In this concise 6‑question, 7‑minute interview on the Winning at Business and Life podcast, host Professor Pete Alexander talks with Michael Ray, known as the “Smile Guy” and founder of Smile Project Louisville. Ray explains his mission to inject love, smiles, and kindness into daily life, emphasizing that simple acts of smiling can be contagious and transformative. He highlights that people and relationships are the primary source of joy in his work and argues that businesses should focus on empathy and genuine connection, noting that employees leave managers, not companies. Ray uses a metaphor of a “fictional book” to stress the need for engaging beginnings in business storytelling. He recommends Dr. Charlie Cartwright for his short, impactful wisdom videos. Ray recounts his first job delivering newspapers in the 6th grade, describing how early experiences taught him relationship building, work ethic, and entrepreneurial spirit. The episode concludes with contact information: LinkedIn (Michael Ray) and the Smile Project Louisville website, encouraging listeners to explore his projects.
Chapters
This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
I am Michael Ray of Smile Project Louisville. Um, people know me now as the Smile Guy, and I try to interject a slice of love, smiles, and kindness into your daily routine to where you can believe that your attitudes and behaviors can be impacted and changed through the simplicity of smiling. You can be so happy that when others see you, it's infectious. They become happy too.
You know, Michael, it is an absolute pleasure to have you on the show. And this question number 2, I can't think of anyone else who's going to be able to answer this one as best as you. What is something that makes you smile and/or laugh about working in your industry?
People. It truly is. What resonates with me are relationships and people, and I find so much internal joy and happiness off of the love I feel from others and strangers. And when I need it in my day— I'm a human being too, baby, I have moments— but when I find I'm in space and moving around the city, my energy can come off of somebody else's. And in those brief moments, I find the way to smile.
And you make not only yourself smile, but you make everybody else smile. Anytime I see one of your videos on bringing a smile to someone else, it just lights my heart. So kudos to you for all you do. Question number 3. Oh, you bet. Question number 3. I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
What chapter should they read?
Sure. It's a fictitious book.
It's a fictitious book. Um, you know, I think a lot of us need to start at the beginning, but too many people probably want to race and figure out what the ending is. And you have to put in the work, um, to understand how things evolve in life or in business to make the ending that much more meaningful. So captivate me in that opening paragraph to where I want to continue to read through to find out how the story is going to end.
That's very wise. Yeah, because if, if, if the beginning of the, of the first chapter is boring or not, not engaging, you're not going to be motivated to continue reading it. So it's, it's, it makes total sense. Thank you.
Your mind ends up going elsewhere. So keep me captivated from the beginning to want to know how it ends.
Yep, exactly. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
Um, you know, I often tell people is that there's some beauty in empathy and understanding the journey of others. And I think when you find that space, you have the ability to appreciate in love. Business leaders sometimes disconnect from their employees and they don't nurture them enough, and the ability to love, to where they keep employees. You know, we often have heard it, you know, most of the time people don't leave companies, they leave people. And I said it just the other day, I could find such joy and happiness in shoveling manures or pounding rocks if I'm doing it with people I truly enjoy and want to share 8 to 10 hours a day versus the same situation. You know, it could be an amazing job, but if you hate the people, the energy becomes different. Yeah, and you're looking elsewhere.
It's absolutely true. And in particular, what you're saying that I found in my career, as well as all the things I've read and talked to other people, it's the people, and especially it's the person you report to. If the, the relationship is not a collaborative and friendly relationship, that is a huge reason somebody is going to leave, because they don't feel appreciated. And that—
again, it's a game changer. You know, again, people leave companies and not people. Very well said.
Excellent. Question number 5: What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast? Wow.
You know what, Dr. Charlie Cartwright. He's in Kansas City. He does these 3 to 5 minute dashcan wisdoms from the seat of his car every day and drops these little nuggets on you that truly move your heart, your soul, your spirit, re-energize you in these short moments. More people need to know about that man.
Oh, that's great. I'm looking forward to reaching out to him. Thank you for that referral. Our final question, question number 6. Please tell me about your first job.
My first job, I was in the 6th grade, and I delivered papers for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. And I think that even moving through the cold winters and snow at a young age, what I really started to learn was an appreciation for building relationships with customers. There was some joy even though the struggles of in that cold. And back then, that's when you still had to go door to door and collect the money for people, you know, paying for the papers. But yet, it was that entrepreneurial spirit and then building relationships with customers that I so enjoyed.
Oh, I love it. And, you know, going door to door, that was my first job too. I was with the Oakland Tribune. And I remember having to go door to door. And being a former paperboy, you'll probably appreciate you'll appreciate this. I had one time, believe it or not, that I got mugged for not my newspapers, but I had a little AM radio that I would listen to.
No kidding.
5 o'clock in the morning going and delivering newspapers, and they used to drop them off to us at the local Walgreens. And yep, a car full of kids came in and saw that radio and wanted it and took it from me.
How cool is that, dude? Yeah, wow. There's something about at a young age, you know, it teaches you a lot, you know, dealing with people, a work ethic, getting up early, you know, grinding through the cold, um, learning how to, to manage money at an early age, you know. So there's a lot of beautiful things that come from it.
It does, it does. So Michael, thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
They can find me, um, on social media, on LinkedIn as Michael Ray. Um, they can find me on my website as Smile Project Louisville. The beautiful thing about that is everything we do has a plugin, so it's uploaded there. So even if you're not on social media, you can go right there and find and experience everything we do.
And I highly recommend people checking you out because it's just, it warms my heart every time I see one of your projects. So definitely go there. And this is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life Podcast. Thanks for listening.
