do something for nothing with joshua coombes

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Episode 80

Joshua Coombes is a British hairstylist and founder of #DoSomethingForNothing - a social media movement that encourages and inspires people to connect their skills and time to those who need them. From humble beginnings, this was initiated in 2015. Joshua’s desire, quite simply, was to positively impact people’s lives by offering free haircuts on the streets of London, to those experiencing homelessness in the capital. By posting transformative images on Instagram, his platform continues to grow as he amplifies stories that often go unheard. His mission caught the attention of media outlets in Europe and has rippled worldwide. Coverage includes appearing in National Geographic's series 'The Story of Us' with Morgan Freeman released on Netflix internationally.

Joshua has recently written his first book, which has been published in the U.K, North America, Australia & New Zealand. Through the simple act of a haircut, readers are taken on a geographical and emotional journey into the lives of people experiencing homelessness in different cities across the world. Featuring never-before-seen photographs and all-new writing, Do Something for Nothing explores themes of love, acceptance, shame, and perseverance while inviting us to see ourselves in one another and dissolve the negative stigmas surrounding homelessness. Additionally, 100% of the author's proceeds will be dedicated to future not-for-profit art projects to amplify the lives of isolated people.

Today, Joshua continues his efforts, cutting hair on the streets and collaborating with artists to curate multi-media exhibitions and share a unified message of empathy. Joshua gives talks internationally to provide intimate insights and experiences to inspire others to become active, and how powerful a simple act of kindness can be.