Month: February 2023

Let’s Start with Why (and How)

In this short episode, you’ll learn “The Why” this podcast exists and also “The How” we plan to create a kinder world together by making Time to be Kind with Marly Q each week!

Join our Kind QREW community – Click here

“We can raise our standard to treat ourselves, each other, and this world that we all inhabit and share, with more kindness.” – #marlyQuotes

Listen to this Episode and….

1. Learn why the time to be kind is NOW
2. Discover how simple it can be to start creating a kinder world, today
3. Learn the real meaning of self-care and the #1 factor that determines your wellness
4. Be inspired by Marly Q’s story prioritizing self-care and wellness, over service
5. Be invited to join our movement to spread kindness worldwide

About Marly Q:

Kindness Influencer, Leadership Trainer, and Community-Builder on a mission to create a kinder world for over two decades. Through her podcast, she invites listeners to make “Time to Be Kind” each week to receive a spark of kindness, connection and community. 

Join our Kind QREW community private Facebook Group – Join – Kind QREW

 

Connect with Marly Q:

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/MarlyQ 

Instagram: https://instagram.com/MarlyQ 

Facebook: https://facebook.com/theMarlyQ

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MarlyQ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marlyq

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@theMarlyQ

 

Other Links:

Marly Q Tedx Talk: Kindness is Your Superpower: https://bit.ly/marlyqtedxtalk

Kind QREW+ Membership: https://marlyq.com/kind-qrew/

Programs & Courses: https://marlyq.com/programs/ 

Speaking, Training & Retreats: https://sparkcsr.com 

 

Other Episodes you’ll enjoy:

EP : 26 – How Dare You (NOT)?

EP: 31 – Kindness Matters 365 with Laura Reiss

EP: 14 – The Currency of Kindness

EP: 04 – Why Smile?

TRANSCRIPTION:
00:00
<affirmative>, you’ve heard it. I’ve heard it. Start with why. Of course I get it. It’s important. You must start with why, but if you’re anything like me, you also wanna know how, who, what, and when. <laugh>, you wanna know the answer to all those questions. So that’s sounds like you and you wanna know the why of this podcast, but also the how we’re gonna create a kinder world, stay tuned. 

00: 51
Welcome! Thank you so much for making time to be kind with me, your host and kind guide, Marly Q, kindness influencer, leadership trainer and community builder. That’s what we’re doing here on time to be kind with Marly Q, we are building community. 

Why does this podcast exist? It exists to be the spark of kindness, connection, and community in the world. Each and every week. I want you and I to make time to be kind together to simply exchange kindness, what I call the currency of kindness, right?

01:28
If we can exchange the currency of kindness and value that just as much as we value monetary currency, I think that we could really shift our culture and our world into a kinder place, obviously. But I also think that we can enrich our own lives and the quality of our wellness when we make time to be kind and to who, who are we making time to be kind to here? I wanna emphasize the importance of making time to be kind to yourself first and foremost. As a matter  of fact, if you’re catching us right now at the launch of our season two, you know, or you heard in my intro episode that I took about two and a half years off or away from this podcast mike, very intentionally to focus and prioritize being kind to myself. I desperately needed the time to focus on my own mental health and wellbeing. 

02:28
Transitioning and becoming a mom of two baby boys during a global pandemic, having just experienced my then event consulting business, basically come to a standstill, a halt, and having no source of income, right? Coming into the home while, you know, you’re, you’re experiencing parenthood is incredibly stressful event. And it wasn’t the first time that I had experienced an event like that back in 2008. I experienced a financial crisis, um, that some say was even worse than the Great Depression or have compared it to that in 2008, uh, is when I decided to quit my job and become an entrepreneur. And I just bought my first home. And it was just these series of events that when the 2008 real estate crash happened, I actually experienced bankruptcy and I had to rebuild from this place of having lost everything, right? So I had already experienced that and had lifted myself up and had started a business from that in 2008.  

03:28
So when 2020 came around, and albeit it was the first health pandemic I had ever experienced, I knew what it felt like to have rug sweeped under you and kind of be at zero or be at negative, right? With all of your, your finances. And I just took a moment in March of 2020 to kind of sit with that reality that was happening. Hold my belly. I was about just maybe five months old or uh, five months, uh, pregnant at the time, maybe a little less. And I’m like, what are we gonna do? I don’t know how we’re gonna get out of this, but I know why I need to get out of this in one piece, right? I am creating life. I refused to flood my body with stress, hormones and anxiety and worry and fear and everything that we were all experiencing in March of 2020.  

04:17
And I really kind of treated and assessed, right? Just made some time to be kind to myself how I was feeling, my reality, sit with it and then come up with, all right, why is this important that I, you know, get back up right after feeling like you’re knocked down? Why is it important to get back up? And for me, it was my, my boys, my husband, my family. There’s no greater reason for me to lift myself back up by the bootstraps, so to speak, and recreate a business from a place of alignment this time a business that I had spent well over a decade building through really hard work and hustle and sweat and tears and blood, sometimes literally, uh, right? Having to be forced by life circumstances and events to stop working, to stop in that direction and give myself some time and some space to let all of that chaos settle in my mind and ask, how can I lift myself back up?

05:09
Where are my greatest strengths and abilities and skills? What have I been preparing for all this time in order to put into action today? And what I came up with back then in March of 2020 was now’s the time. That time to be kind is now and launch this podcast, uh, as a way to keep our community connected in a time and place where we were all forced to be disconnected and be in our homes and have our whole schedule and team interrupted, right? And then how are we gonna come back and, and stay connected? The podcast was my way and I started turning on this camera and standing behind a mic and practicing something that years before I was absolutely terrified to do and really unwilling to do. And if you want to refer back to that story, there’s episode, I believe 26 with Luli b I will link it in the show notes so that you can hear kind of the, the journey from when I first wanted to start this podcast to when I actually started it in April of 2020, and then why I stopped, right?  

06:08
29 episodes in why Time to be Kind with Marly Q kind of came to an abrupt stop and I did not stand behind this mic again for another two and a half years. What happened? Why was that time period, the simplest way I can put it is that I was practicing what I’m preaching on this podcast. I was making time to be kind to myself first and foremost so that I can fill my own cup and give from a place of overflow, right? Actually really embodying that and modeling that, not just for you PARKer’s listening or for my community, but for myself, right? And for my children to be able to see their, their mom, their parents making time to be kind to themselves, their own mental health and wellbeing, prioritizing that and making time to be kind to others and extending that kindness out into the community in whatever way you are most called to do.  

07:01
For whatever reason, using my voice and putting out this podcast is what I was called to do despite my brain resisting it for many, many, many years. And my own lack of willingness to step out, like into the light and be visible and be seen and become a quote unquote kindness influencer and brand myself in this way was something that really took, uh, a process, uh, a bit of a healing journey and a mindset shift and practice a lot of practice for me to be able to come back on here and relaunch season two as a mom of two, as a mom that takes care of her mental health and wellbeing as a mom that is back at the gym as at the start of this year, right? And, and re having rebuilt my business now Marly, Q L L C, from a place of alignment, from a place where I can share my voice as an inspirational speaker.  

08:00
I can share my skills and my expertise and leadership by training with workshops and retreats, whether they’re virtual or in person, right? And also as a community builder, bringing all of my 20 plus years of experience in creating events into my community building effort here with you, with Time to Be Kind with Marly Q, our community is called our Kind QREW. And QREW is with the letter Q, of course for Marly Q. And if you’re part of my Kind QREW, one of the founders, right when we started this Facebook page back in 2020, thank you. There’s over 300 plus PARKers or people that perform acts of random kindness in our Kind QREW private Facebook group already. If you are not part of it, what you waiting for the party after each and every episode is gonna happen in that private Facebook group, you can ask questions, you can give feedback, and we can interact and engage and build our community in there, okay?

08:57
So if you’re listening to this, now’s the time to click the link that’ll be in the show notes to join our Kind QREW community. Introduce yourself. And there’s where we’ll engage. Our Kind QREW is a global online community of people just like you and me who perform acts of random kindness. I call these people my PARKers. PARKers is an acronym for people who Perform Acts of Random Kindness. So there, you have to know this about me already by now. I love acronyms. I’ve been called a Serial Economist, and I love that <laugh> title because I am, I definitely love and utilize acronyms as an educational framework to help us kind of break down what can sometimes be complex or kinda intangible concepts into something that’s practical and we can actually implement into our daily lives to elevate our wellbeing, right? 

09: 51
And I believe that the number one factor in wellness, the number one factor that drives how you feel is kindness.

10:01
How kind are you to yourself with the voice in your head? How kind are you with your actions on a daily basis and your rituals or your quote self-care, right? The kind of self-care that has nothing to do with how many, you know, manicures and pedicures and massages, et cetera, right? I Nothing to do with those, even though that is a kind of self-care. What I mean is really the kind of self-care that is rooted in kindness, right? And supporting yourself through this life that’s not easy for anyone, right? So this podcast, the Why of Time to Be Kind with Marly Q truly is to simply be the spark of kindness, meaningful connections, and a sense of community. I invite you into it. You’re here in my home. If you’re watching on YouTube, um, or if you’re listening right on your favorite podcast player, wherever it is, join me here each and every week and then over in our private Facebook group so that we can engage and connect with each other there.  

10:54
Why? Because the time to be kind is now. The time to be kind is always now, but right now, more than ever, I believe is the time for us to unite around this simple idea and standard for mankind. 

11: 07
We can raise our standard to treat ourselves each other and this world that we all inhabit and share with more kindness. That’s what I hope that this podcast brings to you each and every week, is that little spark that reminds you that there are kindhearted, kind minded PARKer superheroes out there in the world that are spreading kindness each and every day in small ways, in grand ways, in any way, right? We launched season two with Laura Reiss and our episode of Kindness Matters 365. We started with Why? Why does this matter? Because kindness matters 365 days a year. This isn’t just about a nice philosophy that I want you to agree with.  

11:50
This is about an actual strategy for living and a skill that you and I can master in order to support our own wellness and wellbeing. Those that we love, those around us and everybody that we interact with, and together as a whole, we can really shift our culture into one that is more kind and of service to one another. And isn’t that what you and I want? That is the why of Time to be Kind with Marly Q. Our vision is a World where Everyone Performs Acts of Random Kindness. Our vision, I used to say that, and I used to say my vision because this was the vision that I had back when I was 10 years old. And if you want to listen to my Ted Talk where I share the story, I will also link it in the show notes. And since I was 10 years old to date, where I’m going to celebrate a big birthday this year, I’ll tell you more about that later in another episode.  

12:41
This whole time I still believe in this vision, and I’ve grown to learn that it’s not about me or you, it’s about we and the power that we have to create this world that we all wish to see. A World where Everyone Performs Acts of Random Kindness.. And my mission as a kindness influencer, as a speaker, as a leadership coach, as a community builder here with you right now as your friend, my mission is to simply be the spark of kindness, connection, and community. The one that reminds you of how important it is to practice kindness in your everyday life towards yourself, towards those around you, and to the greater community in whatever capacity you are able to. And to also remind you that no act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted, you can be the spark of kindness today. Because every day is an opportunity to Perform Acts of Random Kindness. #wePARK  

13:37
The hashtag for my movement that I started in 2010 together with a small group of people and has grown organically to thousands, maybe countless of lives by now, started with a birthday party. A birthday party where I stood on stage, invited my friends and say, Hey, I wanna inspire you to PARK and I wanna call this movement “wePARK” and we’re gonna start a nonprofit, and we’re gonna start all this. And that all started in September of 2010. So we’re gonna be celebrating a big anniversary this year and a big birthday this year in September of 2023. And you all will be personally invited more on that later. But for now, I wanted to record this episode to really give you the why, to start with why our vision, our mission, and really the how are we going to create this world where everybody performs acts of random kindness.  

14:22
How we’re gonna do it is by showing up and being that spark of kindness in your own homes, in your own mind, in your own family, in your own workplaces, in your community, and in whatever way you can extend that kindness out into the world in your small way. It all makes a difference each and every day. That’s what I’m here to remind you to. I’m so, so excited for what we have in store for season two of Time to be Kind with Marly Q, thank you for joining me on this through Facebook group. If you haven’t already, request the access to join by simply clicking the link here in our show notes, and it’s gonna ask you for your email address. Please give us a good preferred email address that you actually open, because that’s where we’re going to be emailing you every time we have our, podcast episodes. And you don’t wanna miss it, right? Our promise is not to spam or to ever sell your information. It is safe with me. So please, go out there, put your actual email address so that we can send you our podcast Community emails. They’ll be inspirational and they will enrich your life with the spark of kindness, I promise.

OUTRO

Thank you for spending this time with me. I cannot wait to see you next week. If you liked this episode, please go ahead and hit a like or a comment, subscribe, review. Do your part to spread this message, because Time to be Kind with Marly Q is with YOU. The only way that we’re gonna spread kindness is by doing it together. So thank you again for being part of this movement to spread kindness worldwide. See you next time!

Today we’re making Time to be Kind with Marly Q and Laura Reiss, founder of Kindness Matters 365, a nonprofit organization that is working to create a kinder world through educating children about being kind and grateful for who they are. You’ll be inspired by the story of how this one small after school club turned into a global movement to create a kinder world through teaching social and emotional well-being to kids and teens. You’re invited to join our global community, called Kind QREW, and engage with Marly Q and Laura after the episode.

Join Our Community Here: Kind QREW

Kindness Matters 365 with Laura Reiss

“My commitment is that one day this is a mandatory part of the school’s curriculum. We must teach children about being kind to themselves and navigating life, about being empowered.”

– Laura Reiss, Founder of the Kindness Matters 365 Foundation

Laura Reiss is the founder of Kindness Matters 365, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, that educates children about being kind to themselves and others. She has been working to create a kinder world for over a decade, and her organization has trained over 500 ambassadors and is in over 100 programs in 10 states.

Laura was raised to be grateful and kind, so when she had children of her own she wanted to ensure they were raised in an environment of kindness also. She started the Kindness Matters 365 Foundation, which began with the intention of teaching children about being grateful for who they are and how their actions affect others. Through her work, she witnessed the transformation of children, going from bullies to generous and kind individuals.

Her goal is to have a mandatory Kindness Matters 365 program in every school in the world, and she is well on her way to achieving this. She is dedicated to teaching children how to be self-aware and self-regulated, so that they can become a new generation of kind-minded people creating global kindness.

 

Listen to this Episode and …

1. Be inspired by the story of how one small after school club turned into a global movement!
2. Learn how kindness is transforming education in over 100 schools nationwide, and growing!
3. Remember the importance of educating and empowering children to recognize their own value, be mindful of their actions, and show kindness wherever they go!
4. Receive an invitation to join a global community of kindness ambassadors worldwide!

 

Connect with Laura Reiss & Kindness Matters 365:

Website: https://kindnessmatters365.org/

Upcoming Event: https://kindnessmatters365.org/community-wellness-fest/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kindness-matters-365

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kindnessmatters365/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kindnessmatters365org/

 

Connect with Marly Q:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlyq/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlyQ/

Facebook: https://facebook.com/theMarlyQ/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarlyQ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marlyq

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themarlyq

 

Other Links & Resources:

Join our Kind QREW Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kindqrew

Join our Kind QREW+ Membership: https://marlyq.com/kind-qrew/ 

Programs & Courses: https://marlyq.com/programs/ 

Marly Q Speaking, Training & Retreats: https://sparkcsr.com

 

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

EP 20 – International Youth Day

EP 16 – World Youth Skills Day

 

TRANSCRIPTION:

00:00    Can you imagine living in a world where kindness mattered 365 days of the year? Our guest today believes we can all do our part to create a kinder world. And she’s been working to prove over the past decade that achieving global kindness is very possible. Wanna know how? Stay tuned for episode 31 of Time to be Kind with Marly Q. 

00:42    Thank you for making time to be kind with me and our PARKer today. Laura Reiss. Before we jump into telling you about Laura, this is your first time in my world. Welcome. You must know right off the bat, I’m a serial acronymist and a PARKer is my acronym and a name for people who Perform Acts of Random Kindness. Like you listening, you’re a superhero PARKer, just like Laura and me, and we’re all part of what I call my Kind QREW. It’s a global community of kind minded people who are out being this spark of change that we all wish to see in the world. If you’re not part of my Kind QREW private Facebook group yet, I’ll go ahead and plug that in here. Make sure to join in after the episode and say hello. Laura’s in there. She was actually one of our founding members of our Kind QREW Facebook group, and she’s also the founder of Kindness Matters 365 a 501c3 nonprofit organization, which began as a small afterschool club in South Florida. And it’s become a global movement that educates children about being kind to themselves and others, and not just that it also equips these young kids and teens with the knowledge and the skills that they need for their social and emotional wellbeing. Oh yeah. Take a nice deep breath, everyone smile and get ready to receive a spark of inspiration today. Let’s listen. 

02:02
Marly Q    Welcome to the show, Laura Reiss, thank you so much for making the time to be kind today. 

02:07
Laura Reiss Thank you so much for inviting me. I’m so honored to be here with you. 

0:11
Marly Q    Are you kidding? I was gonna knock on that door as many times as I had to knock in order to get you to answer. I know you’re so busy spreading kindness 365 days of the year. 

02:19
Laura Reiss    You got that right, just like you spreading kindness 365 days of the year. But I do appreciate you knocking on my door a few times and staying supportive of me being here today. 

02:29
Marly Q    Thank you. Yes, absolutely. Are you kidding? I follow your wonderful movement and your work. That’s what I absolutely love and admire and respect and celebrate about you and the great work that you’ve been doing for well over a decade. Could you please share with us your story? How did Kindness 365 and your Samaritan Clubs all get started? Tell us who you’re, 

02:51
Laura Reiss    Wow. Well thank you. Thank you for that. So my name is Laura Reiss and I’m the founder of the Kindness Matters 365 Foundation, which did start out with the name Samaritans 365. So we no longer are Samaritans 365. We are the Kindness Matters 365 Foundation. And truly the root of it all is that I was raised, well, my parents really did teach me about being grateful, showing compassion for others and being kind. And that’s the short version of my life. So that’s how I was raised, and that’s all I knew. That’s really all I knew. And you know, going through life and navigating like how to figure it all out, I was very aware of the kindness and very aware of the unkindness and continuing to be kind in my world and through my actions. And as a young mother raising my young three children, my three girls, I wanted them to be in an environment where they were kind and others were kind. 

03:50
Laura Reiss    So in 2008, I went to my oldest daughter’s elementary school and asked if I could start a kindness program. And in this kindness program, my intention was to really teach the children about being grateful for who they are, not for who they wanna be, not for who their next door neighbor is or what you have, but what do you look inside of your own life and what are you grateful for? Now, from that place of gratitude, be mindful about how you’re speaking, how you’re acting, how it affects you, how it affects other people. And then show kindness wherever you go. Show kindness to yourself. Show kindness at home to your siblings and to your family, and to your parents. Show kindness in the classroom on the soccer field, show kindness everywhere. And these programs, the kids loved it. They loved it. They were soaking it all up. 

04:38
Laura Reiss    They asked a ton of questions. Now, some of the children, they get it at home and so let’s reinforce it in school. Some of the children really had no idea what I was talking about. And so it was the first opportunity for them to really look at what are they grateful for in their lives? How are they speaking and acting, and how it affects others and where are they showing kindness and giving them more ideas about how to show kindness and more ideas about what they’re grateful for. So this program quickly turned into a once a month after school where I invited different foundations and organizations to come talk to the children about how they give back, how they’re of service, what they do. And then the really key part and component of this whole programming was that we asked the kids to do a hands-on project to give back to that organization.

05:25
Laura Reiss    And it really was this amazing opportunity for kids to feel an experience at any age. And now this is elementary school. So, and let me give you an example. I think that would be helpful, right? So if the Humane Society, an animal shelter came in and talked to the kids about the importance of taking care of animals, saving lives, all of that, the kids ask questions and then they make pull toys. Or you know, they take t-shirts and rip them up and make pull toys to give to the humane society. They create adopt me banners and bandanas, and the kids don’t realize how important and valuable they are right now today, what, what positive change they can make right now today. So five years of running this one program at our local elementary school, sunrise Park, and I really got to watch the transformation of human beings. 

06:14
Laura Reiss    I got to watch these kids blossom into these beautiful kind to themselves and to each other, to their classmates. I got to watch the bully of the school become the most generous, opening up the door for their teachers, sharing pencils with their classmates. I really got to watch transformation. So I really saw that this was so valuable and so important and really was for every child in the world. So in 2014, I started a foundation with a commitment to have a kindness program in every school in the world. I’m gonna fast forward because there’s so much more I could talk about. To date. We have over 500 trained ambassadors. We are in over 100 programs in 10 states. We are growing strong, we are growing fast, and we see the value and the importance of really teaching, educating, and inspiring children to be kind to themselves and to others. Short version!

07:18
Marly Q    My cheeks hurt so much from smiling 

07:21
Laura Reiss    <laugh>, <laugh>. I know. Welcome to my welcome to my world.

07:26
Laura Reiss    You know, these, this is, you know, we as a foundation are committed to global kindness. And when I say global kindness, I am really talking about a new generation of kind minded people because the work that we’re doing now, educating, inspiring the spark in these children’s hearts and minds, they will grow up and teach their children who will grow up and teach their children. So, so global kindness is very possible. And actually the work that we’re doing now will benefit generations to come when my children, my children make fun of me. Because listen, we, I, you and I breathe, sleep, eat kindness, right? And I tell them that this is for them. This is not about me. This is for them raising their children who will eventually be raising their children in a kind world. Yes, 

08:17
Marly Q    Exactly. 

08:18
Laura Reiss    It’s a simple formula, don’t you think? 

08:20
Marly Q    I do. And I’m all about that formula and the simple acts of kindness and make a profound difference as you’re sharing your story. It took me back to elementary school and when I was, you know, in 10, uh, 10 years old in fourth grade, and this little seed was planted in me, and it was about being grateful for who I am. I couldn’t go on a field trip to go clean up the park. I didn’t have the money to go. My teacher and her kindness took me outside and like, Hey, you don’t need money in order to make a difference. What you need is to be yourself. And I see you and your kindness every single day. And she mentioned some of the things that you said, I see you smile every day and your smile lights up the room. I see you open the door and lend your pencils.

08:58
Marly Q    And, and she just made me feel like I was already this superhero and I believed him. And look how that little seed, that little spark, that one minute conversation that she had with me, really, you know, made me feel important and seen and acknowledged, right? For just being myself. And I’ve never forgotten that I’ve shared this story a million gazillion times and I will never be tired of sharing it because it is about instilling those seeds of kindness in children. And it is about global citizens and creating a different world. You and I believe that the World can be a place where Everybody Performs Acts of Random Kindness. At least that’s my hashtag is #wePARK, it’s an acronym for World where Everyone Performs Acts of Random Kindness. It’s not about you, it’s not about me, he or she. It’s about we. And it is so simple. So I’m a brand new mom. And me instilling these seeds of kindness in my kids is, is honestly my number one priority. Like, if I do anything as a parent, it’s gonna be this. I even named my kid Parker, Jude Parker. Parker is someone who Performs Acts of Random Kindness. 

10:04
Laura Reiss    Great. That’s great, Marly. This is so great. 

10:07
Marly Q    He  Knows who he is, right? And we’re celebrating and being grateful for who you are. You are kindness in your heart, and I love that you’re, you’re encouraging kids to start with themselves, right? Because it is about being kind to yourself first. Because from that is how we can create this ripple effect and this desire to be kind to other people and to our planet. 

10:29
Laura Reiss    Yes. And children deserve it is mandatory that we let these children know that they are valuable, that they are important, and that they can accomplish anything. You know, when we go into these schools, so we have a training, we train our ambassadors about presenting these programs, and there’s a whole conversation about really letting these children know how important and valuable they are. Some of these children, they really don’t get it. They really don’t know. And they are so precious and so important and so valuable. And that when they realize that they can give back now and that they Right, it’s a, it is a power tool for them. It really, really is. 

11:08
Marly Q    I believe that that’s exactly what happened to me. I mean, I felt super down and defeated and helpless. Like, oh man, I can’t, I was the only kid in class. I couldn’t go on this field trip. And I’m like, man, cause I don’t have the money to go. I’m not gonna be able to make a difference and I can’t. And all this helplessness is what I felt. And this teacher in an instant, it was this little spark made me feel like, no, no, no, girl, you’re already a superhero. You got this. And she made me valuable exactly what you’re saying and significant. And it’s carried me, my whole, everything I do is about right about spreading this message. So I believe it, sister. 

11:40
Laura Reiss    Yeah, our teachers are so valuable and so important. And they are, they are our, they’re our children’s cheerleaders. They are the other, the extension of our family home life, our, our teachers. And so my commitment, the real reason why I started these afterschool programs was so that one day, my commitment is that one day, this is a mandatory part of the school’s curriculum. So, you know, in school we’re teaching history, science, English, all that valuable, valuable, valuable. And we must teach children about being kind to themselves. We must must teach children about navigating life, about being empowered. So about a year ago, somebody, hmm, little over a year ago, somebody said to me, Hey, you’re teaching social emotional learning. Your gratitude, compassion, kindness formula is social emotional learning. And I didn’t understand it at the time. Fast forward to the eighth person who told me to check out social emotional learning, because that’s actually what I’m teaching. 

12:40
Laura Reiss    Sure enough, we are, we were teaching social emotional learning, which is really all about self-awareness and self-regulation, really helping human beings understand, being aware of their thoughts, being aware of their feelings, being aware of the information coming in powerfully processing it and responding and creating connection and communication and powerful relationships. This is, this is Kindness Matters. 365 Foundation is now providing, we have created a kindness curriculum. It’s a real curriculum that can go into schools. We are teaching and training teachers to bring this into the classroom so that teachers are inspired, teachers are empowered, teachers are connected and ready to teach, and the students are ready to learn and they are connected and they are empowered, and they are inspired. It’s a, it’s a, it’s a game changer for education. It is, when I say we are committed to transforming education, we are committed to, to really implementing this component of self emotion, social emotional learning and helping our teachers and our students be connected, calm, and ready to learn

13:53
Marly Q    And kind. I, I love it and I love seeing the, the growth, um, and the natural progression of your movement and your organization, right? Started this one little afterschool club, which is powerful in it of itself, if it would’ve just stopped there. Uh, still super incredibly powerful. And then you started growing to teenagers and now you’re taking teachers, right? It is about including everybody in this process. It is about the WE.

14:18
Laura Reiss    The we, it’s about the WE I love that. So, yes. So, so to your point, we are in preschools, elementary schools, middle schools, high school, college campuses, and we have an entire adult programming as well. And the state of Florida gave us funds, uh, about two years ago. They gave us funding to really work on our kindness in the school’s curriculum. So they gave us the funding to really work on our curriculum and to get, we have three entire schools that are trained to provide this content in their classrooms.

14:47
Marly Q    Congratulations. That is so exciting. And as we celebrate World Kindness Day, right? Which I get it, it’s this one day that’s on a calendar amongst all these other random holidays that maybe people didn’t even know whose World Kindness Day. But I, I wanted to invite you to make time to be kind because it’s, it’s about world kindness Day every day. Yeah. And it’s about the little things. And sometimes people, I feel want to make a difference in the world, want to see the change in the world, wanna be the spark of the change that they wish to see. And think that it needs to be this like, massive life commitment and that you need to start a nonprofit or that you need No, it starts with you. It starts the number one leadership skill is emotional intelligence. That’s what you’re teaching. I see. That’s, that’s what you’re, that’s what you’re giving people. And you’re empowering. You can start that in your own home, in your community, in your church, at your workplace, in traffic when you’re at the grocery store or the gas station, right? It’s, it’s all about the little Kindness Matters. 365 is the perfect, perfect message, uh, to share on World Kindness Day. How can our PARKers listening support the organization and connect with you or maybe start a program in their own schools?

16:04
Laura Reiss    Hmm. That’s a great question. So our website is KindnessMatters365.org. Everyone, please go joins, check it out. So KindnessMatters365.org is a great place for resources. We primarily run on volunteers. So if anyone is interested in volunteering and being a part of our family, our ambassadors are the heart of this foundation. They go through our, our Kindness Matters 365 training. And we really provide everything that you need to running your own program, from your training, all the way through to the materials that you need to be providing to your, to your participants. Video content, project ideas, reflection questions, speaker ideas. We, because of the na the, the pandemic, the Worldwide Pandemic, we actually pivoted and have everything available online now. So in the fall, our ambassadors are ramping up to provide our kindness programming online or in schools, in person or, you know, remote. What, whatever they, what, however, their new platform for providing these programs is gonna go. We’re ready for it. So becoming an ambassador, super important. And really it’s a gift. It’s a gift to the person who goes through the training providing these programs because you get to really see the transformation of these kids. You get to be the one that is inspiring and educating and we provide everything for you. And then of course, funding is always appreciated. We are a small non-for-profit, but we are very powerful and we’re growing strong. 

17:38
Marly Q    I mean, it’s really such a beautiful way to celebrate World Kindness Day, having you here with us today and sharing your light, your love, your energy, your spark of kindness, 

17:48
Marly Q    Uh, through the airwaves. Thank you, Laura. 

17:51
Laura Reiss    Thank you Marley. And thank you for all that you do, inspiring so many people to be kind and the many different ways to be kind. Thank you for your kindness in the world. 

18:01
Marly Q    You see, I knew you’d love this episode and would be inspired by Kindness Matters 365 and Laura, she gave us such great nuggets of wisdom. And hopefully you feel inspired today to PARK, to Perform an Act of Random Kindness in your home where you work or out in the world.

OUTRO

On behalf of the great team and the volunteers at Kindness Matters 365, I wanna invite you PARKers in Florida to attend their first ever Community Well-Fest, it’s coming up February 26th in Delray Beach, Florida. And listen, if you’re not here in South Florida, but you’re inspired to park, you do so right now by leaving a kind review or a comment referencing this episode 31 with Laura Reiss. And you might just win a prize by Kindness Matters 365. Go ahead and visit MarlyQ.com/31, the number three one for show notes and links to connect. Thank you again for making time to be kind with Marly Q today. See you next time.

Listen to this quick and kind welcome from host, Marly Q. She shares why she took a two year hiatus from podcasting after having a baby and facing the challenges of being a new mom of two boys during a global pandemic. This episode models and emphasizes the importance of making Time to be Kind to yourself. Now that she’s done filled her own cup, Marly Q is back making Time to be Kind with YOU, sharing inspirational stories, insights and skills we can all master to elevate wellness and the world through kindness. You are invited to join our global community called Kind QREW and engage with Marly Q after each episode.

Join Our Community Here: Kind QREW

It’s Time to be Kind with Marly Q

“The time to be kind to ourselves, each other, and the world is now.”

Listen to this Episode and …

1. Find out why Marly Q stopped podcasting for 2 years and why she’s back!
2. Learn there’s a national holiday called Random Acts of Kindness Day!
3. Discover that you are a PARKer (acronym revealed in the episode)!
4. Be invited to join our global community of PARKers spreading kindness worldwide!

Connect with Marly Q:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marlyq/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marlyQ/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/https://web.facebook.com/themarlyq/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarlyQ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/marlyq

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themarlyq

 

Other Links & Resources:

Join our Kind QREW Private Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kindqrew

Join our Kind QREW+ Membership: https://marlyq.com/kind-qrew/ 

Programs & Courses: https://marlyq.com/programs/ 

Marly Q Speaking, Training & Retreats: https://sparkcsr.com

 

Other episodes you’ll enjoy:

EP 1: Overcoming Self-Doubt

EP 24: Drop the Ball

EP 26: How Dare You (not)?

 

TRANSCRIPTION:

0:00

Do you know what day it is? It’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day! The perfect day to launch season two of Time to be Kind with Marly Q. You ready? Let’s go!

0:34

Thank you for making Time to be Kind with Marly Q! This is Episode 30 and the official launch of season two! I can hardly believe it’s been two years, a little over two years if I’m honest, since I’ve sat behind this podcast mike, I’d be lying if I wasn’t intimidated. But if you remember our first episode was overcoming self doubt. So I re-listened to that one and that prepared me to re hit, start and record this small episode to just re-welcome you!

1:09

If you’re brand new to my world high, you are a PARKer!

A PARKer is a Person who Performs Acts of Random Kindness.

1:18

If I know anything about you listening, whether you’re brand new to my world or you listened in the past, you’ve somehow connected with me through the internet, magical powers, You’re here right now and I know one thing about you, you are a person that Performs Acts of Random Kindness that makes you a PARKer and my kind of people, my kind of people are united in this global community that I call my Kind QREW.

1:42

We have a private facebook group. If you’re not part of it yet, I invite you to join. I will include the link in the show notes. For sure. So please engage with us there after each and every episode and SAY HELLO and any of your takeaways or your takeaways from each episode, we’d love to hear it.

2:01

Where have we been? Where have I been the past 2.5 years? Spreading kindness. But to myself, what I’ve been doing is actually making time to be kind to ME. I’ve been practicing what I came on here and even created this podcast to preach the importance of making time to be kind to yourself to each other and to this world that we all share.

2:29

And what I realized very quickly, 29 episodes into season one of Time to be Kind with Marly Q is that it’s a lot of work to keep up a podcast and put out weekly episodes and promote the podcast and build the community.

2:45

And I don’t want to blame my having a child and I don’t want to blame the fact that I had a baby as to why I had to put my podcast down and put it in the shelf, so to speak for a little while. But if I’m being really honest, that’s a big part of it.

3:04

I grossly underestimated how difficult it was going to be to transition into becoming a mom of two baby boys during a pandemic while quarantine. it was, it was just not something that I was prepared for, I guess even though I did have my second child in august and we had episodes all through, I think october the end of october. So we did plan ahead, right? And I was like, oh, two months into it, I should be fine, I can, you know, can start getting back to work.

3:36

And that was not the case at all. And I was growing just so frustrated with not being able to make any progress, not just with my podcast, but even in recreating my business, which I had lost as a result of the pandemic, I just didn’t have any energy or creative brain power to focus on any of my own projects.

4:00

So, I really intentionally decided to put it off to the side until I can come back from a place of energy richness when I can come back to the mic and make time to be kind to you, my beautiful listener right now, a beautiful PARKer listening, from a place of I’m here to serve not, I need to show up because I created this thing.

4:24

And I said, I was going to, you know, do this every week where it became more of a chore and and and and another thing on my plate rather than it being the plate and an opportunity for us to hold space for the plate.

4:41

The plate that each one of us put so much on each and every day, right? We need to create intentionally the time and the space to take care of the plate.

4:52

So that’s what I’ve been taking care of the last 2.5 years, really transitioning into becoming a mindful mom of two kids and re creating a business from a place of alignment with, with my priorities and where I am in my life now. and also that is aligned with my energy right? And the time that I have to give again given my priorities.

5:19

So all behind the scenes, I have been doing a lot of healing work and a lot of recreating work. I’ve been on my own self care retreat and now that I’ve filled my own cup, I am ready to come back and share from the cup that’s overflowing with all of you.

5:36

So I’m really excited, not just for season two with some incredible and inspire interviews that I have to share with you, but I’m also excited for some solo episodes with just You and I where I want to come on here and make time to just share some of my own stories and life lessons with you in a simple, straightforward ways where you can implement some strategies, right? Some practical skills that we can practice and master in our life in order to elevate our own sense of wellness on a daily basis.

OUTRO

Really looking forward to spending this time with you. Thank you for making time to be kind with me today. Let’s keep the conversation going over on our private facebook group again. If you haven’t joined us yet, the link is in our show notes, visit MarlyQ.com/30. The number 30. Again, that’s MarlyQ.com/30 for the episode number. Thank you so much for making Time to be Kind with Marly Q. See you next time!