We are on a journey to tell stories about people making real change in the communities they live in or serve. After 25 years working in education and human services, our friend, Jake Murray, also felt compelled to share hope rather than fear. He created the podcast Power of Good to highlight incredible, socially innovative people and organizations.
Jake recently invited our team to take over the production of his podcast to help broaden his reach since we are a like-minded organization that believes meaningful and positive change is possible through stories-- they have the power to shift perspectives and inspire action.
We sat down with Jake to learn more about the genesis of Power of Good and what he hopes will come as a result of working with InkHouse to share these stories.
JAKE: I launched Power of Good with three goals in mind:
1. I wanted to elevate our capacity to think outside of ourselves, to serve and care for others and to see the commonality - not the differences - in the world around us. Today, there is plenty that divides us – politics, geography, income inequality, racial and ethnic stereotypes, religious beliefs. We know that hate crimes have been on the rise for the past three years, and today’s news is too often demoralizing. Power of Good very intentionally looks for counterexamples and counter-narratives. Alex Haley, the author of the 1976 book, “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” put it best when he urged us to not exhaust ourselves with the negatives all around us, and instead, “find the good and praise it.”
2. I had been searching for a way to capture – or at least bottle in 30 minutes or so – all of the people who have inspired me and continue to inspire me over my 25 years in education and human services. I wanted an effective way to share their work, focus, and spirit. They all have amazing stories to tell – stories that hopefully inspire listeners in similar ways, and maybe also motivate them to continue or begin similar work.
3. Through this podcast, I hope to authentically and honestly describe what service is and isn’t. This type of work can be inspirational, rewarding and oftentimes life-saving. But it’s also often unromantic, hard, confusing and even painful. There are setbacks, failures, and people who can’t be reached. There’s never enough funding, staff come and go, and on and on. So, there are key lessons in this podcast about what it's really like to pursue “good” and what it takes to genuinely serve others, and pursue an important mission.
JAKE: Yes - unfortunately. According to the Brookings Institution, the U.S. is more polarized politically, demographically and geographically than at any other time in recent history. There is conflict between red states and blue states, cities and rural areas, immigrants and some citizens, religions and other religions - the list goes on and on. Yet despite polarization, there are people reaching out to and supporting others across these dividing lines every day, in every community and in every state – whether to promote education, health, and wellness - or simply because they feel compelled to do so. Now more than ever, we need to share their stories and efforts – to reinforce that empathy and kindness are alive and well, and just as prevalent as the forces that divide us.
JAKE: Doing good, seeing good, and hearing about good work fosters optimism. And optimism is a powerful mindset - one that research suggests promotes a range of positive health, educational and life outcomes. When most people think of optimism, it’s often the belief that “the glass is half full,” everything is going to work out, things are generally good. But that can be too pollyannaish. Everything is NOT always ok. We face major problems: There is inequality and struggle, violence and pain, the climate is in trouble, etc. So, for me, what’s key is what I call Actionable Optimism - acknowledging that challenges in the world are real, but not fixed. And smart, passionate people can and are addressing these challenges. Progress is possible, and if we look, we can see it.
JAKE: Meeting and listening to the amazing guests and organizations featured on Power of Good has left me with some key takeaways:
JAKE: That we “live in hope” and more of us become Actionable Optimists. Also, that we recognize, appreciate and support those around us who already are!
JAKE: In many ways, I already have my ideal guests - those I have interviewed so far. They do amazing work every day, and often under the radar. They truly inspire me. But if I can dream for a moment, here’s a list to start:
Our first episode features Karen Voci, president of Harvard Pilgrim Foundation, who talks about the lifestyle changes that will make for healthier communities. Listen to this episode on Apple (subscribe on app), iHeartRadio, Stitcher, SoundCloud, and follow the podcast updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
To learn more about InkHouse’s integrated services, including podcast production, drop us a note at workwithus@inkhouse.com.