Happy New Year!
At the midway point of Season 4, I continue to be overwhelmed by the kindness, drive, purpose and optimism exhibited by my guests each week. During dark and troubling days in our world, these teen changemakers give me hope for a brighter future.

Instead of my usual interview, today, I'd like to share a short essay with you. The Riley's Way Foundation, which I've mentioned on the podcast many times, and for which I am a proud board member, hosted an essay contest this fall in honor of World Kindness Day. The topic was "what does Kind leadership mean to me" and five exceptional winners were selected. I'm going to read one of those winning essays for you today, written by Emily H. from California.

This essay is perfectly aligned with the themes of my new book! I'm delighted to announce that my third book, Simple Acts of Care: How to Help When Someone You Love is Hurting, will be published in December 2026 by The Collective Book Studio. This book is has been bouncing around my head for years and sharing these vulnerable stories and the life lessons I've learned over time has become a labor of love.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming year.

Happy Holidays to you all, and welcome to this very special Holiday episode! Today I have the pleasure of sharing this conversation with sisters Alexis and Taylor, who started their organization, Bored No More with a simple goal - providing bags of games, toys, and crafts to hospitalized children who are away from their homes over the holidays. It is a perfect reminder that there are so many ways that we can share the true spirit of this season with people who are struggling. I hope this conversation will inspire you to be generous and spread a little extra joy this holiday season.

Learn more at https://borednomorecharity.org/ and follow @charityborednomore

Sisters Caitlyn and Chloe K. from Las Vegas, learned about the very troubling issue of period poverty, and decided to do something about it. They created the Wellness Box Foundation which creates and distributes boxes containing feminine hygiene products and other toiletry items to girls and women living in shelter or experiencing homelessness.

Learn more at www.thewellnessboxfoundation.org @thewellnessboxfoundation