The Giving Garden® Podcast Season 2 Episode 11 with Martina Halloran

Full Transcript of Season 2 Episode 11

Martina Halloran: As we begin moving from summer towards fall, I've been thinking a lot about what it means to create space. Not just physical space, but space where people feel seen, heard, welcomed, and valued. For me, that reflection naturally brings me back to my own story. As a Mexican American, my heritage has shaped the way I see the world, the way I lead, and perhaps most importantly, the way I understand community. Growing up, I didn't always have the language to describe why community mattered so much to me.

I just knew it did. I knew what it felt like when neighbors looked after one another. I knew what it felt like when food was shared without keeping score. I knew that kindness wasn't something reserved for special occasions. It was woven into everyday life.

Those experiences stayed with me. Years later, they became the foundation for something I could never have imagined. They became The Giving Garden®. When people ask why I started The Giving Garden, they often assume it began with skincare. It didn't.

It began with people. It began with a belief that no one should have to choose between paying a bill and putting healthy food on their table. As a child, I experienced food insecurity in ways that shaped me deeply. I remember participating in the free lunch program at school. At the time, it wasn't something I talked about.

Like many children, I simply wanted to belong, to fit in. Looking back, I realized those experiences taught me something powerful. Dignity matters. The way we help people matters just as much as the help itself. Years later, when I had the opportunity to lead an organization, I carried those lessons with me.

I kept asking myself one question. How can a business become a force for good? Not through marketing, not through good intentions alone, but through meaningful action. That question eventually became The Giving Garden. What started as a way to help provide meals has grown into something much larger than I ever imagined.

Today, it's about nourishment in every sense of the word, food, connection, community, education, joy, hope. Because people don't just need resources, they need belonging. One of the greatest gifts this journey has given me is the opportunity to meet extraordinary people. People who remind me that change doesn't always begin with institutions. Often, it begins with one person deciding to care, one neighbor, one volunteer, one conversation.

I've learned that generosity is contagious. When somebody experiences kindness, they're often inspired to offer kindness to someone else. That's how communities grow stronger. Not because one person solves every problem, but because many people decide they can each do something. As a Latina, I thought a lot about representation over the years.

Growing up, I didn't often see women who look like me leading companies. I didn't see many examples of Latina executives. That absence doesn't mean we weren't capable. It simply meant our stories weren't always visible. Today, I recognize how important visibility really is.

When young people see someone who shares their background, their culture, or their lived experience, something shifts. Possibility expands. They begin to think, if she can do it, maybe I can too. Representation isn't about checking a box. It's about widening the horizon of what's imaginable, and that matters.

Because talent exists everywhere, though opportunity doesn't always. One thing I've learned throughout my career is that leadership isn't about having all the answers. It's about listening. Listening with curiosity, listening without assuming, listening long enough to understand someone else's experience instead of trying to explain it away. Some of the most meaningful conversations I've ever had happened because I stopped trying to be the expert.

Instead, I became the student. Every community has wisdom. Every family carries stories. Every culture has traditions that deserve to be honored. When we approach one another with humility, we don't lose anything.

We gain perspective. People often ask me what it means to be an ally. I think sometimes we overcomplicate it. Being an ally isn't about having the perfect words. It's about showing up.

It's asking how can I help and then be willing to hear the answer? Sometimes helping means volunteering. Sometimes it means donating. Sometimes it means opening a door. And sometimes it simply means making sure another person's voice is heard in the room.

Real allyship isn't performative. It's consistent, often quiet, and rarely about receiving recognition. It's about making sure someone else has an opportunity they might not otherwise have had. One lesson I've carried throughout The Giving Garden is this. Community isn't built by grand gestures.

It's built by repeated acts of care. It's checking in on a neighbor, buying from businesses that reflect your values, supporting your neighborhood food pantry, mentoring a young person, and making time and space to show up when people need you. None of these actions seem particularly dramatic on their own, but together, they change communities. One of my favorite things about this podcast has been discovering just how many people are already doing incredible work. Teachers, artists, scientists, nonprofit leaders, volunteers, gardeners.

Every month, I leave our conversations feeling hopeful, not because the challenges have disappeared, but because remarkable people continue choosing compassion. Hope isn't pretending problems don't exist. It's believing we can address them together. I've also come to believe that belonging is one of our deepest human needs. We all want to know that we matter, that our voice counts, that someone is glad we're here.

Imagine if every person walked into work, or school, or a community center, or a neighborhood gathering, feeling that sense of belonging. How differently would we treat one another? How much creativity would be unlocked? How many ideas would finally have room to grow? Belonging doesn't happen accidentally.

It's something we cultivate. Just like a garden, we prepare the soil, plant the seeds, nurture growth, remove barriers, and eventually something beautiful begins to flourish. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, I hope we do more than recognize history. I hope we celebrate the people around us today, the entrepreneurs, the artists, the educators, the caregivers, the community leaders, the parents working multiple jobs, the grandparents preserving family traditions, the young people creating new possibilities. Culture isn't something we look back upon once a year.

It's something we live every single day. It's found in our stories, our food, our music, our celebrations, our resilience, our generosity, and perhaps most importantly, our willingness to care for one another. If you're wondering where to begin in supporting your own community, I'd encourage you to start small. Choose one organization, one cause, one neighborhood, one family, one student, and commit to showing up consistently. You don't have to change the world.

You just have to change someone's world. I've learned that extraordinary change often begins with very ordinary acts of kindness because none of us can do everything, but every one of us can do something. Before we close today, I'd like to share how excited I am about our next episode. I'll be sitting down with Karen Taylor, the founder and executive director of Write Girl. For more than two decades, Karen and her team have created life changing opportunities for young women through writing, creativity, mentorship, and community.

What I love most about WriteGirl is that it isn't simply teaching writing. It's helping young women discover their voice matters, that their stories deserve to be heard, that confidence grows when somebody believes in your potential. As I prepared for our conversation, I found myself thinking about how many lives are changed because one caring adult decided to invest in one young person. That's community. That's allyship.

That's creating space, And I cannot wait to share Karen's incredible story with you. As we finish today's conversation, I'd like to leave you with one thought. Gardens don't flourish because of one flower or one plant. They flourish because every flower, every plant contributes something unique. Communities are no different.

Each of us brings different experiences, talents, cultures, perspectives, and together, we create something richer than any one of us could build alone. Thank you for being part of this community. Thank you for believing that generosity still matters. Thank you for choosing kindness in ways both big and small. Until next time, remember that every act of care plants a seed, every conversation creates connection, and every one of us has the ability to help someone else bloom.

Thank you for listening to The Giving Garden podcast. I hope you're leaving inspired because even the smallest act can spark positive change. If you've enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to like, subscribe, and share.

The Giving Garden Podcast is produced by Edwin Batista and edited by Steven West. A special thanks to Helen Polisi for her guidance and generosity.

The Giving Garden Podcast is brought to you by Dr. Hauschka Skin Care USA, pioneers in skincare for over fifty years and home to The Giving Garden Loyalty Program. Visit drhauschka.com to learn more.