Why Kindness?

Is kindness generational?

We're thrilled to welcome the grandchildren of Sandra K. Wasserman: Bret and Blake Glasser. Since Why Kindness? podcast Season 3 is dedicated to their grandmother's "kind" legacy, we thought a sit-down with the siblings would be a lovely way to wrap things up. The students join host and kindness.org CEO Jaclyn Lindsey for a heartfelt conversation on why kindness is a most vital trait to pass down.

Key takeaways:

Thank you to the Wasserman Glasser Family for making this season of Why Kindness? possible.

Their gift, made in loving memory of Kindmaker Sandra K. Wasserman, honors her enduring belief that kindness is our greatest strength. Sandy’s legacy continues to inspire, reminding us that the most profound acts of kindness often happen quietly- through presence, empathy, and care.

As we connected with guests around the world, Sandy’s spirit of kindness was a constant reminder that every act, no matter how small, can make a difference. Sandy often said, “Thank you for your kindness.” Through the generosity of the Wasserman Glasser family, her words and her impact continue to ripple outward.

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

What if giftedness isn't something that can be measured?

In this heartfelt episode of Why Kindness?, host Jaclyn Lindsey sits down with Julie Vincent, founder of The Gifted Life and host of The Gift In It podcast. Drawing from her experience raising two children with very different needs, Julie shares how her family's journey challenged everything she thought she knew about success, potential, and what it means to be gifted.

Together, Jaclyn and Julie explore the connection between kindness and judgment, the importance of meeting people where they are, and how choosing meaning over measurement can transform the way we see ourselves and others. This conversation is a reminder that every person has something valuable to offer.

Key takeaways:

JULIE VINCENT is the founder of The Gifted Life, a movement redefining what it means to be gifted. Drawing from lived experience as a mother of two children with vastly different yet equally profound expressions of giftedness — shaped in part by a rare genetic disease — Julie brings compassion, clarity, and grounded insight to conversations often misunderstood or reduced to labels. A coach, speaker, advocate, and host of The Gift In It, a podcast featuring conversations that uncover the unexpected gifts hidden inside life's hardest and most human moments. She models a lens of meaning over measurement, reframing resilience, joy, and acceptance as lived practices and helping others discover the gifts within their own lives. Instagram: @iamjulievincent

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

The Miniature Wife star Sofia Rosinsky shares her perspective on kindness as an actor, including the importance of empathy both on set and in daily life. Joining host and kindness.org CEO, Jaclyn Lindsey, Sofia dives deep into why kind leaders are better for all.

Key Takeaways:

SOFIA ROSINSKY is a series regular on the Peacock series “The Miniature Wife” opposite Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen. She was previously recurring on the Hulu series “Death and Other Details” opposite Mandy Patinkin. Sofia is perhaps best known for leading the Amazon original series “Paper Girls." Past credits include a regular role on the Disney Channel series “Fast Layne” and a leading role in the Nickelodeon feature “Forever Boys.”

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

Action on kind acts! Casting Director Julie Schubert dives deep on the importance of kindness behind-scenes of movies and tv shows. From early lessons her grandma taught her on human connection to the kindness of Keri Russell on her current hit Netflix series The Diplomat, the Emmy-winning creative brings an exciting new perspective alongside host and kindness.org CEO Jaclyn Lindsey.

Key Takeaways:

JULIE SCHUBERT is an Emmy-winning casting director based in New York. Select film and TV credits include: The Diplomat, Under the Bridge, House of Cards (Emmy Award for Outstanding Casting); Night Comes On (Sundance award winning feature), Deliver Us From Evil; Marvel's The Punisher; Marvel's Daredevil; Marvel's Jessica Jones; Marvel's Luke Cage; Marvel's Iron Fist; Marvel's The Defenders; Mindhunter; Confessions of a Shopaholic, among others.

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

In this heartfelt special episode of Why Kindness?, host Jaclyn Lindsey is joined by Learn Kind Program Manager and former teacher Megan Peterson to celebrate the educators who shape not only what we know, but who we become.

To honor that impact, we invited this season’s guests to share short pep talks for teachers. From Olympian Marion Jones to creator Jimmy Darts to STEM pioneer Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green, we hope these messages inspire you.

This episode features pep talks from:

Sam Demma – Best-selling author and speaker

And if you’re looking for free lesson plans and activities to cultivate kindness in classrooms, clubs, or communities, visit learnkind.org. LearnKind is a free K-8 kindness curriculum powered by scientific inquiry and social-emotional learning.

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

Artist Cole NeSmith explores the power of kindness alongside host and kindness.org CEO Jaclyn Lindsey. From creating unique immersive events that foster connection to utilizing kindness as a way to challenge the status quo, the experience curator sheds light on the often undiscussed ways kindness shows up in leadership.

Key takeaways include:

Cole NeSmith is an experienced curator, writer, musician, actor, and speaker, as well as the Founder and Artistic Director of the Creative City Project and co-founder/Chief Creative Officer of The Memoir Agency. Through his work, he creates large-scale immersive events and “Immersive Master Plans” that help cities and organizations design meaningful, engaging experiences for communities. Since launching the Creative City Project in 2012, he has played a key role in shaping Orlando’s cultural identity through major initiatives, festivals, and civic projects, earning recognition as one of Orlando’s “50 Most Powerful People” and a “40 Under 40” honoree, while also maintaining an active career as a performing artist across theater, music, film, and television.

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

Sweet Magnolias star JoAnna Garcia Swisher shares how kindness is deeply woven into both our personal and professional lives in this RE-RELEASE conversation. Originally recorded in 2023, JoAnna joins host and kindness.org CEO Jaclyn Lindsey to reflect on:

JoAnna Garcia Swisher stars in Netflix’s hit show Sweet Magnolias as Maddie Townsend. Prior to this, Swisher is best known for playing Reba’s daughter Cheyenne Montgomery in Reba. Outside of acting, Swisher has founded The Happy Place, a destination that explores, motivates, and empowers the experience of living a life with intention and how that reflects in your interiors. She has also been inspired by her partnership with the Step Up Women’s Network and Hills Pet Nutrition. In addition, JoAnna and her husband Nick Swisher founded the Swisher Family Foundation with a mission of providing children in need with medical care, education, and recreational activities.

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

Illustrator and Mindful Artist Holly Hatam (Dear Girl) breaks down the magic and kindness of creativity. Alongside host Jaclyn Lindsey, Holly shares her heartfelt journey from childhood dreams of working with Disney to becoming a three-time New York Times bestselling author.

Key takeaways from this conversation include:

Holly Hatam has been making art since the day she could hold a pencil- charging her family 25 cents to see her "masterpieces" in a makeshift gallery that also doubled as her bedroom. Fast forward to today, and she’s still drawing- only now, her art reaches a much wider audience (and she no longer charges admission). As a 3X New York Times bestselling illustrator, Holly is best known for books like Dear Girl and Dear Boy, and she’s also the author of the popular Magical Creatures series. She’s worked on over 30 books, bringing stories to life with illustrations that are equal parts heart and magic. Her books have sold over 1 million copies worldwide, meaning many bedtime stories have become more magical. When she’s not creating, you can find Holly hugging trees, sipping tea, sniffing books, or daydreaming about unicorns (it’s research, she swears). Her mission? To sprinkle a little magic into the world, inspire others to find their own, and make sure everyone knows that unicorns are absolutely, 100% real. Follow her on Instagram: @hollyhatamillustration & @the.yellow.jacket.girl

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

How does food relate to kindness? Non-profit founder Asmeret Berhe-Lumax explores this question, sharing her inspiring journey from fleeing to America with family to creating the impactful initiative: One Love Community Fridge. Alongside host Jaclyn Lindsey, the Champion of Change illustrates how small acts of love and respect can transform lives and neighborhoods.

Key takeaways from this conversation include:

Asmeret Berhe-Lumax is the founder and CEO of One Love Community Fridge, a community-driven initiative grounded in the core values of respect, dignity, and health. A passionate leader and advocate, she believes that food is the foundation of our health and works to ensure equitable access to nourishing food while fostering care, connection, and belonging within the community. She has been selected as a Champions of Change 2019 honoree by the National Committee for UN Women and her impact has been recognized with the inaugural 2025 North America’s 50 Best Champions of Change Award.

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.

Author and Keynote Speaker Sam Demma joins host Jaclyn Lindsey to share his transformative journey from aspiring soccer star to a leading advocate for kindness and community service. In this episode, Sam reveals how personal setbacks led him to discover the power of small, consistent actions and the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive "kind mates."

Key takeaways from this conversation include:

• How Sam transformed the loss of one dream into another, making it his mission to build a kinder world through tangible initiatives.
• The profound impact of small, consistent actions was inspired by his high school teacher.
• How he made kindness go viral and much more.

Sam Demma is a best-selling author and one of the most in-demand keynote speakers today. He has shared the stage with icons like Kardinal Official and Sarah Blackwood, collaborated with brands like Taco Bell, delivered two TEDx talks, and has toured his messages across Canada, the United States, and Kenya. His work is often featured on national news shows and, most notably, his mom’s Facebook. Sam delivers hundreds of performances annually, and his comical and entertaining performances address the topics of Empathy, Mental Health and Leadership. For more information, please visit: www.samdemma.com

This podcast is one of the many ways we live out our organization's mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Visit our site kindness.org and sign up to become a part of our global Kindmaker community which spans more than 100 countries. It's free to join and when you do you'll be the first to get access to our latest research, tools, and even episodes of this podcast. Let's build a kinder world, together.

How kind are you? Visit kindness.org/KQ to get your KQ today!

Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg.