Story Samurai

Nikki (00:00)
Welcome, Kim, to our show. We're absolutely thrilled to have you here today with us and can't wait to delve into the stories behind all the impactful work you do. So personally, I'm someone in the business world trying to integrate compassion, giving back a more human -centric approach. So I'm super curious to know what propelled you from the business world into becoming a communicator.

writer, humanitarian, and a volunteer at the American Red Cross.

Kim Mailes (00:33)
think it's always been there in my life, but it's just at this stage of my life, and we all go through seasons, it's become possible for me to pursue some things that I'm passionate about, and also to do that utilizing skills that I have, and that always is satisfying, to help others. And so it's been real great opportunity in my life right now. I spent my life in business, retired a little early. I've been fortunate, and so now I can devote myself to things

are not motivated necessarily by money but are motivated by the heart.

Nikki (01:09)
Thank you, yeah. And I think it's very interesting when you said motivated by the heart. And I think very few people get that chance to get a second career, follow their passion, be motivated by their heart. So tell us more about that motivation and what you do.

Kim Mailes (01:28)
Well, I spent my whole life in business. grew up in a family business. worked with my grandfather who started the business in 1948. And I worked with my dad for all those years. And I spent a lot of years, several decades in that business and then was able to move to a different phase of my life. I've got a little bit of an unusual story in the fact that I've always been a communicator, always been a writer. I've been involved in the retail professions and marketing and business.

But way back in high school, I had a teacher who believed in me and she said, I believe you're a communicator. I think you're a good writer. I just moved into business with the family, just grew up there and just went right to work in business and great career. I'd like to do it all over again, but I always regretted not getting a higher education. And so when I retired in my 50s and sold the business,

I found myself very quickly bored because I'd been working 12 hours a day, six days a week for years and years and years. And I became very bored. thought, what am I going to do with myself? And I remembered all those years that I'd done a little writing and that had kind of been a passion. thought, I'm going to go back to university. So I went back and got a bachelor's degree in English. And then I applied to a very competitive program and a master of fine arts program in creative writing. And I was accepted.

And so I achieved a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Very quickly again, I became bored and I began looking for things to do. And I found that my talents and my skills and my motivations could be valuable to other organizations and not be concerned about dollars and income, but to give myself to their mission. And so I've become very involved with the American Red Cross, which is my largest passion today.

I've also been involved with Historic Core, which is a not -for -profit organization that mobilizes volunteers to save historic places all across the United States. And I'm also deeply involved with the George Washington Carver Birthplace Association. And I'm the project manager now for the restoration of the 1872 Neosho Colored School, which was a reconstruction era schoolhouse.

where George Washington Carver wins. So I'm actively involved in raising funds and supervising the real actual restoration of that schoolhouse.

Nikki (03:55)
That's amazing. And what would you say? know you've listed your passions and you've been part of all these amazing ventures in, you know, restoration and also giving back. What would you say your proudest moment was?

Kim Mailes (04:14)
let me think just a moment because there are a number of them that I find great satisfaction in their memory. Probably the moment that means the most to me was a year or so ago in Mississippi where I was working with the American Red Cross and after following devastating tornadoes that tore through small towns there and just obliterated them. I served in various roles with the American Red Cross, always in communication.

But on this particular project, I was serving as the producer for a video project. Red Cross had hired a professional video company to produce video content to explain the mission of the American Red Cross in that area. So my job was to guide these technicians and videographers and editors to the right place, to the right source, to the right people that would tell the best story about our humanitarian efforts.

I remember we came across a family who had been in that area for years. They were small -time farmers, and they had a son who had risen above poverty and above discrimination and above many obstacles to become an Ivy League -trained lawyer and also worked in the Obama White House. And he was there that day. So I sat down with him.

and his father who probably had an elementary education at best, who is a double amputee, who is a diabetic. And I sat down with them in their home and interviewed them about what the Red Cross had done for them. And it was a moment that just all the pieces came together. And we produced a video, short video that became a national award winning video. And it told the story of what the Red Cross was doing for people like them.

And the other side of it was is our fund development team was able to take that and go to corporate donors and raise massive amounts of funds to support our humanitarian mission. So that probably sticks out in my memory more than anything else.

Nikki (06:26)
That's incredible. And I think you touching the best story part is exactly why we're here to, you know, share your story with our audience and to make sure they understand the power of storytelling. Right.

Kim Mailes (06:40)
Storytelling is everything. A lot of people, talk to me today and I'm very deeply involved in communications and they say, well, you must have had a background in media or all this. No, not at all. But I was in business and dealt with the public and it's all people skills. It's all making friends and gaining trust of those that you want to tell stories about them and what's happening to

Whenever we're on these big operations, like whenever, for instance, I worked Hurricane Ian, I was there for eight weeks in Florida after that disaster. And we spend a lot of time in the car going between places and traveling to find the stories that we're going to gather. And we're careful and we are very meticulous and proficient to find the right stories. And when we roll up to a place that we think this is a place where we can get a story that we want to tell.

I open the door and my last words to the crew that's working with me, say, let's go make friends. Because if you become somebody's friend, they'll tell you their story. And those are the greatest and most impactful stories that we can tell.

Nikki (07:53)
Absolutely, and you've mentioned quite a few examples that require storytelling during adversity. How is that challenging and how do you face that and make sure there's a best story to

Kim Mailes (08:10)
several aspects to that. One is you need to become very familiar with the organization that you're working for and their capabilities to help people in need. When I serve as a producer on these projects like the one I just mentioned, I'm embedded in that project because those that we have put on the project because they're the best in the business but they don't know the organization.

So I'm in the organization and I know that over here we're distributing emergency supplies. In this county, we're doing mobile feeding. At this arena, we're doing sheltering. So to know your organization is the very best thing that you can do. And then to be patient and to make a friend, I think it's almost wrong to just dive bomb into a situation.

and jerk a story out of somebody for my own personal ambition. That's not the game, the aim. That's not the role. Because that doesn't tell a good story. I want to gain the trust and confidence and friendship of that person. It has to be done in a short amount of time. But in a short amount of time, you can convey through body language and the things you say and the transparency of your heart that I am here to help you.

I'm here to tell your story because I want you to tell your story and because your story will touch the hearts of those that can make it possible for us to help you. One of the challenges in all of that is to balance empathy and professionalism. When I go into a major disaster scene, it's just constant, every hour of the day, destruction,

people facing the worst moment of their lives. So there are two extremes. One is you become so empathetic that you're no longer capable of doing the job of being a storyteller because you're wrecked emotionally inside. The other extreme is to become completely detached and to not feel what they're feeling. So somehow you've got to strike the balance in the middle.

of empathy and professionalism and doggedness to get the job done. And it's hard. I find that I can do that for a couple of weeks, but then I've got to take a break. I remember one particular instance on a hurricane operation, and I'd been there for going on three weeks, and we had been out in the field shooting video and interviewing, gathering stories and writing all day.

And then we went back to the hotel room that night and spent another three or four hours writing the story, just gaining the captions, doing the releases, all that. And I was standing over the shoulder of a video editor. And as he was editing and I was giving him direction, let's focus on this shot, let's move into this transition, completely out of the blue, I began to tear up. And I thought, what's the matter with me? And I think it's because I'd reached the point

that I'd seen too much. So sometimes you've to back off a little bit, recollect yourself, gain more resolve, continue to be empathetic, but the job to tell the story is paramount. We've got to be in the best shape possible to do that.

Nikki (11:48)
Wow, yeah. And I think through all your examples, it speaks volumes to your mission of the best storytelling while not compromising, you know, the people who are giving you the story and the help that's going to them. So truly appreciate that. And you mentioned a little bit about having that balance, right, with empathy, patience and all that. And it speaks to your resilience.

and how you've persevered through these adverse storytelling times. So what advice would you give someone who's starting out in this path and who's trying to get that story with people?

Kim Mailes (12:33)
I think the best advice I could give is to begin not as a storyteller, but as a humanitarian. I remember when I first signed up with the American Red Cross, I was brand new, didn't know where I belonged, didn't know really fully what the operation did. And they assigned me to be a shelter worker, just a simple private in the army in a large shelter where people who had been displaced from their homes

had nowhere else to turn, could come and find safety and food and warmth. And after I got there, I was a bit offended because I thought, I can do more than this. My talents are better than this. I gotta admit there was a piece of me that was a little selfish. But as I began to settle in, I found that that experience as I looked back on it in retrospect was probably my best introduction.

humanitarianism. I wasn't there to gather a story. I wasn't there to do any administration. I wasn't there to do anything but as simple as hand someone a sandwich or give a blanket to someone on their cot. It allowed me to understand what humanitarianism is all about. Plus, it gave me the 30 ,000 foot view of the operation. I was a newbie. I saw hmm that person over there is a mental health worker and

meeting the emotional needs of this person who has been through trauma. That person over there who's driving that forklift in that warehouse, they may never see the people they're serving, but they're loading the trucks with that material that's going to provide comfort and service to them. So I began to see how all the pieces work together. And then I began to watch as leadership in the command headquarters were directing the operation.

I think that was a good introduction. So anybody wanting to get involved in humanitarian storytelling, would say hold your horses, back off a little bit, and just learn how to be a humanitarian. The second thing I would say is that before you go out in the field, we all want to grab our cameras, and we all want to grab our reporter's notebooks and run out in the field. Before you go out there, master your craft. Learn how to use that camera. Learn how to edit video.

Nikki (14:45)
Thanks.

Kim Mailes (14:58)
Become a writer. Let others edit your work and put your ego aside and realize that you may think you're a great writer, but there are others better than you or as good as you who can provide helpful information. So number one, become a humanitarian. Number two, master your craft. And then number three, devote yourself entirely to that pursuit. I spend sometimes as much as half the year deployed. Last year it was some Guam.

for the typhoon, to Maui, for the wildfire, to Florida for hurricanes, to the Midwest for tornadoes. You can't call yourself a humanitarian and a communicator if you're not out there doing the work. So one, learn how to be a humanitarian. Two, master your craft. Three, make yourself available. And then if you're good, if you're reliable,

If you produce good content, doors will open.

Nikki (16:00)
Thank you. Thank you for that. A little segue from our conversation here. There's a lot of social media and a lot of media out there that is not truth with a capital T. It is combined with emotions and a lot of business led objectives. What would you say to that and how are you combating?

Kim Mailes (16:24)
That's a real challenge. And I would say that probably a third of my time as a, I'm now in administration as well as a communicator in that field, in that part of the operation. And I would say probably a third of the time I spend not only producing and being positive with content, but being defensive about things that pop up that can damage the brand and mangle the message.

So what we find is to use this great tool of social media to the greatest ability. It's the driving force. The days of, I still do TV interviews and still do some print, but the days of institutionalized media being our message bearer are really dwindling. Social media is where it's at. That's where people get their information these days. And

We produce a lot of social media content. We push out a lot of social media attention trying to catch eyeballs to not only promote the brand and to develop the funds necessary to support the mission that we're doing but also just to tell people what we're doing and then another thing we do is we spotlight volunteers to give them a pat on the back and to inspire others to become volunteers, but the

The backside of that, the dark side of social media is it's easy for anybody with a phone to quickly refute what we're doing or to damage the message or the brand. And so constantly have to be on the outlook for that and to respond when necessary and tailor the message to deal with that.

Nikki (18:14)
Right, yeah. And I've seen a lot of learnings through that and a lot of, know, editing yourself while you're doing that work, right? So really appreciate that. And you've mentioned a little bit about TV interviews. How is that different from, you know, the humanitarian side of it? And is it any different, right? And share some of your experiences with

Kim Mailes (18:23)
That's right.

Well, of course it's vastly different in terms of mechanics, but I don't see it as any different at all. I'll say this before I directly address your question. Some people, they might look at what I do and say, well, you're not part of the humanitarian mission of that organization. You're not giving them a meal. You're not cooking their food. You're not providing them a blanket. But what I do is integral to the operation.

because what they're doing isn't possible without what I'm doing and vice versa. So I consider my communications work definitely a humanitarian enterprise. Now, to address your question directly, television is still a powerful, powerful medium and we need to use it to the greatest extent. I find that most TV reporters

Nikki (19:14)
Yeah.

Kim Mailes (19:37)
are very sympathetic and cooperative with what we want to do because they see the good work we're doing and they want to support that. Very rarely will I run into an antagonistic reporter, but it happens. And so I think the main things to keep in mind what I do there is to keep it as simple as possible to talk about what I'm doing, to talk about what the organization is doing, to not talk about what other organizations are doing.

and to spotlight the mission that we're doing. There's a tool, it's a basic tool in every toolkit of every communicator that deals with media and it's called blocking and bridging. So they may say, well, what do you think of the job that X organization is doing to respond to this disaster? Well, my response might be something like, well, I can't speak to that, but I can tell you what my organization is doing and then begin to tell about

And then I would say that when dealing with media, particularly visual media that can reach thousands, need to be very, very vigilant in watching carefully what takes place. I can give you an example. I was in California a couple of years ago when there was a massive wildfire and there were hundreds of people in a shelter and the weather was mild and some of them were choosing to stay outside in their RVs or camp or whatever.

And a local reporter, television reporter came and they had an agenda. They felt that the air quality was toxic and that the American Red Cross was not doing anything about that to assist and protect those that were in the shelter. Long story short, they always find the one interviewee who will give them the story they want. And they found someone

agreed with that and said, yes, it's terrible and what have you. I had been prepared. I knew this was coming and I had arranged for a staffer who had pure and accurate information and was articulate. And I said, let's go talk to this person. They brought the other perspective and then that took care of it. But then I found that when the reporter got in the car, they waited for me to leave because they wanted to continue to pursue their agenda.

And it was a standoff for about three hours because I refused to leave until they left. And so sometimes you just have to be wise and vigilant and protect the brand, protect the message.

Nikki (22:07)
Yeah, and I think that also calls to a lot of, as you mentioned, kind of the clashing of social definitions, because there's a lot of people in this web of helping others, right? And how we're portraying that. And there's always that clash of what is humanitarianism and how would that be defined, right? Would you ever define that or is there a definition you go by in the line of work you do?

Kim Mailes (22:38)
I think the humanitarianism at its core is simply a love of people and a wish for their safety and the best outcomes for them. As the mission statement says, to prevent and alleviate human suffering. one thing that the humanitarian organizations need to keep in mind is that we're all in this thing together. We're not competing. We are not saying, well, we served a thousand people today, so we're best.

Nikki (22:51)
Mm -hmm. Mm -hmm.

Kim Mailes (23:04)
No, we served a large number of people today and we were assisted in this particular part of the operation by our friends and our partners at XYZ, a not -for -profit. And so we're all in this together and we need to really be cognizant of the fact that we support each other and we, and also the other side of that is we need to communicate with other organizations. We're doing this and can you help us with this?

What parts of your organization can we help you with and work together in a friendly atmosphere?

Nikki (23:38)
Mm -hmm. Yes, I think that calls to the whole question of not having a divided mission and coming under the huge umbrella of just, as you mentioned, preventing and alleviating human stress and needs, right? Yeah, so I think that that was really inspiring. And you've talked about a lot of challenges across your journey. How do you keep yourself

positively reinforced and motivated with the small wins you

Kim Mailes (24:10)
I think that's pretty easy really because it's measurable in humans touched and helped. I'm going a lot and I have a circle of friends that you know I get back and we'll sit down have a cup of coffee. Well what do you remember about that last one for instance in Maui? Did you see the beaches? Did you see whatever? Well what I always remember when I get home are the faces of the people that I touch.

You know, when I sit around and anything, I really don't ever sit around and say this is worth it because I'm all in. But I sometimes when I muse about am I doing any, am I accomplishing anything? Am I making a difference? I'll call to mind people that I interviewed, people that I edited a video of and somebody whose home was totally blown away, but we were able to help them.

That's the things that I see. And so that's what keeps me going. And then I think also one of the things I'm constantly trying to do is to get better. And so I do a lot of reading in organizations that are similar to what I do. I do a lot of work on my technical skills. I want to become a better writer. I want to become a better editor. I want to become a better photographer, videographer.

So even when I'm not out there in my downtime, I'm kind of constantly always tinkering with my toolkit to make sure I'm the best I can be.

Nikki (25:45)
amazing. And I think that's such an important skill to have just as a human, right, to be your best self and keep improving yourself and checking yourself with humility. So that that's amazing. And a little segue to what we've been talking about, we did mention about funds and trying to keep this mission moving forward. How have you faced any, you know, challenges or

any roadblocks towards that mission while, you know, having this ulterior mission of, you know, human help.

Kim Mailes (26:22)
Well, really, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about that because that's not my side of the house. I don't do, I don't, I'm not in fun development, but I know how important that is. Disasters are becoming more and more frequent and more and more intense in the extreme weather conditions in which we live. We are now facing more than twice the number of billion

Nikki (26:27)
Okay.

Kim Mailes (26:50)
dollar disasters than we were just 10 years ago. So to answer your question, I think a couple of things. One is I'm very aware of the paramount importance of fund development because without that, the mission can't go forward.

And then as a communicator, I think some communicators have difficulty with this understanding. I'm not only there to produce good content to show me as a great producer, content producer, or any of that. I'm not just there to tell big stories. I'm a big part of the machine of fun development. When I'm out working, I will often get

be contacted by the Fund Development Department and say, can you go buy this warehouse tomorrow because this large national corporation has just donated a semi -truckload of their product to help in this disaster relief operation. So there are times when I'll take, I'll just, if necessary, block off half of my day and go sit in a warehouse seemingly doing nothing but waiting on that opportunity because I know

Fund development needs that to show their appreciation to the corporation that provided the means for us to provide the humanitarian mission. And then often I will get a memo from fund development saying these corporations have provided these funds for this operation. So while I'm out just generally gathering content, I will keep an eye open for when I can spotlight these items.

as a thank you to those organizations. And I've also learned about fund development in large not -for -profits. A lot of the fund development goes on behind the scenes. The fund development personnel, have cultivated close personal relationships with the philanthropy executives of major corporations. And they make pitches to them personally. And so it's really helpful to them when I can provide

specialized personal content that will touch the hearts of the philanthropy officers of large corporations. And so it's a hand -in -hand effort and I work with them carefully to produce content that is really successful in that mission.

Nikki (29:26)
Wow, yeah, and I think you hit a good point where it's like a catch -25 where you can't do one without the other. So thank you for that. And you've talked a little bit about how you're also preventing human pain and not just alleviating it. Can you speak more to that and give us a few examples of how your work has impacted

Kim Mailes (29:50)
That's been the motto of the Red Cross for decades. And there are many other opportunities for the organization to help people. Let me give you an example. There's a program called Sound the Alarm, which works with local fire departments and emergency departments to install free smoke alarms in people's homes. Many people don't know this, but the Red Cross responds to 60

home fires every year. Every year. And one of the ways to prevent human suffering is to give people an ability to avoid being in that situation in the first place. So sound the alarm is a great way to do that by installing free smoke alarms in people's homes. Where do I fit into that as a communicator? Well, recently,

an area in the country called me and said, we've got a great story. Can you write this for us? And what had happened is in the spring of 2023, there was a sound the alarm event in this community and they installed smoke alarms and hundreds of homes that day. The local fire department in partnership with the Red Cross and then volunteers from a local university spent the day going into people's homes, making sure the batteries if they did smoke alarms were operable.

and they thought to provide free smoke alarms and then also give them education on how to get out of the house, what to do, how to plan an escape route. So they called me and they said, we installed a smoke alarm in these people's homes in the spring of 2023. And in February of 2024, they had a home fire. They all escaped. None were damaged, none were injured. And they probably would have been some fatalities had

Spring of 2023 smoke alarm campaign not taking place. So it was a great joy to me to sit down with those people to interview them, to interview the fire department, to put a story together to tell this great story of how we not only alleviate human suffering, but we prevent it as well.

Nikki (31:41)
Yeah,

Yeah.

Absolutely, yeah. And I think that ties back to you remembering those faces and those stories to keep you going with your mission. So perfect circle and coming back to it, right? And yeah. So when you started being a communicator, writer, and a humanitarian, did you have a point in your journey that kind of solidified your passion and you were like, this is it. This is what I want to do with the rest of my

Kim Mailes (32:08)
Right.

Yeah, I did. Going back to kind of what I told you after I finished those higher education degrees and then quickly found myself bored again, I thought, well, I'll volunteer. I'm capable of doing that. And I tried a number of organizations and I found them either haphazard and disorganized and not fulfilling or not really doing much of a good mission or not enough of the mission dollars going actually to humanitarianism.

And then one day I was reading the newspaper and saw an article, said the Red Cross is looking for volunteers. Well, I'll try that. As I mentioned, the first one they sent me to was a shelter worker. I did really enjoy that, but I thought, okay, I've got a good handle on this organization. I see how it operates. I trust it. It spends the donor dollar wisely. It's well organized. I'm going to keep going. And so when I got back from that operation, my supervisor said, how'd go? And I said, fine, but that's not quite my thing.

And they began to say, well, what are you good at? And I said, well, I do this and I do this and I do this. Well, let's send you out in those roles. And I was sent to the tornadoes that struck Arkansas and Kentucky in December of that year. And as I began, and I was just a private in that communications army, I was just out on the field trying to get stories and figuring things out as I went along.

But it wasn't long after I sat down and began talking one -on -one with people to gather stories, gaining their friendship, gaining their trust, letting them give me confidences that I thought, this is it. This is the personal connection I've been looking for. I see now that connecting directly with people and then communicating their story in a professional manner, that's what I should be doing.

Nikki (34:18)
That's amazing, yes. And I can only imagine how many best stories you had. This might be a tough question, take a few seconds, but do you personally have a best story that you helped process throughout your journey so far?

Kim Mailes (34:35)
my, there have been hundreds. I'll just kind of think aloud as I go along here, maybe hit on one. The story I wrote about a woman in Cheyenne, Wyoming, who had a home fire. Actually, was her apartment. It was her home. She didn't own the home, but it drove her out of her apartment. And she was struggling to begin with and had kind of

Nikki (34:44)
Absolutely.

Kim Mailes (35:03)
a foothold in life and now this threw her totally into a disaster. But the American Red Cross came and not only provided help that night, but then also guided her to other resources. Said, know, we know that we can only help you so much, but this organization can help you. Let's connect you here. Let's connect you there. Long story short on that one, the story that I wrote was she'd always wanted to have her own business. And so by finding the resources to find another place to live,

and get back on her feet. She was able to rent a little storefront and she's got a very small, but it's making her a living, jewelry making retailing business and how she was so grateful for the Red Cross because not only did they help her then, but they helped her get a new start in life. So that went in, I think another story I wrote about these new operations the Red Cross is doing to prevent human suffering is around the country.

Nikki (35:43)
Mm -hmm.

Kim Mailes (36:00)
Red Cross is working to reinforce local humanitarian organizations in areas that are frequently hit by disaster so they are more resilient that when disaster strikes the next time, they can recover more quickly and effectively. So I think that really fits in as well. And maybe the stories that just provide me the most instantaneous fun, if you want to put it that way, is the ones I do about

our volunteers. I love to tell the story about the retired minister who is now a spiritual care worker who responded to an Amtrak trail rail mass casualty event. And there was a woman who couldn't get on the plane to get back to her home in Los Angeles. She was just so traumatized that she tried three or four times to get on the plane to go home and just couldn't do it. And he was able to help her to talk her through

and to get her home. So to write stories about our volunteers and what they do or I wrote a story once about a guy in a warehouse wearing an old cap and a work shirt. And I went to him and said, what are you doing here? we began to become friends. said, well, what did you do in your life before you retired and became a volunteer with this organization? He said, I was a brain surgeon. I said, why aren't you in disaster health services? He said,

I just want to help people and I just want to drive a forklift. So to tell the stories of our volunteers is a lot of fun and it really gives satisfaction to give an atta boy to people who are giving of their lives.

Nikki (37:39)
Thank you so much for all those best stories. And I think it brings down to all the empowerment and while also having fun while generating more stories. So I really appreciate that. And I think you touched a little bit on this, on how you're also trying to empower local humanitarian organizations to keep the chain moving, keep the mission moving.

I've noticed that it's been a challenge to, for the name, call service, whatever type of service it is, to get people to volunteer for it. Is that a challenge you see and how, if any, are you tackling

Kim Mailes (38:23)
It's a huge challenge. And it's not just the organizations that I'm part of. We're seeing an overall trend in the United States of less volunteerism. And it's a huge challenge. So you've got this double -edged sword going on right now. Like I said, we're having twice as many major disasters as we were 10 years ago at the same time that there's a tremendous drop -off in volunteerism.

Nikki (38:42)
Mm -hmm.

Kim Mailes (38:50)
And that's a real challenge. And it's one that is not part of my portfolio. And it's not, you know, it's not my role in the organization. But I know that the organizations that I'm dealing with and are a part of, that's challenge that they're facing head on because it's a real challenge. I would, one, say to people that you'll find tremendous satisfaction in giving of yourself to others. And the other side of that is there's an epidemic of loneliness in this country.

It's well documented, it's rampant. What better way to meet people and what better way to get involved in a social operation than to become a volunteer with a good humanitarian organization? And then I'm also seeing that there's a difference in generations. The generations that are coming up now, you can't tell me and I won't believe it, but they don't have as big as hard as previous generations. I don't believe

I just think that we're going to have to adapt to their availability, capability, and their mindset. And I think that's going to be the challenge is to adapt a volunteerism model that has worked for a long time to a changing social environment. But I think we can do it. I really do. I think that the future of volunteerism and humanitarianism is bright. And so I think that we can adapt to that generation.

and provide opportunities that use skills they have. I usually on an operation will work with most of the people I work with are half my age. And I love it. It makes me younger. I feel like I fit right in, but they bring skills to the, I mean, I've really worked hard on my technical skills, but they can edit video in half the time I can and produce greater content and better content. They can do things on social media. I never even thought of. And so,

Nikki (40:42)
Mm

Kim Mailes (40:45)
I believe that the future of volunteerism is bright if we can adapt to changing social circumstances and find new ways to motivate people to become humanitarian.

Nikki (40:55)
Wow, thank you. And that also speaks to how one has to be adaptable and also humble while learning and even as a volunteer, And do you think you see a future or maybe it's already happening right now with your story, but do you see the power of storytelling helping with

Kim Mailes (41:15)
it'll never end. I remember one of my major papers that I wrote in grad school at the Master of Fine Arts program was on the Shannakee, which is a total word nobody ever knows. But what it was, it was Irish storytellers who would go from village to village in the Middle Ages because there wasn't media at that time. And they went from village to village to village to tell stories. And they were considered near royalty because they brought news of the outside world.

Nikki (41:16)
Yeah.

Kim Mailes (41:45)
This is an ancient craft. Storytelling is as old as when Adam turned to Eden and said, you want to eat that apple. mean, storytelling is ancient and it will last forever. But the key is learning the craft. Things as simple as intro, main body, conclusion, it's adaptable to all situations.

Nikki (41:54)
Yeah.

Kim Mailes (42:12)
things that are like you're doing with me today and learning to ask the right questions that elicits the response that you need and that's not manipulation that's simply opening somebody's heart with the right keys and storytelling it's going to be here forever in one form or another human to human interaction of telling the story will last forever and those who master it are going to go

Nikki (42:39)
Thank you. Thank you so much for that. And it definitely reiterates what we're trying to do here at Story Samurai. So thank you so much for that. And as we're getting close to end of time here, I just have one more question for you. With all the experiences you had, with all the roadblocks, with all the amazing opportunities you had, how do you think all of this has affected your personal life? And what is that one quality that you cherish forever?

Kim Mailes (43:10)
made me a better person. I think that if we're lonely and we sit around and are self -absorbed, that we become emotionally degraded and unstable. So it makes me a better person. It teaches me to see through someone else's eyes, to know that the person standing in line at that fast food place ahead of me, I don't know what they're facing today. I don't know if their mother just died. I don't know if they just lost their job.

I don't know if they're on the high that comes with having found somebody new to love. It brings an empathy that is really important to emotional stability and becoming a better person. And then the other thing I take away from what I do is I am so grateful for all the many good friends that I've made on these operations. Some operations are so big, Hurricane Ian, there were 3 ,000 volunteers on the ground in that operation.

But in Power Big, the operation, there's this core of about a few dozen of us that are always there. And so my best friends live all over the United States now. And we just kind of parachute in when there's a disaster. We pick up right where we left off, and we're best buds again and go forward. So it's given me an opportunity to find like -minded people who have big hearts and joyful spirits and enjoy doing the work that they're doing.

Nikki (44:38)
Thank you so much, Kim, and thank you for being part of kindling that mission throughout the US. So thank you so much. And that's all I had for you today. And again, it's an absolute pleasure to have you. Really appreciate all the stories and journey stories you shared with us. Thank you.

Kim Mailes (44:55)
My pleasure.