The Kindness Matters Podcast
So. Much. Division. Let's talk about how to change that. Re-engage as neighbors, friends, co-workers and family. Let's set out to change the world. Strike that. Change A World. One person at a time, make someone's life a little better and then do it again tomorrow and the day after that, through kindness. Kindness is a Super-Power that each of us has within us. It is so powerful it has the potential to change not only your life but those around you, too. Let's talk about kindness.
Episodes
What if kindness isn’t a bonus trait but the backbone of how we build, lead, and create? We sit down with Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary artist Joe Charley—model, actor, musician, choreographer—to explore how empathy becomes skill, how structure unlocks flow, and why tenderness is a form of courage in high-stakes spaces.
Joe traces his journey from child performer to intentional creator, sharing the mo...
What if Alzheimer’s didn’t close a life, but opened a new way to see it? That’s the question at the heart of our conversation with author and advocate Marilyn Raichle, whose book “Don’t Walk Away: A Care Partner’s Journey” chronicles how a reluctant daughter discovered joy, humor, and dignity alongside her mother living with dementia. We move from fear to curiosity as Marilyn shares the moment a simple painting clas...
Ever feel like you’re sprinting through life in the wrong shoes? We sat down with inner glow coach and author Angie Hawkins to unpack how compassion, boundaries, and vulnerable honesty can move you from chasing approval to living with grounded confidence. Angie’s memoir, Running in Slippers, becomes a vivid metaphor for growth: sometimes playful, sometimes painful, always real. She opens up about the childhood patte...
What if a warm cup and a square of chocolate could turn fear into trust? We sit down with speaker and community builder Andrea Putting, the heart behind Chocolate and Coffee Break, to explore how small, shared rituals help people feel safe, heard, and human again. Born from the aftermath of the Sydney siege and the #IllRideWithYou wave of solidarity, Andrea’s simple practice has grown from a single day into a year-r...
New to The Kindness Matters Podcast? Start here.
If you’re looking for uplifting podcast episodes, real stories about kindness, or inspiring conversations that restore hope, this episode is the perfect place to begin.
With over 150 episodes, we’ve pulled together 5 of the most impactful, meaningful, and inspiring stories that truly represent what The Kindness Matters Podcast is all about—kindness in action, real peopl...
Compassion gets called a “soft skill,” but what if it’s the hardest form of strength? We sit down with Tammy Ward, a former RCMP leader who spent 24 years across federal, provincial, and municipal policing—from major crimes to remote northern posts—to unpack how empathy saves relationships, reduces conflict, and sustains teams in the toughest moments. Tammy shares clear, lived examples of de‑escalation through liste...
What if the strongest form of advocacy didn’t sound loud, but felt deeply human? We sit down with Whitney Price, founder and executive director of Unpuzzled Parents Connect, to unpack how empathy, clarity, and community can move mountains for families raising neurodiverse kids. From West Virginia’s resource deserts to two-hour doctor trips and long insurance battles, Whitney shows how facts over fury and kindness ov...
What if the strongest performance tool you have isn’t a dashboard, but dignity? We sit down with Paul Meunier, executive director of the Youth Intervention Programs Association, and author of the book Relationships Are Everything: What Youth Workers Teach Us About Leadership, to unpack why kindness and empathy are not soft—they’re the hard, practical skills that power trust, retention, and meaningful results. Drawin...
Welcome to The Kindness Matters Podcast — a space for people who believe small acts still change the world.
In a culture that feels loud, divided, and quick to judge, this podcast explores something quieter but stronger: kindness. Not as a cliché. Not as a slogan. But as a daily decision that shapes families, communities, and the tone of our hearts.
If you’re tired of outrage fatigue and ready for conversations that c...
A bold claim said empathy is “toxic.” We took that personally—and turned it into a rich, practical conversation about what empathy really is, how it works, and why it makes families, classrooms, and communities stronger. With consultant, author, and caregiver Linda Lemos, we move past slogans and look at empathy as a skill you can learn, teach, and use every day without lowering standards or excusing harm.
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Grief can stop you in your tracks—or it can become the ground where purpose takes root. We welcome Debbie Simmons, a “legacy architect” whose life moved from devastating loss to intentional impact, as she shares how she traded the unanswerable why for the empowering how and designed a life that serves families for generations.
Debbie tells the story of losing her quadruplets at 26 weeks and the two question...
The world feels sharper than it used to. Conversations cut faster. Systems feel colder. And many good people feel tempted to harden—not because they don’t care, but because they’re tired.
In this final bonus episode of The Kindness Matters Podcast, Mike shares why staying soft in a harsh world is not weakness—it’s courage. Drawing from his new book, Still Changing A World: Small Acts of Kindness That Make a Big Diffe...
In this bonus episode of the Kindness Matters podcast, host Mike Rathbun dives into one of the core ideas from his book Still Changing a World: Small Acts Of Kindness That Make A Big Difference; kindness is not neutral—it is courageous.
He explores why neutrality is passive while kindness is an active, often costly choice that can require comfort, convenience, and even approval. Mike reads a powerful section from t...
In this bonus episode of the Kindness Matters podcast, host Mike Rathman shares the heart and hope behind his new book, Still Changing a World: Small Acts of Kindness that Make a Big Difference.
Instead of a sales pitch, Mike offers an invitation into the “why” behind the project and reflects on what it means to keep choosing kindness in a world that feels sharper, faster, and more divided than ever. He reads a shor...
What if the smallest act of kindness could shift someone from isolation to hope? We sit down with mental health advocate, peer support specialist, and nonprofit founder Maddie Andrews to unpack what recovery really looks like for people living with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder—and why stigma keeps too many from asking for help. Maddie’s candid story moves from a year of medical crisi...
What if the safest schools aren’t the ones with the toughest rules, but the ones where every kid feels seen? We sit down with Dr. Beth Sanborn—26-year police veteran turned school safety coordinator—to unpack how compassion, trust, and everyday presence can prevent harm long before discipline or court becomes part of the picture.
Beth takes us inside the real work of a school resource officer: mentor, educa...
What happens when grit, humor, and sharp self-advocacy meet a system that still talks over disabled people? We sit down with author, podcaster, and athlete Win Charles for a wide-open conversation about cerebral palsy, pain that won’t be ignored, and the stubborn hope that keeps her training for Kona even as she prepares for a hip replacement at 37.
Win breaks down what CP actually feels like—spasticity tha...
A terrified hello on a budget flight became a life raft—and then a blueprint for community. We sit down with photographer and connection-builder Adam Schluter to explore how he turned awkward street moments into lasting friendships, a global chorus of stories, and a backyard tradition that has welcomed more than 10,000 neighbors to the same picnic tables.
Adam traces the origins of Hello From A Stranger fro...
What if kindness could rebuild a city block by block—and it started with a free concert? We sit down with Stephan Palmer, founder and CEO of Youth on Fire, to trace the journey from community shows in Hartford to a full-scale mentoring and family support network changing how youth grow, learn, and lead. Stephan’s approach is disarmingly simple: build trust first, then layer in faith, academics, and real-world creati...
A single kind gesture can flip an entire day—and sometimes an entire town. That’s the spark behind this heart-forward conversation with musician and photographer Cathy Catterson, where we explore how small, visible acts of care become a neighborhood’s safety net. From a local pizza shop offering slices to anyone who’s hungry to little free libraries turning into little free pantries, we trace the real-world ways gen...
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