Ep: 119: Kwane Stewart: CNN Hero of the Year and Founder of Project Street Vet

Dr. Kwane Stewart is a veterinarian and the co-founder of Project Street Vet, a non-profit that provides free veterinary care for the pets of people experiencing homelessness in cities across the country.  His work earned him CNN Hero of the Year in 2023. His book is titled: What It Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian’s Quest for Healing and Hope. 

Summary

In this conversation, Dr. Kwane Stewart, a veterinarian and co-founder of Project Street Vet, shares his journey from a successful veterinary career to providing free care for pets of the unhoused. He discusses the importance of empathy, the challenges faced by both animals and their owners in the homeless community, and the emotional toll of veterinary work. Dr. Stewart emphasizes the need for kindness and understanding towards those experiencing homelessness and highlights the strong bonds between them and their pets. His mission is to expand Project Street Vet to more cities, advocating for both animal welfare and human dignity.

Takeaways

  • Powerful childhood experiences, like watching The Black Stallion, can create powerful emotions that inspire career paths.
  • Bullying can lead to empathy and a desire to protect others.
  • The suicide rate among veterinarians is notably high due to emotional stress.
  • Project Street Vet was born from a desire to help animals in need.
  • Building trust with the unhoused community is essential for effective care.
  • Many unhoused individuals have strong bonds with their pets, often prioritizing them over their own housing.
  • Funding and volunteer support are crucial for sustaining veterinary care for the unhoused.
  • Kindness, compassion, and empathy are vital in addressing homelessness and animal welfare.

Notes

Book: What It Takes to Save a Life: A Veterinarian’s Quest for Healing and Hope

Veterinary care charity: Project Street Vet

Personal Website: Dr. Kwane Stewart

Ep: 115: Adam Galinsky: Unlocking the formula to inspiring leadership

Adam Galinsky is a social psychologist and a Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He has published over two hundred scientific articles on leadership, negotiations, diversity, and ethics. He has been a damages expert in numerous defamation lawsuits that have generated more than $1 billion in verdicts and settlements, including Dominion Voting Systems v. Fox News.  His latest book is titled: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others.

 

Some interesting insights from this episode:

  • The leader amplification effect suggests that when we’re in a position of leadership, all of our words and expressions get amplified, both the positive and negative ones.
  • There are three universal factors to inspiring leadership: being a visionary, being an exemplar, and being a mentor.
  • Inspiring and infuriating leaders are mirror images of each other and exist on opposite ends of a continuum so based on the situation an inspiring leader one day can become an infuriating one the next.
  • Leaders are made, not born, and anyone has the tools to become more inspiring no matter their starting point.
  • The Great Resignation, where 30 million Americans quit their jobs during the pandemic, wasn’t just about where we work but why we work. This “universal midlife crisis” was less about pay and much more about meaning and purpose and empowerment.
  • You can learn how to become more visionary by conveying an optimistic vision, keeping your message simple, and creating rich imagery.
  • “Excellence is getting better at whatever you do on a day to day process.”

 

Notes

Book: Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others

Personal website: Adam Galinsky