Why Kindness?

Trigger warning. This interview discusses the specific person's experience with abuse, trauma, suicide, and violence. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse of any kind, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Their phone number is 1 (800) 799-7233. Or you can visit their safe, secure website, thehotline.org. 

If you  or anyone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide you can reach out to 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline by dialing 988 (us) or by visiting 988lifeline.org.

In this inspiring and in-depth episode, Jaclyn speaks with Ernesto Rodriguez about how he went from a prison sentence in solitary confinement to the program developer for Kindful Restoration. They discuss how unkindness led him on a path to destruction and how shifting his life toward kindness set him free. 

Ernesto Rodriguez was born into a life where poverty, violence, and addiction created a deep yearning to find acceptance, which eventually led to him to gangs. At age 18, Ernesto was arrested for attempted murder, carjacking, and assault with a firearm, and at age  27 found himself in solitary confinement for 8 years. It was there he began a transformation sparked by kindness. He  enrolled in college, self-help, AA, and NA and spent his years paying the kindness he received forward. While in prison he became a certified counselor and earned a bachelor’s in science in Psychology. He was released from prison in 2023 and began working as the program developer for Kindful Restoration - a subdivision of the Choose Kindness Foundation. 

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• kindness.org
• restorationproject.kindful.com

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Ernesto Rodriguez
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link.

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.

Dr. Oliver Scott Curry joins Jaclyn to discuss the groundbreaking research he is leading at kindness.org, how kindness has shaped his career, and understanding the science of kindness.

Dr. Curry is Chief Science Officer at kindness.org, leading the innovative research hub, Kindlab. He is also a Research Affiliate at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford. He received his PhD from the London School of Economics in 2005.

As CSO at Kindness.org, Oliver and his team are working to answer questions like: Why are people kind? How kind are people, really? Why aren’t people kinder? What are the most effective kind acts you can do? And, how can we make the world a kinder place? The work involves both pure and applied research on the causes and consequences of kindness.

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• kindness.org

Follow Oliver on social:

• Twitter: @Oliver_S _Curry

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Dr. Oliver Scott Curry
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producer: Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link. 

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.

Jaclyn chats with the incomparable best-selling author and  entrepreneur Amy Jo Martin about her boisterous career, how she came to realize self-kindness was the key to a better life, and what it takes to reinvent yourself. 

Amy Jo Martin is the author of New York Times best-seller "Renegades Write the Rules", Founder & CEO, Speaker, host of the acclaimed Why Not Now? Podcast, an educator, and an investor.

She’s the Founder and CEO of Renegade Global, as well as Founder of Renegade Global Ventures.

She has worked closely with world-renowned brands such as Hilton Worldwide, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Nike, Shaquille O’Neal, Dell and many others.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Amy Jo worked for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns during the wild wild west days of digital and social media – there were no rules or regulations in place so she helped write the rules. She went on to found one of the first-ever digital agencies, Digital Royalty, and pioneered personal branding online as we know it today.

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• amyjomartin.com
• kindness.org

Follow Amy Jo on social:

• IG: @amyjomartin
• Twitter: @amyjomartin
• Facebook: @amyjomartin

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Amy Jo Martin
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producer: Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link. 

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.

This week, Jaclyn meets with teenage activist and actress, Abriella Ruby. They discuss Abriella's path to founding her charity, Love Conquers Dayton, ways to support young people as they navigate unkindness in their world, and what kindness means to the next generation.

​​Abriella is a 16-year-old change-maker passionate about helping others. She started Love Conquers Dayton when she was 12 years old, in hopes of giving a few care packs to the unhoused people in her community.  That small gift of sharing quickly gathered steam, allowing her to give well over $50,000 in care packs over the last four years. Her work has garnered attention from Good Morning America and celebrities such as Jessica Vosk and Allison Janney. The board of Love Conquers Dayton consists of only teenagers, hoping to bring kindness to their community.

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• loveconquersdayton.com
• kindness.org

Follow Abriella on social:

• IG: @abriellaruby_official
• Facebook: @loveconquersdayton

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Abriella Ruby
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producer: Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link.  

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.

Jaclyn is joined by chef, author, and social activist, Pierre Thiam. Together, they discuss Pierre's journey as a chef, the importance of kindness to the environment, and how kindness transcends cultures. 

Pierre is Executive Chef of multiple award-winning restaurants around the world, and his company Yolele Foods advocates for smallholder farmers in the Sahel by opening new markets for crops grown in Africa. He has cooked for the King of Morocco, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Through his advocacy and many media appearances, he has become known as a culinary ambassador, dedicated to promoting West African cooking throughout the world. His TEDTalk, given at TEDGlobal 2017 in Arusha, Tanzania, has been viewed over one million times. Thiam sits on the board of directors of IDEO.org and SOS Sahel, and on the advisory board for the Culinary Institute of America.

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• pierrethiam.com
• kindness.org

Follow Pierre on social:

• IG: @chefpierrethiam
• Twitter: @chefpierrethiam
• Facebook: @pierrethiam

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Pierre Thiam
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producer: Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link. 

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.

This week, Jaclyn is joined by Katie Plunkett, founder of The Calm Classroom, and kindness.org Chief Programs Officer Becca Reed, creator of the Learn Kind curriculum. They discuss why kindness in education matters, the role social-emotional learning plays in the lives of students, and why prioritizing kindness in classrooms is essential.

It's World Kindness Week and we're celebrating in a way we never have before. Go to kindness.org/donate to learn how you can join and help us support the well-being of kids everywhere. Let's build a kinder world, together.

Have a question? Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg. 

 Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• thecalmclassroom.org
• kindness.org/donate
• learnkind.kindness.org

Follow Katie and The Calm Classroom on social:

• IG: @thecalmclassroom
• Twitter: @thcalmclassroom
• Facebook: @thecalmclassroom1

Follow Becca on social:

• IG: @heybeccareed

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Katie Plunkett, Becca Reed
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producer: Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link. 

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.

Emmy-nominated actress, Grammy-nominated songwriter, and motivational singer, Rhonda Ross joins us to discuss how her journey through emotional hardship shaped who she is today. 

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• www.RhondaRoss.net
• kindness.org

Follow Silvia on social:

• IG: @TheRhondaRoss
• Twitter: @TheRhondaRoss
• Facebook: @TheRhondaRoss
• TikTok: @TheRhondaRoss

Credits 
 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Rhonda Ross
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producer: Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link. 

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.

Applied social psychologist Dr. Kathryn Buchanan steps into the studio to discuss the scientific world of kindness.

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• Kathryn's research: Buffering the effects of bad news.
• Kathryn's research: Brief exposure to social media during the COVID-19 pandemic
• kindness.org

Follow Kathryn on social:

• LinkedIn: @kathryn-buchanan-phd
• Facebook: @kathryn.buchanan.5

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: Dr. Kathryn Buchanan
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producers: Leah Fullerton, Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link. 

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.

Best-selling children's author R.L. Stine steps into the studio to discuss how kindness and unkindness have shaped both his life and his work.  

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

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• rlstine.com
• kindness.org

Follow R.L. Stine on social:

• IG: @RL_Stine1
• Twitter: @RL_Stine
• Facebook: @RL_Stine

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: R.L. Stine
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producers: Leah Fullerton, Nina Zaborney Kline
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link. 

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.

Host Jaclyn Lindsey dives into a discussion with the remarkable JoAnna Garcia Swisher to discuss the role of kindness in her work, her family, and her online initiative The Happy Place. 

Currently, Swisher stars in Netflix’s hit show “Sweet Magnolias” as ‘Maddie Townsend.’ The third season premiered on Netflix on July 20, 2023.  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. At its core, The Happy Place will ignite and inspire the inner designer in every person. She has also been inspired by her partnership with the Step Up Women’s Network and Hills Pet Nutrition. Swisher, along with her husband Nick Swisher, also 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 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. Contact us at [email protected] or on social at @kindnessorg. 

Sponsored by Verizon

Important links from this week's episode:

• thehappyplacepresents.com
• kindness.org

Follow JoAnna on social:

• Instagram: @jogarciaswisher @thehappyplace
• Twitter: @JoAnnaLGarcia
• TikTok: @joannagarciaswisher

Credits 

• Host: Jaclyn Lindsey
• Guest: JoAnna Garcia Swisher
• Producer: Melissa Malone
• Associate Producer: Becca Reed
• Assistant Producer: Leah Fullerton
• Music Composition: Chris Christiana
• Design: Ben Gibson, Christine Do, Smithfield Studio

Transcript available at this link.

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.