MY Podcasts

When your childhood is fractured by emotional abuse and the threat of violence, it’s easy to lack confidence and lose your way as an adult. For Jodi Tolman, there have been plenty of mistakes and regrets, but there have also been incredible triumphs in her life. Her secret weapon? Resilience! Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jodi adored her mother and feared her father, whom she describes as “an angry man who would reach for his belt.” The youngest of three children, she recalls making herself small and invisible so that she could hide beneath the dining room buffet cabinet when things got too loud and scary at home. Says Jodi: “I thought my mother could save me. My safety was in her arms." An unstoppable force of nature, Jodi has lived many personal and professional iterations. Looking back, she regrets her decision to drop out of college one month before graduation, but she wanted to be a singer, just like her mother. In this interview, she shares her experiences as a singing waitress at the Improv in Los Angeles and New York, where she worked alongside Jay Leno, Robin Williams and other luminaries. A seasoned voice-over talent, business-to-business pro, and sales consultant, Jodi also spent 15 years working with senior citizens as they transitioned from their homes to senior living communities. Married three times before 40, Jodi is the proud mother of three children: one born "naturally," one by adoption, and one by a donor egg. These days, she talks to parents in the throes of infertility, answering their questions and sharing her story. Says Jodi: “Parenting comes from the doing, not from the pregnancy.” Her memoir, ONE FROM EACH COLUMN, is planned for release in 2025. A sought-after public speaker, Jodi’s keynote address, “Triumph Over Trauma: Inspiring Belief That Life-Long Dreams Can Still Come True" includes her radical theory about childhood abuse.