1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:03,919 There's about 30 names on this sheet of 2 00:00:03,919 --> 00:00:05,279 paper, and on my rock bottom moment, I 3 00:00:05,279 --> 00:00:07,120 remember holding that piece of paper in front 4 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,279 of my face and saying, this is 30 5 00:00:09,279 --> 00:00:10,660 reasons to keep going. 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:16,945 Hi. I'm director of podcast at Balancing Life's 7 00:00:16,945 --> 00:00:19,425 Issues, Kai Sorensen, and welcome to This Is 8 00:00:19,425 --> 00:00:20,324 Your Job Now. 9 00:00:20,704 --> 00:00:22,464 What does resilience look like when the world 10 00:00:22,464 --> 00:00:24,545 breaks you more than once and you still 11 00:00:24,545 --> 00:00:25,844 choose to rise with kindness? 12 00:00:26,464 --> 00:00:28,704 Today, we're bringing back the extraordinary story of 13 00:00:28,704 --> 00:00:29,364 Kath Cashel, 14 00:00:29,664 --> 00:00:32,630 a former elite Australian cricketer who survived multiple 15 00:00:32,630 --> 00:00:34,950 life threatening injuries, the death of her partner, 16 00:00:34,950 --> 00:00:37,109 and unimaginable grief, only to turn it all 17 00:00:37,109 --> 00:00:40,469 into something remarkable, Kindness Factory, a global movement 18 00:00:40,469 --> 00:00:42,969 dedicated to inspiring 1,000,000 acts of kindness. 19 00:00:43,604 --> 00:00:45,684 We first spoke with Kath in October 20 00:00:45,684 --> 00:00:46,564 2024, 21 00:00:46,564 --> 00:00:48,664 but the urgency of her message hasn't faded. 22 00:00:48,725 --> 00:00:51,125 In a world grappling with burnout, division, and 23 00:00:51,125 --> 00:00:53,445 change, leaders need more than strategy. They need 24 00:00:53,445 --> 00:00:55,524 heart. And Kath's story shows us exactly what 25 00:00:55,524 --> 00:00:56,820 that looks like. So as you listen to 26 00:00:56,820 --> 00:00:59,140 Kath's story, you'll be thinking to yourself, how 27 00:00:59,140 --> 00:01:00,839 often do I respond with kindness? 28 00:01:01,379 --> 00:01:03,399 Because this is your job now. 29 00:01:06,019 --> 00:01:06,680 I had 30 00:01:07,219 --> 00:01:08,200 this really, 31 00:01:08,534 --> 00:01:09,674 I guess, condensed 32 00:01:10,055 --> 00:01:12,775 patch of adversity after adversity after adversity. And 33 00:01:12,775 --> 00:01:14,695 it was the triumph over that adversity that 34 00:01:14,695 --> 00:01:16,534 has now led to a global movement called 35 00:01:16,534 --> 00:01:17,594 Kindness Factory, 36 00:01:17,975 --> 00:01:20,215 which I speak about on stages all around 37 00:01:20,215 --> 00:01:22,200 the world about what happens in the brain 38 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:24,200 when we're in a kind state, I. E. 39 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:25,340 We've given or received 40 00:01:25,719 --> 00:01:28,359 received kindness and how that can impact us 41 00:01:28,359 --> 00:01:30,280 personally, but also the people around us, some 42 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,040 of the people that we we know quite 43 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:33,719 well, but also some people that we might 44 00:01:33,719 --> 00:01:35,640 not have even met yet. Kath never planned 45 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:36,405 to be a motivational 46 00:01:37,604 --> 00:01:40,164 speaker. Kath grew up in Findlay, a small 47 00:01:40,164 --> 00:01:41,444 town in rural Australia, with dreams like any 48 00:01:41,444 --> 00:01:43,284 other kid from a small town. I grew 49 00:01:43,284 --> 00:01:45,444 up, you know, in the backyard playing with 50 00:01:45,444 --> 00:01:46,104 my brothers, 51 00:01:46,484 --> 00:01:48,484 and we very quickly bonded over the sport 52 00:01:48,484 --> 00:01:50,319 of cricket. At a very early age, I 53 00:01:50,319 --> 00:01:51,840 identified that I wanted to play cricket for 54 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:53,439 Australia. That's all I ever wanted to do. 55 00:01:53,439 --> 00:01:55,119 And I got pretty close. I ended up 56 00:01:55,119 --> 00:01:57,519 representing New South Wales. I was paid to 57 00:01:57,519 --> 00:01:59,359 to do that professionally. I traveled the world 58 00:01:59,359 --> 00:02:01,039 doing that. But just as her career was 59 00:02:01,039 --> 00:02:03,495 taking off, Kath's body gave out. Not long 60 00:02:03,495 --> 00:02:05,575 into my professional career, I actually broke my 61 00:02:05,575 --> 00:02:07,375 back for the first time. I was paralyzed. 62 00:02:07,375 --> 00:02:09,275 I was told that I'd never walk again. 63 00:02:14,294 --> 00:02:17,069 What followed was a brutal rehab journey. Twelve 64 00:02:17,069 --> 00:02:19,789 months of teaching herself to walk again. And 65 00:02:19,789 --> 00:02:21,569 it was in this place, of all places, 66 00:02:21,709 --> 00:02:23,310 that she found love. I ended up meeting 67 00:02:23,310 --> 00:02:24,050 my partner, 68 00:02:24,430 --> 00:02:26,269 Jim, who was a rugby player, and he 69 00:02:26,269 --> 00:02:28,590 did his spine as well. So there we 70 00:02:28,590 --> 00:02:31,084 were, very similar age, very similar mindset, very 71 00:02:31,084 --> 00:02:33,405 similar challenge ultimately of teaching ourselves how to 72 00:02:33,405 --> 00:02:35,965 walk again. And we quickly grew to to 73 00:02:35,965 --> 00:02:38,204 fall in love. The most magical experience of 74 00:02:38,204 --> 00:02:40,444 my life to date. Twelve months in, just 75 00:02:40,444 --> 00:02:42,125 as both of their recoveries had turned a 76 00:02:42,125 --> 00:02:43,664 corner, Kath was blindsided. 77 00:02:45,599 --> 00:02:47,699 We we were going out for twelve months. 78 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,840 Our rehab journeys had both come full circle, 79 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,379 and we were both walking independently. 80 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:53,840 And at the twelve month mark, the day 81 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:56,580 before Jim's full time release from rehab, 82 00:02:57,039 --> 00:02:58,740 he passed away via suicide, 83 00:03:03,175 --> 00:03:06,215 which just left me as a a 22 84 00:03:06,215 --> 00:03:06,955 year old 85 00:03:07,335 --> 00:03:08,235 feeling completely 86 00:03:08,615 --> 00:03:11,594 lost, vulnerable, afraid, and alone in the world. 87 00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:18,080 I'd lost this dream that I'd I'd wanted, 88 00:03:18,780 --> 00:03:20,460 since I was a little girl and then 89 00:03:20,460 --> 00:03:21,900 lost the person that taught me that there 90 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:23,340 was so much more to life than hitting 91 00:03:23,340 --> 00:03:24,639 a ball around a park. 92 00:03:28,105 --> 00:03:30,504 Her career was gone, her partner was gone, 93 00:03:30,504 --> 00:03:32,605 and Kath was trapped in a dark place, 94 00:03:32,905 --> 00:03:35,784 unsure if happiness was ever coming back. But 95 00:03:35,784 --> 00:03:38,265 then something shifted, something small. I was in 96 00:03:38,265 --> 00:03:39,645 a wheelchair one day, 97 00:03:40,180 --> 00:03:42,040 and I couldn't reach the lift button. 98 00:03:42,819 --> 00:03:45,379 And the random stranger was just centimeters out 99 00:03:45,379 --> 00:03:47,060 of reach, and a random stranger walked past. 100 00:03:47,060 --> 00:03:48,580 He saw that struggle, and he pressed the 101 00:03:48,580 --> 00:03:50,419 button for me, and it meant absolutely nothing 102 00:03:50,419 --> 00:03:52,580 to his day, but everything to mine. That 103 00:03:52,580 --> 00:03:53,879 moment sparked a realization. 104 00:03:54,495 --> 00:03:56,114 Kindness was keeping her going. 105 00:03:56,414 --> 00:03:58,334 And that list of moments of people who 106 00:03:58,334 --> 00:04:00,814 showed up, she wrote them down. I genuinely 107 00:04:00,814 --> 00:04:02,495 never thought I'd ever be happy again. That 108 00:04:02,495 --> 00:04:04,094 that that was my genuine belief. And I 109 00:04:04,094 --> 00:04:05,694 sat down at a coffee table, and it 110 00:04:05,694 --> 00:04:07,215 was there for a shopping list. There was 111 00:04:07,215 --> 00:04:08,754 a piece of paper and a pen. 112 00:04:09,389 --> 00:04:11,069 And I don't know why, but for whatever 113 00:04:11,069 --> 00:04:12,829 reason, I had a moment of reflection where 114 00:04:12,829 --> 00:04:14,110 I thought, you know what? I've been lucky 115 00:04:14,110 --> 00:04:15,789 enough to be blessed with lots of different 116 00:04:15,789 --> 00:04:17,310 people who have helped me in my life 117 00:04:17,310 --> 00:04:18,910 to get me from A to B and 118 00:04:18,910 --> 00:04:21,310 to propel my journey forward. And I started 119 00:04:21,310 --> 00:04:22,995 writing the names on this list of paper. 120 00:04:22,995 --> 00:04:24,675 One name turned into 10, and the next 121 00:04:24,675 --> 00:04:26,835 thing I knew, there's about 30 names on 122 00:04:26,835 --> 00:04:28,275 this sheet of paper. And at rock bottom 123 00:04:28,275 --> 00:04:30,035 moment, I remember holding that piece of paper 124 00:04:30,035 --> 00:04:32,035 in front of my face and saying, this 125 00:04:32,035 --> 00:04:34,355 is 30 reasons to keep going. Her next 126 00:04:34,355 --> 00:04:36,134 decision was bold and beautiful. 127 00:04:36,589 --> 00:04:38,430 She decided to call every person on that 128 00:04:38,430 --> 00:04:39,729 list to say thank you. 129 00:04:40,110 --> 00:04:42,370 That simple act, it became a philosophy 130 00:04:42,750 --> 00:04:45,470 and eventually a movement. But her challenges weren't 131 00:04:45,470 --> 00:04:47,870 over yet. I ended up actually recovering physically 132 00:04:47,870 --> 00:04:49,550 well enough to be able to compete in 133 00:04:49,550 --> 00:04:50,529 Ironman events. 134 00:04:50,884 --> 00:04:52,884 And I was training for that one day, 135 00:04:52,884 --> 00:04:54,324 and I was got hit by a drunk 136 00:04:54,324 --> 00:04:56,004 driver while on my bike and broke my 137 00:04:56,004 --> 00:04:56,745 back again. 138 00:04:59,044 --> 00:05:00,805 And woke up from a coma two months 139 00:05:00,805 --> 00:05:02,404 later to news that I was paralyzed and 140 00:05:02,404 --> 00:05:04,004 told I'd never walk again for the second 141 00:05:04,004 --> 00:05:04,889 time in my life. 142 00:05:08,330 --> 00:05:09,550 So she fought again. 143 00:05:10,009 --> 00:05:11,150 Rehab again. 144 00:05:11,530 --> 00:05:12,830 Recovery again. 145 00:05:13,610 --> 00:05:15,290 And this time, she decided to test the 146 00:05:15,290 --> 00:05:16,670 limits of kindness itself 147 00:05:17,129 --> 00:05:19,069 with a two month journey around Australia. 148 00:05:19,449 --> 00:05:21,935 No money, no plan, just the help of 149 00:05:21,935 --> 00:05:24,095 strangers. In order to survive, the rules were 150 00:05:24,095 --> 00:05:26,014 I could only accept the help and kindness 151 00:05:26,014 --> 00:05:26,754 of strangers. 152 00:05:27,055 --> 00:05:28,414 And as I said, I traveled for two 153 00:05:28,414 --> 00:05:30,095 months to every single state in Australia. It's 154 00:05:30,095 --> 00:05:31,854 a big country, almost as big as The 155 00:05:31,854 --> 00:05:32,754 US. So, 156 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,160 I I met a lot of amazing people 157 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:36,759 on that journey, which then led to a 158 00:05:36,759 --> 00:05:38,540 speaking career, book deals, etcetera. 159 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:40,279 And I now do this all around the 160 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:43,000 world. Today, Kath leads the Kindness Factory, a 161 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:45,720 global nonprofit with more than 7,500,000 162 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:46,964 acts of kindness recorded. 163 00:05:47,524 --> 00:05:50,004 She works with major corporations, schools, and government 164 00:05:50,004 --> 00:05:52,725 leaders, sharing what science and real life both 165 00:05:52,725 --> 00:05:56,084 confirm. Kindness rewires our brains and changes our 166 00:05:56,084 --> 00:05:58,485 lives. The brain based research that we're doing 167 00:05:58,485 --> 00:06:01,305 in the kindness space for our research institute 168 00:06:02,389 --> 00:06:04,629 globally has been fantastic. It is tougher for 169 00:06:04,629 --> 00:06:06,870 me now to have a bad day because 170 00:06:06,870 --> 00:06:07,370 I'm 171 00:06:08,069 --> 00:06:08,569 constantly 172 00:06:08,870 --> 00:06:11,529 surrounded by kindness. So we need to choose 173 00:06:11,829 --> 00:06:13,669 to be kind. We need to choose a 174 00:06:13,669 --> 00:06:15,589 better life, a better path forward, and we 175 00:06:15,589 --> 00:06:17,355 need to choose to, you know, to take 176 00:06:17,435 --> 00:06:18,814 action, to spark action. 177 00:06:19,194 --> 00:06:20,875 So that's on us. We're living in an 178 00:06:20,875 --> 00:06:21,775 age of overwhelm. 179 00:06:22,154 --> 00:06:24,735 Leaders are burning out. People are shutting down. 180 00:06:24,875 --> 00:06:27,595 But if Kath's story teaches us anything, it's 181 00:06:27,595 --> 00:06:30,074 that the smallest action, the tiniest spark of 182 00:06:30,074 --> 00:06:31,819 care can change everything. 183 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:34,519 Not just for someone else, but for ourselves 184 00:06:34,519 --> 00:06:35,019 too. 185 00:06:35,399 --> 00:06:38,279 So what's your act of kindness today? Because 186 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:38,779 this, 187 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:40,540 this is your job now. 188 00:06:50,235 --> 00:06:51,915 Thanks for listening to This Is Your Job 189 00:06:51,915 --> 00:06:54,634 Now, produced by me, Kai. If this episode 190 00:06:54,634 --> 00:06:56,235 made you think or made you feel, we 191 00:06:56,235 --> 00:06:58,074 hope it also made you realize you don't 192 00:06:58,074 --> 00:06:59,935 have to figure this out all alone. Leadership 193 00:06:59,995 --> 00:07:02,270 today is about presence, not perfection. To learn 194 00:07:02,270 --> 00:07:04,589 more, follow Wendy Wohner on LinkedIn, subscribe to 195 00:07:04,589 --> 00:07:06,910 Balancing Life's Issues on YouTube, or stream the 196 00:07:06,910 --> 00:07:09,150 podcast wherever you listen. Because if you're leading 197 00:07:09,150 --> 00:07:11,550 people, this is your job now. Anything else 198 00:07:11,550 --> 00:07:12,290 to add, Miles?