One smile, one text, one handwritten note, one choice to notice the person right in front of you. That sounds small until you realize how often the “small” thing is the exact interruption someone needs when they feel unseen, overwhelmed, or alone.
I’m joined by Jill Lublin, a powerhouse in the PR world and the author behind The Prophet of Kindness, and we go deep on what kindness looks like when it’s more than a slogan. Jill shares the moment an 85-year-old friend challenged her to imagine a “currency of kindness,” and how that idea quickly turned into a book, media momentum, and a bigger calling to spread kindness in everyday life.
We talk about Kindness Circles, the free monthly Zoom gatherings she started during COVID that have grown into a global community where people share real acts of kindness, support each other’s goals, and build relationships that outlast the moment.
We also connect kindness to mental health, grief, and presence. I share why kindness helps me move through loss, and Jill explains why she encourages one conscious act of kindness daily, not just random kindness when it’s convenient.
From retraining negative bias to building new neural pathways through gratitude, we break down simple habits that make kindness easier to live out at home, at work, and in leadership. You’ll also hear examples of kindness in business culture and why kind companies can create happier teams and stronger results.
If you want practical kindness ideas, a mindset shift you can start today, and a reminder that your presence matters, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review so more people can find the show.
To join Jill’s Kindness Circles visit her link: http://jilllublin.com/kindnesscircles
To connect with Jill and work with her visit this link: http://jilllublin.com/start
To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham’s bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God’s Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com
Transcript:
If you’ve ever struggled with fear, doubt, or worry and wondering what your true purpose was all about, then this podcast is for you. In this show, your host, Sylvia Warsham, will interview elite experts and ordinary people that have created extraordinary lives. So here’s your host, Sylvia Warsham.
Hey Lightbringers, it’s Sylvia Warsham. Welcome to Release Out Review Purpose. And today is Jill C. Libblin, a powerhouse in the PR space. But she’s so much more than that. As a woman, I’m proud to introduce her as someone that has broken the glass ceiling for the rest of us women to follow. She’s been on stages with the likes of Tony Robbins. She began this journey several years back. We won’t say how many. And that is how to spread more kindness in the world. And that is something that I’m sure was the basis of her book, The Prophet of Kindness. She is a four-time best-selling author. And I’m just so proud to have her on my show today. So without further ado, Jill, thank you so much for joining us on Release Out Review of Purpose.
Thank you. I’m delighted to be here, Sylvia, with you.
You know, I’m already feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit. So I know that what you have to say is very important for someone on the other side of this interview. So could you honor us, Jill, with your amazing story of transformation? How did you land in this space of wanting to spread more kindness?
So I’ve been doing publicity. I wrote the book Gorilla Publicity and three others, by the way. You know, and that was wonderful. And I continue to support others with publicity consistently. And one day I’m taking my 85-year-old friend who I’m helping in her, we’ll call it aging journey, and uh I’m driving her around and she goes, you know, Joe, I know you’re really busy, but you always make time to do extra kind things. She goes, I wish they had an extra kind of currency, the currency of kindness. And do you know when you remind like you hear somebody say something, go, wait a minute, wait a minute, that’s incredible. And I went to my publisher and I said, What do you think? And they said, Yes. And the book was born very quickly, which is unusual in the publishing world. Um, and so everything went quick, including a, you know, like seven Fox media news interviews in the first 30 days. Um, there was just things that were behind this book that seemed to propel it, and uh, and I’m very grateful for that. It was really just uh based really on my own experience, but also interviewing companies and uh people about kindness. What does that mean in your business? And the answers we got were wonderful and consistent, of course, with what kindness creates, um, but it was just an amazing journey of quick opportunity, and you know, I always see that as a sign, as well as uh the opportunity then was to create kindness circles,
you know. Like we went into COVID, and I’m like, oh my gosh, what are we gonna do? How do we keep together? And so I created kindness circles, which are still running five years, over a thousand people in the community, and we do them every month, and they’re free. We meet on Zoom with people from all over the world. And listen, there’s a link at the end.
You know, I love that because in 2020 there were so many people that because we were stuck indoors, uh lots of divorces happened. People couldn’t stand being in the same space, they didn’t have safe spaces anymore. And so to have those circles, I would imagine that that actually impacted individuals. Have you heard of any of the stories of how this kind of circle has impacted? And can you share?
Oh, wow. Well, a couple things I know are happening. One is a woman who underwent uh uh breast cancer. Actually, there’s another gentleman, funny enough, who’s a wonderful client of mine, who has a whole line of hair products that are naturally based. Those two are teaming up for a new project she’s doing called Bald Courage. And so, you know, hair products meets breast cancer journeys, and then uh she also met somebody actually in the kindness circles who’s gonna help her get some sponsorship. That’s one thing that’s happened that’s pretty amazing. I know people are doing business, I know relationships are happening, people are supporting each other with everything from uh book launches to liking their posts to giving them recommendations on LinkedIn and other places. So, most importantly, people are being reminded about kindness every single month. So I have them in the chat put what they’ve done in the past 48 hours for acts of kindness, and the things you see are are so remarkable and so beautiful and so simple. That’s the wonderful thing. So simple, they don’t cost anything. That’s what kindness is, really. It doesn’t have to cost anything, it’s just simple. And and uh so that happens the first part of the kindness circle. That’s awesome. And then we usually have a a wonderful uh maybe five, 10-minute speaker who uh some people have heard of. Like I had Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul uh on World Kindness Day last November. But I also have people like a gosh, I think he was 12. Yes, 12, 12 years old, who has done like multiple acts of kindness, you know, since he was seven. And I’m like, okay, come on, people, let’s go, you know. Um so it’s just been really wonderful to feature new people that maybe no one’s heard of yet, as well as um get a group together and focus on this that is kindness.
I cannot tell you how much I love hearing this because it spreads. Yeah, kindness spreads. I’ll give you an example the other day. Um on Tuesdays, I gotta take my daughter to therapy, and so I was getting my getting off some food, and I was in Einstein Brothers down the way, and I saw this young kid who was ordering right in front of me, and he didn’t have enough money to buy the orange juice that he wanted, and so then he went to just getting water, and so when I went up to to do my order, I told the manager, You put his orange juice on my tap. And the manager said, Well, I’ll do you another one. I’m gonna put it on my tap because I get free drinks every day. Oh, so you don’t have to pay, but he’ll know that you started this chain, you know. And the the boy was like, You don’t have to do that, ma’am. And I was like, You see, but I have a 20-year-old son, and I would want for a kind stranger to do the same thing. Yes, you know, and it it doesn’t cost. I mean, what’s an orange juice? Like a dollar or two dollars, not even, you know.
But four or five in my part of the world.
Sometimes, you know, I’m in Texas, so it can be a little bit pricey here, but oh you, Jill. I’m in Northern California. Okay, yes, you will be very, very pricey. Sorry. Uh let’s rebrand that. But what it started was it just spread. And imagine if his employees heard him do that, what it actually inspired in them to do. And I have always found that kindness, especially when we’re grieving, is is something that also helps us emotionally grieve through hard times. Like I know on Saturday it’ll be the second year anniversary of my father’s passing, but I’m wanting to attend, unfortunately, the funeral of a uh pickleball buddy of mine that that passed away last week. And I was talking to my mom about it. I said, you know, I’m starting to feel a little bit more grief during these days, but I know what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna make myself available, get out of the house, go be with someone that’s currently grieved, because I know what that’s like. And I just want to be there for her. And since I’m a certified life coach with the John Maxwell team, I wanted to also offer, like, hey, if you if you want to just unload some of your grief on me, I’d be willing to just sit with you. And just listen. You know, and as a friend, as you know, a colleague, as a pickleball partner, or whatever, um, I think the more we do these things, we help ourselves. It it warms our heart and helps us grieve through our dark chapters. Have you found some examples of these in your kind of circle that you want to share?
Absolutely. Well, let me just share. I uh lost my sweet black cat magic. Uh he was 14 this last Saturday. And you know it’s interesting on Monday, was it Monday? Uh I got a little package in the front of my house. One of my friends dropped beautiful mugs that said, guess what? Pause positivity with pause, positivity and kindness, you know, and and it was just so sweet. A mug for me and my husband, uh, a little card, and a little card that said magic, and just really precious. Now, is that kindness going out of her way, making sure it showed up on my front porch in a timely and beautiful manner? Of course it was. And you know, that’s the kind of um to me, friendship that matters, but also just being thought of, and and I just see this kindness. You know, my neighbor, she’s 93, and I also just adore her, and we’ve gotten very close over many years. What’s wonderful, I got a birthday coming up, birthday party, and she’s baking the chocolate brownie fudge squares, you know. Well, she’s got arthritic fingers, you know, but she wants to do this for me. But let me tell you, we bring her garbage cans up every Friday because that’s hard for her. I drive her around now, and my husband does because, well, she’s not able to drive right now. You know, we go over and give her all kinds of love for her and her doggy at all kinds of times. I’m just saying it’s continuous. You know, you give kindness because it’s the right thing to do, and not because anything’s coming back. But what I’ve noticed is that, you know, when you approach life in a kind way, it’s all over and all around you. All you have to do, even is just smile at the person in front of you. How about that for kindness? It’s so simple.
It is. You know, it’s it’s bringing me to the sweatshirt my daughter’s wearing today. She’s 11 years old, by the way. And she’s but she is an old soul like me, and she was wearing this. You’ve seen those sweatshirts, I’m sure. It’s like, dear person in front of me, the world is a better place with you in it. Love the person behind you or in front of you, or something like that. We were at a Christmas thing over December, and she was walking around with that sweatshirt on, and a lady, a complete stranger to her, walked up and said, Can I just thank you for wearing that? It just made my day. Like it was just so kind. And she looked at my daughter, was like, she’s 11. So, of course, you know, I remember flipping through Instagram reels or something with her, and we saw that, and I remember she was little, she was like eight years old, nine maybe, and said, Mom, we ought to buy those and wear them to spread kindness in the world. And I’m like, Oh, it is, you know, like I want that because there is, I love the story with your neighbor because you know, older people they sometimes don’t have their family around them, they’ve moved away. So, what a blessing for you to be that person for her. I know God loves you for that, like you’re taking care of his child in a in a beautiful way. And I know that she has her arthritic fingers, but it is a joy to give to others, it is a gift we give ourselves to, and that’s why she wants to do it, even if it hurts her hand, you know. Um, it probably actually also helps it because the more you kind of use it sometimes, the better your body, you know, becomes. But I just I’m loving this conversation for so many reasons.
Because in this dark world right now, uh we don’t see kindness. So, what do you what do you think people need to do to start seeing more kindness in the world since we do have a negative bias?
Well, I think a couple things. One is I know people say practice random acts of kindness every day, and I think that’s beautiful, terrific, we love it. I say practice a conscious act of kindness, one, every single day. Like imagine what our world would be if we all individually practice a random, excuse me, practice a conscious act of kindness every single day. Like that will that will be life and world changing. Okay, so really, what is it that you can do today? So if I get to the end of the day and for some reason haven’t, although that’s rare, but you know, I’ll s I’ll write a handwritten card, I’ll send a nice text, I’ll write a nice email, you know, whatever it is, one thing that acknowledges someone, right? And and supports someone and is kind. It really could be just a kind word. So many of us need that now, and that kind of appreciation and in rough times. And you don’t actually know what it means to others. And I tell you that some I was at an event the other day, and this woman comes up to me. Oh, you’re such a bright light, Jill, and and that’s beautiful. And I have to tell you, I was feeling a little tired that day. I just traveled, you know, and for her to say that to me brightened my light, you know, just because it’s something she noticed, it’s something she commented on and was kind about. So that was really precious, and I’m very grateful for that. So I just want to say that, you know, it’s sometimes really just acknowledging it could be anything, you know, their hair, their nice dress, just say something nice. It’s not difficult, and that includes you’re waiting in line, you know, make a moment of conversation with the person behind you and in front of you. And everybody’s so, you know, in their phones and busy, and me too, and I include, you know, I am too, and I understand. And sometimes we want to be internalized and more quiet, but the question is, you know, when you feel it, to reach out and and to make yourself available and to find out how’s your neighbor doing, and to smile at that person who’s walking toward you on the street. If they don’t smile back, okay, that’s okay, but at least you did yours.
And you just never know what that random, or not random, but that conscious act of kindness is doing for that person in that moment. It could be the moment that they had decided to kill themselves and won’t because you said something. It actually happened uh for a guest I had in the podcast several months ago, maybe a year ago, they mentioned how they had gotten prompting from God to say something beautiful to this person, and it was all they needed to hear to stop themselves from going through with that, because we don’t know what people are going through. We don’t know what loneliness is doing to them, what depressive states are doing to them. And you’re right, we are all busy, but that is I wouldn’t say the degree of difference, but this is what actually makes a difference is when we pause for presence every day and make a conscious choice, because that’s my tagline for the year is pause for presence. It’s something that got placed in my heart to do because, like I explained to you, I’m a recovering high achiever. I was always about the to-do list and the doing and the doing, and and the doing doesn’t allow for the pausing and the presence, it just keeps going, and that’s why the phone, I’ll put it off to the side. There’s times now I go walk my multi-poodle, I won’t take my phone with me because I want to be present in everything I do. Like right now, I’m present with you, and it’s such a gift for me to hear you say what you’re saying. And I’m letting it just like seep into my soul. No, seriously, and I’m not trying to like you know, uh butter you up or anything. It’s not that. It’s it’s I’m actually feeling your words and pausing and allowing them to sink deeper and deeper into my awareness, into my understanding, into my embodiment. Because you see, Christ doesn’t want us doing, he wants us to embody him. Yeah, abide in me as I abide in you. We won’t be able to produce this fruit of spirit if we don’t pause and embody kindness, and kindness is part of the fruit of the spirit, yeah. And so it’s something that is a very big reason why we were created. We’re created in this image, we’re fearfully and wonderfully made, but he is light, he is love, and when we operate from that space, we’re we’re loving each other and ourselves at the same time because there’s there’s three components here that people miss, right? Love him, love others as you love yourself, and that’s where the kind is how we start producing these fruits of the spirit as well, is that the the more we understand, the more we’re aware. And I know that you and I have gone through personal development courses throughout our years, and we’ve become aware of what’s really important in life. That’s why we have stepped back and said, Okay, yeah, we did all these things, we’re so proud of ourselves. However, we’re so much more than that. Our essence is so much more powerful when we embody kindness. And I do love this conversation more than I can tell
you. I know you mentioned at the beginning of the interview that you worked with businesses in terms of like kindness, and I’d love to be able to get some ideas as to how some businesses have spread more kindness.
So a couple things. One, um, you know, it’s interesting. Dignity Health, a major healthcare company in uh, well, Northern California and I think multiple other states, they’re running on the sides of buses the human kindness campaign. Isn’t that interesting? You know, healthcare. Uh how about Honda, the car company? Do you know they were running, uh they’re not currently in this moment, but not so long ago, kindness commercials. Cleenex has had a huge kindness campaign. Hyatt Hotels would pick people in there who are having maybe a drink in their bar and they’d gift them spa treatments. I wish I were one of those. But anyway, you know, like things I I think companies have become very aware of using and utilizing kindness not only in their marketing, but really in their implementation. And what I found in interviewing all kinds and sizes of companies, small, like you know, one-person companies, to of course, the ones some of the ones I mentioned, is that kindness, practicing kindness, you they have happier employees, you tend to make more money. Um, and in fact, it was proven pretty consistently that kind companies were more profitable. Um, and kind companies, kind people are often not only great to do business with, but really chosen. So that makes a big difference. And you know, it’s just found all the way around that they were happier. You know, I know happiness was a big word in the lexicon, and uh, guess what’s coming in? Kindness, and I’m super excited about that. Meaning people are talking about it. It is, if you really listen, it’s in the vocabulary a lot now, which is really good because of course we need it now more than ever.
Yes, we do. To start turning the tide, this is gonna be the only way to we know that the only thing that can conquer fear is love, and love is where kindness resides, really abides in love. So, love for our human, you know, for our the humanity out there. This is why you and I are out there. We’re both light warriors, we’re out there spreading as much light and kindness and joy as we possibly can through our own different missions in life, and that’s why I was so intrigued when you reached out on PodMatch and. Said or your assistant reached out and said she’s really interested. And I said, Well, I’m interested when I read about kindness, because these are topics that people skip
over. It’s just not, it’s something that they really I do agree, once again, the conscious choice to be kind. We are there to make it a conscious effort because how we’re operating for those listening is subconsciously. These patterns, all these habits that we’ve formed in our past, that’s not on a conscious level, that’s on a subconscious level. And that’s why it takes conscious choice to do an act of kindness because you have to train your mind to look for the good, to look for the opportunity. And there are opportunities everywhere, except we’re not conditioned. We have a negative bias in our mind. So I might remind everybody make a conscious choice. I will add to the tips that Jill provided is to one of the activities I love doing was to focus my mind for five minutes every day and look for the good situation. Really focus your mind on that because you start to retrain. What we’re doing is we’re creating new neural pathways of how we view things. That’s why, as coaches, we’re like, there’s a mindset shift. And it’s it’s small, it’s not this big thing that most people think of. It doesn’t take years and years and years to do this, it takes conscious choice to do this.
I’ll tell you an easy one that uh I practice daily, literally. I wake up and I say and speak out loud with my husband, and we ask each other, what are five things you’re grateful for? Yes, first thing in the morning, and at the end of the night, guess what? What are five things you’re grateful for? And it forces you. Let’s see, let’s see. Okay, here are the five things, you know, and it could be really simple, uh-huh, it could be really deep, it doesn’t matter, but we’re and we’re just speaking it. I’m not keeping a journal, it’s just so easy and fast to do.
You speak it out loud because when you hear it, your body actually loves to hear that. You feel good inside. We did this exercise in the Nurtured Heart Approach. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of that approach. It’s for ADHD kids. We’ve got two uh kids with ADHD, and so we’re getting trained by a therapist on how to parent them. And one of the pillars that they talk about is precisely this is to look for the good. And she did this exercise where she said, Close your eyes, and she started saying the word yes, yes, yes, and your body started to like feel good, but then you started to say no, no, no, and you saw the shoulders droop. And it was really interesting to watch. So she even said, Did you notice your body how it started to feel every time I said no? And with more intensity. Well, that’s the thing with the negative outside world. That’s what’s happening inside our inside our bodies, it’s what it’s doing. So, what kindness does is it opens up the heart, it opens up that view wider, and then we start looking for the good. So, even in stressful situations, we’re being trained by this therapist to look for something positive in the negative. It’s so that initially it’s like what like it’s it’s harder than most people realize, but the more you do it, the more you see it everywhere, and you know, your buddy Tony Robbins says it clearly, you know, where your fo you know, where what where your focus goes energy flows or something. That’s right. And um, in your focus is everything, really. A lot of it is it starts with focus. What you focus on, you find what you focus on grows, what what you focus on seems real, and ultimately what you focus on you become. That’s why focusing on kindness, your message, we become kinder human beings, and and as a race, as humanity, we will be unstoppable.
Any last words of encouragement, Jill, you want to leave us with on the show?
Well, I know that you’re gonna post the links that people please get get in touch, come to the kindness circles, check out uh my publicity work. I would love to stay in touch, and we have links for you on all of that. And really, uh, I think it’s so important that what you’re looking at is you know, Abraham Lincoln said it best, and that is whatever you are, be a good one. How about that?
Simple, very simple. Love it, love it. Thank you so much, Jill, for joining us on release. Reveal purpose. What everybody knows how I sign off is to remember Matthew 5.14 to be the light, be the light, like Jill’s been the light in her own space, in her own industry. She’s made this beautiful commitment to kindness. Think of it in your own space today. What can you do today to be kinder? A conscious choice to do, an act of kindness, just one. It could be anything, like she said, smile at somebody. You never know what that smile is gonna mean to that individual. And God is always watching you, God knows your kindness, He knows everything you do, nothing escapes him. He loves you just as much as the next person. You know, you are a daughter and the son of a king, and to produce this spirit, kindness, it’s a very big fruit that we can produce in this world, and this world needs us to be like that. So thank you so much, Joe. I’ve enjoyed thoroughly enjoyed you have having you on the show. And to the rest of you, have a lovely and blessed rest of your day. Bye now.
So that’s it for today’s episode of Release Doubt Reveal Purpose. Head on over to iTunes or wherever you listen and subscribe to the show. One lucky listener every single week who posts a review back on iTunes. We’ll win a chance the grand prize drawing back to win a twenty-five thousand dollar private VIP day with Sylvia Worship herself. Be sure to head on over to sylviaworsham.com and pick up a free copy of Sylvia’s gift and join us on the next episode.