Kindness begets kindness. So, wanted to create a space to share and amplify stories of kindness with the hope that it inspires a chain reaction.

Jill Lees

My grandma had so much kindness. She had written out our Irish ancestry so I could explore the areas our family came from when I lived there. It was such a beautiful gift of love that deepened my connection to my roots. I also lived with her for a time while commuting to an internship in NYC, and we grew so close during that period. When I recently returned to Ireland with family, those memories of exploring our ancestry came flooding back, and it made me so happy. Moments like these remind me how lucky I am to have had her thoughtfulness and love shape my life. Read more>>

Carrie Moore

I like this question because I can genuinely say the most generous act of kindness shown to me related to my business wasn’t just from a single person. It was a collective of caring people who genuinely want to see me thrive. From friends supporting me by buying my clothing, helping me logistically at events, people connecting me with others to help grow my business; offering free advise and tools, small loans, time, brand loyalty, encouragement, and love. Because of all of these people, I am growing my business and really starting to see the impact it’s beginning to make. It’s a domino effect. I want this to be encouraging to those who think they’re doing it all alone. When I take a moment to have gratitude and reflect on my journey, I realize I was never alone either. Read more>>

Lucretia Stenson

I really try to live in gratitude, and there are so many people that have shown me kindness, it’s hard to narrow it down to just one experience. The kindest thing someone has done for me could be as simple as holding a door open while I walked in on crutches. However, the moment that stands out the most is hearing my aunt and granny tell me I can do anything I put my mind to growing up. It was such a simple gesture, but their words set me up to be the ambitious woman I am today. Read more>>

Shannon Downey

I have so many stories of people’s kindness but the most overwhelming happened in the early days of the pandemic. I had been planning a tour for over a year. I gave up my full-time job to commit to doing my work as an art activist full-time. I gave up my apartment, sold everything I owned, bought an RV, and planned to spend a year touring the country. I had over 100 events booked. Then, covid hit. All of my events were canceled. I had no idea what I was going to do. Additionally, most of the RV parks in the country had closed due to the pandemic. I didn’t even have a place to park my new home. I was terrified. This could be the end of me financially. Once I stopped crying, I got to work looking for a pivot. I went to my digital community and asked if folks had a relatively flat driveway and an outdoor plug if they might host me for a few nights. Within days, over 3,000 people had signed up via my google doc! Every state in the country was covered. Read more>>

Heather Strickland+

Many of my clients have shown appreciation for my work. I have several fond memories of clients gifting me everything from custom cookies and fruit bouquets for my birthday, to beautiful fresh flowers just because they know I love them. Some have even gifted me gorgeous dream dresses for my client closet. Read more>

Jonah Belle

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me was to create a sacred space where I could explore my own freedom within the sanctuary of unconditional love. For most of my life, I felt tethered to the expectations and conditions set by others, unaware that I had the power to choose my own truth, my own desires. Love, as I knew it, always came with strings attached—its acceptance contingent on how well I fit into someone else’s mold. Read more>>

Michelle Barlow

Kindness has many forms, but for me, the kindest thing anyone has ever done is to truly listen. Not just hearing my words but really understanding my story—the pain, the struggles, the moments that left me feeling invisible. The past few years have been a whirlwind of change, heartache, and growth. Almost two years ago, I made the hardest decision of my life: I left a 14-year relationship, which included a 9-year marriage. It wasn’t just the end of a relationship; it felt like the end of a life I had built. Divorce takes more than just the person you thought you’d spend forever with—it can take away friendships, trust, financial stability, your sense of identity, and an entire community that you thought would always be there. Read more>>

Yolanda Mitchell

The most inspiring thing someone has ever done for me was to give me a chance and believe in me. During a time in my life when I was just beginning to discover myself and lacked confidence, a remarkable person took me under their wing, guiding me and showing me the way. They entrusted me with their knowledge and shared personal insights, which helped build my confidence. To this day, I hold deep love, honor, and respect for this incredible woman of God. My life has been forever transformed, and now I have the privilege of introducing others to this extraordinary woman. Read more>>

Phillip Cagen

This is a hard one, and I guess it’s kind of a two part answer, but absolutely career related, and at the very beginning of my documentary career for sure. I was starting to work on a feature length documentary film about mental health; the subject of the film also being the director. I had only been on the project for a few months at most, I didn’t know the director, Dara very well yet. Dara did know however I was a HUGE Chicago Blackhawks fan, this was during the time that were really great and winning Stanley cups. Read more>>

Amick Cutler

As a creative, there are many facets that Embody that label. A lot of my creative friends can do many things well but typically we only make a living with one or none of those things. I chose to make a living in the design industry, however my heart and soul is music. I remember one time sitting across the table from a new friend and business mogul. He was asking me what I like to do aside from work. I was in the middle of helping him brand a new venture and we were just catching up on life. I was reluctant to answer because sometimes when you ramble on about something you love but aren’t really pursuing it, you can kinda sound pretentious but I proceeded. I told him about my history of musicianship and songwriting and how I always wanted to go all out to record an instrumental album. Rarely do songwriters waste that kind of money on a record that doesn’t really say anything lyrically but I always wanted to try because I’m inspired by instrumental music personally. He said casually, “you should do it!” To which I replied, “I’d love to, but I’ve added it up and I don’t have the $50k to do that, but maybe someday” He smiled and said, “no, you should do it”…then gave me the $50k to do just that. It was pretty unreal, and definitely the kindest thing anyone has ever done for me. Months later I flew out to Oregon and spent 2 weeks recording that record. It was pretty amazing Read more>>

Julia Haw

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me, has been my mother (and of course, father) always supporting my creative talents even from a young age – even through their own fears that it could be a more difficult life path for me. I had an art studio in my parents basement growing up, filled with pens, papers, how-to books and art supplies. Through the continuous access to space, materials and a deep sense of parental nurturing I always felt safe to pursue my creative path. Read more>>