I’m reading a delightful book called, Impact by Ken McArthur.

 

Ken implores his reader to believe that even the smallest action can have the greatest impact.  One of the stories he shares is about a man, Juan Mann.  Here is the condensed version:

 

-Juan moves from London to Australia after the breakup from his fiancée, the divorce of his parents, and the illness of his grandmother.

 

-Juan attends a party and is overwhelmed by the way someone’s hug made him feel.

 

-Juan decides to offer “free hugs” to strangers in the mall.  No one stops for 15 minutes.  Finally, a little woman comes near, and Juan bends  down with a smile and hugs her.

 

-This small gesture frees others to join in by getting their hug.  Pretty soon many in the mall are hugging and smiling at each other.

 

-Juan decides to leave his job early every Thursday to give free hugs at the mall.

 

-One of the people Juan hugs is a band member named Shimon from the group, “Sick Puppies.”  Shimon is struggling to make ends meet while trying to make a success of his music.

 

- Shimon happens to be at the mall while Juan is dispensing hugs.  He gets his and asks Juan why he is doing this.  Juan says, “Because, I like to make people smile.”

 

- Shimon had just watched the film documentary, “Super Size Me” and decides that Juan’s hugging needs to be documented.  He borrows his father’s video camera and records Juan for over 2 months.

 

- City officials decide Juan needs liability insurance in order to give his hugs.  Juan can’t afford the insurance so he petitions the city and gains 10,000 signatures.

 

- Shimon moves to Los Angeles, CA after taking out personal loans and borrowing from his father.  He is struggling to survive.

 

- One Friday afternoon, Juan calls Shimon to say he is sad: His grandmother died and he is left to care for his blind grandfather.  That evening Shimon takes the film footage and records it with the band’s song, “All the Same” and loads it onto YouTube (click here to watch).  By Sunday, over a quarter of a million viewers watch the hugging clip.

 

- A Good Morning America producer sees the site and millions of TV viewers watch.

 

- Oprah Winfrey’s producer sees the video and Juan is invited to the Oprah show.

 

- Yu Tzu-wei sees  the video and starts a campaign to hug everyone in Taiwan.

 

- “Free Hugs” days are instituted in Australia, Italy, Canada, the United States, Switzerland, Belgium, England and Denmark.

 

- News media shows students from McKendree College giving free hugs before Game Five of the World Series.

 

- Police in Shanghai detain Baigu, a 24-year old man, after copying Juan’s idea without a permit.

 

- Entire governments are influenced.

 

- In order to combat discrimination against people infected with HIV and AIDS, the French government asks its citizens to embrace strangers who carry signs offering free hugs.

 

- In fall of 2007, my son’s high school teachers tell me Tucker was the “hit” of the all-school assembly because he was holding a cardboard sign offering free hugs (this is not in McArthur’s book).

 

Do you know someone who is making an impact?  Tell me!  And if you’d like to get more material from Ken McArthur who is a master at helping you make an impact, click here.  He has loads of free marketing resources.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Happiness