Welcome to the nineteenth edition of the David Begnaud newsletter! Last week, I got hit with a disappointment that really stung. But here's what I've learned time and again: sometimes the setback is the setup. This time was no different. Had I not faced that disappointment, I never would have been afforded two even better opportunities found for me — ones that I would've walked right past otherwise.
That's the thread running through every story you're about to read: The woman who sparked a conversation movement, the grandma who gamed to save her grandson, and an 18-year-old girl who transformed being bullied into inspiration.
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Courtesy: Kalina Silverman
“Make Big Talk”
It all started with a young woman who was tired of making small talk.
Then one day, she had an idea that changed everything.
Now California-native Kalina Silverman is inspiring the world one question at a time with Big Talk, a YouTube channel built on honest, meaningful exchanges with strangers. Since launching in 2014, it’s grown into a movement embraced by Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and universities across the country.
The Heart
Roughly 12 years ago, Kalina was a broadcast journalism major at a new school in a new city, just trying to make new friends. It was exhausting. It was lonely. She wished every conversation could feel like talking to a friend back home. No small talk… just big talk.
That name started to stick in her mind. But it wasn’t until a college trip to Germany that the light bulb finally turned on. Staring at the Berlin Wall, she saw a question scrawled across it: “What do you want to do before you die?”
In that moment, Big Talk was born.
Returning to the states, Kalina — armed with a smile and an easy approachability — set out to strike up conversations with strangers. Stressed-out businessmen, lonely elderly folks, random kids… anybody that would give her the time of day and seemed, as one 10-year-old described it, “big talkable.”
Inspired by that question on the Berlin Wall, she was ready to ask questions that were universal, sparked curiosity, and drew on personal experience.
The Journey
Kalina found that a lot of people were happy to chat, sharing the deepest parts of their lives — their loss, their regrets, their joy — on camera. For many, it was like a free therapy session. Kalina started to post them on YouTube, and, like all good things, people cared. They were moved. And they too wanted to have a big talk.
As Kalina sat down with more and more people, she realized that she could do more than just talk — she said they “could be used to drive social impact and positive change.” When she heard stories of people in pain, she rallied friends, family, and followers to help. Whether that was raising money to buy a grieving elderly woman a new walker or fundraising for victims of last year’s devastating Los Angeles fires, Kalina highlighted personal stories to motivate community action.
It’s the same heart that drives my own work.
The Takeaway
Today, Big Talk has grown from a YouTube series to card games, educational workshops, and a forthcoming book that gives people practical tools for having deeper conversations with the people around them.
For Kalina, every new branch of Big Talk is about expanding her belief. Just by talking to people and connecting face to face, she said, we can “promote love and hope, which I think is the antidote to fear and hate.”
Because when you’re feeling lonely, lost, or even isolated, sometimes connecting with a stranger is all you need to reconnect with yourself.
More Good Stories
☀️ This Grandma is saving her grandson by streaming Minecraft. 81-year-old Sue Jacquot has become the world’s sweetest streamer, raising $52,000 (and counting!) for her grandson Jack’s cancer treatment and going viral on YouTube. Click to read about GrammaCrackers’ gaming journey.
Courtesy: ABC15 Arizona
☀️The gluten-free runner giving hope to bullied kids online. 18-year-old Kaylee suffered relentless bullying in middle school that nearly made her drop out. Now she shares gluten-free recipes and running tips with thousands online — turning the challenges she faced into inspiring content that helps others thrive.
When you’re tired of small talk, what do you crave instead?
The results from last week’s poll are in! 37% of you told us that Family is what keeps you going when life gets hard. As opposed to Faith, Purpose, or Hope that things will change. Nothing beats having people in your corner who genuinely care.
Spotlight:
My Friend Beatrice, Who Inspired Millions
“Sometimes I used to be a little bit sad, but after I saw her, I want to live."
Those words came from Carmel in New Jersey, a stranger who called 102-year-old Beatrice Stieber after watching my viral interview with her last year at O’Hare Airport.
I first met Beatrice when her daughter-in-law flagged me down during a layover in Chicago and told me, "That woman over there is 102." Without hesitation, I walked over, hit record on my phone, and asked Beatrice her secret to longevity.
"Attitude and gratitude," she said. “Attitude. Gratitude… You have to see the good things.”
Nearly 9 million people watched. Over 17,000 left comments. And Beatrice? "I got a million calls," she told me. I was so inspired by the overwhelming response that I later went back to Chicago to learn more about her life.
Beatrice never let her age define her. She deep-cleaned her own home every month. Grocery shopped independently. Drove until she was 98. And yes — she even smoked for 40 years.
While I was visiting her, I had the pleasure of celebrating Beatrice’s 102-and-a-half birthday with her and her sons at her favorite restaurant. When she blew out the candles, her wish was a simple yet powerful prayer: "Thank you, God, for everything."
Earlier this week, I found out that Beatrice passed away at the ripe old age of 103. I’m so grateful that I got to meet her and share her story with the world. Like Carmel and millions of others, I’ll always remember her smile, her candor, and her unmistakable joy for life.
“Mom, Can We Talk?”
Click image to watch
When teenager William Hargen confided in his choir teacher, Gamble Everett, about his struggle with depression, Gamble offered a few simple words that changed everything: “I know your parents. They will hear you out. They will listen.”
That small moment of kindness gave William the courage he needed. He decided to finally open up to his mom, Tracy Hargen, about feelings he’d been holding in since he was nine years old. Nearly a decade later, William and Tracy reunited with the teacher whose compassion helped change a life.
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One More Thing…
Courtesy: BestFriends.org and Kennedy Everson
I’ll leave you this week with a story that got me. I recently learned about an adorable deaf dog in New York City named Thomas, who’s looking for his forever home. And I couldn’t pass up the chance to help Thomas find a family of his own.
He’s a special pup who deserves patience, playtime, and plenty of love. If you or someone you know can open your home to him, take a look at his adoption page below.
Made with love by David Begnaud and the team.
Stories that set your soul on fire.
