Globetrotting PestWorld Speaker Inspires Others to Act with Kindness

FAIRFAX, Va. – In a world where people are constantly seeking to better themselves, today’s Corteva-sponsored general session speaker, Leon Logothetis, had a very simple suggestion on how to achieve self-fulfillment: be kind to others.

“If we live a life based on service, we are truly alive. If we live a life simply by how much money we make, we are not fully living,” said Logothetis, who has dedicated his life to teaching the lessons and benefits of kindness.

A successful London-based broker, Logothetis had accumulated wealth and material possessions but found himself "unhappy on the inside" and seeking another way to live. The first step he made in changing himself was “sharing his pain.” What he found was that others would respond with kindness and compassion.

Inspired by the movie “The Motorcycle Diaries” which chronicles Che Guevara’s travels throughout South America that relied completely on the kindness of others, Logothetis set out to do the same in the U.S. and throughout the world. For over a decade, he’s traveled the globe to over 100 countries to highlight the good in humanity, which he has documented through his best-selling books and TV shows.

One example he provided was his stay in Pittsburgh. None of the strangers he approached about providing shelter for him for the night would help, until he approached a homeless man named Tony, who supplied him with clothes, sheets and a pillow.

“He taught me that kindness is free and true wealth is not what's in our wallets, but what's in our hearts,” said Logothetis. As a side note, Logothetis has returned the favor to Tony by finding him housing and helping him turn his life around.

Inspired by Tony’s kindness and compassion, Logothetis challenged himself to act similarly with his difficult dog Winnie. For one week, Logothetis took on what he called “The Winnie Challenge,” which focused less on yelling and instruction, and more on treating Winnie with love, kindness and patience.

Logothetis challenged PestWorld attendees to take "The Winnie Challenge" and by this “When you go out into the world for the next five days, pick one person and say I'm going to treat these people with so much respect, with so much kindness, with so much love. And I promise you that it is not just them who will feel your presence. It is you who will feel your own magnificence,” he said.