As a 6-year-old, I remember deciding I’m not going to be fearful; I’m going to be furious. -Jodi Tolman

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? resiliency! Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jodi adored her mother and feared her father, who 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 loud and scary at her house. Says Jodi: “I thought my mother could save me. My safety was in her arms. “ An unstoppable force of nature, Jodi has experienced 27 different career iterations. Looking back, she regrets her decision to drop out of college one month before graduation at the University of Ohio, but Jodi 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 and Robin Williams. 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, 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 throws of infertility, answering their questions and sharing her story. Say 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. #childhoodtrauma #resilience #fertility #adoption

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