Kind Conversations Rebecca Toms

Welcome to this new Kind Conversation with Michalla Brianna, founder of the nonprofit 'A Home 4 Art'. It was such a joy to chat to Michalla... I challenge you to listen to this conversation without coming away feeling inspired and wanting to try something new. Michalla hasn't had it easy, and yet, with the amazing influence of her grandma, she has used all of her experiences and thirst for life to help others... it's so inspiring! 

We talk about...
- Michalla's life before A Home 4 Art. Get this... Michalla has been a Disney Entertainer, Photographer's Assistant, Model, Children's Party Planner, Author, Singer... and so much more!
- Michalla's childhood as a daughter of professional ice skaters and how she was adopted by her grandparents. Michalla's grandmothers amazing influence on her growing up... it really is just wonderful!
- We talk about that the gift of learning something from everything that you try.
- How Michalla felt lost in her teens through to her late twenties and was always looking for meaning and purpose. She now realises that everything she experienced as a child... and everything she has tried and learnt since, has brought her to this point with A Home 4 Art.
- The power of living a life of curiosity! You can do anything... go for it!
- The birth of A Home 4 Art and how it took a great deal of bravery and courage; acknowledging everything she had been through, and everything she had experienced creatively, bringing it all together to help others.
- Imposter syndrome and the danger of thinking other people know what they're doing and that they have had confidence all along.
- Michalla's journey from a place of not feeling worthy of success and happiness to a place of self love and compassion.
- How A Home 4 Art gives children a naturally therapeutic creative space to help them process their emotions and explore their interests in a fun and safe environment.
- How it can take one person or one moment to have a positive impact and potentially change the course of someone else's life!

(All this and we didn't even touch on "The Barrie Patch" where Michalla publishes and sells her inspirational children's books, apparel, and games. That's got to be another podcast!)

To follow A Home 4 Art, you will find them here...
https://ahome4art.org
https://www.instagram.com/ahome4art/
https://www.facebook.com/ahome4art/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaD4ci6UNwJtQ2sIyKuNvew
https://thebarriepatch.wixsite.com/books
Thank you so much for listening! Rebecca x

Welcome to this new Kind Conversation with Jaime Thurston - founder of 52 Lives, the School of Kindness and author of 'KINDNESS the little thing that matters most'. I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this conversation. I have been such a huge fan of Jaime's and I couldn't have been more excited to have the opportunity to sit down and chat about the amazing work she does.
 
We talk about...
- Jaime's life before 52 Lives
- the reality of being a stay at home mum and our joint dislike of parks and imaginary play (sorry, but it's true!)
- how an advert for a rug lead to the birth of 52 Lives
- the amazing supporters of 52 Lives - and how they are SO loyal and engaged
- the School of Kindness, and how Greig (Director of Kindness) runs the most amazing workshops, and this year sees the launch of their new website along with new kind resources for schools from live Q&A's to kindness grants
- the importance of teaching kindness and empathy in schools - sowing the seeds of kindness
- being kind to unkind people, and how Jaime's own experience with a 'difficult' shop assistant that resulted in such compassion and kindness
- how Jaime tries to be kind to herself
- how it really felt when 52 Lives was featured on Surprise Suprise and their following grew by the thousands overnight
- the power of sharing individual stories - stories that people can relate to no matter of their background
And, there is so much more! I will forever be a supporter of 52 Lives and the amazing work that they do and I truly hope, if you're not already, that you will be too after this conversation. To follow 52 Lives, you will find them here...

https://www.instagram.com/52.lives/
https://www.facebook.com/52lives
https://twitter.com/52lives
https://www.52-lives.org/
https://schoolofkindness.org/
Thank you so much for listening! Rebecca x

Welcome to this new Kind Conversation with Boomer Perrault from the kind social media campaign '1 a Week' and "Unapologetically Me - a mental health podcast". Boomer shared the heartfelt story of how '1 A Week' came about and how every act of kindness has the ability to make a difference in someone's life. He was kind enough to share details of his aspirations for the years ahead and it's clear, although hugely successful, this is just the start of Boomer's amazing journey and he has so much to offer - it really is inspiring.
 
We talk about...
- how heartbreak lead to the inspiration behind the social media campaign '1 A Week'.
- how, although out of his comfort zone, Boomer then began his podcast to address conversations around mental health
- the power of a smile or a simple 'hello'
- the kindness challenge of '1 A Week' and how it has resulted in approximately 7,000 kind deeds shared in 2 years
- how kindness is free and Boomer demonstrates this with a recent project he has lead to help the homeless people in his community
- the fact that kindness can take courage and sometimes you have to face the fear and challenge yourself
- trying something new and not being afraid to say when it isn't working or you don't enjoy it anymore. "The best way to learn is to do".
- Boomer's amazing dreams around starting a charity to mentor and be a positive role model to High School children in lower income areas.
- it's not about the number of people you reach or the number of followers you have, it's the ability to change someone's life for the better.
Boomer is on such a wonderful journey of kindness and I just love the fact that he's learning at every step and evolving all the time. His kindness deserves to be nurtured and celebrated - we're all behind you Boomer! To follow his journey come and take a look here...
https://www.instagram.com/_1aweek/
https://www.facebook.com/1aWeekChallenge/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unapologetically-me-a-mental-health-podcast/id1438050247
Thank you so much for listening! Rebecca x

I am so proud to welcome you to this new Kind Conversation with Jen Gale, author of "The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide"- Everything You Need to Know to Make Small Changes That Make a Big Difference. Jen's positive attitude, humour and realistic approach to becoming more sustainable is a breath of fresh air. We cover so much in this conversation, including...

- Jen's decision to have a whole year without buying ANYTHING new (no small task with two young children and a husband who argued his daily paper didn't count.)
- The realisation that we all need to take responsibility for the climate crisis and we can make a difference through small changes.
- How we need to change our habits and mindset when it comes to buying new.
- Jen's journey from writing a blog through to a publishing deal.
- Taking the judgement and overwhelm out of living a sustainable life.
- How the small changes can be so easy to implement.
- Approaching parenting from a sustainable standpoint and how, as parents, we need to work together and support one another.
- Extinction Rebellion, and how we can all be activists in our own homes.
- How we need to nurture our inner-happiness and stop being so easily led by advertising and promises that a product will make us happier.
- Ways to get the family involved and to start the conversation.

I loved this conversation - Jen's book is packed full with facts (that will make your jaw drop), solutions, resources and ideas... it's written in such an approachable way that I found myself immersed within minutes. If you'd like to follow Jen, you will find her here...

https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/
https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/the-sustainableish-living-guide/
https://www.instagram.com/sustainableish/
https://www.facebook.com/mymakedoandmendlife/
https://twitter.com/sustainableish

Thank you so much for listening! 
Rebecca

Welcome to this new Kind Conversation with Christina Menkemeller from the nonprofit 'Being Positioned', a charity that sends adults with critical, life-altering rare genetic disorders on an all expenses paid trip of a lifetime within the US. In 2016, Christina was finishing her Master's Degree in Social Work and getting married, completely unaware of what was to come. Later that year Christina was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder (NF2) changing the course of her life in every way! Christina shares her amazing story of how this diagnosis has brought about the birth of the nonprofit 'Being Positioned' and how Christina and her husband, Cardin, have chosen to live with gratitude for everything they get to experience and create together. Trust me... it's just amazing!  
We talk about...
- how life can change course unexpectedly and how that can actually be quite liberating.
- Christina and Cardin's unlikely adventure... quitting their jobs and escaping the every day to be a normal newlywed couple.
- learning to look for adventure and fun in everything!
- letting go of your pride and just going for it!
- finding the gifts in the face of challenges.
- when you're feeling stuck and everything's going wrong, you're 'being positioned' for something greater/better.
- the isolation of rare genetic disorders and how social media has been such an amazing tool in helping people to connect with one another from all around the world.
- the road ahead with 'Being Positioned' and how they would like to give others the opportunity they had to escape the norm and live life to the fullest in spite of their condition.
I ended this conversation with nothing but admiration for Christina, and Cardin, - they truly are remarkable individuals and the world is a better place for their positive attitudes and their mission to help others. To find out more about 'Being Positioned' and to follow their adventures, you can find them here...
https://beingpositioned.org/
https://www.instagram.com/beingpositioned/
https://www.facebook.com/beingpositioned/
https://www.instagram.com/christinamenkemeller/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWnNuhgzpV0NCLOdqbMqCeQ
Thank you so much for listening! Rebecca x

Welcome to this new Kind Conversation with Amy Giddon, CEO and Co-Founder of the amazing app 'Daily Haloha' - a simple daily routine to help you feel a little more connected to yourself and the rest of humanity. It seems so fitting to begin the year with this conversation - such a wonderful way to introduce a new routine into your day that will give you the opportunity to reflect and to connect with others all around the world!
We talk about...
- How the collective bewilderment and disconnection of Americans following the last presidential election left many people searching for connection and belonging.
- How a simple public art display resulted in something so unifying and uplifting that it stopped people in their tracks.
- The power of these collective experiences and how they have the ability change lives and reunite humanity.
- The rare opportunity to be anonymous and take part in something that carries no judgement or fear of getting it wrong.
- How following your instincts and making the smallest step can bring about something amazing. Say "yes" and follow your values.
- The challenges of taking a heart-centred enterprise and ensuring it can grow effectively in order to make an impact in the long term.
- The magic of Daily Haloha - how it works and how it has been described as "Facebook and Headspace having a baby"!
- The responsibility behind each and every question posted within the app - Amy takes this very seriously.
- How sharing both our triumphs and our struggles can be such a positive experience and how both have the ability to bring us closer together.
- The future of Daily Haloha. The app has been downloaded in over 65 countries (prior to any marketing) and the appetite for this experience is clearly high. We talk about the potential opportunities for growth going forward.
What a wonderful way to kick off 2020. It was such a treat talking to Amy. I look forward to receiving my Daily Haloha each day - I hope you will too. You can find 'Daily Haloha' at...
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/daily-haloha-self-reflection/id1429621546
https://www.dailyhaloha.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dailyhaloha/
https://www.facebook.com/DailyHaloha/
Thank you so much for listening! Rebecca x