Big Talk Newsletter: Hawaii Update + Upcoming Events
Hi Friends,
This month, I traveled to Hawaii to meet with flood survivors and help share their stories on the @makebigtalk Instagram page.
I asked:
“What do you love that you lost in the flood?”
“Despite all you have been through, what gives you hope?”
“What is your dream for your family?”
“What does this land mean to you?”
“If you could share a message with the world, what would it be?”
One video struck a chord and has been viewed over 2 million times:
Disaster relief storytelling is one of the most impactful series I’ve had the honor of producing for Big Talk. Similar to my work during the LA fires, Hurricane Helene, and the Texas floods, in Hawaii I focused on storytelling that puts a human face on disaster—amplifying families’ GoFundMe pages and helping their voices reach further.
A quiet interview in front of someone’s destroyed home can lead to millions of views online and tens of thousands of dollars in donations to help them rebuild.
Here are a few of the people I had the honor of meeting last week:
• Vao, a pig farmer who lost 2 of her 20 rescue dogs in the floods. Her video interview has now been viewed over 2 million times since I posted it last week.
• Kalei, a world-renowned ukulele player who helped rescue people living on his property
• Soriah, a mother of seven whose children escaped by climbing onto their truck as the water rapidly rose
• Aunty Sela, an 85-year-old matriarch and staple in her Laie community.
• Uncle Wendell, who helped save many people at Otake camp. Hawaiian Airlines messaged me after seeing his video and wants to help send him to Japan!
These are just a few of the many stories from the island—each one a reminder of love, loss, hope, and resilience.
You can watch their stories here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DWn0NzBkt4v/.
You can donate to them on my GoFundMe profile here.
UPCOMING BIG TALK EVENTS IN APRIL
APRIL 19: MEET ME AT THE LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS (12-2 pm on Sunday)
APRIL 21: “BOOKS AND IDEAS” JOIN ME AT THE LIGHTHOUSE VENICE WITH SELEMA MASEKALA 5:30-8pm. RSVP Here.
Here are a few other ways to help support the Book Launch:
Order the Big Talk Book! For yourself, a friend, a student, a loved one, a co-worker, a community member, someone going through a new life transition, or the next stranger you make a meaningful connection with! It makes a wonderful gift.
Write a 5 Star Review on Amazon and/or Goodreads and Barnes & Noble (Reviews make a HUGE difference - thank you so much).
Join me at one of the upcoming Big Talk Book Events mentioned above. More to come!
Thank you to everyone for your compassion and support! As always feel free to reply to this email newsletter with questions, ideas, or just to say hello.
Love,
Kalina
Big Talk: Skip the small talk and make more meaningful connections.
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