Today I am thrilled to bring you an interview with a young 26 year old who has a very bright future. I discovered Kate and her Legacy Project – The Kindness Effect, while one day scrolling through my iPhone on Instagram (don’t you love social media!) and I was instantly drawn to her concept of kindness and the work she is doing in the world through her School and Community Workshops and Outreach Days.

The Kindness Effect has a vision to create a shift in human interaction, a change in the way we treat ourselves, each other and our world. (We are kindred spirits!) They believe through personal development, kindness and connection to one another and becoming active citizens in the community, we can create a conscious shift in the world – and I agree!  

Read on for my interview with Kate, Founder of The Kindness Effect, the inspiration behind her work and why she chooses LOVE above else. 

Q&A

What inspired you to create The Kindness Effect?

I saw a need for change; a change in the way people interact and treat each other. I saw so much hatred and cruelty, and a real ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ culture that I wanted to transform. We aim to bring about unity, connection and community. Early on in our journey I came to realise something that would alter everything about The Kindness Effect and fundamentally shape what we believe in and what we do; and this is, in order to create any type of change externally, out in the world, the individual must first look within. It’s “be the change you wish to see in the world”. If we want people to treat others with kindness they first must be self-aware and mindful of how they treat themselves.

In the year before making your career change, how would you describe your mental, emotional and spiritual state to a close and trusted friend? Was there an event/events which served as catalysts for the work you now do?

I was searching for something… searching for something to call my own and searching for a way to create change in this world. I always wanted to contribute to my community and to be a positive force in the world and I was searching for that. Then out of the blue instead of ‘finding’ it, I ‘made’ it. It’s been a beautiful and extremely difficult journey, but it’s given me great personal happiness and satisfaction. I’ve never looked back. I’m proud of what I’ve created.

How does The Kindness Effect bring your unique talents to life? In what way does it give you personal fulfilment or a sense of purpose?

I am a people’s person and a communicator. I love conversations, exchanges of knowledge and life lessons, I am blown away by the unique experiences of individuals and what they contribute to the world. I am at my happiest when I am deep within a rich and meaningful conversation with beautiful humans, and facilitating workshops allows me to do that. I love sharing moments and lessons from my life (in my short but packed 26 years) and I love seeing how when I am honest and open it allows other people to be honest and open.

What drives you to do the work that you do and keep going?

I believe in the human spirit, in humanity and in the goodness within each and every one of us. The current state of the world at the moment is truly shocking, so much hatred and ignorance and yet I still see so much beauty and goodness in this world. If good people stop doing, stop speaking up, stop being honest, well then that’s when we are really in trouble. I pride myself on being an aware and awake (not ignorant) person who is socially conscious, among other things and because I have so much love to give, I feel a sense of responsibility. If I did nothing and didn’t try to bring about change with the skills, knowledge, compassion and love I have, then I would feel like a horrible person.

What has been a highlight of the business so far?

The people. Firstly my team; we came about very organically, most are my friends from childhood and one is my cousin, but then we started meeting friends of friends and networking and now I have a really cool and conscious bunch of people around me that I get to ‘work’ with (it doesn’t feel like work). Secondly the people I have met through our workshops and through this industry. You would be amazed at how many people (who do such similar stuff to us), have mentored us, supported us and had our backs from the get-go. What amazes me even more is that these people supported us and didn’t want anything in return, they were just being beautiful humans. That’s the spirit of The Kindness Effect – community, connection, unity and love. People constantly blow me away with their generosity and kindness.

How does your work serve a higher purpose on planet earth? And how does that make you feel?

There are many things I am passionate about, animal cruelty, women’s rights and our environment, just to name a few however these issues are massive global issues that have so many factors contributing to them. The way I see it, is if I can make people create change within themselves, on an individual level and through that make them conscious and aware of their actions then the chances of them caring about things in their community and the world will increase and hopefully make them want to take action.

Many of our workshop participants are now doing things like volunteering, have become vegan, have quit their jobs and are doing something they are passionate about and even started campaigns of their own. That’s change!

What great lesson or lessons have you learnt so far in life?

People can only meet you as deeply as they have met themselves, don’t take it personal.

If you could give one piece of advice what would it be and why?

Just choose love. In every situation, every chance, and especially when you think it’s not even an option on the table, that’s when you must choose it the most.

A few of my favourite bonus questions with Kate…
Who or what is your favourite?

a) Musician?  Fleetwood Mac
b) Author? Elizabeth Gilbert
c) Mantra or Quote?  Open your eyes, open your mind, open your heart.

How would you like to be remembered?

Just as a good human being. Someone that did good in this world and made people believe in themselves.

How can people find out more about you and The Kindness Effect?

Head to our website and visit the team page, as well as some of our early blog posts share a lot about why we are doing this. Web Instagram Facebook Twitter Youtube

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Thank you for being here and consciously choosing to explore the different ways that ordinary people are living extraordinary lives by serving a higher purpose through their daily work. Everything we do here at YLP.com is designed to inspire and empower you to live your legacy and bring your unique talents to life.

So tell me what is your #legacyproject going to be? Think the work that Kate is doing and how she and her team are bringing to life kindness in schools and communities. Are you concerned about the world we live in? Could you be kinder to yourself?  I’d love to know what you think about Kate’s work and how we can all start showing greater kindness in our workplaces, homes, schools and communities. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Live With Purpose,

Brooke