Kindness Matters Podcast

Mike
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 2d ago

    Kindness For The Man In The Mirror

    Send us Fan Mail The hardest kind of kindness is often the kind we refuse to give ourselves. I’m Mike Rathbun, and this is one of the most personal conversations I’ve ever shared, because it’s about men’s mental health, the pressure to stay “tough,” and what happens when we turn pain into silence. I talk through the messages many of us learned as boys: walk it off, boys don’t cry, handle it yourself. Then we get specific about how depression in men can hide in plain sight. It doesn’t always look like sadness. It can show up as anger, irritability, sixty-hour workweeks, withdrawing from people who love you, drinking too much, vaping constantly, or scrolling your phone so you don’t have to sit alone with your thoughts. If you’ve ever looked fine on the outside while feeling worn down on the inside, you’re not alone. A few weeks ago I completed a psychological assessment and received a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, recurrent, moderate, with anxious distress. I explain what that language actually means, why a diagnosis can be clarifying instead of crushing, and why men so often wait to get help. We also talk about the real stakes, including the sobering suicide statistics, and the practical paths forward: counseling, medication, and the many supports that can work together when we choose to participate in our own healing. I’m also making a temporary change in August to focus on treatment while sharing the three most listened-to episodes each week. If this conversation hits close to home, please share it with someone you care about, subscribe for what’s next, and leave a review so more people who need this can find it. This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com Support the show

    Kindness For The Man In The Mirror

  2. Jul 30

    Words That Restore Dignity

    Send us Fan Mail One careless sentence can make someone shut down for years. One kind sentence can pull them back from the edge. That’s the tension we live in every day, and it’s why I wanted to bring on Shannon Roy, a veteran trial attorney and the founder of Roy Law Firm in Denver, Colorado. She spends her life inside emotionally charged, high-stakes conversations, where communication, tone, and trust are the difference between escalation and understanding. We talk about how words can humanize or dehumanize, and why the very first moments of a conversation matter so much. Shannon shares a powerful story about a father working toward sobriety who hears his young son admit he’s afraid dad won’t be there when he comes down the slide. We also unpack a heartbreaking case involving a 10-year-old who unknowingly brought a backpack with a gun to school and faced expulsion, until a stranger’s anonymous generosity changed the family’s trajectory. These aren’t abstract “be nicer” ideas. They’re real examples of kindness and empathy shaping justice, safety, and outcomes. From there, we get practical: how to assume positive intent, how to pause before responding, why texting causes so many misunderstandings, and how ego blocks the apology that could repair a relationship. If you care about better relationships, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and building a kinder community, you’ll take away tools you can use today. Subscribe to Kindness Matters, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show. This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. “Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com  Support the show

    Words That Restore Dignity

  3. Jul 23

    The Lesson of Gander.

    Send us Fan Mail I can't believe it's been nearly 25 years.  7,000 people step off diverted planes into a town they’ve never heard of, carrying fear, exhaustion, and the sickening uncertainty of 9/11. Gander, Newfoundland a place of moose, cold weather, and a quiet airport suddenly becomes the safest spot in the world, not because it has more resources, but because it chooses to treat strangers like neighbors. We walk through how 38 flights end up on this tiny corner of North America, what it feels like to sit on a plane for hours without answers, and why the mix of passengers matters. Families, solo travelers, newly adoptive parents, and people from at least 95 countries are all stranded together, including Muslim passengers who have reason to fear being targeted. What follows is a breathtaking example of community kindness: shelters opened in schools and arenas, prescriptions filled for free, public phones set up as lifelines, and private homes offered for showers, beds, and meals. Then we zoom in on the small moments that define the larger story: kids helping clean bathrooms for strangers, a local “screech-in” ceremony that says “you belong here,” and a town that offers welcome without keeping score. We also track the long tail of generosity, from returning visits to a scholarship fund that grows past $1 million, and we ask the question that won’t let go: what if we didn’t wait for disaster to let goodness rise? If you want a story about empathy, humanitarian response, and what real belonging looks like, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com Support the show

    The Lesson of Gander.

  4. Jul 16

    How Kind Speech Builds Emotional Intelligence In Children

    Send us Fan Mail A kid isn’t “being difficult” in a vacuum. Most of the time, they’re broadcasting a need they don’t have words for, and the adults around them are deciding what that behavior means. I sit down with Bobbi Chegwyn, an Australian-born life coach turned children’s author, to talk about the hidden power of everyday language, and why the way we speak to kids becomes the way they eventually speak to themselves. Bobbi shares what changed for her when she moved to the United States and chose an unexpected job to learn her new community: driving a school bus. She created the “kind bus,” tied rules to kindness, and noticed something important about the kids labeled “challenging.” When we separate the child from the behavior and look for the belief underneath, we can turn conflict into connection. Her “railroad monitor” story is a simple, memorable example of strengths-based parenting and classroom management that actually protects dignity while improving safety. We also dig into what blocks healthy communication: assumptions, urgency, shame, fear of being wrong, and the “filters” built from culture and upbringing. We talk about how tone, timing, and body language carry meaning, why texts get misread (yes, even a period can sound angry), and how parents and teachers can use open-ended questions to help children name emotions instead of acting them out. Finally, Bobbi walks us through her Radical Ray children’s book series and how bibliotherapy can help kids explore empathy, inclusion, trust, identity, and grief through story, without forcing vulnerability too fast. If you care about emotional intelligence for kids, kinder communication at home and school, and practical tools that work in real life, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com  Support the show

    How Kind Speech Builds Emotional Intelligence In Children

  5. Jul 9

    Civic Exclusion And The Kind Communities Build

    Send us Fan Mail You can feel it before you can explain it: you show up, you speak, and it’s like the decision was made before you walked in. Now zoom that feeling out from a meeting to an entire neighborhood and you start to see what civic alienation and political powerlessness do to real human lives. I wanted a quiet, solo conversation about what happens to a community when large groups of people stop believing their voice matters, and what kindness looks like when the stakes are high. We dig into what social science says about civic exclusion and community health. When people experience learned helplessness in civic life, the ripple effects can be brutal: trust in neighbors drops, volunteerism declines, and mental health suffers. I talk through research on social capital and why participation is not just a “politics” issue, but a community stability issue. I also lean on ideas from Robert Putnam and Robert Sampson to make sense of what strengthens communities, especially the concept of collective efficacy, that shared belief that we can act together and make things better. Then we ground it in stories: the Mothers of East Los Angeles organizing with dignity and persistence, civil rights era organizing in Lowndes County built on mutual care, and modern examples like mutual aid networks, community land trusts, and participatory budgeting. Finally, I share practical ways to respond with courage: listen to understand, show up in local rooms, learn your community’s history, connect across difference, and remember that kindness is not neutral when someone is being excluded. If this lands with you, subscribe, share it with someone who feels unheard, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations. This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com Support the show

    Civic Exclusion And The Kind Communities Build

  6. Jul 2

    Bootleg Barbecue And Big-Heart Mentorship

    Send us Fan Mail A lot of people say they want to support veterans. Jon King is building systems that actually do it, one mentor match and one shared meal at a time. John spent over 20 years in the Air Force and Army, flew medevac missions, and lived the kind of pressure most of us can’t fully picture. After leaving the service and navigating disability, career shifts, and a major layoff, he put his energy into work that feels real, local, and human. We talk about Bootleg Barbecue and why feeding people is more than a side hustle. John explains how a room full of disagreement can go quiet over good food, and how that one shared “yes” becomes a bridge to everything else. From there, we dig into Veteran Reach Back Group and the Eagle Rising Foundation, including a mentorship model that removes cost barriers for mentors and mentees, and a smart way to partner with small businesses so the program can sustain itself. Jon also lays out a bigger vision: mentorship at every level, entrepreneurial support for transitioning service members, and even VR-based skill transfer that lets experienced vets coach the next generation from anywhere. If you care about veteran transition, mentorship, PTSD recovery paths, community events, and veteran entrepreneurship, this conversation delivers practical ideas and a lot of hope. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the biggest takeaway you’re going to use. This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. “Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com” Support the show

    Bootleg Barbecue And Big-Heart Mentorship

  7. Jun 25

    What If Small Kindness Is Anti Trafficking Work

    Send us Fan Mail Human trafficking can feel like a distant headline until someone explains what it really is and how it actually works. We talk with Stephanie Page, co-founder and executive director of Stories Foundation, to break down the definition in plain language: trafficking is driven by force, fraud, or coercion, and it includes both sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Stephanie explains why labor trafficking is often the bigger global problem, and why awareness matters most when it changes how we see everyday vulnerability and control. We also dig into what prevention looks like on the ground. Instead of only focusing on worst-case scenarios, Stephanie shares how Stories Foundation teaches teens, kids, and families to spot manipulation and unhealthy relationship patterns before they become gateways to exploitation. That conversation gets real fast, because manipulation is everywhere, and normalization is exactly what traffickers rely on. If you care about human trafficking prevention, healthy relationships, and practical education that communities can use, this part is for you. Then we get into survivor support and the power of community storytelling. Stephanie walks through wraparound services, from practical needs like housing help and car repairs to a therapist-led support group. We also explore the social enterprise model behind Storyteller Cafe and how a mission-driven restaurant can fund nonprofit work, provide opportunity, and serve as a daily reminder that culture change is built from small actions done together. Listen, share it with someone who needs a clearer picture of modern human trafficking, and subscribe so you do not miss the next conversation. If the show helps you, leave a review and tell us what takeaway you want to act on this week. This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com Support the show

    What If Small Kindness Is Anti Trafficking Work

  8. Jun 18

    Kindness And Recovery

    Send us Fan Mail A sober living home can be more than a roof. It can be a turning point. We sit down with Amber Miller, the founder of Angels House of Healing, to hear how she turned grief, addiction recovery, and a promise to break a generational cycle into a real transitional living community for women. Her story starts with losing her mother to alcoholism at 44, and the clarity that the deeper wound was unhealed trauma. From there, Amber shares what it took to get sober, face shame, and rebuild an identity rooted in values and integrity. We also get practical about what makes women’s sober living work day to day: creating safety and trust for residents arriving from treatment, incarceration, or unsafe housing, setting clear standards, and building a culture where kindness includes boundaries and accountability. Amber explains who Angels House of Healing is for, why the program expects readiness and inner work, and how community can help someone stop living in survival mode. A standout takeaway is the focus on independence. Amber wants women leaving with two essentials: knowing their worth and gaining financial education. We talk about financial literacy, budgeting, and even using AI tools to help residents learn money skills that many of us were never taught. We also touch on the ripple effect of healing through kids, families, friendships, and the broader community, plus Amber’s upcoming non-alcoholic one-year celebration and fundraiser, Raising Spirits, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. If this conversation hits home, subscribe to Kindness Matters, share the episode with someone in recovery, and leave a quick review so more people can find these stories. What part of Amber’s approach to healing do you want to try first? This podcast is a proud member of the Mayday Media Network — your go-to hub for podcast creators. Whether you’re just starting a podcast and need professional production support, or you already host a show and want to join a collaborative, supportive podcast network, visit maydaymedianetwork.com You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world. Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com” Support the show

    Kindness And Recovery
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    180
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Kindness Matters Podcast
  • Show Website
    Kindness Matters Podcast