, and get inspired to turn your own actions into impact.

  1. Sep 23

    What If Respect Was The New Protest, meet National Unity Day

    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 trip in a purple and white pickup truck, thousands of conversations, and a surprising lesson: most people define unity with the same core words like respect, compassion, patience, teamwork, and listening. We get specific about what Unity Day actually looks like on the ground, from the Holiday Giving Spectacular model to solving real “life-blocking” needs for families like fixing a roof, replacing tires, or installing a water heater. It’s civic engagement that feels human, local, and doable. We also dig into tools you can use immediately: “break the algorithm” by posting one kind, community-building thing each week, and the Pass The Purple campaign that makes unity shareable. Then we explore Unity Seats at sporting events and Friday night lights at high school football games as a way to bring strangers together around shared joy, not shared ideology. Want to get involved or partner with a club, team, or community group? Reach out at info@us-united.org, follow Us United on social, and then subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people find the work. Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

  2. Sep 9

    Action 2 Impact Show: Trust And Escape At Ground Zero with Mike Hingson

    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 miracle. It’s preparation, clear thinking, and the quiet confidence of Roselle doing her job while everything outside the stairwell turns unreal. From that 9-11 survival story, we pivot into something just as necessary: blindness etiquette and the everyday misconceptions that make life harder for blind and low vision people. I ask the uncomfortable questions sighted folks think but rarely say out loud, and Mike answers with patience and edge. We talk about why “visually impaired” can land wrong, why speaking louder to a blind person is a tell, and why the real barrier is often attitude, not ability. He also shares a reframing that sticks: if you’re light-dependent, you’re not “normal,” you’re accommodated. Then we get practical about guide dog etiquette and service dog rules. If a dog is in harness, it’s working, so ask the handler first and accept the answer. Mike breaks down the Americans with Disabilities Act definition of a trained service dog, explains how fake service dog vests damage access for everyone, and even tackles the question people love to argue about: can blind people drive with the right information and technology? Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reality check, and leave a review so more listeners find the show. What’s one assumption you’ve caught yourself making about blindness or service dogs? Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

  3. Sep 2

    Action 2 Impact Show: What If Aging Decline Is Mostly A Myth

    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-being as independence without a shoebox of medications  • why blood biomarkers can create a false sense of safety  • the coffee and tachycardia story as a root-cause lesson  • where medications help and where they can mask the real problem  • separating vaccines from optional lifestyle-related drug use  • nitric oxide, endothelial function, and food-based support  • what Elaine sees in home care that predicts mobility or decline  • rejecting the narrative that aging must mean muscle loss  • hospital food and the standard American diet problem  • Elaine’s seven pillars: mindset, nutrition, movement, hydration, community, guide, consistency  • why we should not rely on AI for health decisions  • training movement in three planes for real life function  Do you know somebody that I should know that should come on the show? Rotarianpod at gmail.com  If you'd like to sponsor the show andor be an advertiser on our show, RotarianPod at gmail.com Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

  4. Aug 12

    How To Think About Living Longer With Purpose w/ Writer James Strole

    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 books to keep people in the conversation  • How RAADFest and the internet helped longevity explode into the mainstream  • Whether longevity is only for wealthy people and how prices can drop over time  • NAD protocols, gene therapy, and the “early adopter” technology curve  • The question nobody can dodge: who are you at 125  • Moving from survival mode into creativity and building “heaven on earth”  • What “gospel” means as “good news” and why he uses spiritual language  • How spiritual resilience and anti-aging science can support the same goal  • Why he wants people to have a real choice about lifespan and healthspan  If you'd like the podcast or video cast to go somewhere, you know, Rotarianpod at gmail.com. Of course, I always tell you tell others about the show so they can join in on all the fun. And, you know, if you know somebody that I should know about, again, same address, Rotarianpod at gmail.com.  Support the show Join me as I talk to those "amazing people turning their Actions 2 Impact all over the world. #BE THE CHANGE

4.9
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Since 2019, host Gwen Jones — a proud Rotarian — has been sharing powerful stories of extraordinary people who turn bold ideas into meaningful impact. While many guests are Rotarians making a difference through service, the heart of the Action 2 Impact Podcast goes far beyond any one organization. Each episode spotlights inspiring individuals from around the world who took a single step to make life better for others — and ended up changing communities, and sometimes the world. Listeners will discover uplifting stories, practical inspiration, and proof that real change doesn’t require perfection or permission — just action. Because impact isn’t reserved for a select few. It starts with one person, one idea, and one step. Listen, subscribe, and get inspired to turn your own actions into impact.

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