At Warrior's Day Off you will hear guests' inspiring stories about overcoming life’s unexpected struggles. We explore the many voices of courage, strength and survival, without judgement.

This Episode, Need to Get Something Off My Chest, features unscripted conversations about the host's breast cancer journey and her best friend's experience from 22 years ago. Two survivor friends talk openly, and even laugh together as they share their stories of courage.

Stepping Up is about three inspiring women who share their overlapping stories of survival and the wonderful ways in which they are helping others.

Guests: Joanne Ehrlich, Lori Villa and Jill Fader

Joanne Ehrlich, a 22 year cancer survivor, started a Foundation called Heel the Soul to help women going through serious illness treatment on their own. Last year it was expanded to include men. She and other volunteers sit with patients and provide them comfort bags with items such as blankets, slippers, wellness services, meal deliveries, house cleaning, transportation and more. They provide more than 1000 comfort bags to patients a year.

Lori Villa is Program Manager of Patient and Family Engagement at Englewood Health. where she has worked for 21 years. She met Joanne after being diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago while waiting for radiation. She was a recipient of one of the comfort bags and is now an integral part of helping support other patients with her work in Patient and Family Engagement. Lori helped launch the first annual Walk for Awareness in 1999 with our third guest, Jill Fader.

Jill Fader is a 22 year breast cancer survivor. She and her husband, Paul Fader organized the very first "Walk for Awareness” in 1999 as a gesture of thanks for the care Jill received upon discovering that she had breast cancer. The Englewood Health Foundation’s annual Walk for Awareness mobilizes hundreds of participants each year and raises funds to provide uninsured women in the community with access to a range of healthcare services including mammograms, genetic testing and other screening and diagnostic testing at The Leslie Simon Breast Care and Cytodiagnosis Center.

Rebuilding Lives features an interview with award winning Stanley Richards, a previously incarcerated man who has transformed his life and helps thousands of others rebuild theirs every year. Stanley is the Executive Vice President of The Fortune Society, a non-profit organIzation in New York founded by David Rothenberg. In addition to his work with Fortune, Stanley Richards is the first formerly incarcerated person to be appointed to the NYC Board of Correction where he is Vice Chair working on many initiatives, including a blueprint for the future of criminal justice in NYC. We talk about how he turned his life around along with other inspiring stories. Stanley was recognized by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change.

Stress Management- is part of a series calledThe Road to Healing, featuring hopeful, life-enhancing stories, techniques and interviews with integrative medicine specialists. Our guest today is Jennifer Graf, a licensed clinical social worker psychotherapist, who specializes in stress management.

In 2015 she helped initiate the Graf Center for Integrative Medicine at Englewood Health, providing acupuncture, Reiki, yoga, holistic nutritional counseling, meditation and other stress management modalities.

Jennifer has certifications in; Mind Body Medicine; Positive Psychology; Lifeforce Yoga; and Imago Couples Counseling. She is a Reiki Master and Yoga teacher. Jennifer is also a breast cancer survivor.

The Road to Healing Trauma features internationally recognized author, lecturer, trainer and trauma resolution specialist Brent Baum and his pioneering approach used with over 30,000 trauma survivors including veterans, rescue personnel of the Oklahoma City bombing, Senior Staff of TWA Flight 800, and many affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. His emotional reframing technique incorporates the latest breakthroughs in neurophysiology. He has a private practice and works with guests at the Miraval Resort in Arizona.

This Episode features an interview with Michele Gannon, Founder of Mary’s Place by the Sea in Ocean Grove, NJ. Her story is inspiring. The work she is doing is extraordinary.

Mary’s Place by the Sea is a special place where women with cancer or recovering from cancer treatment go to take a deep breath, share challenges and experiences, and focus on their own healing. They provide services such as massage, nutrition education, individual counseling, Reiki, guided meditation, expressive writing, and yoga. Since its founding in 2009, more than 10,000 women have visited Mary’s Place by the Sea from across the country. They provide this respite at no cost to their guests thanks to individual donors, corporate organizations, and third-party fundraising events.

Guest: Michele Gannon

Mental Health issues are on the rise on college campuses across the country.
Dr. Nance Roy joins us to discuss the comprehensive framework for promoting emotional wellbeing in our teens and young adults especially during COVID. This Episode also features the extraordinary story of how one student, Braden Renke, channeled her struggle into purpose and hope by helping others.

Dr. Nance Roy has over 20 years of experience as a psychologist working in college mental health. She serves as Chief Clinical Officer of the JED Foundation. In addition to her work at JED, Dr. Roy is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry. She is a senior advisor for the National College Depression Partnership and her publications have focused on effective strategies for treatment and management of at-risk students on college campuses.

Student Athlete Braden Renke created The Pizza Project at Franklin and Marshall College after losing her father to suicide. The student-run organization aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health and to raise awareness to the many resources available to students. Truly an inspiring story of courage, strength, hope and survival.

Season 2 begins with an Episode on Reinvention featuring Melanie Landano. Melanie ventured down a different career path during COVID-19, launching a popular food truck in NJ called Mel's Butcher Box. She knows how to pivot, reinvent, and land on her feet. Melanie weaves stories about her early days growing up in Brooklyn, her life-long friendships, and the loss of her parents, while sharing insights to navigating life's unexpected challenges. She even teaches me the correct way to pronounce mozzarella and marinara.