We asked entrepreneurs, artists, creatives and folks from every walk of life to share stories of kindness with us because we believe that hearing about kindness inspires more kindness. Our world needs more kindness.

Julie Burke

When I think about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, I honestly think of my best friend Katherine. It is arguably impossible to describe who she is as a person and/or what our friendship is like–she is someone who knows me on a soul level and I’m in one of those amazing (and rare) situations where we’ve been by each other’s sides for the last 26 years…woah. Anyway, the process of becoming fully licensed as a clinician (I’m a licensed professional counselor…or LPC for short) is no easy feat…in a nutshell: Read more>>

Shanaillion Thompson

So my very first project… I was totally new to it all. I started recording with this guy, who was producing as well as helping me write the songs. I was working but wasn’t able to afford to finish the project. The guy had been sharing the progress with some of his fitness clients. Well a lady name Debbie asked him how the project was coming along and he told her we were at a pause do to finances. She left the gym, and called him and told him God told her to pay for the remainder of the cost for the project. I hadn’t met this lady a day in my life. Fortunately her and her husband came to the cd release party and I was able to thank them in person! Read more>>

Kalyn Chandler

In 2018, I was preparing for Effie’s Paper to be a vendor at The Essence Festival in New Orleans over July 4th weekend. The Essence Festival is an annual music festival hosted by Essence magazine, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. The movie Girls Trip with Tiffany Hadish and Jada Pinket-Smith takes place at The Essence Festival. The Essence Festival is a 4-day event with a lot of foot traffic . Read more>>

Sarah Giller Nelson

About 15 years ago I was a new mom with a very fussy baby. Early one evening, I had to make a Whole Foods run with the baby in tow. I slowly made my way through the parking lot, one hand holding the infant carrier and the other holding empty food wrappers and other bits of trash that I collected from the floor of my car. I tossed the garbage into the trash can at the entrance to the store and walked in. Read more>>

Gabriel Rhenals

Between July 31st and August 29th of last year, I spent a total of 28 hours working with one Andrew J. Garcia over video call using both Zoom and Skype. However, we weren’t convening at such length in service of some interchangeable company to determine the course of any variety of banal corporate directives. Quite the contrary, we were creatively collaborating on my second and most ambitious feature film to date, State v. Unknown. Andrew, an experienced stage and improv actor, was cast in the lead role of Cal Modesto on the film. Three years ago, he acted in a one-scene supporting role on my debut feature film, For My Sister. Quite the generous promotion! Read more>>

Margo Stutts Toombs

On a fluke in 2001, I performed a stand-up comedy routine at the Laff Stop in Houston, Texas, during open-mic night Several of my friends filled the bar to see me act ridiculous. One of my Jazzercise friends, Nan B, McCants – a scriptwriter, was in the audience, too. The day after the performance, I received a lovey e-mail from Nan. Her encouragement lifted my spirits and gave me the confidence to start writing. Read more>>

Daryl Banner

Back in 2010, I published my first book. It wasn’t successful in any way shape or form, and I’m certain that at first, the only people who read it were my friends and family. Still, telling stories was in my blood, and I wanted to continue doing it, so I immediately got to work on my second book. Discouragement quickly set in. I was working a full-time job as a manager at a movie theater, and my inspiration and energy was at an all-time low. Read more>>

Abby Malcolm

There are a lot of ways to run a business. I don’t think any of them are wrong; it’s your business and you know what works for you. I choose to treat my business as a home and the people involved in it, whether that be my customers or my artists, as family. I’ve had some people comment that I shouldn’t do business that way, that it isn’t the most effective method, but I don’t think money should be the sole focus of your business. (I mean, it should be a focus but perhaps not the all-encompassing focus. There are other things more important than that.) People, your customers or employees or contractors, should be your focus. Read more>>

Calvin Johnson

When I was in Massage school I didn’t have the funds to purchase a table. One of my loyal clients at the time purchased the table and had it delivered to my home. Thank you for that! Read more>>

Francisco Pinto

2020 beginning the pandemic, I had a very human gesture from the director of the Mocada African Diaspora Museum in New York, Amy Andrieux, her alliance with the Joan Mitchell Foundation allowed me, together with 14 African-American artists, a grant of $1000, that was very significant for me, the support of an international museum to guarantee my safety, very grateful to God Jehovah for so many gestures of love through people like Amy Andrieux. Read more>>

Akeem Scott

I think this was around FAU (Florida Atlantic University) homecoming week 2021 I was driving and fighting sleep on my long commute from Miami back to west palm. Jazzy Jeff normally calls me and talks to me on the phone about business or life until he knows I made it home safe. Jeff offered to take a 3 hour nap at his house to rest up then head back on the road as he knew I was struggling to stay awake while driving. He told me I could sleep in the room until I felt rested. I slept from 4am to about 8:30. When I was ready to leave; I saw this man on the couch with his son snoring. Read more>>

Dawn Christian

The kindest things anyone has done for me are believing in my vision, holding me accountable, and extending grace. I have had several bouts of imposter syndrome and doubt en route to becoming a business owner. I have a circle of people who provide me with psychological safety and have my back. They have inspired me to do more, even when I did not have faith that I could do it or even know how to get started. My rock is my family, and more specifically, my husband and 4-year-old son are my inspiration. Read more>>

Elizabeth Bell

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me took place during the self-publishing process of my first children’s book, Bedtime for Dragons. Self-publishing a book is very expensive so I was slowly raising money the $2,000 I needed to fully complete the process. In December 2018, I was still $800 short of being able to finalize it. I made a Facebook post to my friends saying I was still quite a bit short of money to publish my book, but I was determined to continue saving up in order to become a published author. Read more>>