The Kindness Podcast

Joe Vallee’s late grandfather, Arthur Vallee, was a former Disney animator in the 1930s & 40s. Joe based the character and program off of the story book his grandfather wrote-- Rainbow Rabbit. Joe incorporated the book’s themes of kindness, acceptance, tolerance, unity and inclusion into school lessons spanning grades Kindergarten through 4th. Learn more by visiting TheRainbowRabbit.com.

Bob Goff is a New York Times best selling author and was a recognized lawyer for over 25 years. In 2001, he saw a need in India and founded what is now known as Love Does. You can learn more about Bob at BobGoff.com and at LoveDoes.org.

In 2011, Colleen was run over by a freight truck, and after five weeks in a coma and twenty-nine surgeries later, Colleen survived. Rather than let the trauma and PTSD control her life, she became determined to find a way to make something positive from her pain. She decided she'd run again and dedicate her race medals to the everyday heroes around us, including the medical staff and blood donors who saved her life. Since then Colleen has run fifty races and completed forty triathlons, including four half-Ironman events. Now a spokesperson for the Red Cross, Colleen shares her incredible inspirational story to encourage others to take that first step forward.

You can connect with Colleen at https://www.colleenkellyalexander.com and find her book, Gratitude in Motion, on Amazon.

Sean Alexander’s life was changed forever when he found out his wife, lifelong athlete Colleen Kelly Alexander was run over by a freight truck while out on a bike ride. She survived and went on to compete in dozens of races and triathlons. Colleen credits much of her success to her biggest cheerleader, her husband, Sean. This week, I get to talk with Sean about walking a loved one through trauma and how to support the ones we love. You can learn more about Colleen and Sean’s story at https://www.colleenkellyalexander.com.

The impact of one person can affect the world. Brock Johnson continues to prove that, even though he died when he was just 14 years old. Brock’s mom, Kristi Johnson joins me to talk about The BrockStrong Foundation, a non-profit created to continue Brock’s legacy of kindness in Ohio and beyond.

This episode of the Kindness Podcast is brought to you by Cornwell Properties in Athens, Ohio. Location Matters.

Visit http://cornwellpropertiesathens.com for more information.

It can be a devastating trial when a college student is cut off financially from their family after revealing their sexual orientation, but students don’t have to face it alone. delfin bautista is director of the LGBT Center at Ohio University and joins me along with Jan and Tom Hodson, to talk about a fund set up to help Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender students when emergencies arise.

This episode of the Kindness Podcast is brought to you by Cornwell Properties in Athens, Ohio. Location Matters.

Visit http://cornwellpropertiesathens.com for more information.

The kindness of others helped Jeannette Maré heal after the sudden death of her three-year-old son Ben. She now extends that same kindness to others who are hurting through the Ben’s Bells project. Jeannette and thousands of volunteers craft ceramic bells which have traveled all across the world with the message to “Be Kind.”

For more on the Ben’s Bells project go to BensBells.org.

PBS KIDS is focusing on teaching children the importance of being kind with an entire week dedicated to kindness. It kicks off Monday, October 1!

Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of Children’s Media and Education at PBS, Lesli Rotenberg talks with Nicole Phillips on WOUB’s The Kindness Podcast about why this week is so special.

This episode of the Kindness Podcast is brought to you by Cornwell Properties in Athens, Ohio. Location Matters.

Visit http://cornwellpropertiesathens.com for more information.

Feeling spiritually defeated and full of physical pain, Reba Riley challenged herself to try out 30 different religions before her 30th birthday. That experiment became the fascinating book, Post Traumatic Church Syndrome. In this episode of the The Kindness Podcast, Reba talks with Nicole about religion and how kindness plays a role in spirituality.

Find Reba on twitter @RebaRiley.

This episode of the Kindness Podcast is brought to you by Cornwell Properties in Athens, Ohio. Location Matters.

Visit http://cornwellpropertiesathens.com for more information.

Dr. Neal Nybo helps people find clarity and direction in their lives with kindness. Whether at a church, business or in one-on-one interactions, Neal leads people through difficult conversations and puts them on a path to their goals. In all he does, he emphasizes the importance of recognizing the power of kindness.