Kindness Is The Comeback episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 4, 2026 · 32 MIN

Kindness Is The Comeback

from Pork Pond Gazette · host Mike Rathbun

Send us Fan MailOne bad stretch can make you believe you’re stuck as the worst thing that happened to you, and that’s exactly what we push back on with Jesse Lewis. Jesse is a professional stage hypnotist whose live shows vanished during Canada’s COVID shutdowns, and the fallout hit fast: lost income, a divorce, and a season of life where he lived in the cab of his truck on the side of a mountain in British Columbia.We talk through what survival actually looks like when there’s no clean “turning point.” Jesse shares the unglamorous details: limited service, a snowbank as a fridge, reading to stay mentally sharp, and calling his kids as often as possible. He explains why the comeback wasn’t a dramatic breakthrough, but a thousand quiet choices like showing up to a job he didn’t want, refusing to miss child support, and rebuilding self-respect one decision at a time.From there, we get practical. Jesse tells the story of building a hot dog cart from salvaged parts during the shutdown, turning it into a licensed operation, and eventually using that momentum to return to corporate events and stage performance. We also dig into the deeper theme of the Kindness Matters podcast: why kindness isn’t weakness. Jesse frames kindness as honor, truth told with care, and boundaries that keep you from giving yourself away. If you’re navigating burnout, divorce recovery, financial stress, or a total reset after the pandemic, this conversation offers real resilience tools and a reminder that you can keep moving forward.Subscribe for more stories that bring us closer together, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.Support the show

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 4, 2026

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Kindness Is The Comeback

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