Ep. 49 - Why Laura Reiss Believes Kindness Starts With the Little Ones

What happens when a barefoot hippie mom moves to a community that feels cold and decides to do something about it? That's exactly how Laura Reiss, founder of Kindness Matters 365, got started — not with a grand plan, but with a simple afterschool program and a deep belief that if you reach kids early, you change everything.

Michael and Laura cover a lot of ground in this one. They talk about the humble beginnings of Kindness Matters 365 at a Boca Raton elementary school, how the program has grown to reach schools across the United States and into Cameroon, Africa, and why Laura remains laser-focused on children over adults. She shares how the curriculum has evolved to include nervous system regulation, mindfulness, and monthly themes — and why she's watched the school bully walk out of a program as a leader. Laura also opens up about being nearly a year and a half sober, navigating menopause, and what it took to rebuild her own capacity for kindness from the inside out.

The conversation winds through food, music (she's a hardcore Deadhead), marriage, parenting three grown daughters, and Michael's upcoming milestone of sending his son off to the University of Florida. Underneath all of it is a shared belief that kindness is a choice, community is everything, and small acts really do ripple outward.

If you want to get involved with Kindness Matters 365 — as a volunteer, ambassador, or donor — visit km365.org. Their next fundraising event is June 20th at Crazy Uncle Mike's in Boca Raton, 12 to 3 PM.

Contact Michael Nathanson:
Email: Michael@soldbythebros.com
Website: https://soldbythebros.com/

Transcript

SPEAKER_06 0:05

Hello, everybody, and welcome to another episode of Food, Family, and Philanthropy. Today's guest is someone who reminds us that kindness isn't just a moment, it's a movement. I'm excited to welcome Lara Reese, the heart and driving force behind Kindness Matters 365, an organization dedicated to spreading kindness every single day of the year. Through her work, Lara is helping individuals, families, and communities realize that even the smallest act of kindness can create a ripple effect that changes lives. Whether it's inspiring people to be more intentional, creating opportunities to give back, or simply reminding us all to slow down and care a little more. Her mission is powerful, timely, and something we can all be a part of. Laura doesn't just talk about kindness, she lives it, she teaches it, and she's building a movement around it. So get ready for a conversation that will inspire you, challenge you, and maybe even change the way you show up for others each day. Let's welcome Laura Reese. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 1:07

Wow, thank you, Michael. What a beautiful introduction. I'm just I'm a little moved right now. Yeah? Yes, thank you. Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_06 1:13

Good. Well, listen, it's we just met. Yes. We just met, but you're already awesome. Like I already know we're gonna be friends, by the way. And um, and uh what you're doing is so cool. Janine has talked about you a million times to me. Thank you, Janine. Gotta get you with Laura, gotta get you with it. And finally, we're here. Here we are. We're here. Everything happens for a reason, and we are here now. So I think we should just jump right into it.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Let's go.

SPEAKER_06 1:37

You know, there's a lot of times I start with a little bit of a real estate update, or but uh we're gonna skip the update today. You have questions about real estate, you always know. Give me a call. And if you ever need any handyman work, you know to call it. I need your card. Home dudes, Home Dudes Florida. We're Home Dudes. So let's just jump in. And I like to start, although I'm not sure you're gonna be hit on this part, just based on food. We're gonna talk about food.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

I love food. You do? Let's talk about food. Kindness is food, taking nourishing your body, taking care of yourself, enjoying, finding pleasure.

SPEAKER_06 2:07

You know, food equals love is what my mom always said.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 2:11

Uh so do you have a favorite local restaurant?

SPEAKER_01 2:16

That is such a good question.

SPEAKER_06 2:18

This is a selfish question, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Well, locally, locally, oh, I don't remember the name of it. A new vegan restaurant just opened up on Del Rey. Um, the vegan, maybe.

SPEAKER_06 2:31

It's really called just the vegan. It might be the vegan.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

True vegan. True vegan, true vegan. And so it's um, I was brought there by a friend who knows the chef because because she was the chef's son's teacher. And we walked in and the chef welcomed her. He was so excited. It's a family-owned business, like so mom and pop, and the food is delicious, healthy, outstanding, true vegan.

SPEAKER_06 2:54

Awesome. I like that. And you said it's in Del Ray.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Del Ray, it's right right here.

SPEAKER_06 2:57

Okay. Do you have a favorite dish at a local restaurant? It doesn't have to be from there. Is there like you're having a day and you're like, you know what would make me feel better? Yes. I love these questions. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 3:07

I'm an aseebo kind of girl right now. I'm finding a lot of nutrition and comfort in eating aseibos. I'm gonna say I'm kind of a I think I'm an ase snob. Yeah. I'm realizing that right now. I think I am. I'm gonna say Puravita.

SPEAKER_06 3:26

Okay. Oh, you might my 18-year-old Michael loves the asaí bowls from Purvita.

SPEAKER_01 3:31

Yeah, they're a little pricey.

SPEAKER_06 3:32

I was gonna say, I can't afford them. My son can on my diamond.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

I think you asked me like a special, like it's a special, yes. Yeah, other otherwise pliables or at home. I haven't asked. Oh, you make them at home.

SPEAKER_00 3:42

I make them at home, yes.

SPEAKER_06 3:43

Awesome. I love a good asaí bowl myself. It's just it's so full of flavor and the fruit. It's like it's delicious.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Yes, yes, and healthy. I I can get some good nutrition in a pliable, in a in an aseebool.

SPEAKER_06 3:57

Absolutely. I like it.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

What about you? What's your favorite?

SPEAKER_06 4:00

I have a lot of favorites. I I uh it's tough for me to pick one because I've I've always been just such a a food lover. I my mom always used to joke like when I was three, four years old, I would go to bed asking what was for breakfast, and I would wake up asking what was for dinner. Like I like to think about the food, it just makes me so happy. I love and I love everything from the healthiest thing in the world to the unhealthiest thing in the world and everything in between. There's not much that I don't like. Yes. Uh I just love the flavors and the textures. I just I love and appreciate food. Last night I had uh an opportunity. Uh, I'm part of this group that's around, it's called the Red Meat Lovers Club. Um, sounds like you're probably not not gonna be a part of that, but it's a respect. It is a uh uh philanthropic group that started about nine and a half years ago. And it started off, and and we were friends with someone who started it, so we kind of just started right away, my brother and me. And it's events at least one a month, one big event a month, and then little events in between that Evan Darnell runs, who is a uh uh a great local guy, and every event uh takes care of one local nonprofit. And I can't remember the exact number, but in the nine and a half years, I think we've raised over like two million dollars. It's so it started off as like a boys' club. You go, it's red meat, cigars, and brown liquor. Now I like red meat, I like cigars, and I'm not a drinker, I don't really care for that part, so the more for them.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

It sounds like it's more about connection and philanthropy. Yes, so and enjoying food.

SPEAKER_06 5:41

So last night we had an event where we took over Anthony's runway in Fort Lauderdale. So literally, if you wanted to go to dinner there, you could not. It is Red Meat Lovers Club, and it was full. And uh the nonprofit last night, and man, I can't remember the name of it, it had something to do. It was uh mental health for uh first responders.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Oh, beautiful.

SPEAKER_06 6:03

And there were like I I didn't even know what we were going into, but there was like senators and police chiefs and fire chiefs. Like it was a very cool room. The food, oh my god, oh my god, so good. I you know, I love Italian. I love all like I said, I love almost everything, but Italian, you know, I go home and I tell my wife about it, and she's I'm like, I'm not trying to make you jealous, but I have to share. I'm like, if you wanted to network, you could come, honey, but just does she love the food like you love the food?

SPEAKER_01 6:31

Yes, yes, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 6:32

We we have a great time with food together for sure. Last night, I mean, three different types of parmesan. They had just a regular chicken parm, a shrimp parmesan, and then they do the spicy vodka sauce, parma chicken parmesan, and yes, unbelievable. The food is unbelievable.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

I can't really relate to the to that level of enjoying food, and I love listening to how much you enjoy that kind of food. Thank you. There's something really special about hearing joy in somebody else where where you can't really relate. Right. I really get it. Oh no, I agree completely. I love it.

SPEAKER_06 7:04

And you know, so we talked about local restaurants. Do you travel at all?

SPEAKER_01 7:07

I do.

SPEAKER_06 7:08

Do you have any favorite out-of-town restaurants? Like you're going to X City, and when you go to X City, you have to go.

SPEAKER_01 7:16

I'll tell you, I have been spending, I've been fortunate enough to spend some time in Cameroon, Africa. Wow. With our CEO's family. And I'm going to pick their kitchen. That is being in the company of others, learning about how they make their food, why they make their food, how they care for their food, the generosity with others and sharing their food. That's my favorite restaurant.

SPEAKER_06 7:39

Yeah, that is so cool. Wow. Yes. I mean, first off, going to Cameroon. That's when you were a little girl, I'm imagining you weren't saying, I'm gonna go to Cameroon some day. You can never imagine. Right? How cool. Yeah, good for you. Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

So you're doing great things, and that actually gets to open up opportunities to experience great things too, which is I will tell you, I think that well, there's this little thing called karma, but I do feel like a lot of beautiful blessings have come my way because I have put out a lot of beautiful blessings. And like the hardships too, of course. But yeah, I am grateful to be where I am right now. So yes, Cameroon, favorite restaurant.

SPEAKER_06 8:15

Wow, I like it. And what about you? Maybe one day I could experience that.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

There will be a time.

SPEAKER_06 8:20

Cities that I go to often, I have places everywhere. I mean, in Massachusetts, I I am a big fan of Las Vegas because they have uh great food. I mean, some of the best restaurants in the world in Las Vegas. Now it's way too expensive, so I don't go often. But I have like a list of restaurants I have to go to. Like if I'm going to Vegas, I have to get X. I understand. So um and then I always try something new. So I usually go to a conference. Um I've been with Remax uh real estate for uh man over 10 years at this point, which is crazy. And their annual conference is is in Vegas. So I go, I typically stay a day after the conference ends so I can have a little bit of me time because I don't get a ton of me time. Yes, and I literally I do the same thing every time. I'm such a creature of habit, even though it's a city five hours away by flight. I go by myself, I walk the strip because I just like to look at the hotels and feel the air and the sunshine and check out these amazing buildings that you know when you're looking on TV, they look pretty cool. But when you're there in person, they are giant, giant, like one hotel takes up three blocks of a city. It's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 9:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 9:33

And what I'll typically do is I'll walk into a random hotel, find a restaurant I've never been to, and go sit down and try something I've never been at. And uh for me, that's that's I like it. It's fun and it's an interest and a new taste. Yeah, and then you get to go to your fun ride home at the airport at midnight and getting home at 6 a.m. here. Yeah, love it.

SPEAKER_01 9:49

I like your I like your plan. I think I'm more of a creature of habit with my food.

SPEAKER_03 9:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

Um, when I went through that little thing called menopause and all my hormone changes, I had some uh changes in my desires to eat and what kind of foods to eat. And I have been through some ups and downs, and now I'm very stable with uh my nutrition, my health, and I find it in very specific foods.

SPEAKER_05 10:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

So I don't have so I love food and they're very specific foods. Like I have my banana protein smoothie every morning that makes me so happy and my aceable for lunch. So I'm excited to hear about all the things that you're enjoying about food. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 10:26

And listen, I appreciate it, and I love what you're doing too. I are are you vegan?

SPEAKER_01 10:30

I am.

SPEAKER_06 10:30

You are vegan. So I I know it's hard to believe looking at me, but I did it. Uh gosh, it must have been about two. Wait a second, I have to stop you right now.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

Yeah, you are a very healthy looking, fit man. Thank you. Please please know that. I appreciate it. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_06 10:46

Listen, I've worked very hard. I've lost, I've always been a yo-yoer. I lose weight, I put it back on. I lose weight, I put it back on. It's been my entire life. I've lost about 35 pounds, and I've kept it off for about two years now. So I'm really fighting hard to keep it. And I I'll say this we have a scale at home, uh, and I hit under 210 pounds for the first time, honestly, probably high school, maybe even middle school. And so it's really and I've kept it at that 210-ish for it's been months now, which is really it's really cool because I'm very active. I have a 13-year-old son who's big into basketball. I play basketball still, I coach basketball, so you have to have energy. And it's really cool that I'm 46. Next week I'll be 47, and I'm able to run around with these kids. Thank you. And and not die. And yes, it's fun. And I just it so it's very important health.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

Well, I want to just celebrate you because it's not it it takes something to get out of your comfort zone, which could be work, family, exercise, take care of yourself, be mindful about that, and be a model for your children. Yeah. So and it's important because your family wants you to be here for a long time. So thank you for taking care of yourself.

SPEAKER_06 12:01

Absolutely. And listen, it's uh, you know, unfortunately things happen, right? And you know, just recently I had a friend who passed.

unknown 12:09

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_06 12:10

One of the most fit people I knew. He was at the gym every day, ate extremely healthy 90% of the time. He just something happened with his heart and he passed. A 13-year-old son and an almost three-year-old daughter. And you know, get emotional about it. I'm sorry. Um I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry for getting emotional. It just reminds me of the one of my favorite words, which is perspective. It just puts you back into perspective. I just I put myself in his shoes having a 13-year-old son. What would it be like if I just wasn't there anymore? Right? I mean, it's uh it's absolutely crazy. I don't even know how we got on this doctor. Well, I was like, We started with food and went to the right. Can we just stay here for one moment?

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Just can we stay here for one moment? Because it's real and it's authentic. And and there right now in this world, there's a lot of uncertainty. We're just uncertain. There's a lot of uncertainty. I have, Michael, lately I've been waking up in the morning thinking I have one more day. I am so grateful. I got through yesterday and I'm here today. You know, we're seeing in the news some really devastating things. So I say, let's play every day, let's be honest with ourselves, honest with each other, lead with kindness and gratitude and compassion and go and enjoy every day. Tell the people that you love that you love them. Yeah. Because life is precious, it's precious. And enjoy food.

SPEAKER_06 13:37

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I'm with you. So, right, we talked about food a little bit. Now we're gonna talk about something that I love as well and has always been a big part of my life, which is sports. Are you a sports fan?

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 13:50

You don't have to listen.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

I appreciate it. That's what makes people great. I appreciate it. Some people love it, some people don't. I don't like I don't enjoy competition. And some people are gonna laugh when they hear me say that because they know I do have a little bit of a competitive edge in me. Yeah, but the word competition is weird. I don't understand why are we why why are we all fighting over a little ball and hurting each other? So um that's I have to say that because I respect that it's weird, and yet I've got this drive.

SPEAKER_06 14:14

Listen, I still play pickup basketball games, and I'm like, we gotta go win. We gotta what does it mean? Nothing. It means literally nothing.

SPEAKER_01 14:21

Yeah, and I appreciate I appreciate the sport. I'm grateful for the players, and I appreciate that this is where people find fun and joy and a community.

SPEAKER_06 14:30

Yeah, yeah. Well, listen, I I mentioned before that I coach basketball. I've been coaching at the YMCA in Boca for I think about eight years now.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Oh, that's great.

SPEAKER_06 14:39

And uh I actually I coach so my coach my son and I actually coach a girls team, and I don't have a daughter. I've been coaching girls for about three years now, and it is just selfishly, it is so fulfilling. It I love because it's not about I mean, of course it's a little bit about basketball, but it's I really want to teach them how to be good people, how to be good friends, how to work together, teamwork, community, because that's way more important than the basketball game, right? I've like I tell them, I'm not saying you're not gonna do it, but I'm pretty sure most of you are not gonna make the NBA or the WNBA. I'm pretty sure. Prove me wrong, that's fine. But it's not about that. It's about let's have some fun. And and every season, we do four seasons a year at the YMCA. We go, we do not stop. I have the same speech at the beginning of every season. We have a couple of rules on my team. Number one rule is have fun. Number one. You're the best coach ever.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

You're the best coach ever.

SPEAKER_06 15:35

I want to be in your team. Well, listen, people want to because I make it fun. Yeah, we try to win. Listen, there's a I've talked about this on this podcast before. There's a great quote. I believe it was Pat Summit, who was a one of the greatest uh coaches of all time. She coached at Tennessee, University of Tennessee, an amazing coach. And she said, Look, we're not gonna win every game. We're sure as heck gonna try to win every game, which is great. You should. You should. If you're gonna do it, you should try. So it's not about winning, it's about how you react, how you how you handle winning, how you handle losing your team. You're gonna have kids who aren't as nice, kids who don't who aren't as good, who don't care, ones who care, and you put all these together and build a team. And it's really cool to see them grow as people because again, the game doesn't matter. Of course it's fun. Yeah, we're gonna try and win, but it's about growing. And I I tell my family it's selfishly. One of my life goals is is I want to be, you know, 65, 70 years old at Publix, getting my getting my my shopping list, and someone goes, Coach, coach, hey, coach, oh my gosh, I need to let you know because you blank, I blanked. Like for me, I could die after that. I'm good, fully fulfilled, meter to the top. Uh, and it's it's cool. I mean, I had a small experience like that just a few months ago. It was really, really cool. I was at the mall in Boca with my brother and my younger son Jacob. I don't remember what we were doing. We were just kind of walking around and we're walking by the food court, and I across the food court, I saw this kid that I coached a couple years ago. And he saw me and beeline straight to me, didn't say hi to my son who we played with. Uh right to me, hey coach, how you doing? I'm in high school now and I'm playing over here, and I just want to let you know, oh my God, it was so fun playing with you. And like he was like a little kid, but he was a high schooler.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

Yes, how cool is that? You can't, you know, imagine, imagine the lives that you've impacted that you're not hearing from every single day. Good job. All the positive reinforcement that you give these children, this is where their lives can be most impacted and changed. Yeah. From a coach telling them, good job, I see that you're trying. All of that positive reinforcement. You earlier you asked me how I felt about sports. You just changed how I feel about sports. Oh, good.

SPEAKER_06 17:57

Yes. Good. Well, listen, I believe too in uh a level of discipline as well. So I coach. Coaching, I'm not playing, obviously. I'm coaching them and I set up game plans. Like I take it seriously. I set up game plans for each week based on who's gonna be there, who we're playing against, because I want them to get the most out of it. And when I give a game plan and a kid doesn't listen, I'll take them out. But I don't yell at them. I I might be like, hey, I told you to do this and you didn't do it. But we have a talk about it. I never just let it go. We always say, hey, this is why, and I always go calmly, this is why I took you out. Because your team depends on everybody doing their part, and you weren't doing your part. And I explained to you what to you what to do. I I always ask, Do you understand any questions? And you told me you didn't have any questions, and then you didn't do it. So that's not fair to the team. So you're gonna have to sit for a little bit, and next time you go out, just do it, right? And I you know, sometimes they get mad and won't talk for a little bit, and that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:58

And eventually it's tough love, it's leadership, and it's something that they will remember. You're giving them a skill, you're teaching them. It's a beautiful opportunity for them. Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 19:08

Yeah, it's my pleasure, and and it's crazy, and I've again I've talked about this before, but uh I don't know why, but there's so many single moms at the YMCA, and I coach a lot of kids and throughout the years with single moms. And I can't tell you, there's been many times I get a call, coach, blah, blah, blah, didn't do their homework or they did blah. Could you just talk to them? I'm like, absolutely. Thank you for trusting me to talk to your kid. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 19:34

You are Michael the mentor.

SPEAKER_06 19:36

I listen, that's what I want. I want right, I I do a different way what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Exactly. Exactly.

SPEAKER_06 19:42

I want the world to be a better place selfishly for my kids, for my friends, for those that I love and care about, and for everybody. Just happy, healthy, joy. Now, there has to be bad in the world because if there wasn't, you wouldn't know what good was, right? There has to be that yin and yang. It's ancient, but there's a reason because if there wasn't the yin, there wouldn't be a yang. And if there wasn't a yang, there wouldn't be a yin. So you need it, but you need to learn how to deal with it when it happens. And it makes you better and stronger.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_06 20:11

Uh so do you watch sports at all?

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Do you I love my husband? That's good. And so that's a good thing. I do. I'm completely in love with my husband, and he loves sports. So sometimes when I want to be with my husband, I'm watching sports with him. Again, I get in I get excited about his excitement. I actually get sad about his sadness too. Yeah. He really loves his teams and he has a lot of fun. So I watched Miami, Virginia, uh, Denver, you know. Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 20:40

Is he where's he from?

SPEAKER_01 20:42

We're both from here. We were both born in New York and raised here. Oh, awesome. Yes, but he did his residency in Denver, Colorado. Oh, very good. Family in Denver.

SPEAKER_06 20:49

It's a cool city, too, by the way. I like it out there. It is. Um what's who what are your favorite sports? I'm from Boston.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_06 20:55

So all Boston. All Boston. Florida Atlantic, because it's my hometown team. Um, my brother and I, we've been season ticket holders for men's and women's basketball for about seven years now. And we take my 13-year-old with me. We've been going. Oh, and it's a great bonding experience. It is really cool because it's division one sports in like a high school gym. It is so cool to go there. We have great seats. Yeah. And I'm not giving them up for any reason. I just renewed my seats because it's like seven minutes from my driveway. Oh, wow. And it's awesome. I just I love the to be that close to these amazing athletes because people don't understand the oh FAU, they're they're just a mediocre team. The worst player on their team is probably better than just about anyone you've seen.

SPEAKER_02 21:41

Right? Just because they're not playing doesn't mean they're not good. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 21:44

Division one college basketball. These are the top athletes, not just in Florida, not just in the United States, in the world. Come and play Division One College. And you get to see it in three. And the women's, I love, and uh I know you the men get a lot more attention. Because they're dunking and it's more fun and athleticism. I prefer the women's games because they have better fundamentals, they're better team players. I love it. I can get that. I can get that. It is so cool. And I fight, I bring as many people as I can to those games because they deserve to be watched too. Like we're going to men's games that are selling out with 3,000 people, and we're going to a women's game and there's a hundred people there. I'm like, What? Why? And by the way, they have good players, a great coach, a cool gym.

SPEAKER_01 22:32

Underappreciated, but underappreciated, but gaining a lot of momentum in that in that arena.

SPEAKER_06 22:37

Yeah, thank God. I love it. I mean, it's crazy too. I I told you I love going to Vegas. I went a couple years ago on a guy's trip. Um, and it happened to be Caitlin Clark's rookie year. Oh, and it happened to be that she was playing against the Las Vegas team while we were there. Oh I got super excited. I'm like, oh my God, Caitlin Clark is gonna be in town. I'm calling my friends, like, you want to go, like, I don't want to go watch women play basketball. I'm like, are you serious? So I went by myself. I'm like, screw you guys, I'm going by myself. I sat by myself. Good for you. At the best time, it was so free. And I got to see Caitlin Clark live.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

It was so not a lot of people can say that. Yeah. Well, how does your wife feel about sports?

SPEAKER_06 23:10

She tolerates it. She doesn't love it. She loved the Patriots when Tom Brady was there because he's so hot. Yes. But um by the way, me too. Who doesn't? Yeah. Uh so like my son plays basketball, travel basketball. We go to tournaments all the time. She doesn't love basketball, she loves our son. Okay, like when he's not in the game, she's on her phone. Me, I'm watching and coaching from the sidelines. Not arrogant, not one of those people. But um, I just love the sport. I could watch it all day. As a matter of fact, this past Saturday, my son is actually helping coach a team at the YMCA, a younger team, nine and 10-year-olds. He's helping a friend of ours coach it. And then I coach my girls, so he was there, and then I coached him, and then we had to go right to a tournament, two games in Coral Springs. And my wife's like, Oh, I'm like, This is the best day ever. We get five games on a Saturday.

SPEAKER_01 24:05

This is I couldn't be happier. And your children will remember this, your son will remember this for his entire life that you were here with him.

SPEAKER_00 24:11

Yeah, yeah. It's so beautiful. Yeah, but listen, selfishly, I love it. So all the kids will remember. Yeah. Yeah. Coach Michael, what do they call you? It's coach. Coach. Coach. Coach. I love it. I love it. Coach is like Do you have a coach like a coach? A shirt that coaches. That's really cool. I absolutely love it though.

SPEAKER_06 24:26

And I love my Boston sports, but you know, saying Boston, Florida Atlantic, and I now have a new team that I've kind of forced to like because as of last week, my older son Michael committed to University of Florida.

SPEAKER_01 24:37

Ah, congratulations. That's been excited. Yes, you are.

SPEAKER_06 24:41

Uh, so I have to get into it now. And the really cool thing is the first football game of the year this year is Florida Atlantic at University of Florida. How crazy is that? So we're going. And we have to go.

SPEAKER_01 24:52

It's perfect. It's perfect.

SPEAKER_06 24:53

It's so cool. It's so cool. I'm so excited for him. Me, my son Michael, my son Jacob, my wife Lydia, and my brother Dan, who's like, it's just given. He comes with us, whatever we do. He's a best friend, business partner, neighbor. We're super lucky. We went to Gainesville for the tour, and none of us had ever been there before. And if you haven't been, what a beautiful campus. Oh my God. It's it reminded me of New England. All the brick buildings, the trees. It was just so beautiful. And again, while we were there, my son was like, So should I commit? We're like, let's do it. So we went and signed. You have to pay by the way to commit, which is crazy.

SPEAKER_01 25:29

But you have to pay for everything, actually. Yeah. You have to pay to go on tour.

SPEAKER_06 25:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:33

Uh what a wonderful feeling for you as a father to watch that experience for your son for him to go through it.

SPEAKER_06 25:39

And I never had that experience. I commuted to school and worked. I wanted to make money. So I worked, worked, worked, and did school kind of on the side a little bit. Uh so I never had that go away. And I I'm not handling it well. My wife's just like, you gotta calm down, dude. Like it's not even, he's not even leaving till August, and you're already like going through your grieving process.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

So sweet. Of like, just let me do my thing. All right. You do you do your thing, you do your thing. You do your thing, Michael. Go through your grieving process. It's important.

SPEAKER_06 26:05

I am chat GPTing like everything I can think of about him going away, like everything we need, exactly what to do, what to expect. How I've got all these things on chat GPT. I just I like to prepare. Yes. Even though it won't be what it what it is. And you'll go with the flow when it when it comes. Yeah. So sports has always been a big part of my life. Dad hated sports growing up. He liked car racing and boxing. Mom loves sports.

SPEAKER_01 26:29

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_06 26:30

Die Hard Boston. Oh my god. She was she was that obnoxious Boston fan. And other people obviously didn't like it, but it to me it was love. It was mom. It was just it got so bad at the end that I actually stopped watching games with her. She passed away now, unfortunately. She's been gone uh about seven and a half years now. But um I stopped watching games with her at the end. I'm like, mom, I can't hear you. You're too negative. Like I I you're taking my joy. I love you, but you're taking my yeah, I want them to win too.

SPEAKER_01 27:00

But it sounds like she gave you your love for sports. Yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_06 27:03

And she was at every game growing up. I start I started playing sports when I was four. I still play, and she was at all the games, her and my brother. Dad wasn't really a big part of it. Again, it wasn't his thing. He he worked kind of odd hours and he didn't love it. So, but mom and bro were there all the time. It was it was awesome, very fortunate. One brother, one brother, yes, just the two of us. He's almost eight years older than I am. Uh, I always say that I was their uh their happy little mistake, and that upsets them. But you like to poke the bear, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 27:36

Of course.

SPEAKER_06 27:37

I'm I'm called a nudge. Nudge, I like it. Yeah, I'm a nudge. By the way, if I do that, it means I like you.

SPEAKER_01 27:42

Yes. I my husband is the same way. If he's teasing you, he likes you. Yeah, he feels comfortable with you. I get it. So thanks for teasing me.

SPEAKER_06 27:50

So we talked a little bit about sports. Uh I've cut I've added a segment. I actually added this during my last podcast. I thought of it and I'm like, this has to be part of it because I think this really helps show what kind of person someone is, too. It just gives you an idea because you look at someone and you have this expectation, but sometimes they surprise you. So you ready for this question? I'm ready. All right. What's your favorite band of all time?

SPEAKER_01 28:14

Oh, Grateful Dead. I'm a deadhead.

SPEAKER_06 28:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

Period.

SPEAKER_06 28:16

That's what I would have guessed. So you actually look the part, but you don't always know.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

I'm a grateful. I'm a recovering deadhead. I'm like still recovering from the whole Jerry leaving, Bobby leaving.

SPEAKER_06 28:29

So it's weird. I've always liked you know that kind of that style of music, but Grateful Dead never did it for me. It just wasn't my thing. And again, obviously to each their own. And I love music. Music's a huge part of our lives as well. Um, they just never did it for me. I mean, even when I was in Vegas, they were having a Grateful Dead show at the sphere. And I was like, eh. I didn't go. I should have. But I'm like, I just don't love the music. I need a moment. Sorry. I need a moment.

unknown 28:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

You're thinking about some Scarlet begonias or something. I had to reconnect with you. I had to reconnect because you know, I'm a deadhead, hardcore deadhead. I found myself. I grew up with with all of them. I actually was planning on raising my children in that arena. Yeah. It didn't go that way. Yeah. But yes, I'm a it's happy, happy music. It's not just about the music, it's about the environment, it's about the people, it's about the com the feel. The feel.

SPEAKER_06 29:20

I feel music, right? You feel it.

SPEAKER_01 29:21

You feel it. And listen, I'm sober now, so I don't I'm almost a year and a half sober. I still go to the shows, thank you. And I'm not, and I'm I am c sober. And it's really about the energy of the music and the hugging and the connection when you when you first hear those first bars and you know the song and you looked your person, you're like, and you start singing together. It's just a very good uh feeling to be there.

SPEAKER_06 29:43

Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. I like that. So grateful, dead. Now to add on to that, do you have and this is a two-part question. Do you have a favorite song when you're feeling down? And do you have a favorite song when you're feeling great?

SPEAKER_01 29:59

Yes. Scarlet begonias. Really? Yes.

SPEAKER_06 30:02

By the way, I like Sublime's version better. I'm sorry. I love I love Sublime's version of Scarlet Begonias.

SPEAKER_01 30:07

Okay, I I turn it off. And I love Sublime. I think maybe I have an attachment to the to the to the music, the Grateful Dead music. It's hard for me to hear somebody else sing it. But like when John Mayer came on, it took me a it took me a minute, but that man he rocks it and he brings back Jerry's legacy. It just all feels good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 30:26

Yeah, it all feels good.

SPEAKER_01 30:27

So you enjoy your sublime version. I will enjoy my Jerry's version.

SPEAKER_06 30:30

I will listen. Sublime is what I was when I was in high school, pumping it in the in the parking lot with my hacky sack. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

Me and my friends, the hacky sack. You're younger than I am, but yes, we did that too. So one of my favorite lines from Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Scarlet Pegonias is once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right. That's really cool. Every day. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

You could have just put perspective.

SPEAKER_01 30:57

It's a lot of writing. But then people wouldn't ask me what this was, and then I wouldn't talk to them about perspective. It kind of a conversation starter, also.

SPEAKER_06 31:04

Yeah, that's really cool. I like that a lot. Yeah. Very, very cool. Um right. And again, I was literally at my last podcast, I'm sitting there going, we should talk about music. Music is like music, food, and sports is like and philanthropy. And philanthropy.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

What kind of music do you enjoy?

SPEAKER_06 31:19

I like a lot of music. Uh it's all on a mood thing for me. Sometimes when I'm feeling down, I put on uh I'm gonna let myself I'm gonna get made fun of for this, and it's okay.

SPEAKER_03 31:29

It's okay.

SPEAKER_06 31:29

When I'm feeling down, I put on Alanis Morissette, Jagged Little Pill. That entire album, I like cry through it. I it just I feel it.

SPEAKER_01 31:38

It takes a strong, confident man. Yeah, look, I can see your depth just thinking about it. It's beautiful. I'm not scared of crying. It's beautiful. Crying that we're supposed to be crying. That's you're releasing. Good for you if you're crying.

SPEAKER_06 31:47

So that when I'm feeling down, I is uh feel you know how sometimes you want to feel you want to feel down like you've got to feel it. That's a good one. I also I love hip-hop. I just love the beats. I love that it I feel it. And I know like this white Jewish kid from Sharon, Massachusetts. Like, what are you doing listening to hip-hop? I just loved it since I was a little kid. I always loved it. And uh, but I love everything in between too. I love No Bar. I love all that stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

I'm gonna jump on the the rap bandwagon with you. I like it nasty and hard, and like you can't really. Yeah. Sometimes my husband walks in the gym and he's like, walks out, just walks out. Like I can't. And sometimes I like to listen to it in in the shower, and he's like, comes in and he just he turns can I please turn this off? It's I like the it's just there's something about the the beat, yeah, the music, the expression of some of these artists. Yeah, I'm with you on that.

SPEAKER_06 32:41

Yeah, I'm not with the violence and stuff. No violence, no guns.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

No, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_06 32:45

That's a whole other thing that's just the feeling and the beat. And uh, and then there's times I really, really love like Metallica, Rage Against the Machine. Like, I feel those too. I I still remember the first time I heard Rage Against the Machine. Like, I didn't even know, I'd never heard of them before.

SPEAKER_01 33:02

I have every album, listen to all of it. I'm with you.

SPEAKER_06 33:05

In a car with a friend in high school, and he puts this on. I'm like, all of a sudden I'm like, oh my, I can hear it.

SPEAKER_00 33:11

Is this yes, yes?

SPEAKER_06 33:12

Oh my god, blasting Rage Against the Machine. I will argue this to the death. Greatest guitarist of all time, Tom Morello. I'm sorry. The greatest guitarist of all time. Nobody has ever done anything that that man can do on a guitar. Yes, unbelievable. Zach De La Roche, the lead singer, does not have a good voice, but he has got so much passion in his voice and his words. You just feel it.

SPEAKER_01 33:34

That's what I love about the music. I'm also a Beastie Burr Beastie Boys girl. Oh, look at the book. I love the Beastie Boys.

SPEAKER_06 33:39

How could you not like the Beastie Boys?

SPEAKER_01 33:41

They got me through so much, the Beastie Boys. I listened to them a lot in when I lived in Manhattan. That experience.

SPEAKER_06 33:47

My brother did Battle of the Bands. Well, we both did it, Battle of the Bands through the Boca Chamber of Commerce. Yeah. I don't know if you know what that is. Yes, I do, I do. Very amazing event, right? They take people from the city and around who have no musical experience. They give you an instrument, a band, and a song, and you play on stage in front of five to seven hundred people. I did it. I won.

unknown 34:06

Ah.

SPEAKER_06 34:06

I was a drummer. I wanted to sing. They gave me drums, and I drummed that a lot.

SPEAKER_01 34:11

That's super cool. So if I winning, you get to come back.

SPEAKER_06 34:14

Yes. For the Golden Bell Education Fund. So they raise money for schools in Boca and Boynton. That's it. And so by winning, you get to come back and play your song and you learn a new song. So they wouldn't let my brother and I do it the same year because they wanted to raise money two separate years. Understandably. So I did it first. I won, so I got to come back. He went and he got to be a singer. Unfair. He won, so he got to come back. And he had so much fun. He actually ended up joining a band. So he I think they're getting ready to like do their first gig. It's really you have to tell everybody when and where it is. Um yes, when I get the information, I won't it's it's it's so cool. And I love watching him do that. And honestly, I would love to do it too. Just I have kind of a lack of time at the moment to to put in my energy into that. It was a really cool experience. However, so my brother, the second year, so they won and they came back. The second song they did was Sabotage by Beastie Boys. It's a great song. And it was awesome. It's a great song. It was awesome. And my brother rocked it, and it's so cool.

SPEAKER_01 35:07

It's so cool to hear of people. You were telling me earlier about the success of your wife with her new chapter.

SPEAKER_05 35:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:13

It's so lovely to hear when people can complete one chapter or just move on to open a new one and find their their soul's passion or their soul's work or happiness in a new in a new career.

SPEAKER_06 35:26

Yeah, it's it's cool. My wife, um, right, so I you should you better all know, right? I run a handyman and renovation company, Home Dudes Florida, and my wife decided to, she wanted to kind of be part of it. And so she went out and got her uh general contractor's license. I mean, and passed all the tests, first try. Unbelievable. My wife, when she sets her mind to something, sometimes I fight her on it because I'm uh we're different in that aspect. Uh, but she went out, she did it, and when she sets her mind to something, she does it. And I'm so proud of you, honey. I can't believe you did it. I'm so excited for the things that will come in the future. And uh we're just we're just so proud. I'm so proud of you, honey, too. I'm so proud of you.

SPEAKER_01 36:11

Where do I look at the camera for the honey? Where's your honey? You're right there. I'm so proud of you, honey, too. I'm really proud because you know, uh, there are many people who don't realize or listen to themselves or even know that something else is possible. Yeah, that you can do that. So And it's scary. It's scary. But the courage and the fortitude and the persistence and the support, like all of that, I just want to honor your what's your wife's name?

SPEAKER_05 36:36

Lydia.

SPEAKER_01 36:36

Lydia. I want to honor Lydia for taking a chance, thinking outside the box, um, getting asking for and receiving the support that you needed and doing it. I'm really inspired and proud of you. I'm really proud of it. That's really sweet. Yeah, yeah, it's a beautiful thing when you hear somebody's following their soul's list or however you want to say it, following their next journey.

SPEAKER_06 36:57

Yeah. All right. So you did mention something about kids. So we know you're married. I'm married. How long have you been married for? Oh, I didn't mean to put you. Uh-oh, uh-oh. We might have to edit this one, Janine. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 37:10

My husband knows. My husband's like, there goes Laura. She they asked her questions about dates and numbers, and she's gonna say, I don't know, 23 years, 22 years? No, oh, oh, Morris is 25. Hello. 27 years.

SPEAKER_06 37:21

27 years?

SPEAKER_01 37:23

Something like that.

SPEAKER_06 37:23

Every time you talk, it's more.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

I like to go bigger and bigger.

SPEAKER_06 37:27

So 27 years married. I'm grateful.

SPEAKER_01 37:29

All I can tell you is that I have been on a wild ride with this man, and I've really enjoyed the journey. Ups and the downs, and we've had some really profound downs. I have a a couple's therapy at 9 o'clock. I forgot to mention I have a couples therapy at 9 o'clock. Nice. I mean and c couples therapy, really to to strengthen and to have communication. We've been through a lot, and I have to say, I'm gonna be 57 in June. Awesome. This is the highlight of our whole existence. We have been through so much ups and downs. He's been there to support me, I've been there to support him. I've been really, really down, he's been really, really down, we've both been really, really up. And I really understand the importance of um a partnership and compromise. Yeah. And seeing something that's bigger than what you thought is possible. Yeah. So I uh when I when I when I fill out my applications in the doctor's office and it has a little square that says um married or not married, I just write happily next to the married and I and I check it. Because it's important to do what you need to do in a relationship to stay happy yourself and to stay happy as a as a well, how did I get off on this tangent? Did you ask?

SPEAKER_06 38:38

We start talking about how long you were married for. I think that's awesome. And by the way, I would say that we're very similar. My wife and I have been through a lot ups, downs. We have one rule with it though. We're not both allowed to be down at the same time. We one of us has to suck it in and help the other, and then when they're through, then you can collapse.

SPEAKER_01 38:55

Yes. Well, we have a similar rhythm because what I've noticed is that when the two of us are having a hard time, we we lean into each other. Yeah. And whoever is the strongest just leans in and takes care of the other. And that's what when we disagree with things. And a lot with parenting. Well, we agree, we do agree with a lot with parenting. But if something comes up with parenting and he's really like, listen, I'm I don't think I can move on this, and I feel like I can, the compromise sets in. So it's nice to hear that you have that really communication.

SPEAKER_06 39:24

And for us, I would say the most important thing is we laugh together every day. Every day. Yeah. Usually it's when I'm getting changed, but I'm just joking. No, but uh we laugh together every day. And for me, laughing heals all. I mean, it just it really does. It's so important. It releases, you take away stress, makes you feel good. And again, we laugh every day together. Yeah. And it's she must tell me at least three times a day how stupid I am.

SPEAKER_01 39:49

It's not a love. Out of love. Absolutely, absolutely. I have to agree with you on that, and I will partner with that because my husband is he's a pediatrician.

SPEAKER_06 39:58

I was gonna say, I heard you say residency, so I was assuming he was pediatrician.

SPEAKER_01 40:01

And he's just very silly and playful. And you know, sometimes it annoys me because sometimes we need to be serious. But all in all, I'm so grateful for him because he reminds me of how life doesn't have to be taken so seriously. I mean, when he's a doctor, life is very serious. Of course, right. Um but I really life is short and precious, and to be with a in a partnership where you can play together, laugh together, compromise with each other, see each other, hear each other, and laugh together, it's beautiful. It's beautiful. My husband brings a lot of the laughter into the family. He's good.

SPEAKER_06 40:33

Another thing that my wife and I do, uh, which I find to be very important, is it's very important to have time together. And I believe, we believe it's also important to have time apart. So she does uh we it's on the schedule for every other weekend, like my night out or her night out. We don't always do it. We should do it more consistency, consistently, consistently. Yeah, that you got it. But she'll go out and I'll stay home and take care of the kids and whatever, and I'll go out and she'll stay home. And she does girls' trips every year, which I think is awesome. She goes to a new place every year. I don't do it as often, mine's every two to three years. Uh but it's so cool. Like she goes to these really cool places with her friends and has the best time. And I fully trust her. And my my thoughts are always like, look, if you're gonna do something, you're gonna do it. I'm not gonna stop it. So go do your thing. I'm not gonna waste my time being jealous or upset. Yeah, have a blast, check in every now and then because I'm a warrior. And that's all I ask.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

It's so healthy.

SPEAKER_06 41:26

It's great. Yeah, I think it's great.

SPEAKER_01 41:28

It's so healthy when I get jealous. I'm sure she's gonna be. She goes on all these cool trips, but I want to go on. Well, you should plan one for yourself.

SPEAKER_05 41:33

I should. She really should. I need to.

SPEAKER_01 41:35

It's so healthy. When I was a little girl, I was always in Ant Joanne's kitchen, and she had a little a sign, a poster that said, You do your thing, I'll do mine, and when we come together, it will be beautiful. And I really I grew up on that. My mother was very independent, had her own career. My father had his own career. So my husband and I have been um very independent, but parenting very closely together. Now in life, he is kind of retired, but not really retired.

SPEAKER_06 42:02

Um, I know he's with kindness matters, he's the secretary.

SPEAKER_01 42:05

He's with the kindness, he does a lot with kindness matters.

SPEAKER_06 42:07

He's the second picture. Before yours, by the way. I'm just saying on the website.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

It's okay. It's okay. I don't even need to be on the website. It's really funny. Andrew's taken a big part with the foundation. Um, what was I saying? I just lost it.

SPEAKER_06 42:18

We were talking about uh my menopause brain. Yeah, that's okay. And mine's just a million dollars. We're a great team. But we can move on. We can move on. So kids. So how many kids do you have?

SPEAKER_01 42:28

Three amazing human beings. I mean, I'm a little biased because they're mine. I made them, but they're amazing human beings. Marissa is 25 years old. She currently lives lives in Costa Rica. Wow. She loves animals, she wants to make a difference in the world, similarly to what I want to do. Um, she's a big heart, very lots of compassion, kindness, and she takes care of animals. That's awesome. Um Samantha is down in Miami. She is studying to be a teacher. She is a mother's helper now. She is 23, 22, 23. Ella is 21. She is a rising senior at Eckard College, philosophy major, and now she's thinking about being a duela. I I feel like I have three amazing human beings who uh are mentally well.

SPEAKER_03 43:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:15

For the most part, they understand about what's going on, what they need to do to regulate, asking for help. Um I feel like I'm gonna just pat myself on the on the back for a moment because I think that I've I've given them all I have, I've taught them all that I know, and now at their ages, I can kind of like watch them and love them, and they know I'm here for them. So as they succeed, I lift them and I celebrate them, and as they have difficulties and challenges, I'm there to lift them, hold them, and and support them.

SPEAKER_06 43:52

So and Which doesn't mean fixing it. No, by the way. So that doesn't mean fixing all their problems.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

This is so great, Michael. Because I can't fix their problems. And a lot of the things that I see that I might have some input about, they know. Right. They know. So we have lovely conversations, but I am not anything about fixing, changing, healing, anything because it's not my responsibility. They're not mine. They are their own people. It's a very hard gift. It hurts my heart hearing that.

SPEAKER_06 44:24

And I know it's true. And I know I'm very close to that. I have technically I have one adult at my house now.

SPEAKER_01 44:29

When you when you drop him off and you say goodbye and you walk away, there will be a flood of emotions. It's inevitable. And I'm not going to tell you not to have those emotions and feel them and cry it out. And no.

SPEAKER_06 44:41

I'll probably be out of tears at that point.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

You probably will. So when you run out of tears, remind yourself that you have given him everything.

SPEAKER_06 44:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

And he has what he needs to do his own thing now. And you will be there for him if he needs you. And he probably won't. But if he does, he's very independent.

SPEAKER_06 44:56

He will be there. He will be there. And I let him know that all the time. And it's funny because you know, he's, I'm nothing like you. But the cool thing is, is haha, Mikey, you're like me. I see stuff, right? My son is so great with children. He works with special needs kids at the YMCA in VOCA. He uh I do a lot of leadership stuff. I like helping people. He's on the board for the Teen Leaders Club at the YMCA. I'm like, haha, you're like me. You might not admit it, but you're like me, buddy. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_01 45:26

I'm gonna reach out to him to see if he wants to be a kindness matters ambassador.

SPEAKER_06 45:29

How cool would that be?

SPEAKER_01 45:30

And he can lead a kindness matters program at the YMCA.

SPEAKER_06 45:33

Yeah. Well, again, we're gonna talk about something about that because listen, it's it's important. We're gonna talk more about what it is that you do in just a minute, actually. Uh, but it's uh I'm very excited and I think we can do some cool things. Yeah, for sure. So you got three daughters. That is amazing. Uh, and this sounds like they're all doing some really cool stuff.

SPEAKER_01 45:52

They're my teachers as well.

SPEAKER_06 45:54

Yeah, well, yeah, absolutely. So let's talk about now.

SPEAKER_01 45:58

Well, wait, I want to hear about your kids, the two of your kids.

SPEAKER_06 46:00

Yeah, so I have Jacob, my 13-year-old, he's in seventh grade. He uh he's a lot like me too. He's I always say, I've been saying this for years. That kid just has swag. They made that word for myself. He just he's so cool. He's just he's got swag. He's funny, compassionate, caring, sweet, nice, and just a good, good human being. And his goal, he wants to go to the NBA. That is his life goal. And he trains and he practices and he has been good and he just keeps getting better and better, and it's so fun to watch. I love it, and I support him no matter what he wants to do. And and I learned from my dad when I was a kid, he always said, Look, I don't care what you do when you grow up, you do what you want, right? If you want to flip burgers at McDonald's, you do it, but you'd be the best damn burger flipper they've ever seen. Yes. Right? And so I've been telling my kids that for years. So he just goes out and he puts all his time and effort into basketball, which he loves. My older one, he got through school through singing. So he goes to he went to Bach middle school, he goes to Dreyfus High School now for the next couple weeks, anyways, until he graduates.

SPEAKER_01 47:05

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_06 47:05

Thank you. And this kid went from honestly not a great voice. Like when he told us he wanted to sing, I'm like, I looked at my wife, I'm like, really? Yeah. Okay. To he would bring you to tears in a good way with his voice. It is unbelievable. He's not gonna pursue it, but it got him to where he wants to go. He wants to be a dermatologist. So he's gonna go to the University of Florida, and the goal is to go to Johns Hopkins Medical.

SPEAKER_00 47:28

Fantastic.

SPEAKER_06 47:28

And uh, and he is just so smart, but he likes to let you know how smart he is. He's so smart, he is great with people. Like I said, he's great with the kids and just responsible, independent. I'm so fortunate. I've got great kids. We've done we've done a great job, honey. Good job. Good job, good job, honey. And uh I I can't wait to see what they do in life.

SPEAKER_01 47:50

Wonderful. Proud.

SPEAKER_06 47:51

I pray that I'm there to see it.

SPEAKER_01 47:52

Yes, right. Yes, you and me both.

SPEAKER_06 47:54

Yeah. So now, now can we talk about what it is you do? People know you now.

SPEAKER_01 47:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_06 47:59

Now we want to talk about kindness matters. So you are the founder. Why? What happened?

SPEAKER_01 48:07

Why well the truth is, if you want to know the truth, we moved here in 2000 and I don't even know what year it was, 2003. Yeah, numbers aren't your thing, I don't know. No, numbers are not my thing. We moved here from a very small Miami shores. The doors were opened, Shabbat candles lit, kids playing in the streets. It's a very warm community.

SPEAKER_03 48:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 48:29

And my husband was offered a job here in Boca, and we moved, and it just felt um not as warm, loving, and open. That's the truth. It just didn't feel warm, loving, and open. It felt like people were very important involved with what their lawns looked like and their jewelry in their cars. That's the truth. And I thought, I'm not raised, I cannot raise my children here. I'm not staying here, I'm not raising my children here, practiced in the mirror, honey. I love you, I can't stay here, all that stuff. And then I realized I'm staying. It was a wonderful opportunity for my husband, and I realized I'm here, I'm staying. I have two choices. I can complain about staying here and do all of that, and I would have a great case and a great story, or I can do something about it. I really wanted my children to be in classrooms with other kind children. I wanted them to be in the dance studios and soccer fields and basketball. I wanted kind-minded children. And at some point I realized I was raised well and I had some really great upbringing, and I'm raising my children the same way. And I seemed to be doing a pretty good job. My my kids were um compassionate. They were kind. They were coming home from school saying, Mommy, there was a new student, and I made sure to take care of them. Mommy, there was a little boy playing with scissors, and I made just sure, tell Miss, I told Miss Marshkey that he shouldn't be playing with the scissors. So I just kind of felt like I had these three little beautiful souls who kind of had their eyes out for others, not just themselves. So once my oldest moved to the public, um, the public school, elementary school, I noticed that I was in, we were fortunate enough to be in a public school that had good education, good teachers, good people in the classrooms. But I didn't notice any conversation about mental health, recycling, caring for our planet, each other, anything like that. So this is back in 2007, I believe it was. And I went to the school and I said, can I start an afterschool? Actually, they invited me to be on the PTA. And I didn't think I had the bandwidth for, I was like, I don't know, I don't know how to be on the PTA. A book of PTA, a book of PTA, like I don't even know how to do that. I'm a, by the way, barefoot, hippie, mother of three, dropped into a world of manicured lawns and trying to keep up. It was a very different experience. So, in that I was trying to survive and figure out the best way for me to proceed with my children. So I presented an after-school program that would be free where I would just talk to the children about taking care of themselves. Have a nice day. They loved it. The first meeting was about 35 children in the media center. And I really just talked to them about the importance of taking care of themselves first and what that entails. And we had it just an open discussion. And it was everything from um eating healthy foods, getting rest, reading books, the basics. After time, the kids, maybe two or three meetings that I had with these kids, and they were riveted. Every conversation we had, they started handing me their book, their book, um, their tooth fairy money to give to charities. Once I once we really got into the meat of what was happening in their world and what they're capable of. So the program evolved into a once-a-month after-school program where the kids came. I started with a check-in. How's everyone doing today? It's been a long day. How are we feeling? Now, this is fourth and fifth grade elementary school. And we talked about our feelings, and then it was important to have feelings, express those feelings, and go through those feelings. Then we did a moment of mindfulness, whether that was closed eyes, breathing, movement, meditation, yoga. Then we talk about kindness, how we show it to ourselves, how we show it to others. And then I brought in a different speaker every month to talk about what they do in the community to give back, what they do in the world to give back. And then we have a hands-on project with the kids and the speaker presenting. So it might look like something like this. I'm gonna give you a really basic. Um, now this is we started an elementary school, Sunrise Park, right here in Boca Raton, Florida, fifth, fourth, and fifth grade. I'm gonna give you the Humane Society. So the month before the Humane Society comes in to talk to the children, let's say the month of September, we let the school know that in October the Kindness Matters Club is gonna meet with the Humane Society. So if the month of September, we're asking everybody to give donations. Here is the Humane Society's wish list, everything from paper towels to dog food to wet to wipes to towels, all of that. And for the month, the Kindness Matters children promote this collection through the PA system in the morning announcements, posters around school, go walking into classrooms and talking to students. We have a nice collection in October, the Humane Society. Now, sometimes they it depends on the ages. For the little kids, sometimes they'll bring in the puppies, and the kids love playing with the puppies. And we talk about the importance of animals and saving them and protecting them and neutering and spading and vaccines and why we take care of our animals. And then the children, depending on the age now, fourth and fifth fifth graders, play with the puppies and love the puppies, and they love middle school kids and high school kids might actually create um adopt me bandanas, posters, the high school kids and college kids go to the Humane Society and clean the cages and walk the dogs. I mean, it's so it's a it's a program where at every level you're learning a different skill, a different tool, and and practicing it. What it has involved it involved, what is it, what how it has evolved today is we are primarily an after-school club, sometimes during school or before school. We have a topic of the month. So every single month is a different topic. Kindness to yourself, self-exploration, optimistic thinking, relationship skills. I mean, if I had this when I was at any age of my life, skills to really understand what's happening in your brain, how to process and powerfully navigate life, being the best version of yourself. We talk about we all have differences. And the beauty of, I'm working on a piece right now about the differences, the connection through cultures, how beautiful it is that we're different, and how we can grow together and learn together. And in these club meetings with these children, we talk about how important our differences are, how we can see each other, how we can listen to ourselves. Now, the programs have been so 2008, 2009 was the first club started at Sunrise Park Elementary. We've evolved so much since then. I should probably pause because I've done a lot of talking. That's okay. Before I pause, I would like to say that through the through the evolution of the organization, I have been so privileged to see the transformation of human beings, Michael, from children, little ones, from children, I mean, transformation from little children to the elementary to the middle school to the college to the high school to the college, to the adults, the adults who go through our training transformation to deliver these programs. I've had parents call me to say, I don't know what's happening in your programs, but my son has never spoken to me with respect. And he has just declared himself to be a new son and that we are going to have a new relationship. What are you feeding these children? I've had parents telling me, I don't know what you're telling my children, but they're now yelling at me to get off my phone in a school zone. So the sheriff, the Palm Beach Sheriff's Department early on, 2010, the Sheriff's Department reached out and said, We love what you're doing in the schools. We see the impact that you're having. We have a request that you reach out to adults and create an adult curriculum. And I said to them, with all due respect, I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna talk to the little ones because my concept is talk to the little ones. They're listening, they care, and they will make a difference. Talk to the little ones. They will grow up and have their children, who will grow up and have their children. So I'm really talking about a new generation of kind-minded leaders for the future. Might not be something that you and I see, but the work that we're doing today is laying the groundwork for a new future for children who are the children of today's generation are not going to stand for what we have done in the past. My children are, you know, I'm sure your children are also somewhat disgusted and keferviled over what is happening in the world. And they will be our future leaders and they will raise their children to make sure that this doesn't happen again. So I have a lot of um faith in what we're doing now for today and for the future. These programs are free and in classrooms, and they are changing lives. I've watched the bully of the school walk into our programs and walk out a leader. Namaste, Miss Laura, opening doors for teachers, high-fiving students, getting better grades. Yeah. It this work works.

SPEAKER_06 57:35

I could listen to you talk all day. I love this because this is how we live our lives, right? This is what we teach in our family is to right, do the right thing, even when nobody's looking. You pick up that piece of trash, you open the door for someone, you say hello to people. Like, how nice is that? Just to when you're walking down the street and a stranger looks at you and smiles and says hello.

SPEAKER_01 57:55

I'm like, oh, that was nice. So for some people, it's not as easy as just being nice.

SPEAKER_03 58:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:01

And even though for me it was a concept years ago, like I get some kids are stressed out or they have this or that going on, but it wasn't until I went through my own nervous breakdown, if you will, midlife crisis hormone, menopause situation where I got so low, I couldn't just be kind. I couldn't. So I really believe it starts with ourselves, mental health, mental, mental wealth, understanding a big part of this is understanding what's happening in our brains, understanding what the brain's responsibilities are. I'm doing the prefrontal cortex. And then and then helping one of the greatest gifts that we can do is understanding that we have a nervous system and calming our nervous system. We can do pretty much anything if we have a calm nervous system. So Dito Bala is currently our CEO. And when he came into the organization, he helped me and everybody else understand very specifically what's happening in the brain and how to calm the nervous system and has implemented this information into our training and our curriculum so that all ages, from children who are introduced to this concept with playful playfulness and videos to our now, we're doing trainings for teachers and staff and corporations, and we are explaining to them how this is working and how to regulate your nervous system and keep going. It's changing the trajectory of how we're thinking, how we're feeling, and how we're acting.

SPEAKER_06 59:30

Yeah. I think it's great. I mean, listen, personally, when I'm going through stuff like that, I've changed how I used to just stress all the time and tight back. I do a lot now. I'll go outside, I'll get some fresh air and breathe. I do some breathing exercises, and I find 99% of the time it works. You calm down, you start to think a little clearer, that oxygen's getting to your brain and really helping you think clearer. And you're like, okay, it's not so bad. It's just a transaction, it's just a bad call you don't want to make because of something. Whatever it is, it's never as bad as you think it's gonna be. And if you just do it and get it done calmly, you can move on.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:12

So what you're what you just displayed in your example is awareness and regulation. You got aware, I'm triggered, I'm not breathing right, um, something's going on. So that was awareness. So then you went into regulation and you took some breaths and you calmed yourself down. That was you becoming aware that something's happening and you regulated your nervous system for your with your breath, and then you had the strength to proceed. That's what we're doing.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:36

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:37

And we're giving uh how-tos tools to do that. So it's about noticing, oh, I'm not regulated. And then do I want to breathe? Do I want to get on the floor? Do I want to move? Do I want to hug someone? What are we gonna do to regulate?

SPEAKER_06 1:00:50

That's awesome. And how far is your reach, right? You started in Boca Raton.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:53

Started in Boca Raton. So pre-pandemic, I believe we were in 250 schools. The pandemic wiped us out of all the schools we started over. You know, I I honestly don't know how many schools we're in right now, and I'm not really so concerned with that. We're we're spread out throughout the United States now. And once once um once I felt like the organization was like really solid, um, and it is strong staff, strong executive board, a CEO is really running the place right now. So once I realized, oh, this organization is flying. We are really spreading. My CEO said to me, What do you want to do? And I said, I don't understand that question. He said, I'm gonna ask you again, what do you want to do? And I said, I would like to travel the world and spread our message of kindness. And he said, Great. Cool. Where do you want to start? And I said, Where are you from? And he said, Cameroon, Africa. So we're currently, I will be joining him for our third trip to Cameroon, Africa this July.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:53

Then we're gonna pick the cool time.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:55

I I it's always hot in Cameroon.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:57

I think it's I don't I will don't know. I will be always hot in Cameroon. Yeah, but it's so lovely. Um, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. But really, primarily we are here in the United States, and my commitment is to hit as many countries and as many continents and as many schools and as many human beings as I can before I go. I would like to be completely used up before I leave.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:18

Awesome. Yes, I love it. I mean, what you're doing is unbelievable, so important, thank you, so simple, and it's just people don't think about it. Anybody can have it.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:28

Anybody can have it. It's it's choose it. It's a choice.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:30

It is a choice, right? You can choose to be angry, you can choose to be happy.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:33

Yes, but you you have the power to choose that and to switch gears.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:37

I love it. So we're gonna come back to this in just a moment. We're gonna go to a quick segment here, which I love. This is called the Book of Awesome. Oh. So what I'm gonna ask you to do is to open up to a random page, read to the world, the bold line at the top, and then tell us if it has some relation to you, if it brings up a story, a thought, a good feeling. And this book is magical. It a lot of times you open to something that really hits. So I do give you a mulligan, though. If there's a couple weird ones in there, so if you get one that's like, uh, you can pick another one.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:08

Putting potato chips on a sandwich.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:12

I don't know if you heard Janine, she said yum.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:15

Ever had a friend start buzzing with the date the dating glow? I don't have my glasses. You know, they start seeing someone new and suddenly start walking with a new pep in their step, a new trot in their walk. Maybe they love five maybe they lose five pounds, show up with a new haircut, or even wearing tight pants, or maybe they just smile wider, laugh louder, and blast out a new confidence about themselves.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:45

So I'm guessing do you eat potato chips?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:49

I do not eat potato chips.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:50

So find another one. Just read the the bold line at the top.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:53

Yep. I want something that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:56

The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk. So I will talk about this. The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk. I'm very present to the different smell of things and how it evokes emotion. Yeah. It's so weird, right? It's so weird, like pickles. I don't know. Pickles make me feel tingly. Um lavender. Oh, I get so relaxed when I feel lavender. So the smell of the hot rain on the rain of a hot sidewalk reminds me of being outside on a on a muggy morning walking my dog and just the smells of the morning. Um, so I really I love the different different smells and how it evokes different emotions in me. Is there a certain smell that the coffee wakes you up, right? Lavender relaxes me. Is there is there a certain smell that evokes something in you?

SPEAKER_06 1:04:43

I I think all sorts of different ones. I it's it's funny. I love women's perfume. I don't wear it. I mean, like when a woman's wearing perfume, I love those like sweet perfumes. And for me, it just changes my whole mood. I can be in a crowd with like a hundred people. I'm like, you're wearing blah blah blah. I'm like, it I just love it. And the crazy thing is, my wife is allergic, so she can't wear perfume.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:06

Isn't that interesting?

SPEAKER_06 1:05:07

It's so weird because I am so drawn to it. I'm like, honey, it's not an attraction to someone, it's just the smell, it makes me feel so happy and good. So I love women's perfume, the sweet ones. For me, it's like, I don't know. I don't know why. I'm sure there's a you could go to therapy and find out what it is at some point.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:24

Yeah, and maybe did your mother have any kind of a my mother was a smoker.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:29

She she hid smoking, not very well.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:32

She hid smoking, she yelled at sports. She's tough. Yeah, that's good.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:35

Yeah, the greatest woman, by the way. She was amazing. Yes, uh, so the book of awesome. I love it. It's it's just got some smart, awesome stuff in there. It really is. It's it's very well named.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:44

Getting off an airplane after a long flight. That was last night. Yeah. And I was so excited to come here.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:48

Yeah, I'm glad you're here.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:50

Right eyed and bushy tailed. Yes. Well, I got the invitation last night, yesterday afternoon, and I was like, Yeah, I'll take it.

SPEAKER_06 1:05:55

I love it. Let's go. I love it. So, kindness matters, 365. You're all over the place. I'm assuming that money probably helps you.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:07

Thank you for asking that question. Yes. I just told I just committed to my CEO that I'm gonna go on a fundraising rampage because for almost 20 years I have never really asked for money. I don't really my job is to ask for kindness, volunteerism, friendship, and time. And what I've seen happen over the last year is that our CEO really came in with a mission to elevate this organization, which he has done beautifully. And he has shown me the profound benefit from fundraising. Because of the um extra funds that we have raised this year because of his work, we have a new website, new staff members, we have an app being built, we have so many things that are literally lifting this organization. Um we have three, we have positions that need to be filled that we need to pay. Every single all of our all of them everything goes into our programming, everything goes right to children. We're now being able to create documentaries so that we can really show the impact of our work. So yes, I'm gonna ask anybody who either has money or knows of anybody who has money, or you know, there are large corporations that have to give money. So km365.org, kindnessmatters365.org. Anybody is welcome to participate, volunteer. I was gonna ask about that as well. I was gonna ask about volunteering. Fundraising is big. Yes, fundraising is big, and and and asking for money is something that I'm a lot more comfortable with now because I see the growth that we've had from it. And we thrive with our volunteers, our ambassadors who are lead our programs, people who show up in the community, our kindness angels. We have about 400 men and women who are on the streets feeding our our hungry. I could go on and on, we're running out of time. You get it. KM365.org. You can volunteer, you can participate, you can become an ambassador, you can donate money. Get involved.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:07

Yeah, awesome. And listen, I imagine any amount helps. Five bucks, five million bucks. It all does. Everything in between.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:11

It all does.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:12

It all helps and goes towards a great cause. Do you have any events coming up that the people should know about?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:16

Thank you for asking.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:17

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:18

June 20th, Crazy Uncle Mike's 12th to 12th.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:21

I love Crazy Uncle Mike's.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:22

June 12th. My office is like right next to it. You can walk there. June 20th. My 57th birthday is June 18th. And Mike said, come on over and have a party. So Crazy Uncle Mike is opening up his home to us from 12 to 3. It'll be a kindest matters experience. We'll have some activities, we'll have some activities, we'll have a documentary to show, and we'll be asking for money. Be clear, it's a fundraising birthday party, Crazy Uncle Mike's.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:45

Awesome. And listen, how great is Mike for our community? He is and listen, he has his own charity, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:52

Milo's belief is another wonderful. Have you interviewed him?

SPEAKER_06 1:08:55

Uh I have not yet. I've spoken I saw him last week, unfortunately. A friend of ours, her twin sister passed away, so we went to her house and he was there as well. And uh just to you know offer condolences and those are good people.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:07

Those are good people. Those are yes, they're really good ones, they're good people.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:11

They open their place up to so many organizations.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:14

This is what I love. There's no competition in this community. Yeah. Best foot forward, Boca Helping Hands, um, sweet dream makers. I mean, I could go on and on and on with the Myla's belief, the all of the amazing organizations. We work together. Yeah, we celebrate each other. You got you just got a hundred grand, high five. I mean, we are in this community, we all show up and support each other. It's so beautiful.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:36

I love it. And listen, I'm involved with a lot of those nonprofits too. I told you I'm the chairman of the board of the YMCA and Boca. I'm very passionate about helping children, and that's that's what I do there. I've helped Best Foot Forward. My brother and I have done their celebrity bartending a few times.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:50

Donna Biazé is one of the first people who inspired me to do this work. Really? We were yoga, we were in we were yoga sisters, and I was going to all of her events and going to her all of her events, and I said to her, I'm so inspired by you. I'm thinking about it. And she said to me, Meet me at Fit Foods at 12 o'clock and I'm going to teach you. Fit Foods, by the way, Susan, I helped her open that restaurant at this time. I helped her open that restaurant. Really? Yes. We have so much to talk about. I'm a huge, like huge Fit Foods Susan fan. And Donna Biase sat down with me at Fit Foods for over an hour and went through all the paperwork of the for the 501c3 to for me to figure fill out. Like talk about community, no competition. She sat with me.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:30

Yeah, she's awesome. I love Donna, what they're doing. Uh and I I keep bugging her. I'm gonna give up at some point. I keep asking her to come on. She keeps saying yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:39

Oh, we gotta get to Donna.

SPEAKER_06 1:10:41

So maybe I'll I'll use you for some leverage. Yeah, you got me. And yeah, Donna's great. And there's just so many. I mean, with the Boca Helping Hands, Golden Bell Education Fund. Uh we've done stuff for uh oh my gosh, I just forgot. Oh, Nat King Cole Foundation, although I think they've kind of I don't know that one.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:57

I think they're Spirit of Giving would be great. Yeah, Lindy is great. I know Lindy, I know Lindy. Oh my god, yeah. Oh, we have we need another show.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:03

Yeah, by the way, when I sent you the email about this show, there's a link to the episode for her being on.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:07

Oh, just so you know.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:08

I need to find that email. Lindy is great, and what Spirit of Giving does is amazing as well. Amazing. Uh so we got a great event, June 20th. Crazy Uncle Mike's 12 to 3. Bring your checkbooks. Yes. Bring your love, bring your kindness. Uh, we've talked about some awesome things today. Honestly, we could go on for a lot longer, but Janine's gonna kick us out. I think so. Uh so I just want to say I am so grateful to Janine for introducing us. I love, love, love what you're doing. Listen, we have a sign in our office behind my brother. Kind people are my kind of people.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:39

Uh right?

SPEAKER_06 1:11:40

Kindness is so important. I'm putting that magnet on my car. I'm gonna put one on my wife's car, whether she likes it or not.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:45

Yes, you are.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:46

And uh what you're doing is great. And we're gonna talk about doing some stuff with the YMCA and whatever we can do to help as well.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:51

I think I can't wait. I want to just thank you for creating this platform for me and others to shine a light on what we're doing. We we we don't really grow without this kind of support.

SPEAKER_06 1:12:01

Yeah, so listen, it's my pleasure. I it it kind of came to me when I had someone on. It was late in 2024, it was from a nonprofit that I hadn't heard of, and I'm involved with a lot of nonprofit stuff. And my my thought was if I haven't heard of them, the listeners and viewers might not have heard of them. So what if we just start bringing on? And it I did it for 2025. I'm like, it was awesome. I met some amazing people. So I decided to continue it, and I've turned it into I call it my passion project now. So I want to, you know, listen, if one person watching or listening gets involved, it's a win. It was absolutely right, yes. The goal is everyone, yes, but just it takes one at a time, and that's the goal is through all these amazing nonprofits. I mean, listen, what you do is amazing, there's other great ones as well. And the cool thing is, is that everybody's got different passions and there's something out there for you, right? If they're like, Oh, I hate kindness, I like being mean, but I love dogs. There's we're all nonprofits, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:12:56

We're all here for different reasons. Find your reason, follow your path, and and find your joy.

SPEAKER_06 1:13:00

Yeah. So thank you so so much for being here today. It's been absolutely amazing. I can't wait for the world to see and hear this. And uh, you know, for those of you at home who uh listen, make sure you subscribe, leave a five-star review, share this with a friend. Just share it with a friend, be like, hey, this is this really cool episode. You gotta hear this. It's it's great. Just share it with a friend. And uh, you know, if you know any other nonprofit leaders that I should speak to, please shoot me a message, give me a call, let me know because I would love to just have a conversation with them and see if it's a good fit. And for everyone at home, I just want to say thank you so much again for watching another episode of Food Family and Philanthropy.