“People should realize the impact they have on the world,” says Jason Candler, author of The 5 Dollar Difference, a motivational speaker, and president of Jason Candler & Associates American Family Insurance. That’s what inspired him to write his self-published book about spreading kindness and helping others.
The idea was originally inspired by a class of fifth graders. As one of his speaking engagements, Candler went to a local school and gave every student $5. They were then challenged to spend that money in a way that would make the biggest difference in the world. The big takeaway was, “your money doesn’t matter, what you put it into does,” Jason says. The only rule was they had to spend it within 30 days.
Some students gave the money to a person they thought could use it. One used it to help stock a karma box. Another student bought 50 travel shampoos and conditioners at a garage sale and gave them to people in need. Ten students pooled their money and paid off the lunch debt for some of their classmates. “That’s what inspired me to write the book,” Candler says.
Candler’s book preaches that people can make a difference. “We really can change the world with our spare change,” he says. It doesn’t take millions to have an impact.
As part of writing the book, Candler challenged himself to spend $5 every day for thirty days. Some days he left a hefty tip with his coffee, other days he bought a meal for homeless people. Some days he gave an additional $5 to someone he came into contact with and provided them the same challenge—to spend it toward change.
The book plays into Candler’s life philosophies. An entrepreneur and philanthropist himself, Candler hosts a monthly fundraiser for the Make-a-Wish regional council called Cocktails for a Cause where he picks up the tab for a round of drinks at Final Draft in Sparks and asks for donations instead. “It’s not my company donating that money to Make-a-Wish,” he explains. “It’s individual customers making small donations… it’s proving again that big impact, big change can come from a little bit of change.”
Candler is also on the board of the Karma Box Project and hosts Free Coffee Fridays at rotating coffee shops throughout town. “I’m a small business owner so I try and support other small businesses,” he says.
The 5 Dollar Difference can be purchased at 5dollardifference.com. Published in February 2022, Candler has sold nearly 500 copies so far.