What if one of the most pressing challenges in modern life isn't money, power, or even technology, but our growing disconnection from one another?

In this week's Celebrate Your Story, I speak with Allison Gilbert about loneliness, friendship, community, and the simple but powerful habits that help us stay connected in a world that too often pulls us apart. Drawing on her work with the late Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Allison shares hard-earned insights about loss, resilience, and why connection is not something we can leave to chance.

We talk about the struggles many young people face as work and technology rapidly change, the special role grandparents and intergenerational relationships can play in shaping identity, and why "social health" deserves as much attention as physical and emotional well-being. This conversation is full of practical ideas and one question that may be worth asking more often: When will I see you again?

If you've been feeling stretched thin, isolated, or a little out of rhythm with the people who matter most, I think this episode is for you.

Get your copy of "The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life" Today https://a.co/d/0csvQKJt

In this week's Celebrate Your Story, I sat down with Haresh Tharani, who came to the United States in the early 1980s and built a career that began in apparel manufacturing and grew into global business and investing.

His journey includes time spent working across countries and through periods of instability, along with years of building and leading businesses. Today, he focuses on a life grounded in family, faith, loyalty, and purpose.

He defines success through discipline, listening, and being present for the people in your life. A lesson from his grandfather has guided him: You have two ears and one mouth, so use them in that proportion.

For Haresh, the measure of a life comes down to how we treat others. It's a simple idea, shaped by experience and practiced every day. If you're thinking about your own path, there's something here worth holding onto.

In this week's Celebrate Your Story, I speak with Josh Schneps, CEO and co-publisher of Schneps Media, one of the largest networks of community media brands in the New York region. The company began in 1985 when his mother, Vicki Schneps, started a neighborhood newspaper at their Queens dining room table. Today it includes nearly 100 publications and sites serving communities across New York and Florida.

At a time when many local newspapers are disappearing, Schneps Media prints about 600,000 papers each week. But its success isn't just about print. The company has built a broader platform centered on the communities it serves — combining local journalism with events, digital publications, and partnerships with businesses that want to reach people close to home.

Josh also shared how new tools like artificial intelligence are helping his team monitor local conversations and surface story ideas. But he was clear about one thing: Technology may assist the work, but journalism still requires human judgment and responsibility.

Our conversation reminded me that in a world increasingly dominated by global platforms, there is still value in focusing on the communities around us. Local media can still play a powerful role in bringing communities together.

Cesar Millan has spent decades working with dogs. What he's really learned is how humans behave.

In this episode of Celebrate Your Story, Cesar shares why dogs reflect our emotional state, why leadership begins with calm confidence, and why loyalty is stronger than love. We discuss the hidden hierarchy inside every pack, the mistake families make when they lead with affection, and how discipline and trust create freedom — on and off the leash.

From his early years in Sinaloa to walking dogs through South Central Los Angeles, Cesar's story is about more than animal behavior. It's about education, responsibility, and becoming the kind of person others — human or canine — want to follow.

If you've ever owned a dog, raised a child, or tried to lead a team, you'll recognize yourself in this conversation. And you may never look at your dog the same way again.

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.

Get your copy of DATING DISABILITY 15 STORIES OF DEALING WITH THE BS AND BUILDING CONFIDENCE Order Today At ecgoodson.com/book

As Valentine's Day approaches, this episode delves into the deeper meaning of love, connection, and appreciation beyond traditional romance. Through heartfelt stories from the Celebrations community, Jim McCann reflects on how small, thoughtful gestures can make a profound difference, especially during moments of grief, uncertainty, or everyday life.

From supporting a grieving friend with quiet presence, to building workplace culture through simple notes of gratitude, to bringing warmth and joy into places where it's needed most, this episode reminds us that love is expressed through action. It's about showing up, being present, and taking the time to let others know they matter.

You'll also hear personal reflections on relationships, resilience, and the evolving meaning of Valentine's Day, one that now celebrates love for friends, family, coworkers, and community. This episode is an invitation to act on your thoughtfulness, invest in your relationships, and use the power you have to make 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.

What if the real secret to happiness isn't success, money, or achievement—but love, relationships, and how we show up for one another?

In this episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Professor Arthur Brooks, a Harvard professor and behavioral scientist who has dedicated his life to studying what makes people happy. Arthur is a best-selling author and one of the most thoughtful voices on happiness, faith, and meaning today. Our conversation goes far beyond theory. We discuss family, marriage, faith, money, purpose, and why many high-achieving individuals still feel empty.

Arthur shares insights from decades of research, including why chasing "the number" never works, why love must come before ambition, and how happiness is built through enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning—not fleeting feelings. We explore the science behind relationships, the role of faith and prayer, the importance of commitment, and why serving others is the surest path to a meaningful life.

As someone who's spent nearly 50 years in the business of helping people express love through flowers and gifts, this conversation deeply resonated with me. It's a reminder that while products may change, relationships are everything.

If you've ever questioned what success is really for, how to live with greater purpose, or how to turn your life into something that truly matters—this is a conversation you don't want to miss.