Cancer patient gets TLC from local entrepreneurs

ENCINITAS — Home fashion fads come and go, but Deborah Norton, owner of Encinitas-based Deborah Norton Interiors, and Sam Goodwin, president of Carlsbad-based HOCOA Home Repair Network, are determined to make kindness a trend that never ends — by design.
The two designers have initiated a Make Kindness Your Business (MKYB) program by incorporating an active empathy that reaches out to others in the community.
“Sam and I created an inspiring model that encourages businesses and individuals to engage in purposeful acts of kindness. We believe that no matter what kind of business you’re in, you can make it a kind business,” said Norton, a residential and commercial color consultant.
Norton said the inception of her vision was quickly transformed into reality through a snowball effect of “energetic positivity.”
“I shared my concept with Sam, who immediately came on board as my MKYB partner. I contacted North County Cancer Fitness, a Carlsbad organization that helps breast cancer patients recover, to find a person whose room and life we could enhance. NCCF recommended Magi Pledger of Vista, a heretofore-upbeat woman who had recently lost her job and much of her self-confidence, personal buoyancy and tranquility to cancer,” Norton said. “When we contacted Magi and asked if we might help her, she began crying out of pure joy. We immediately knew we were in the right place doing the right thing.”
Norton visited Pledger’s home to begin the process of transforming her 168-square-foot bedroom into a healing sanctuary at absolutely no cost to Pledger.
Together, they chose warm, earthy, calm, gingery hues. Goodwin’s HOCOA provided a painting contractor and Sherwin Williams of Encinitas supplied the paint. While the room was being repainted Norton “shopped the house,” redesigning the bedroom to make the energy flow better.
The room transformation was completed in April, but the process continues to grow.
Upon learning of the program, Encinitas photographer Nathan Padilla Bowen offered to document the makeover while Lee Hubbard of the Encinitas-based Bella Bella Salon offered to give Pledger a free facial. Pledger herself, who did not undergo chemotherapy, had previously donated 12 inches of her hair to Locks of Love, an organization that helps children who have lost their hair due to cancer treatments.
Now, Norton and Goodwin challenge others to promote the “caring is sharing” active compassion of their MKYB program.
“We want to inspire others to incorporate kindness into their everyday personal and business dealings,” Norton said. “The gesture can be as simple as sharing a smile with a stranger or as large-scale as offering your professional services on a complimentary basis to someone whose life you can improve at little financial cost to yourself.”
To promote MKYB, Norton and Goodwin invite people to submit their experiences of kindness to [email protected].
“If you have given or received an act of kindness, please let us know. We plan to compile these accounts, so we can share them with others and keep the inspirational cycle moving forward,” they said. “Our goal is to spread our Make Kindness Your Business concept to as many businesses and individuals as we can. We hope to start locally and explode globally!”
For more information, visit facebook.com/makekindnessyourbusiness; nortoneyesit.com; or email at [email protected] or call (760) 688-8153 or (760) 720-7474.