Ryan Bernsten, an American playwright and Oxford grad student, is in the middle of a cross-country journey covering all 50 states. Over the past few months he's attended a Trump rally the night before Election Day, chatted with mayors of big cities and teeny-tiny towns, stayed with 21 different families, and enjoyed crab cakes, ice cream, and other American delights. Our conversation focusses on Ryan's unexpected takeaways, social media vs. the real world, and the kindness of strangers from across the aisle that he's experienced along the way.

50 States of Mind

We're on a quest to help you stay sane – positive, even! – in spite of today’s divisive political climate.

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In the midst of a pandemic that impacts just about every single one of us, Zappos decided to create a hotline for anyone looking for help with just about anything. Zappos still sell shoes, of course, but now their customer service team is also pitching in to offer all kinds of support at a time when most of us could use an extra hand. And it’s free. 

Examples: Math homework. Tech help. A personal protective equipment search. Or simply a pleasant conversation during this isolating time. Zappos’ “Customer Service for Anything” team has it covered. Call, text, email. 

Sanity spoke with Brian Kalma, the Entrepreneur in Residence at Zappos and the brainchild behind the idea. He shares how the Zappos team got this idea up and running in less than a week flat, offers advice for organizations looking to use their unique skillsets to help in this unprecedented time, and of course, shares his favorite shoe brand!

Ep7: Zappos’ Customer Service for Anything  | Brian Kalma, Entrepreneur in Residence

You know when you meet one of those people who just makes you feel comforted and good? Chloe Groth is definitively one of them. 

Normally a Suzuki violin teacher, as Covid-19 hit New Orleans, Chloe took to NextDoor to offer her gift of music to those who need it most right now. She now volunteers four days a week to perform (from a distance) for elderly individuals across New Orleans. She brings along her two small sons, who sit by her feet as she unpacks her violin and performs the most special private concerts from front yards and sidewalks. Chloe kindly played for the 93-year-old grandmother of Sanity’s host and the neighborhood listened in. She began with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” There wasn’t a dry eye on the block. 

Later in the episode, hear from Hadley Heath Manning from the Independent Women’s Forum. She discusses their #InThisTogether campaign and shares about what it is like to be raising a young family with a spouse who is working on the front lines.

Ep6: Violinist Comforting the Elderly | Chloe Groth + IWF's #InThisTogether | Hadley Heath Manning

There are over 750 distilleries across all 50 states that are now producing hand sanitizer. On this episode, hear from one of them. Troy Downing is the co-owner of Wildrye Distilling in Bozeman, Montana.  From working with the highway patrol to relay sanitizer across the state to fielding requests from EMTs as far as New York to loading hand sanitizer onto planes operated by volunteer pilots, the past month and a half has been a whirlwind for Troy and his team. On this episode, Troy shares how his family has pitched in to help, how he worked to cut through red tape via the CARES Act, and his favorite spirit (or two!).

Later in the episode, we’re joined by Clay Nutting, the owner of the Michelin-rated restaurant Canon in Sacramento, California. Clay is behind Family Meal Sacramento, an effort made up of a number of restaurants in his city that creates meal kits for at-risk members of the community. They have supplied over 50,000 meals and raised over $90,000.

Ep5: Wildrye Distilling | Troy Downing + Family Meal Sacramento | Clay Nutting

If it’s lunchtime in New Orleans, that means Feed the Front Line Nola, organized by Krewe of Red Beans founder Devin De Wulf, is up to three things:
-Feeding health care workers at every hospital in the city
-Keeping 25+ local restaurants in business
-Employing local musicians to make deliveries

For Devin, it’s personal: his wife is an ER doctor. She came home one night early into treating Covid-19 and mentioned how much a batch of cookies baked by an ER nurse had uplifted her team’s spirits. He had a lightbulb moment: through the Krewe of Red Beans, Devin’s existing network of restaurant owners across New Orleans could multiply that effect tenfold. And keep them in business. Devin was uniquely positioned to scale, and fast.  Ever since, he and his crew have been serving meals for those on the front lines. Spreading “food love,” as he calls it. This week they served their 40,000th meal. 

On this episode, we speak with Devin about the work #FeedtheFrontLinesNola is doing and also speak with two local restaurant owners who are part of this network — Lisa Nelson of Queen Trini Lisa and Nathanial Zimmet of Boucherie and Bouree. Lisa shares about her Trinidadian and Tobagonian heritage and Nathanial shares his experience surviving Hurricane Katrina and seeing the city come together during times of hardship. 
Feeding health care workers at every hospital in the city

Keeping 25+ local restaurants in business

Employing local musicians to make deliveries

For Devin, it’s personal: his wife is an ER doctor. She came home one night early into treating Covid-19 and mentioned how much a batch of cookies baked by an ER nurse had uplifted her team’s spirits. He had a lightbulb moment: through the Krewe of Red Beans, Devin’s existing network of restaurant owners across New Orleans could multiply that effect tenfold. And keep them in business. Devin was uniquely positioned to scale, and fast.  Ever since, he and his crew have been serving meals for those on the front lines. Spreading “food love,” as he calls it. This week they served their 40,000th meal. 

On this episode, we speak with Devin about the work #FeedtheFrontLinesNola is doing and also speak with two local restaurant owners, Lisa Nelson of Queen Trini Lisa and Nathanial Zimmet of Boucherie and Bouree. Lisa shares about her Trinidadian and Tobagonian heritage and Nathanial shares his experience surviving Hurricane Katrina and seeing the city come together during times of hardship.

Ep4: Feed the Front Line Nola + Krewe of Red Beans | Devin De Wulf, Lisa Nelson, Nathanial Zimet

On this episode, hear from Team Rubicon’s Mike Lee about Team Rubicon’s network of 110,000 veteran volunteers, their unique perspective from helping communities rebuild after crises around the world, and the work they are doing related to Covid-19. Also hear from Trader Joe’s employee Katie Scott, who shares her experience serving customers amid the chaos in Manhattan and one small act of kindness extended to her by an Etsy shop.

For Mike Lee, volunteering is an avenue to come together in good times and bad to help others. He shares some of the messages of hope he has heard around the world when communities are facing their most difficult hour. 

When Trader Joe’s employee Katie Scott recently purchased masks from an Etsy retailer in Brooklyn, she noted that she worked at Trader Joe’s in the City. Within a few minutes of submitting her order, Katie received a message saying that not only would part of her order be comped, but that extra masks to share with coworkers would soon be on their way . “It was just so joyful,” says Scott. “It definitely warmed my heart. And the masks looked pretty awesome too.”

50 States of Mind

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