Today my guest on Stories Connect People podcast is the Seeds of Happiness Guy, Mark Borella.
I found these little clay smiles years ago in a little art boutique in California. I have been giving them to friends, family, people who need a smile, people who are special to me or someone who is going through a rough time. As Mark says I am spreading kindness.
Mark Borella is nothing less than amazing. He was overjoyed to be a guest on SCP podcast. He is the catalyst for millions of smiles getting out into the world and he shares all the details about how it began.
He talks about how he struggled as a young person in school, how with the help of his art teacher (who works for him today) help him grow into an artist, he talks about how his career as a fine artist evolved and how the person that connected he and his wife in high school was key to the Seeds of Happiness starting. Their friends son passed away from a terminal illness. Mark had made a few smile out of extra clay from his sculpting. That was the first seed given and the start of a life changing mission.
Kirkwood, MO is Mark's home and the home of The Smile Factory as they call it. You will hear Mark with all of his love and boundless energy share how each and every seed is made by hand. Every single step. In additional to his Seeds of Happiness team, he partners with a organization that employees people with disabilities to help in the production. Yet another way the seeds are spreading love.
Can you imagine if you wake up everyday with the purpose to supply a way for people to connect with others and pass love and kindness all over the world? That is Mark and the Seeds of Happiness team.
You will hear him say that it's not about him it's all about the giver! The giver is the key ingredient. The one who cares enough, loves enough and thinks of someone else to give them a smile.
Mark's love and energy is contagious. Listen to Mark's story and what is needed to get the seeds ready to do their job…. Spread love, happiness and kindness.
Notes:
Facebook - Seeds of Happiness and Seeds of Happiness Group
Instagram - Seeds of Happiness
Seeds of Happiness-- Kirkwood, MO
Read all about Seeds of Happiness and the story, buy the smiles (and other items), sign up for the newsletter and see more about how the Seeds are made in the Smile Factory
https://www.seedsofhappiness.com/
https://www.seedsofhappiness.com/shop/
https://www.seedsofhappiness.com/blog/
Phone - 877.764.4157
Seeds of Happiness partners with Canterbury Enterprises, Inc. to produce the molded balls of clay which are then sculpted at the Seeds of Happiness studio. Canterbury is a sheltered workshop in suburban St. Louis. Their mission is to produce high quality work through a dedicated workforce primarily comprised of people with disabilities.
THE STORY
Seeds of Happiness started out as leftover lumps of clay I made into little smiles to give to friends who were going through hard times and needed a little smile.
That was in 2006, since then I have given out thousands of smiles to folks, a handful at a time. In turn, they share them and the story with their friends in need of a smile.
Then, those people share with more friends and keep the story going. The Seeds are all over the planet by now. I receive a lot of e-mails with photos and stories showing how these little Seeds made a difference to someone. From Africa to the land down under, the Seeds have been planted and smiles have been resurrected for people who need them. Seems a lot of people need smiles these days. Share a Smile – help me spread Seeds of Happiness.
Mark Borella
“The Seeds of Happiness Guy”
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