The Kindness Podcast

Episode Description
In this episode of the Kindness Podcast, Nicole Phillips speaks with Kelly King, a male breast cancer survivor whose journey has reshaped his views on time, purpose, and kindness. Kelly shares his unique experience of being diagnosed through a DNA blood test, navigating treatment, and the ongoing challenges he faces post-cancer. He emphasizes the importance of community, kindness, and gratitude in overcoming adversity, and encourages others to reach out for support during difficult times.

About our guest: Kelley King
My Why Changed Everything. For over four decades, I’ve helped people build legacies—crafting estate and life insurance strategies to protect families and futures. But I’ve learned that money alone doesn’t lead to a meaningful retirement.
In 2023, that lesson became deeply personal. Through a new DNA blood test, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer—despite feeling healthy and having no symptoms. That diagnosis changed how I viewed everything: my health, my time, my why. For me, the answer was clear—my family, especially my seven grandchildren. They are my anchor and my “why.”
After completing treatments, I became a co-founder of The Retirement Life, a program that prepares people for more than finances in retirement—focusing on values, relationships, faith, and purpose. My mission has grown from helping dads become better dads to helping men build lives of goodness, health, and vitality in every season.
I’ve served on the board of Youth for Christ for 17 years, completed the Prime Movers program, and am a Certified Kingdom Advisor. I live in Alexandria, Ohio, attend Jersey Church, and take great joy in watching my three grown children lead boldly in their churches and communities.
Purpose doesn’t end at retirement. In many ways, it begins.

Links and Resources
The Retirement Life https://www.theretirement.life/pages/home
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Retirement-Life-61558988862516/
Galleri early cancer detection test https://www.galleri.com
Kelley King Financial Services http://www.king-fs.com
Kelley’s male breast cancer story https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/post/my-male-breast-cancer-story
John Hancock feature Early detection, lifelong impact
John Hancock podcast episode https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/our-why-with-kelley-king-the-value

What does kindness look like when we learn to train our minds instead of being controlled by them?
In this thoughtful conversation, Nicole sits down with Shashin Surkund, a technology leader who has spent his career building data and AI systems that shape how people experience products and services. But after a deeply personal life event, Shashin turned that same curiosity inward and began asking a different question: what if we trained our minds the way we train AI?
That question became the foundation for a powerful new way of thinking.
Shashin has spent the last decade raising awareness around mental health and helping people build lives rooted in gratitude, trust, and a more supportive inner voice. In his TEDx talk, he introduced the world to the idea of “inner ChatGPT,” a way of befriending the mind by being more intentional about what we feed it. In his world, GPT means something a little different: Gratitude and Positive Thoughts.
Together, Nicole and Shashin talk about mental spirals, self-talk, positivity, and the quiet but powerful practice of being kinder to ourselves. They explore what it means to interrupt negative patterns, why small consistent messages matter, and how we can begin building an inner voice we actually trust.
This episode is a reminder that kindness is not only something we offer to others. It is also something we practice in the way we speak to ourselves.
About Shashin Surkund:
Shashin Surkund is a seasoned technology professional who works for a leading financial organization and has spent much of his career enabling data platforms where analytics and AI are used at scale to create better products, services, and customer experiences.
A personal life event led him to discover a deeper purpose: raising awareness around mental health. For the past decade, he has dedicated himself to fostering a culture of gratitude, trust, and positivity in both his personal and professional life.
In November, Shashin introduced his best friend, POSH, short for Positive Shashin, on the TEDx stage. Through vulnerability and insight, he shared an innovative approach to mental wellness by encouraging people to treat their minds like AI language models and train them like their own inner ChatGPT. In his framework, GPT stands for Gratitude and Positive Thoughts.
To kickstart each day, Shashin sends a simple email with a few uplifting thoughts to thousands of people in his organization. He calls it Daily Dose of Positivity, or DDOP.
His story and openness have deeply resonated with others, earning him an unofficial but meaningful title from colleagues: Chief Happiness Officer.
Connect with Shashin:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashin-surkund-4288a7
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innerchatgpt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/18SshKoJu3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Watch or read more: TEDx: Harness Your Inner ChatGPT https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/harness-your-inner-chatgpt-shashin-surkund-cdake https://youtu.be/BsZg2y9XCQ4?si=hn8tdHVBhXtyDcfu

Episode Description:
In this honest conversation, Nicole sits down with Asha Miller, breast cancer survivor, vitiligo advocate, storyteller, and founder of Asha Miller Creative. Diagnosed with stage 3B aggressive breast cancer at just 33, Asha shares how that experience reshaped not only her health, but her sense of self, her voice, her faith, and her understanding of what it means to live fully in the body she has now.
Together, they talk about visible difference, truth telling, motherhood, healing, community, and the courage it takes to stay open when life gets hard. Asha’s story is powerful, grounded, and deeply human. This episode is for anyone navigating illness, identity shifts, or the quiet work of learning to be kind to yourself in a life you did not plan.
In this episode, we talk about: • What life looked like before Asha’s breast cancer diagnosis at 33 • How cancer impacted her identity, not just her body • What it means to live fully in the body you have now • How vitiligo shaped her relationship with visibility and self acceptance • Why telling the truth matters more than telling the polished version.
Why this conversation matters Asha reminds us that kindness is not denial. It is not pretending everything is fine. It is honesty. It is tenderness. It is learning to stay with yourself, even when your body feels unfamiliar and your life has taken a turn you never asked for.
Her story offers hope without sugarcoating. Truth without performance. And a powerful reminder that healing is rarely neat, but it can still be meaningful.
About Asha Miller Asha Miller is a breast cancer veteran, vitiligo advocate, storyteller, and consultant based in Columbus, Ohio. Diagnosed with stage 3B aggressive breast cancer at 33, she transformed her diagnosis into a life rooted in advocacy, truth telling, and building community. She is the founder of Asha Miller Creative and the voice behind Dear Cancer, It’s Me, where she creates space for honest conversations about identity, healing, faith, visible difference, and what it means to live fully in the body you have now. Through writing, speaking, and storytelling initiatives with hospitals and national organizations, Asha helps people reclaim their voice and push back darkness with love. At the heart of everything she does are her two children, who remind her daily that kindness begins at home, in the smallest moments, and in the courage to stay tender even when life has been anything but.
Connect with Asha:
Instagram: @dearcancer_itsme
Everyday Health contributor page: Asha Dee Miller
Linktree: Dear Cancer, It’s Me
Outro If this conversation meant something to you, share it with someone who might need it too. And if you’re walking through something hard right now, you’re not alone in it.
And remember, what you look for is what you’ll see.

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.