Kindness Is the Way: How Culture Quietly Drives Sales | Lindsay Andreotti

SPEAKER_02 0:58

Welcome everyone to doing business with a servants heart podcast. Doing business in life with a purpose, serving others, and yes, achieving success. I'm your host, Steve Ramona. We created this show for you because we want everyone to be motivated, inspired, and educated as well to make an impact in your world. My guest is going to blow your mind. I say that all the time, but this is going to be incredible. Her energy and what she does is just off the charts. But while you're listening to her today, I want you to think about who you're going to serve today and how and what impact will you create today. Don't wait for tomorrow. Let's do the service and have a servant's heart today. Let's start that momentum and get it going. I want to thank my uh sponsor, pitchdb.com. Be a guest on over 3 million podcasts. Speak at over 18,000 conferences and much more. Think about building your thought leader platform with an incredible opportunity to show who you are. With that being said, impact comes in many forms and packages, but we need to make impact. And as I say, your world, let's start there. Uh, I had a great conversation with a guy yesterday, and so many people want to change the world, want to change this. We can't do that. We're not Elon Musk or Bill Gates and what I'm not being political here. We don't have that kind of power, and we shouldn't. But take care of your word and make an impact. And this person today is making a huge impact. I want to thank Lindsay to the pod to our podcast. Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Thank you. Thank you, Steven. What a lovely introduction. And I'm so excited to talk to you today.

SPEAKER_02 2:28

This is gonna be great. Let's talk impact. What do you think the impact you make?

SPEAKER_01 2:35

You know, probably the number one thing is that I support imaginals to create what they know in their heart is worthy of creating, but maybe don't know the first step or can't quite figure out how to get the right resources to do it.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

I like that. Let's get in imaginals.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Let's get in there.

SPEAKER_02 2:53

Have you ever heard that word? Is it a word in the dictionary now?

SPEAKER_01 2:56

It is, it's been there for a while. And how it came to be was I think it was for me in my high school biology class, we were studying butterflies and how caterpillars become a butterfly. And what ends up happening with that process, which is very uh natural and it's the way it works for pretty much all mods and caterpillars, they hear the call and they go to create their cocoon, and they literally go into this cocoon stage. And when they're in the cocoon phase, they liquefy completely. Everything about the caterpillar comes undone. And it's the first cells that come together, that find each other, that start to begin to form the butterfly. So the imaginals have to come together in order to create the new world that we all know is possible, because if they don't, we stay a liquefied goo that's coming undone. And everyone can see that in the world today, things are coming undone everywhere. And it's the imaginals who have dreams and visions and they need to find one another in order to build this butterfly world that we're aiming towards. So that's really where it came from for me was to say there are living human imaginals right now who are struggling to find one another and to find the right steps and the way to go about it so that they can make the world that we know is possible for humanity.

SPEAKER_02 4:20

So they're actually turning to liquid, their bodies, cells turn into liquid. I never knew that. 62 years, you're always learning something. It's very interesting. Yeah. I gotta check a video. I can check out a video on that.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

I'm sure there's I'm sure there's plenty of them. I I think I saw one in my ninth grade, you know, biology class.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

There you go. Well, that's interesting. That's what you your business, you know, and what you do. Why do you love it so much? It's so interesting.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

You know, let me get from ninth grade biology to how I circled back all the way to the imaginal conversation. So, my entire career, for whatever reason, I was guided to be in the houses of leaders. And I my master's degree by the time I was 29 years old was uh focused on leadership and what does it take to be a really good leader? And it turns out that in my research project and so forth, back then, it just kept going and growing. And what I know is that no matter how many good ideas we have, if somebody isn't willing to lead, it doesn't matter. Nothing will get done. It just doesn't go anywhere. So I spent my entire career coaching, mentoring, and building companies through imaginals, through people. And all of that led me to this time in my life where I turned basically 55 and said, you know what? I feel like it's time for me to be another imaginal. And I heard the call. And the call was around kindness and that kindness is the way. So my whole mission now has turned me into an imaginal. I still help others when they show up, but the way in which I'm installing the culture into companies and everything I do is all around kindness. And how do we be more kind?

SPEAKER_02 6:05

So you're you're kind of a culture coach. I'm probably not saying the right discussion. You come into a company, their culture, you know, usually a company's not doing well. The culture's one of the main culprits besides sales and all that. So you walk into a company, you're imaginal.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 6:22

What's the first thing that you do?

SPEAKER_01 6:24

Listen. You know, the first thing you got to find out is what's coming undone. Because it's leadership that will imaginal's lead. They are by nature leaders. Um, they feel, they they intuit a calling, a reason, a something that needs to be better. And oftentimes in organizations, it's not always the founder, CEO, or management team who hears the call. They're still buried in a lot of things going on around the company, and it's not them. So it's about listening for where are the imaginals? What is coming undone? Where are the opportunities for process to be shifted or changed, or even vision to be adjusted so that the business can get back on track? So that's what I do typically when installing new company culture.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

So in the audience, there's a owner out there going, okay, Lindsay, this is all great and stuff, but I need sales.

SPEAKER_01 7:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

We're we're in debt, we're we're struggling here.

unknown 7:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:30

How can this help my sales?

SPEAKER_01 7:32

You know, that's a great question, too. I think part of it is that you have to really connect with your customers. And one of the things that happens when a caterpillar moves to a butterfly is that it's friends that were caterpillars kind of by default fade away a little bit, and you have to know how to behave in butterfly world. So what I would say is take a look at who you're selling to and has your market shifted. Is there a new group that you are more relevant to today than you were, say, five years ago or 10 years ago? I can tell you it's true for me. I I was almost exclusively working with, you know, I'll say 20 to 30 somethings. Now I'm working with 40 and 50 somethings. They're they're wanting to undo what they did and start again and do it a new way. And so, and that takes a lot. It takes a lot of self-awareness and a lot of you know, moxy to be an entrepreneur at 50 and go full throttle. It's you know, it's a lot. So I get it and I empathize with that. And I think if you're wanting sales, how does kindness support sales? Couple of reasons that you would want it in your business. One, it completely helps with mental health for all of the people that work inside your organization. So if you want to have people feeling better about life, feeling better about work, kindness is the way. If you are wanting to recruit and attract more employees, but I would also argue attract more sales, you want a culture of kindness because it gives meaning to the work that people are doing, or it's a reason for them to buy your product. I'm, you know, currently on the trail for finding companies that want to sponsor our kindness initiatives because they value what kindness can do for a community, a region, a group of people, whatever. So those are two main reasons. I think it also really is one of those things that when we establish a culture of kindness, um, it makes it a lot easier for people to find us. I don't know how to say this, but I become like a beacon. It's sort of like a lighthouse. And people know that I will respond consistently with a kindness answer, something that is clear. And I call it this do what you mean, mean what you say, just don't say it mean. And that phrase really works for them. I don't have to say things that are mean, even if I disagree with someone. And and so that's part of the puzzle. I'm attracting thousands of people to my beacon.

SPEAKER_02 10:10

Yeah, no, say that's a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 10:12

And a couple people too.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Yeah, say that phrase again because that's a powerful phrase.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

I'm gonna say it really slow too, because it does have special words. Do what you mean, mean what you say, just don't say it mean.

SPEAKER_02 10:27

It's fantastic. Audience, if you got it, I'm actually gonna write it down after and I'll put it in the show notes because it's it and it'll probably pop up in my notes, anyways. Because that that's powerful, so powerful.

SPEAKER_01 10:39

And it feels good, you know. It just feels good. Yeah, I don't have to say things mean. I have plenty of stories around that where you know Patriots would have said it mean, and when I do it differently, the results are 10x better.

SPEAKER_02 10:54

So you know people always say, you know, the psychologists and people, when you get in a conflict argument, just say something like I love you, or just be quiet, say nice things as they're yelling at you, and it I forget the word, it just slows down the uh aggression and and the and the attack that they're doing.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

It does work, it does work.

SPEAKER_02 11:16

So when I'm hearing from you, Lindsay, communication's a huge part of this.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

It is, and you know, it's fun because my father had a stroke when he was 58 years old, and coincidentally, I'm turning 58 this month. So I am now the same age that he was when he had his stroke. And what's fascinating to me, my dad has not really been able to speak, at least not verbally, for 20 plus years. And here I sit, and my dad is one of the kindest people, and people recognize him as this additional beacon of kindness, and he's literally almost like playing charades every day, if that makes sense. So, communication and connection, I'd almost go, it's about the connection, and it's how you make that connection with your energy. So, however, that gets communicated, sometimes you can just hold perfectly still and have a beaming smile on your face, and that communicates that it's okay to approach, not avoid, you know? So that's it. It's it's actually more simple than we think. You don't have to have the gift of gab that I was given because I translate for my father and for others a lot what is happening in his world. But it's like you don't have to have that, you can be a complete introvert and still be a beacon of kindness, and that's what I love.

SPEAKER_02 12:44

Yeah, it's a great story. God bless your dad. What's your dad's name?

SPEAKER_01 12:48

Jack.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Shout out to you, Jack. Keep doing what you're doing, my friend. That is so powerful.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

He's a cool dude.

SPEAKER_02 12:55

Yeah, he sounds like it. So this is all good. I'm you know, kind of I think we were dealing with the big companies with this, but you know, there's a small business that's got three employees and the owner. Can this still be powerful there too?

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Probably even more so. I think it's more powerful, you know. I not to get into any religion where some people do, you know, they yeah, I don't know why, but it's not about religion, it's just the statement that Jesus made, which was where two or more are gathered, there am I. And when I see that, what I notice is that a kindness exchange between two people truly is a gift to everyone around it. And if you do like I do, which is spend some time really observing the kindness that takes place in this world, it will blow your mind how much more of that there is than the negative. But you have to be intentional, right? And not everybody wants to go, you know, Lindsay, I'm not gonna spend my whole day doing that. Well, I will just tell you if you want to re-energize yourself, if you want to have better mental health, you want to feel good about your life and feel more gratitude and joy and harmony, just go looking for it. Look for the kindness. Kindness is love and action. That's it, period.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Love and action, that's such so great.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

So fun to watch. So, what I do in my business, I have um kindness currency. It's a little coin, it's a gold coin. It's not made of real gold, but you know, it's covered with gold, kind of. And these coins I am watching everywhere I go. And anytime I experience watching someone who's exemplifying kindness, I give them a coin and I thank them for doing something right and for being the kind person. I call it you are one of a kindness. And I really believe that. Um, each one of us is a kindness, and if that's all we did all day, every day, is thank people, feel grateful, engage and watching how they do it well, I will tell you we'll have a different world, completely different world.

SPEAKER_02 15:04

Amen. That's what serving heart is all about, is the I'm I'm actually gonna borrow that because I, you know, I'm I'm faith and people know that that know me. I call it God's currency. Every time I serve somebody with resources, I'm building my God's currency. And when I knock that door in heaven, and you know, I hope I have a leg a legacy of lots of coins. I'm gonna I'm gonna do that. We'll talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

I'm gonna send you one. I'll send you some coins, Steve. You need them.

SPEAKER_02 15:28

I would love to have them because I think no, I'm gonna strike that. Strike. I know if you recognize that because I know I don't want to talk about me, it's about you, but the kindness thing is like you walk in church, I say this all the time, and there's a beautiful bow in a baby, and you go, but that's such a cute baby with a beautiful bow. Be authentic, of course. Yes, you just change that mother's life for five seconds, five minutes, whoever you just brought kindness in a servant's heart. I'm not gonna make any money off her, but the universe will hear it. And guess what? The kindness is the same thing as a servant's heart. That's why you're on this show, because you definitely understand. That's why I'm on the show.

SPEAKER_01 16:05

I 100% have a servant's heart. And I just have realized somewhere along the trail, kindness is the way that that's it for me. I, you know, it isn't maybe for everyone, I can't say that for sure, but boy, do I see what happens. And just like you said, commenting on a mother, baby's bow, like beautiful, and she feels good. Now, watch how a mother interacts with her son or daughter and then acknowledge her for the kindness she showed to her kid, and she will remember that for a week and behave differently because somebody saw it, as opposed to we let that stuff go. We just go, isn't that cute? Isn't that nice? I don't. I jump right in and go, gosh, that was amazing. I a great story about a young man who was 13 years old on a cruise ship with his family, clearly bored out of his mind, rolling his eyes. You know, 13-year-olds, not so much. This is not their jam. But I'll tell you what, that kid held a door open for an elderly woman who was using a walker. And he smiled from ear to ear and just said, Here you go, ma'am. I mean, he was the sweetest young man, just so kind to her. And I watched this all happen. So I walked up to him while he's standing there with his parents, and I said, I wanted to acknowledge you for the kindness that you extended to that woman by holding her door. You made her day. That kid for the remainder of the cruise was holding the door for just about everybody that came there. Yeah, she's he was rewarded for what we want him to be, is not necessarily the door holder, but for doing the right thing for someone else, servant heart.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Yeah, and and people I know some people would go, Well, you don't want to reward people for things, but reward leads to more action to paying it forward, like a servant's heart. And I didn't even think about a coin, so you got my mind going, which is great. And the great great thing about kindness too, it's inspiration. I could tell when you did that story, you're inspired yourself. So, who is who inspires you right now?

SPEAKER_01 18:07

Oh man, so many people. Obviously, my dad, my mom, you know, parents, they're amazing, and they've been there my whole life with support and inspiration. But, you know, setting that aside, I think a lot of people who are inspiring me right now are people like you, Steven, who are willing to jump out there, tell the stories, and give life to more inspiration because that's what we need. Um, I look at imaginals as being somewhat trapped in these caterpillar situations, sometimes not even realizing that they're missing their call. And the more they get inspired, the more they recognize, gosh, you know, I have been thinking about writing that recipe book. I really got to get on that. That is going to help change what we experience in this lifetime. So no matter what it is, whatever you are, audience listener, be the best one. That is what you're here to be. Everything else is kind of gravy and extra, it's part of the game, whatever you want to call it. So find your way. And that's what I love about this is it's so easy, really. It the other day I came up with a tagline because my friends were like, What about kindness is so great? And I said, It really is that simple. It just is so simple, and yet we want to make it huge and overwhelming.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

It doesn't have to be, it just doesn't have to be so I I love that you said that because I tell people serving and kindness is simple. The hard part is taking the action, yes, in your mind to remember to do it. Me and you right away, we can think of those how to serve, how to be kindness. I think they come together. Serving and kindness are all really one package.

SPEAKER_01 19:49

It is, it's obvious.

SPEAKER_02 19:51

Oh god, this is so great. And the transformation is powerful. And what I'm hearing too is the uh caterpillar really dies and is rebirthed into a butterfly. That's what you're saying.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

That's it, that's what happens. You have to let go of the old, whatever is no longer serving you, the real you. And a lot of the real you takes a little chipping and some whacking and some you know hard knocks to really get to the core of the real you. And some people get it really early in life. God bless them, yay, because they have a huge undertaking of you know where they're gonna go as a butterfly. And some of us, you know, it takes 40 years or more. Yeah, and some never, some never heed the call, and that's okay too. It's really a beautiful thing to be a caterpillar as well. So there's I'm not making caterpillars wrong. Butterflies aren't better than caterpillars, they're just different, and it's amazing how much they are transformed from the same matter into something different. I think that's cool.

SPEAKER_02 20:55

Yeah, it's the process, they're part of the process. If you didn't have a caterpillar, you don't have a butterfly. So that's they're all connected somehow. That's uh, we got a few minutes left, so I'm gonna get personal. Oh, I'm gonna ask you some questions personally. So, and by the way, what's the name of your podcast? I know you have a podcast.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

The podcast is called Amplify Kindness, and you can find it on YouTube under Imagine Kindness, which is the project that we've created for this umbrella. So imagine Amplify Kindness is the podcast.

SPEAKER_02 21:23

Okay, who what one person, if you had a dream world, would you like to interview on your podcast and why?

SPEAKER_01 21:30

You know, this is gonna sound really, really funny, but it's Keith Urban. No, and I know it's funny, but part of what's happening right now with kindness is that I'm putting together music and kindness. They they seem to want to come together. And I notice that when I'm at concerts and shows and I've spent a lot of time at them, um there is no, there's no race, religion, cultural barriers of any kind. Everyone is there because their band or whatever is on stage and they're listening to music that transforms them internally. They feel good, presumably they feel good. So Keith Urban was one of those musicians that a long time ago I went to his concert, and the thing that really stuck with me is how much he loves his fans, like literally loves his fans. He does play beautiful music, but he engages in ways that most other musicians and acts don't do. And so at that time, I thought to myself, God, I'd really love to talk to that guy. Like I want to know what he thinks about because he's a servant with his music and he does some amazing things. And there are many like him, so don't get me wrong. I just interviewed today on my podcast a brand new artist who has that same heart and soul and is in Nashville at the moment. So, you know, it's you never know. It all goes full circle. But Keith was an avatar for the musician with heart, and that's who I want to talk to. It's somebody who's a servant through through music.

SPEAKER_02 23:06

Yeah, that's beautiful. Well, this has been an incredible show. I thank you so much. Uh I mean I get notes and my head spinning, and which is great. I'm sure the audience is well. But speaking of the audience, how can they get a hold of you?

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Okay. The very best way to get a hold of me is to come to my website, which is imaginekindness.org. And you can sign up to be part of our kindness crew on Facebook forward slash groups, forward slash kind imagine kindness. So if you're really looking to be part of a volunteer organization that's going to go global and a group that really believes in the pillars of kindness and what we're doing out here, we'd love to have you. That's exactly where we want you to be.

SPEAKER_02 23:50

So yeah, jump on that Facebook. What a great you're a true servant's heart. And I'm so happy you came on. This has been great. An audience, don't forget about the forward reverse buttons on the podcast platform. I say this because I hear people say, Hey, you know, I love your podcast, but you know, I don't have 20, 25 minutes, 26 minutes. Well, if five minutes of this podcast changes your life and develops kindness, a skill, which I think is the skill. Me and Lindsay are going to be extremely happy. We'd love for you to watch and listen to the whole show. But if five or eight minutes change your life or change somebody else's life, we're going to be super happy. Yes. Don't forget my TV show, Together We Serve, every Friday at 2 p.m. Pacific, 5 p.m. Eastern, and doing business with a servant's heart. Lindsay's a true message of that message, which didn't sound right, but you know what I mean. I'd love for you to see. Yeah, I'd love I'd love for you to send that message out on your shirts, t-shirts, hats. I have those in the show notes. Go ahead and buy one. And I want people to share this message. Servant's heart, kindness. And me and Lindsay are going to do some big things together. She doesn't know that yet.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

But get out there and do it. That's all I can say.

SPEAKER_02 24:58

Thank you. Let's do it. And we thank you all. Don't forget to comment on YouTube, my podcast platform. Uh, and I'll get those comments to Lindsay and I'll connect you with her so you can talk to her. And we thank you so much for listening or watching this podcast. Me and Lindsay are so happy that you took the time, and we look forward to see you in the next episode of Doing Business with a Servants Heart.