Meet Carolyn Brown | Founder and Presenter of the anti-bullying/pro-kindness workshop, Hey Dude

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carolyn Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carolyn, how does your business help the community?
I have the incredible and unique opportunity to speak to over 35,000 students every year with my anti-bullying/ pro-kindness workshop “Hey Dude ,Nice Shoes”. Bullying has become the unofficial word of our children’s generation. However, I do not think this upcoming generation is full of bullies or bad kids. I don’t think they are the main part of the problem, but I know that they can be a HUGE part of the solution. With my workshop, I try to encourage students across the country to be a light and be the change. I remind them to tap into their courage, character and integrity when making choices in person and online. I emphasize intentionally using compassion and empathy every day. I attempt to embolden students to talk to their friends if they are the ones making poor decisions. As part of my job I help define behaviors and offer tips on how to navigate tricky situations. But ultimately, my goal is always to inspire students to be the change. In my twenty years working alongside students I have come to realize they do not hear us as well as they can hear each other. It is my hope that by inspiring students to be the light in their class, on their campus or in their friend group that they can help create positive and supportive learning communities for all of our kids.. I have been so very fortunate to develop real connections with the students. So often a student will reach out to me on my @heydudeniceshoes Instagram and tell me how they have changed their behavior or that they have reached out to a classmate that was struggling. THAT is how you change the world. We can’t do it all at once like flipping a switch, but each of us can do a little more every day to push the world to a softer place. This upcoming generation is not full of bullies and bad kids. This generation if full of light. They aren’t just changing the world, I think they just might be the ones to save it.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have been volunteering in my community since I graduated from High School in 1999. I have served on multiple boards, panels, task forces and committees. About a decade ago I was serving on a parent advisory board for an upcoming children’s hospital. We were discussing the mental health needs of the youth in our community. I was so suprised by the numbers. The word ‘bullying’ kept leaping off the pages. I had to make the connection. As a parent myself, I needed to figure out how and why this had changed. Although the word Bullying has become the unofficial buzz word of our children’s generation- it is not unique to them. Generations before have encountered this word and this behavior. However, as I poured over the numbers and the staggering statistics and kept seeing that word- I realized that something had changed. Something had happened in a generational gap that had completely changed the word, and I had to find out how and why and what I could do to stop it. “Hey Dude, Nice Shoes” started because as a parent I wanted to research as much as I most possibly could. I wanted to make sure I could give my children a tool box for how to navigate this world. “Hey Dude, Nice Shoes” started because I wanted to make a softer world because my own two children live in it. Someone once told me that I couldn’t go out into the world and try to tell every single person to just be nice and expect it all to be better- but that hasn’t stopped me from trying and I get the chance with about 35,000 pairs of ears each school year.Sometimes these kids just need a reminder. They just need a little perspective. This generation of kids is just incredible. They are having to grow up in a world that is just SO different than the one we grew up in. They have a lot of baggage we never even dreamed of. They are incredibly kind and teachable kids. I am so honored I get to work with this generation. I always say this and it continues to ring true, #thekidsaregoingtobealright.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been so many people that have helped me bring “Hey Dude, Nice Shoes” to schools across the country. My biggest supporter by far has been Texas PTA. There are so many preconceived notions about what a PTA is. So many people think that a PTA is just bake sales and talent shows. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only are PTAs usually the ones that help bring my programs into schools, but they are the largest child advocacy association in the world. They support our schools, the teachers and staff and our students. They don’t just bake brownies- they raise money for underfunded programs, grant teacher wishlists, meet with representatives, educate parents and caregivers, offer free training and support every aspect of education from our youngest learners to our graduating seniors. They work hard from our classroom walls all the way to the legislative level to ensure that every student has a voice. “Hey Dude, Nice Shoes” would be a much smaller story without the love and support of Texas PTA.

Website: www.heydudeniceshoes.com

Instagram: @heydudeniceshoes

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heydudeniceshoes