About Linda Cohen
Linda Cohen, International Kindness Keynote Speaker
Dynamic speaker Linda Cohen, The Kindness Catalyst, shares the ROI of kindness with businesses and associations through customized interactive programs for team meetings and conference keynotes.
With enthusiasm and expertise, she describes how kindness is no longer a “nice to have” in the workplace, but an imperative skill for leaders and employees to cultivate.
“Kindness,” says Cohen “is at the basis of every aspect of a positive company culture from recruitment and retention to morale and burnout. There is overwhelming evidence today that kindness can conquer burnout!“
Linda Cohen will reveal how:
- A culture of kindness will improve team performance and company morale.
- Acts of kindness strengthen employee engagement.
- Kindness practices build stronger organizations.
Invite The Kindness Catalyst, Linda Cohen to speak to your team or organization. Understand that the size of kindness action doesn’t matter. It is the ripple effect that spreads out to the world and has a positive effect on your bottom line.
Does your event have an audience with unique needs? Connect with Linda to talk about custom keynote presentation options.
Becoming The Kindness Catalyst
As a waitress and housekeeper, my first jobs were in food service and hospitality. I was scooping ice cream and waitressing at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills one summer. It was just after Dirty Dancing had hit the big screen. While attending college in LA I kept myself afloat by waitressing at a Kosher deli. These jobs taught me about communication and customer service, where I grew to earn great tips and loved engaging with my patrons.
Then post-college my career got started with jobs in long-term care as an assistant activities director at the Roslindale Jewish Home for the Aged, and as a scheduler for a home health care placement agency in Boston. The wisdom of seniors, mortality, and the challenges one might have with co-workers or bosses are lessons that I will carry with me forever thanks to these experiences.
Three years after earning my BA in Los Angeles at the University of Judaism, I went back to earn my MA in Fundraising from Brandeis University. Two of the essential ideas graduate school gifted me were “Structure the Environment” and “Trust the Process.”
My husband Aaron and I relocated to Portland, Oregon, as newlyweds. We’d barely been married two years and were living in Boston when we first visited Oregon. When we returned from the trip, we packed our bags immediately and decided to begin a life on the west coast. Life is an adventure, and sometimes you must step out of your comfort zone. Finding someone to share that journey with is a huge plus.
Leadership, Collaboration, and Delegation
Then in the late 90s, I became a mom to two amazing humans – a girl and a boy – and reveled in being a young mother. The library activities, the indoor playgrounds, the moms’ clubs – I participated in all of it. I got involved in the PTO, organized auctions, and served on boards. For more than a decade I did all things SAHM. One thing that you quickly realize with a degree in fundraising is that EVERYONE wants you on their committee. These years taught me about leadership, collaboration, delegation, and confidence.
Becoming a Keynote Speaker
While running an MLM business when my kids were small, I had a chance encounter with someone who recommended Toastmasters. I was completely smitten. From there I stepped into leadership, developed my speaking skills, and learned to think on my feet and share great stories. While attending my first conferences and hearing incredible speakers, I knew I wanted to be on a stage inspiring others one day.
After I began my journey as a keynote speaker writing came hand in hand. In 2011, my first book, 1,000 Mitzvahs: How Small Acts of Kindness Can Heal, Inspire and Change Your Life, was published. That year, I recorded a TEDx Talk and was hired for my first paid gig. I learned how fear and excitement feel similar, but taking a deep breath can help with either.
In the next few years, I was invited on TV dozens of times all over the country to speak about my book, my work with kindness, and even to cook a few times. These experiences taught me that solid colors are best for TV and that sometimes the “green room” can be unimpressive. I’ve now spoken for Government Organizations, Credit Unions, Funeral Professionals, Long Term Care, Healthcare, and Non-Profit. All of the audiences and organizations I’ve gotten to work with have confirmed that people want to be seen and appreciated, encouraged, and supported. It doesn’t matter your job title or your job responsibilities, everyone needs that!
Kindness Matters to Everyone
When asked, “What’s your ideal audience?”, well, there are too many to count. Over the years I’ve been lucky to work in rural communities and urban centers. I’ve loved speaking in a small conference room with just a group of executives, with more intimate problem-solving conversations. I’ve also loved speaking from a huge stage with hundreds of people and lights that shine in your eyes where you can hardly see any of them. Once I spoke for 1,000 middle schoolers in a rural community and learned that I might not be up on current pop stars or the latest lingo, but, reminding them of the importance of a compliment had them sharing dozens of personal stories. Those students are just like everyone, we know that kindness matters.
Contact me if you’d like to start a conversation about how I can help you and your team.
Recent Podcast Appearances
Emotional Optimism
How do you create a culture of kindness in the workplace? In today’s episode, Linda Cohen talks about the power of doing intentional acts of kindness and the ripple effect that can transform your life and your business.
Leveraging Thought Leadership
What is the cost of empowering your employees to be kind to their co-workers, customers, and themselves? Linda discusses the concept of an “economy of kindness,” and yet, the ROI of kindness in your business is undeniable.
I heard Linda speak at the Illinois Credit Union League “CU Cafe” this year sharing her message of kindness! Her story was an inspiration to me and I know many others. I started something called “Slice of Kindness” bringing in my homemade tiramisu or key lime pie and on the lid of the sweet treat – “You are Amazing!” and other great messages of kindness to share with my coworkers. If it wasn’t for Linda, I don’t think I would have ever started spreading kindness in this way! Thank you Linda for your inspiring words and amazing story! Keep spreading the good word and spread kindness everywhere you go! 🙂
More podcasts, articles, news, and other media featuring Linda Cohen
Reach out to Linda at any time to see how she could support your teams, to ask her to be your next podcast guest, or to share your own story of kindness at work.