About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of small acts of kindness through a true story and explores the power of storytelling in today's society.
Send us Fan Mail A car overheats on a scorching Sunday in 1969. No phones, no call boxes, no easy way out. What happens next is the kind of true story that quietly rewires your brain: a young cowboy pulls over, tows a stranded father and son into town, recruits a mechanic after church, and turns a miserable breakdown into one of the best days of their lives. That’s the heart of my conversation with Neal Foard , one of the most trusted modern voices in heartfelt storytelling. We get into why this message hits so hard right now, when social media and the news can make it feel like everyone is angry and nothing is safe. Neil shares practical ways to curate your algorithm, avoid rage bait, and treat your information diet like your food diet. We also talk about the strange backlash hopeful stories can trigger and why some people use them to argue for nostalgia instead of empathy. Then we zoom out into the craft and power of storytelling itself: how stories teach us what a good life looks like, how tiny gestures like a simple compliment can have an outsized impact, and why sincerity cuts through the noise. Neal also explains Story Fire , his approach to using storytelling and clear…
People in this episode
Host: Mike Rathbun
Guest: Neal Foard
Topics covered
- kindness
- storytelling
- social media
- empathy
- communication
Keywords
- kindness
- storytelling
- social media
- empathy
- communication
- Neal Foard
- algorithms
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Story Fire
More episodes of Pork Pond Gazette
- Breaking The Silence On Suicide · June 11, 2026 · 39 min
- Kindness Is The Comeback · June 4, 2026 · 33 min
- When Parents Become Advocates · May 21, 2026 · 43 min
- Kindness On Cloudy Days · May 14, 2026 · 35 min
- Storytelling That Turns Small Talk Into Trust · May 7, 2026 · 35 min
- Kindness As A Lifeline · April 30, 2026 · 38 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Pork Pond Gazette podcast page.