Kevin Smith: For such a time as this "kindness worldwide

In this episode of the Magnificent Ones podcast, host Oakley chats with Kevin Smith, a former corporate executive turned kindness advocate. Kevin shares his journey from a high-stakes career in a Fortune 500 company to founding Kindness Worldwide. He introduces listeners to his 'eight characteristics of kindness,' which serve as a framework for personal and societal transformation. The conversation delves into the importance of redefining success, finding meaning beyond money, and living by a strong value system. Together, Oakley and Kevin explore how kindness and empathy can profoundly impact our lives and the world around us.The Fresh Patch Podcast - Where Good Pets Get It.

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Transcript

Clarity Over Comfort

SPEAKER_02 0:00

This is not a podcast for comfort. It's a podcast for clarity. In a culture flooded with noise, dangerous narratives, and emotional uncertainty, this space exists to examine what actually matters and what actually works. Here we question power itself, belief systems, and the assumptions most people inherit without inspection. Most people accept instead of dissect. This podcast is about correcting that. Welcome. Bienvenue. Bienvenidos to the Magnificent Ones Podcast. Hello, and welcome to the Magnificent Ones Podcast. Today I have a very special guest, Kevin Smith, that's here to share his story with us. Kevin, how are you doing? I'm doing wonderful, Oakley. It's great to be here. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. It's been a pleasure. And gotten to learn a lot about you last night and in my personal research as well, which kept me from sleeping. It's pretty clear you did your homework. I'm a very boring guy. So I just want to say, you know, thank you for all the work that you're doing. And it truly touched my core. And it made me feel as though I had a renewed sense of purpose as well, you know, interacting with you last night and and uh going home to my wife and and just saying to her that I have to I have to do an interview. I have to do an interview. And uh and here we are, you know. So well, thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_01 1:28

No, it's been an indescribable adventure of a lifetime. It's been a very meaningful journey. And uh I've met so many wonderful people on this journey, and and now you're one of them. So thank you so much.

Meet Kevin Smith

SPEAKER_02 1:38

I I truly appreciate that. You know, it it's uh I would like to start the episode with something meaningful that you said last night. You were talking about kindness, and I just walked in as you were you're talking about the characteristics of kindness, and so can you just describe that to those who are listening?

Defining The Eight Traits Of Kindness

SPEAKER_01 1:56

I'd be happy to. Well, in this journey, it occurred to me that we need to define kindness better. A lot of people will point out things that aren't kind. They'll say, that's not kind, but we don't take it to the next level and answer the question, well, why isn't it kind? And if we're going to hold others accountable, elected officials, those in the media, each and each of ourselves accountable to a higher standard, which is kindness, we need to define kindness better. So I sat down one morning and I just brainstormed it, thought about it, and I came up with eight, what I call the eight characteristics of kindness. And those characteristics are in order gratitude, patience, forgiveness, empathy, and compassion, which are really two, but I lump them together. It's one, empathy and compassion, respect, joy, generosity, and service. So now if we are witnessing unkindness or seeing unkindness elsewhere, and we we can now look and say this is not kind because it shows disrespect. This is not kind because it shows impatience. And so now we have a better means of really elevating our game. So in a sense, it's a kindness framework.

Redefining Success And Leaving Corporate

SPEAKER_02 3:13

Absolutely. Which I refer to as the eight characteristics of kindness. I actually I really love that. And so for those of you who are just tuning in, I would like to say that Kevin is not just an intellectual, but he's someone that truly champions kindness. And for the first time in my life, I think that I'm truly at a loss for words because my heart is is definitely filled with a joy, you know, being in your presence. And there's a calmness that comes with that. I don't feel that I'm on edge or anything. It's it's just everything just flows. And to be in the presence of you know individuals like that is few and far between because I'm always guarded and to just just be is uh is a is a very comforting thing, you know, for myself. And so without further ado, I'd like to pivot a little bit so the the audience can know a little about your story. And so I'll start off by saying this what if success isn't about how high you climb, but about how you're willing to walk away from it? Today's guest is Kevin Smith, a man who had everything the world tells you that you should want, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate and a class solitorian from Gettysburg College. Kevin rose through the ranks of a Fortune 500 company to become director of its largest business unit. And then at its peak of a 12-year corporate career, he left. Not because he failed, but because he had a calling, a calling to do something more. Kevin went from went on to find to found the Smith Wealth Advisory Group, helping people transform financial success into meaningful life experiences. He earned the recognition from Barons and Forbes, but most of the most important chapter of his life began on a quiet, good Friday morning in 2023, a lost wallet, a stranger's honesty, and a moment that refused to stay small. What began as a desire to say thank you became a global movement rooted in a single conviction that kindness, lived intentionally, can change the world. That moment gave birth to kindness worldwide, a nonprofit now carrying a bold vision to create a culture of kindness in communities across the globe. This is a conversation about purpose, disruption, faith, and the radical power of choosing meaning, especially when it costs you comfort. So, without further ado, I would like to start off by asking you this first question. You reach a level of corporate success most people aspire to. What is hap- what what was happening in internally when you decided to walk away and forge a new path in life?

SPEAKER_01 6:00

Well, many people define success in a traditional standpoint. And by traditional metrics, they look at success in terms of money, status, position, and my definition of success is being the best version of ourselves. And although on paper everything was I was successful, I'd just been promoted to the largest division of a Fortune 500 company as its director, and on paper things were great. I was miserable. And the reason was is that the further up the ladder I went in the corporate world, the less meaningful it became because it was a paper company, very prominent paper company. Paper is important, but not necessarily going to change the world. And I just didn't find the meaning and purpose of what I was doing. I really loved mentoring a team. I loved bringing out the best of my staff. And I always felt that as a as a manager, as a leader, my responsibility is to make myself expendable and to really bring out the best in them and even get them to see qualities and strengths that they don't even they don't even know they possess. That was meaningful. But, you know, as as my career evolved, and with each promotion, uh, I think part of my soul was lost. And then I had an epiphany in my early 30s that, you know, life's too short to not enjoy what you do. And after my last promotion, I just left the corporate world call turkey. And I started a new career and built a wealth advisory practice, you know, very successful practice. I'll be celebrating her 25th year next year. And to me, people make a lot of, they focus on money. And money is important, but I think sometimes they place undue weight on the money. It's not money itself that matters, it's what money can do. And one of my favorite quotes is by Henry David Thoreau: wealth is the ability to fully experience life. So it's very meaningful for me to help our clients translate their monetary resources into meaningful life experiences. And it could be retiring comfortably, educating their children or grandchildren, and downing a meaningful legacy to causes that are important to them. But whatever it is, everyone defines wealth differently. But when you define it as wealth is ability to fully experience life, it's all about helping clients translate their monetary resources into meaningful life experiences.

SPEAKER_02 8:18

I think that's so profound. You know, uh one of the things that, you know, guide me in my everyday life when I make certain decisions is that if you do everything for money, then nothing really matters because if you're not happy without money, you're not going to be happy with money. And that's that's one of my guiding, you know, um like mantras of, you know.

Money As A Means To Meaning

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Yeah, well, I think, you know, money should be a byproduct. It should never be the primary motivator of what one does. And I think it was George Larmer who had a quote which also resonates with me. He said, it's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good to check up once in a while and make sure you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. And I think many people go through life thinking about I need to make more money, need to make more money. Well, there are many billionaires and people have all the money in the world that are not happy and they're miserable. And so there's an adage of money can't buy happiness. And I would I know that that is true. And once people realize that, and they just try to find meaning and purpose. Use your monetary resource to do that, but there's a lot more profound aspects of that besides just the monetary riches. It's the riches of life that matter most. And the sooner people can see that, the more enriched their life will be. And my hope is to help others, hopefully early on in their life stage, to recognize what really matters is not often what society thinks it does.

SPEAKER_02 9:45

Absolutely. You know, from what I've gathered, you know, re this is also research that's done, you know, within a few hours. Uh, is it seems that your your guiding belief is that a meaningful life is a life where you make meaningful differences. You know, where does that belief come from and when did it become a non-negotiable for you?

SPEAKER_01 10:10

Well, I I'm blessed early on. I can't pinpoint an exact time where I knew my why, but it was very early in my life that I just became just realized that the meaning of life is to live it in a way to make a meaningful difference. And I think it was a value system largely shaped by my mom and my upbringing. My mom essentially raised two children on her own. We lived modestly but had an abundance of the one thing that mattered most, which was love. My mom was a self-employed beautician, and you know, she made others beautiful. That was her role, that was her job. But what she recognized was what made someone beautiful wasn't their external qualities. It wasn't how she made their hair and their appearances, it was their heart. And she looked inside the people and she saw the true beauty within. And she lived by that example. And I just I would observe and I would watch and I would admire my mom and the sacrifices she often made, you know, for her children. And it just shaped me who I am. I always went through college and life in general, I always wanted to make my mom proud. And it's just having that value system, and I'm very blessed because you know, many people grew up in upbringings, you know, that were on paper much better than my own, you know, having a two-parent household and have, you know, and we we didn't have that, but yet something in me, I always had principles, I always had values, and I think it was largely from my, I've just applied that value system throughout my life and career. And principles are non-negotiable. I mean, principles is the foundation of everything. And I just think too many people maybe don't live by principles or even know what they are. And I always kind of laugh when I see a politician taking a poll to see what the answer is. I'm like, well, what does it matter what the answer is? If you have your principles, say this is what I believe, this is what I stand for, and then make your case. But you shouldn't change your decision making based upon what polls say. That's not principles, that's a rudderless ship. Yes. So I just have been very blessed to have a strong value system, and that's non-negotiable. I mean, I am who I am, I'm very proud of who I am and my principles, my values, and nothing will ever compromise them.

Values, Principles, And Upbringing

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SPEAKER_02 12:20

That is actually quite profound. Yeah. It it's um any nothing that is built on a foundation that's not solid will ever last. And you if if you are so easily swayed, then who are you really? You're no one. You're whoever anyone else that has a a bigger uh war chest to to fund your campaign says that you need to be, that's who you're gonna be. And then I want to pivot slightly because you you've mentioned you know politics. But in and with your mission, I think that the thing that a lot of people forget is service to others. And you know, politicians or law enforcement, it's service to others and the the ability to have you know servant leadership. And and you know, whether you're a parent or you're you're a CEO, you're literally serving other people. And I think that sometimes people think it's the other way around and they miss the serving others component and it's serve myself. And that that you know affects you know many systems and infrastructures, and maybe that has something to do with the culture that we have, where it's the me first, and if it's me first, then where's the kindness? Because everything that I do will be out of selfish you know motivations.

SPEAKER_01 14:02

Well, there's we've often heard it referred to as the me generation. Well, I think there should be a we generation. Yes. And I think there's too many that are driven by power and ego. Uh the journey of kindness robot is all heart, no ego. And surrounding yourself with people who are guided by heart, passion, and purpose to make the world a better place and to lead by example, and and selfless service is what matters most. Too many people, I believe, are focused on self. Now, yes, we need to be kind to ourselves, right? You know, but there's been a lot of studies on this. There's a science that backs all this, is that if you look at like a matrix, think of it like a matrix. People that are very high conviction for self, low conviction for self. That's one aspect. And there's people who have a high regard for others, low regard for others. So it's like a matrix. You can categorize that into people high regard for self, low regard for others, high regard for self, high regard for others, or low regard for self, low regard for others, low regard for self, high regard for others. Like a matrix. Yes. Okay. The most productive people, the most people that are most gratified, who are most happy and joyful, are those who have high self, high others. All right. So they're secure in who they are, they're secure in their value system. They take care of themselves, but they are givers and they're high, have a high regard for others. And and then you look at people who have a high regard for self, low regard for others, that's the ego. So that's the that's the narcissist, right? That's they're all driven by power. And then the lows that have those that have low degree or kind of low respect for self, low respect for others. They're like the just uh use the term there for those, they're just the slouches.

SPEAKER_03 15:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Right? You know, low regard for self, high degree for others, they're the pushovers.

SPEAKER_03 16:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

Right? Because they don't have enough respect for the self. They take what other people tell them, and right, and they don't have the strength to maybe, if they're, if they're someone approach them with unkindness, they just uh take it and they don't, you know. So where you want to be is selfless, you know, but still have the regard for yourself. But I think when you look at the political realm, I think there's there's too many who have lost their way. If they run for office, they may run with the best intentions, but somehow they're corrupted by the system. You see very few people who stand on principle, who lead, and too many people are guided by ego, not heart, because I I see a lot of people, I think we have an epidemic or crisis of the leadership throughout the world, and on all levels. But certainly in our political realm, I think there's too many people that are part of the problem, not the solution. Yes. A true leader unites. Yes. And I see too much division, I see too much rhetoric, I see too many words uh for power and too much pointing the finger and like who gets the credit? Is it a Republican issue or a Democrat issue? The people are meanwhile caught in the middle. Yes. And if you look at things through a kindness lens, not a political lens, I think every policy decision, everything should be evaluated through a lens of kindness. And if that is the standard that we're trying to hold others accountable to, if we look at things through a kindness lens, we'd have much better outcomes and we'd have much better leaders because at the end of the day, it's we, the people that they're supposed to represent. Yes. And I think too many people are making about themselves or their party for selfish for power. And, you know, we see the outcome of that. You know, there's so much division in our world today, and and there's so much focus on the divisions, but we need to get back to what unites. We need to get back to the heart space. Kindness is universally agreed. We all need more kindness, and if we focus on what unites, we can agree on that and make that the foundation. Everything else should take care of itself.

SPEAKER_02 18:03

Absolutely. I always you know find it to be profound that you could have neighbors that disagree politically or on a lot of you know fundamental levels, and yet in times of crisis, they'll come together, put their differences aside, and and make a difference. Maybe a hurricane, and you know, we're in Florida, and yeah, we help each other clear trees, right? And yet it seems as though it takes really tragic events to pull us together, which is not sustainable, you know. But that that is always that has always fascinated me that we can put our differences aside and you know, in in times of crisis, why can't we just do that all the time?

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Absolutely. Well, I think in times of crisis is when we often see the best of humanity. You know, whether it's a hurricane, a flood, 9-1-1, everyone came together. They didn't care what party you represented, they didn't care if you were Republican or Democrat, everyone just came together. Didn't matter if it was their day off. Didn't matter. That's right. Everyone just, you know, they did the right thing to help their fellow band. Yeah. And and we saw the best of humanity. But unfortunately, it didn't seem to be sustainable. Then we then we go back, we fall back to our worst.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

But I would argue that everyone is fundamentally good inside.

SPEAKER_03 19:23

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Sometimes environment, circumstances, life events brings the darkness in.

SPEAKER_03 19:29

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:29

But we're all born, I believe, inherently good. And we see that instinctively come out at times of crisis, times of tragedy. Key is how do we sustain that goodness throughout the year? And it shouldn't take a crisis to bring people together. And that's really what I'm hoping can be achieved through this kindness movement is let's disagree better.

SPEAKER_03 19:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:52

Let's practice the eight characteristics of kindness. We can disagree, but let's let's be civil, let's be respectful, let's have meaningful conversations, and and let's use kindness as the one thing we agree upon, as the basis, the foundation, and then work from there. Instead of focusing on the differences, let's focus on what unites, and kindness unites everyone.

The Kindness Lens For Policy And Community

SPEAKER_02 20:14

Yes. So I think something, you know, I like to make connections between different things. And you know, after leaving, you know, corporate leadership. You founded the Smith Wealth Advisory Group. How do you help clients redefine wealth beyond accumulation? And the reason why I'm asking you this question is because a lot of times when you give people a sense of purpose, you know, it's like they had money before, but now, you know, they're they're thinking about the retirement. You know, the money was never really an option, but it's what now. They reach the what now stage of their life. And how now they can have a renewed sense of purpose. I'm I'm trying to see how you know these things you know tie together because I I believe that this is something that you do, that you you give people a sense of purpose.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Well, money's a means to an end. Uh it's not the end itself. And what I try to do, and I I grew up in very humble origins, right? I mean, again, we we had little growing up, but we had an abundance of the one thing that mattered most, which is love. Yes. And but from a monetary standpoint, working with clients, it's it's number one is meeting with each client and understanding what is your why? What do you want your money to do? What's important to you? Is it family? Is it friends? Is it legacy? Is it charity? And once you understand the why, and many times they don't even understand themselves. Everybody asks the question, they don't think about it. But being a catalyst, they say, all right, money's no object. What what would you be doing? You know, would you like to travel? Do you want to spend time with family? Do you, you know, what are causes important to you or charities? Once you have those conversations, now that can lead to, okay, what are your resources? How can we use your resource to make that happen? And and it's not the amount of resources. I mean, this is this is another uh real life example. It's it's very uh meaningful. Again, wealth is the ability to fully experience life. My wife's done on mission trips to Jamaica, some of the most poverty-stricken areas of Jamaica. And these people have very little, often live in shells of homes. And yet they're so joyful. They're so happy, so full of life. Okay, now contrast that little monetary wealth, but very happy and joyful. I've also seen people with millions of dollars on paper, they have all the money in the world, everything they need, and they are miserable.

SPEAKER_02 22:35

Now, who's wealthier? The person that's actually happy and have a sense of purpose.

SPEAKER_01 22:40

I I would argue you're exactly right. But I think it's that recognition that it's not money that's going to make you happy. Yes. It's finding your why and living your why every day, and you know, being around others that give you joy.

SPEAKER_03 22:54

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

And then it becomes contagious. There's a ripple effect. But too many people, I think, live life and don't come to that realization until life has already passed them by. And then it's too late. And it's trying to get people to see the light, so to speak, sooner rather than later, because life goes by fast.

SPEAKER_03 23:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:12

And uh, Ferris Burler once said, look, life goes by fast. If you don't stop to enjoy it once in a while, you just might miss it. And I'd like to think that people will see the light, so to speak, sooner rather than later so they can recognize that it's not the money that matters. It's all those relationships and your family and your friends, and that's what at the end of the day is going to matter most.

SPEAKER_03 23:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 23:32

So you've been recognized by Barons and Forbes. Did these accolades ever confirm your sense of purpose or did they complicate it?

Finding Purpose In Wealth Planning

SPEAKER_01 23:43

I would argue that they validated, validated. I've always been achievement-oriented. And as I look at those designations, like it's it's not an ego thing for me. It's a byproduct of what I do. It's validation of what I do. And I look at being recognized by Forbes and the Financial Times, maybe one of the top 400 advisors in the country, and very meaningful, but it just validates that I'm making a difference. It gets back to my why. I believe the meaning of life is to live it in a way to make a meaningful difference. And if I'm successful at helping my clients effectively manage their monetary resources and the various designations and accolades that all that entails, that just validates that I'm making a difference. And that's why I left the corporate career to pursue a career in the financial services industry, is because I felt it's more meaningful. I have a more of a direct connection of what I do by day to help clients live more fulfilled lives. I mean, it's I have clients that I remember when their children were born and we set up an education plan to fund their college education. And now they're there they're through college and they have meaningful careers. That's meaningful to me to have that conversation, see that come to fruition. And so these accolades are just validation of the difference that I'm doing by day. I always often say I make my living by making a difference.

SPEAKER_03 25:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

And I'm blessed to do what I love as a wealth advisor. And uh and now, you know, obviously uh it's very meaningful in the nonprofit space that unexpectedly materialized through fate and circumstances. So I'm just blessed every day. Every day is a gift and a blessing, and I think we all see it as such. It's questions of what we make of it. And we all have gifts that we've been blessed with, it's how we use them that that matters as well.

SPEAKER_02 25:24

So, which brings up a very good point. Let's talk about you know, Good Friday 2023. You know, it's a lot, a lost wallet that seems in insignificant, yet it you know, it changes everything. What shifted for you in that moment, and what's the byproduct of those things? I'll let you tell that story.

Good Friday: The Lost Wallet Story

SPEAKER_01 25:44

Well, I'll try to give you the Cliff Notes version. I could speak for hours of what happened, what led up to it. But uh so on Good Friday morning of all days, my wife sent me to the grocery store on a routine errand to pick up two items. Nothing complicated. She even told me exactly where to go because I get lost at grocery stores. And I purchased the two items and uh checked out and drove straight home. And I walked inside, I realized that when I reached my back pocket, my wallet was missing. I left one important item behind. And in the moment of panic, my fingers literally on the ignition button of my car, ready to go back to the store, hoping I might find it. Like an angel out of heaven, a good Samaritan woman magically appeared, holding my wallet, asking if it was mine. And I went from the state of despair. Yeah, it's a wallet. What's a big of a wallet? Well, it's more than just the money in the wallet. It's convenience, credit cards, replacing driver's licenses. I had photos of lost loved ones, very, you know, meaningful to me. So it was more than just the money, it was the contents and all that that entailed. So I went from the state of despair and panic to being overjoyed, like instantly. And in I offered this woman a monetary reward. She refused to accept it. I had the impulse to ask her name before she drove away. She said it was Brooke, first name. And uh I walked back inside and I felt I should have done more. This woman literally went the extra mile. She found my wallet, apparently on the ground at the store, saw my driver's license side, had my address, no hesitation, drove 2.6 miles to my home to return it. And I felt I should have gone the extra mile for her in some way. So, in a in an innocent, simple attempt to identify who this young woman was, thank her in a more meaningful way. It literally took on a life of its own, so many serendipitous moments, I lost count, and continue to this day, by the way, and ultimately evolved into making a meaningful difference. And a chain of events uh occurred. It ultimately led me to publicly recognize this young woman through a community celebration of kindness, which later evolved to what is now known as Kindness Week Worldwide, which is the signature initiative of the nonprofit I was inspired to create called Kindness Worldwide. We launched Kindness Worldwide on November 9th, 2023. This act of kindness happened on April 7th, 2023. Good Friday morning. So my life was going at warp speed. Never mind a water strength, so I thought I would start any nonprofit, let alone one called Worldwide in its name, but it's worldwide for a reason because this is a global movement well underway, inspired by one act of kindness. But here I am at this stage of my life. Once I thought I had the rest of my life figured out, I'm comfortable, everything's in balance. I felt this calling, and it's definitely been a calling, that it's all about uh making the world a better place. And instead of focusing on what I can't control, I'm I re-channel my energies and what I can control. And and ironically, this has now evolved to uh a meaningful movement that's spreading and trying to bring people together to focus on what it is that unites and kindness unites us all.

SPEAKER_02 28:44

You know, you know, most people, you know, would say thank you, move on. Why do you think you couldn't?

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Hmm. Well, number one, I don't think it was meant to just move on. I think this was meant to happen. Like I'm I have no doubt with subsequent events that have unfolded, I was meant to go to the grocery store that day. I know this young woman was meant to find it. I think it gets into gratitude, like in my values, my upbringing. I just felt that this young woman really went above and beyond. And there's more to the story that, you know, makes this act of kindness even more powerful than just what she did already, that part of it comes out in the film. But I just had this immense sense of gratitude, and and there was a news story that covered it. I mean, my effort to identify this woman, thank her in a more meaningful way, I thought, hey, this just inspired me. If a news organization would cover the story, it'll inspire others. And if this young woman would see the story, it'd be a way of thanking her in a more meaningful way. Uh well, one news organization covered the story. It ended up going viral. And I didn't even know if this young woman was aware of it. And so it was a Hail Mary attempt. All I knew was her first name. I went on Facebook under the name Brooke. You know how many do you know how many Brooks there are on Facebook? I can tell you more than a few. And I scrolled for what seemed like uh countless minutes, and I'm about to give up. And my next swipe down, I see a profile picture of a young woman and her dog that caught my eye. And I messaged her and I asked her, Hey, are you this Brooke in this segment? And it was her. And she made a comment in that car spotted. She actually had seen the segment, and she was thanking me for thanking her. She was very humble throughout. But she made a comment, it was an innocent comment, but it resonated with me. She said, I'm just a blurry face. Because in the news segment that aired about the story, they blurred out her face from the ring doorbell footage of her at my front door with my wallet. They blurred out her face because no one knew who she was. And I thought about that comment, I said, No, you're more than a blurry face. You made this, you did this wonderful act of kindness, all the positivity this story has evoked, all because of you. And so, but think about the blurry face comment. How many people feel like the blurry face? That their life lacks significance, that no one notices them, no one sees them. They're just kind of out there and no one knows who they are. And there's a lot of people that really feel like the blurry face. So it had a profound impact on me. And so that blurry face comment, and then the story went viral. I'm like, I now identify this young one was. I thought that'd be newsworthy. Well, the media moved on, but I didn't. Yes. And then the chain of events evolved. I'm like, I got to do more. I got to find a way to recognize this young woman. And another twist of fate circumstances led it to a connection to the York County SPCA, connection to pets. I'm an animal lover. I learned that she's an animal lover too, and we had a connection to the York County SPCA. And that's when I had the idea of making a donation to the York County SPCA in her honor. And this idea of a community celebration of kindness at which she would be honored. That's when that idea took root because I wanted to make sure she wasn't the blurry face. She'd be publicly recognized. And that audible, that chain of events led to the launch of kindness worldwide, where she, for the first time, was publicly recognized when we launched kindness.

SPEAKER_02 31:58

No longer a blurry face.

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(Cont.) Good Friday: The Lost Wallet Story

SPEAKER_01 31:59

No longer the blurry face. And her act of kindness literally is going to change the world. I've said through the story that no act of kindness is too small to make a difference and change a life. My life has been profoundly changed from this act of kindness. Anyone can make a lasting impact, and I would argue, even change the world through kind actions. I'm convinced that Brooke Dubb's act of kindness has started that ripple effect that has now become a global wave.

SPEAKER_02 33:00

Absolutely. Now, kindness worldwide grew from a single act of kindness, you know, into a global non-for-profit, you know, in a matter of months. What surprised you most about how people responded?

From Blurry Face To Movement

SPEAKER_01 33:14

The irony is that I have a pretty good grasp of human nature. And with all the division in the world, all the negative headl headlines, people are looking for a spark. People are by and large good people. And sometimes we're being conditioned every day about, you know, we're all bad and and and all these things, which isn't true. Bad things happen, but people by and large are good people. And kindness and good are is everywhere. And and I just felt that all we need is something to inspire us, a spark to empower us, and someone to believe in us. And I truly felt with all the division, as this movement started to progress and kindness week started to take form, we can inspire people to come together in the spirit of kindness. We will bring out the best in other people. It was just that instinct that I had. And sure enough, when we launched Kindness Week, we launched it in York, Pennsylvania. York City Mayor proclaimed Kindness Week Worldwide. We had Governor Shapiro engaging. People came together. We had police departments issuing kindness citations to recognize the good that defines our community. We had people donating blood, symbolic way of paying it forward that can save lives. All they needed was something to spark to bring them together. So, and that's true, I think, broadly as well. I mean, this movement began in York County, Pennsylvania, where I live, but I felt it something so magical can happen here, it can happen anywhere and everywhere. It's just bringing out the best in others, but they just need something to coalesce around. And the title of the film, there's a documentary film that we that has now recently been completed called For Such a Time as This. It's a perfect title for many reasons, but if there's ever a time in our world that we need more kindness now more than ever, it's it's today. And people are looking for that spark.

SPEAKER_03 35:01

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

And it was just that conviction I had in others that if if we set the tone and we lay the groundwork and we have the framework to bring people and communities together in the spirit of kindness that they will respond and and they did. And they continue to do so as this movement and word of it spreads.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

I'm pausing because there are times where certain things just fall into place that you can't really explain it. It just it just is, it just happens. And it's one of those moments, you know, for me personally, thinking back about it, you know, and I've shared some some of my story with you, that I I feel as though not that I feel, I know that in each moment of my life in which something bad has happened, almost instantaneously, something good would happen. And it was acts of kindness that made all the difference in the world. Whether, you know, I I am you know working on my you know getting ready for finals, and once I I get in the zone and I'm working, I don't want to eat until I am happy with the the body of work that I need to uh I need to accomplish. And you never know who's watching, right? And the the the the lady in the the library in the cafe area, this one night in particular, like this was the night that was gonna be the the difference maker for me. She just brings over coffee. She's like, I know you're not gonna get a coffee until you're done, but you need the coffee now, not when you're done. And sure, for a lot of people that may just be a cup of coffee. But for me, that wasn't. It was almost like you know, breathing life back into me because I wasn't gonna go and get the coffee because I was not done. And so that's one of my my most meaningful experiences in college because I'm a human being, I get tired. And you know, it just goes to show that you know we we we're not the product of our own success. We're the the byproduct of a multitude of things happening to come together to make you successful. And that is one of the things that for a lot of people they would never say that some random person giving them coffee, you know, contributed to their success. But for me, it did.

SPEAKER_01 37:26

Well, the little things are the big things.

SPEAKER_02 37:28

Yeah.

Kindness Week Worldwide Takes Shape

SPEAKER_01 37:28

And I'm sure to the person who gave you that coffee, it wasn't a big deal. She just did it for out of kindness. It was a big deal to you. It was. And that's the beauty of kindness. I think people, I would argue kindness is the world's greatest superpower. It's one that each and every one of us possesses. It simply requires a choice to exercise it. And if we do, the effect of that is very vast and profound. That's it, that act of kindness, how it affected you. Well, the story of kindness worldwide, the ripple effects of Brooke Dubbs' one act of kindness have been very vast and profound. There are people's lives that have not only been changed, but saved because of the ripple effect of this one act of kindness. There are stories in the film. There are many powerful stories of kindness that have become interwoven into the story of Brooke Dubs and I. And each one, the common denominator, is the power of kindness, how a small act of kindness had a profound impact. One example is there was a comment of a young high school cheerleader to someone who was pretty down and really in a dark place. And he misspelled a word on a piece of paper. He misspelled the word miscellaneous. And he was in such a down place. She pointed out to him that he misspelled this word. And he said, Oh, I did. I bet you think I'm pretty stupid, huh? He was that deflated. Her comment, she said, No, no, I don't. I think you're pretty neat. 40 years later, he remembers that comment. It brought him out of a dark place. Someone at that time, at a time he needed it more than ever to hear someone give him positive affirmation, she did that. He still talks about to this day. Small act of kindness in her mind, profound impact on him. And so one of the many aspects of the beauty of kindness for a while is we can trace the ripple effect of this one act of kindness throughout the world, how it's affected other people, changed lives, saved lives. I would argue each and every one of us, every day, often perform small acts of kindness, just like that act of kindness, that coffee to you, that have just the profound implications and ripple effects. We may not never know what those effects are, but they're no less meaningful, no less profound, no less important. Each and every one of us can do those little things. Because we never, everyone has a story. And we should, instead of, we're often in our moment. We're all often in our thoughts, and we've got so much distractions, we really need to make an attempt to be in other people's world. Because everyone's dealing with something, and you just never know what a small gesture of kindness the impact that that can make.

SPEAKER_02 40:00

Absolutely. You know, the the film for such a time as this captures this journey. What did you discover about yourself watching your story told through someone else's lens?

SPEAKER_01 40:13

Well, it's interesting. We have we have a director who's sharing the story, but it's really the story of kindness worldwide, which is I always say it's not my story, it's our story. I mean, this movement of kindness worldwide is unfolding not because of me, but because of us.

SPEAKER_03 40:25

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 40:25

As people see a pathway to make a difference, to come together in a spirit of kindness, we can all collectively together really change the world. And so it's it's really our story. I'm obviously featured in the film, uh, sharing this story and the ripple effects of sect of kindness. It's not easy seeing myself on camera. I'm uh I'm a very humble guy. I like to be behind the scenes, uh, one thing about this journey. It's put me in situations that make me very uncomfortable, but are necessary to share the story. But when you see yourself on film, And of course, my wife's in the film as well, and sharing her aspect and version of it. And you're just being vulnerable, being real, being authentic, being available. Because when you're vulnerable and you're just being yourself, you're available to others. And hopefully that encourages them to open up as well. But many tears were shed. And and uh, but I am who I am. And if I'm going to lead but my own example, I've got to put myself out there. And uh, but it's not easy to see yourself on film. It's not easy for me to be on radio or even doing podcasts like we're doing now. But it's necessary, and I've just kind of learned to be comfortable getting uncomfortable. Or get comfortable being uncomfortable, so to speak.

Small Acts, Big Ripples

SPEAKER_02 41:36

Yes, living in it. Yeah. And uh, you know, many people want to change the world and they feel overwhelmed, you know, by powerlessness. You know, what does a meaningful action actually look like to an ordinary, everyday person?

SPEAKER_01 41:51

Well, I think at the end of the day, I'll my one of my favorite quotes is be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people.

SPEAKER_03 41:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:57

We all have that ability within us. It's a choice. You know, it's a simple smile, it's a hello. It could be a meaningful note, a thank you. Trying to just see the good in others and expressing gratitude and appreciation, trying to be in others' world instead of our own. And so those little things are so important. I think the values we we instill at our children. I mean, children represent the future. You said someone's always watching.

SPEAKER_03 42:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 42:25

Well, children are probably the best observers there are. And if we want a better, better future, brighter future, we as adults need to be leading by our example because someone's always watching. Children are often watching. That's true of those in the media, that's true of those on TV, celebrities, elected officials. And if we're seeing the worst in others, who are supposedly role models or leaders, I would argue there's a lot of room for improvement. We're not often instilling the best values in our children who are looking up to people. And if they see a lot of unkindness and people in positions of authority, what are they apt to do? They're probably apt to think that that's okay.

SPEAKER_03 43:05

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 43:05

And so I think we need to turn things around, change the paradigm, lead by example, but really teach values, kindness in the classroom. Because if we can instill values, not just academics, we can teach academics, but we should be instilling values and principles in our children. Because kind children generally don't grow up to be unkind adults. This is true. But it's all focusing on someone's always watching, being the best version of ourselves every moment of every day. And if we do that, that ripple effect, it becomes contagious.

SPEAKER_03 43:35

Silly.

SPEAKER_02 43:36

Now, looking forward, uh, do you personally measure, how do you personally measure living in alignment with your purpose? And what do you say to someone that's standing on the edge of, you know, finding what that meaningful life is like? So how do you measure and and f and uh measure it? And and how do you help someone find, you know, find that?

SPEAKER_01 43:58

Well, well, how do you measure it? Uh well, I think you feel it. You know, it's hard to really measure, you just know it. And and I think everyone ultimately is born with a purpose.

SPEAKER_03 44:08

Yes.

The Film And Vulnerability

SPEAKER_01 44:09

And everyone's born with very uh unique gifts and talents. Neither is better or worse than the other. You know, talents are talents, right? And I think there are times in our lives where we're called to use them, use our various gifts and ways to uh make a difference that matters. I I'd like to think that I think we're all on this earth for a reason. And I'd like to think that whenever I depart this earth, and we all will at some point, that I will have left it a little bit better because I lived in it than had I had not. And if we all take that mindset and really, you know, think about what is our purpose, what gives us meaning and joy, and and then know once we know our why, we try to live our why every day. Now we're human. I'm not always going to succeed. I have my off moments, right? But it begins with self-awareness. But I think in terms of measuring it, it's just something you know. Like I don't need anyone to tell me if I have an off moment where I'm not the best version of myself. I just know it. In terms of measuring the success or the achievement of the vision of kindness worldwide, that is something we can measure. The vision is to ultimately have all 50 U.S. governors formally recognized Kindness Week Worldwide. Every member of the nation of the United Nations formally recognized Kindness Week Worldwide. I believe kindness is humanity's greatest asset. If we need more kindness in the world, we all agree we need more of it. How do we get more of something everyone says we need more of? You encourage it, you recognize it, you reward it, and you celebrate it. That's what kindness week worldwide is all about. It's only eight days. Why eight days? Well, there's eight characteristics of kindness. And I added an extra day to the week because I think kindness deserves an extra day. So I went the extra mile to add a day. Well, you were really you were factoring, you know, if we had a leap year. Yeah, yes, there you go. Yes. But if we can concentrate positive energy into eight days, focus on what unites at the expense of what divides, we can then develop mindful habits and behaviors to behaviors to carry us throughout the year. That's how we create a culture of kindness. It happens one person at a time, one active at a time, one community at a time. And so that we can measure. We can measure how many pints of blood were donated during Kindness Week Worldwide. That's one of the aspects of the framework. That will change and save lives. So there are things that can be measured in terms of the achievement of the vision of kindness worldwide. And there's many other initiatives besides just Kindness Week Worldwide. There's sports and music and there's all kinds of things coming out. But as far as at the individual level, I think it's it's just something that we feel. And we and when we're in alignment, you just know it. Everything, and we're going with the current. And when we're out of alignment or we're not the best of ourselves, we you know, we feel that friction, we feel that tension. And I just try to be the best I can every day, to be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people every day, every moment. I'll have my moments. I won't succeed all the time, but at least I'm aware, I'm conscientious of trying every day to see it for the gift that it really is.

SPEAKER_03 46:53

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 46:54

You know, and with that, Kevin, and I I I truly thank you for your mission, what you're doing, what you have done, and what you'll continue to do. So thank you. Thank you. No, sincerely, thank you.

SPEAKER_01 47:09

Well, thank you so much, Oakley. It's been a blessing to meet you and and uh stay tuned. Look, this story is far from over, it's only beginning. I the analogy I often say is Brooke Dubbs, she wrote the introduction to the story. I was inspired to write the forward, a pay it forward, so to speak. Yes. But the future chapters of this story, we're all gonna write together. It's our story, and I'm convinced it'll be the most beautiful yet. So stay tuned. Much more good to come. See the good, be the good, go the extra mile, I so often like to say, and just be the reason someone believes in the goods of people. The power of kindness is one we each individually possess, and all we need to do is make a choice every day to exercise it. And we will change the world.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

That's perfect. That's that's that's perfect. If there's a hallmark moment, that's where it is. Always love the hallmark moment. Yes. Oh my goodness, I'm so excited. If this podcast challenged you, good. Clarity often does. The point here isn't consensus or reassurance, it's to leave you more precise than when you arrived. Keep what sharpens your thinking and discard the rest. But don't confuse uh familiarity with truth. If this conversation mattered, follow the podcast and share it selectively with people who value depth and not noise. Until next time, stay disciplined with your thinking, selective with your attention, and honest about what you're really optimizing for.