The Kindness Podcast

Episode Summary What if getting older didn’t mean fading into the background… but stepping more fully into who you are?
In this episode, Nicole sits down with Gaylynn Baker, actor, director, writer, and the vibrant force behind Mabel from Retirement House. With over 30 years in the industry, Gaylynn is not slowing down. She is expanding, creating, and showing up in bold, joyful ways that challenge everything we’ve been taught about aging.
Together, they explore what it means to stay visible, embrace reinvention, and practice kindness toward yourself in every season of life.
At the center of the conversation is a powerful question: What does kindness look like when you refuse to disappear as you age?
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
Why aging does not have to mean becoming less
What it really looks like to “embrace aging without getting old”
How Gaylynn continues to show up creatively and visibly in this season
Lessons from playing Mabel in Retirement House and why humor matters
A powerful reminder for anyone who feels invisible or unsure of their place
About Gaylynn Baker: Gaylynn Baker is an actor, director, writer, and storyteller with more than three decades of experience across film, television, and stage. She is widely known for her role as Mabel in the viral comedy Retirement House, which has built a global audience of over 10 million followers and more than 5 billion views.
She is also the creator of three award winning documentaries, including We Know Not What We Do, The Trail of Painted Ponies (PBS), and When Buffalo Roam. Her work has earned multiple honors, including the Accolade Humanitarian Award and Best Woman Director at the White Sands Film Festival.
Gaylynn is the author of Gifts of Gratitude and continues to create content centered on joy, spirituality, and living a daring, visible life. She currently connects with audiences through livestreams and social media, where she encourages people to embrace aging with humor, depth, and presence.
Connect with Gaylynn
Website: https://gaylynnbakerofficial.com
TikTok: @gaylynnbakerofficial
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaylynnbakerofficial/
Retirement House IG: https://www.instagram.com/retirementhouse/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethgaylynn.baker
Final Thought Aging is not about shrinking. It is about expanding into who you really are.
If you’ve been feeling invisible, consider this your reminder. You still get to show up. You still get to create. You still get to be seen.
And remember, what you look for is what you’ll see.

What Does Kindness Look Like When We Treat Our Body as a Friend with Camellia Jade
In this episode of The Kindness Podcast, I’m joined by Camellia Jade, a creative visionary helping women build confidence, community, and a healthier relationship with their bodies. Through fashion, vulnerability, and a lot of courage online, Camellia has turned style into a vehicle for self love. She is the founder of Confidera, a speaker, and the creator of events that invite women to show up fully as themselves.
We talk about the difference between visibility and validation. How stepping on camera can expose old wounds. And why so many women feel isolated inside bodies they live in every day. Camellia shares what viral attention did to her mental health, how burnout showed up physically, and what healing body dysmorphia taught her about kindness toward herself.
This is a conversation about more than clothes. It is about identity, safety, and the quiet courage it takes to be seen. It is about building circles of women who choose honesty over performance and connection over comparison.
Big question this episode explores: What does kindness look like when we treat our body as a friend instead of a project?
In this episode, we talk about: • How Camellia describes her work to someone meeting her for the first time • When fashion became a doorway to deeper healing • The hidden problem she sees women struggling with • Lessons from stepping into public visibility • Viral fame and its impact on mental health • Why social media can turn toxic and how she navigates it • Body image, vulnerability, and practicing self kindness • Healing body dysmorphia in a public space • What victory in vulnerability actually looks like • One kind thing women can do for themselves today
About Camellia Jade
Camellia Jade is a Creative Visionary for Confidence and Community dedicated to helping women look good, feel good, and live boldly. As Founder and CEO of Confidera, she designs clothing that blends style, comfort, and purpose. She also creates empowering events that celebrate movement, connection, and self expression.
A sought after speaker, Camellia inspires audiences to embrace their unique style, own their story, and build communities where confidence thrives.
Website: www.camelliajade.com Instagram: @camellia_jade
Thank you for listening to The Kindness Podcast.
If this episode made you think of someone who could use a little encouragement, share it with them.
And remember, what we look for is what we will see.

Finding the Eye of the Storm with Richard Greene
In this episode of The Kindness Podcast, I’m joined by Richard Greene, author of Finding the Eye of the Storm. After a near death experience, Richard returned with a new way of seeing the world. Less separation. Less urgency to be right. More awareness of how we treat each other in ordinary moments.
We talk about what it means to live from the “eye of the storm.” A place of calm, clarity, and presence even when life feels chaotic. Richard shares how this experience shaped the five pillars he now lives by and how curiosity and humility can completely change the tone of hard conversations.
This is a conversation about kindness that goes deeper than being nice. It is about being awake. Paying attention. Choosing connection.
Big question this episode explores: What does kindness look like when you have seen the end and come back more awake to the beginning?
In this episode, we talk about: • Growing up feeling both the biggest and the smallest • Richard’s near death experience and how it changed his life • What “the eye of the storm” really means • The five pillars he now lives by • How curiosity and humility shift difficult conversations • Kindness as awareness, not performance • One small shift that can change how you move through the world • A favorite kindness story
About Richard Greene (He/Him)
Richard Greene is an author, speaker, and seasoned business leader who helps organizations create lasting success with a strong human foundation. He is CEO of Clarus Advisors, where he supports mission driven organizations through mindful leadership, cultural alignment, and clear strategy.
He has held executive roles at Bank of America, the U.S. Soybean Export Council, and served as Executive Director of the NC Craft Brewers Guild. His work blends strategy, emotional intelligence, and presence.
Richard is the author of Building Value: The 5 Keys for Achieving Success and Finding the Eye of the Storm, a memoir and reflection on life, loss, and resilience.
He grew up in New Jersey, earned his BA from the University of Florida, and has lived in several states across the country.
Get the book: Finding the Eye of the Storm
Purchase at a discounted price here: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=PTvA0Y4X5dz5ti9cHTlVYYdxi16zi3am4V7ZpW4KGv4
Thank you for listening to The Kindness Podcast.
If this episode made you think of someone who could use a little encouragement, share it with them.
And remember, what we look for is what we will see.

Episode Description
What if kindness wasn’t soft at all, but one of the most powerful biological forces we have?
In this episode of The Kindness Podcast, Nicole Phillips talks with David R. Hamilton, a former pharmaceutical scientist and one of the world’s leading researchers on the science of kindness.
Dr. Hamilton explains why kindness is literally wired into our genes, how it counteracts stress at a physiological level, and why genuine kindness changes inflammation, immunity, aging, and mental health. They also talk about why “being nice” out of duty does not count, why kindness has real teeth, and how small moments of compassion can ripple out to change lives we will never meet.
This conversation is honest, science-backed, and deeply human.
Show Notes
Guest: Dr. David R. Hamilton Author of 12 books including The Joy of Actually Giving an F*ck Former pharmaceutical scientist turned kindness researcher Based in Scotland, UK
What We Cover
• Why calling someone a “kindness expert” can feel uncomfortable • How Dr. Hamilton’s work in pharmaceuticals led him to study kindness • The placebo effect and why kindness is a mind-body phenomenon • What actually counts as kindness and what does not • Why duty-based kindness gives no benefit to the giver • “Nature’s Catch-22” and why kindness has to be genuine • How kindness directly reduces stress, blood pressure, and inflammation • The link between kindness and slower cellular aging • Why kindness is the true physiological opposite of stress • A powerful personal story about compassion at the exact right moment • What to do when life feels too heavy to be kind • The ripple effect of kindness and how one small act can impact over 100 people
Key Takeaways
• Kindness is not weak. It is biologically powerful. • The benefits only happen when kindness is real. • You don’t need grand gestures. Small moments matter. • You are already creating ripple effects, whether you see them or not. • Kindness changes the quality of other people’s days, and your own body.
Memorable Quotes
“Physiologically speaking, the opposite of stress is kindness.”
“You only get the benefits of kindness if you mean it.”
“Kindness has teeth. Powerful teeth.”
“You are setting waves in motion that reach people you will never meet.”
Resources
Dr. David Hamilton’s website: https://drdavidhamilton.com
Better You Backed By Science vlog: https://www.youtube.com/@davidrhamiltonphd
Sign up for weekly science-backed kindness emails and check out his books!
Dr. David Hamilton's latest online course (Why Woo Woo Works) starts in January. Sign up here: https://drdavidhamilton.com/online-courses/

***A quick heads up. The audio quality in this episode isn’t perfect. We’ve corrected the issue moving forward and chose to share this conversation anyway because Jess’s perspective is too valuable to miss.
Season 7, Episode 5
• Mic Drop Bootcamp Registration is open now. Bootcamp begins January 16.
• New book coming May 2026 Making It Without Losing It How to Stay Motivated in a World Where We Are Never Done https://a.co/d/0CeFDJg
• Free weekly Hype Text Text HYPE to 704-228-9495

Question: What does kindness look like when women encourage women?
Nicole Phillips sits down with Jess Ekstrom for a real conversation about women supporting women without competition, comparison, or performative cheerleading. This episode is about what encouragement actually looks like in practice and why it matters.
What we talk about
• Encouragement that builds confidence instead of pressure • Turning frustration into meaningful ideas • Why optimism is a strategy, not a mood • Helping more women step onto stages • Staying motivated when the work never feels finished
About Jess
Jess is the founder of Headbands of Hope and Mic Drop Workshop. She is a two time bestselling author, Forbes Top Rated Speaker, investor in women owned businesses, and mom.
She launched Headbands of Hope with a $300 grant and has since donated millions of headbands to children facing illness, reaching every children’s hospital in the U.S. and 22 countries. The brand is now the official headband provider for the NBA and WNBA and is sold in Kohl’s nationwide.
Jess founded Mic Drop Workshop to help more women share their message as public speakers and authors. Her work has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, CNN, Forbes, Vanity Fair, and People Magazine.
Books
• Chasing the Bright Side • Create Your Bright Ideas • Making It Without Losing It coming May 2026
Ways to connect with Jess
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jess_ekstrom • Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessekstrom • X: www.twitter.com/jess_ekstrom • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessekstrom • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-ekstrom-59160342/
Key takeaways
• Women lift each other by being specific and generous • Relatability builds trust faster than polish • Purpose grows when your work connects to others • Kindness shows up in action, not just intention
Listen to The Kindness Podcast wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube.