No good deed goes unpublished.
That’s definitely more a wish than a reality, but Red Light Management executive Gaines Sturdivant II and his son, Gaines Sturdivant III, have accentuated the positive with a new children’s book, A Waffle Can Change the World, that highlights kindness as a virtue deserving of more attention.
Available through Waffle House, the book celebrates two real-life service staff employees, Dawn and Terrie, who went out of their way to befriend Gaines III, turning the restaurant’s branch on Sidco Drive in Nashville into a friendly destination for comfort food and personal reward. The two engaged the boy during visits, and Dawn bought him a birthday present with her own money, carrying it to work daily for several weeks, not knowing when the Sturdivants would return to the restaurant. She has been known to rewrite the lyrics to Christmas carols to fit a Waffle House experience, then lead diners in singalongs.
“[They were] a reminder — and, in particular, as we were about to enter a pandemic — of how good, quality people are out there,” says Gaines II, who manages country artists Craig Morgan and King Calaway. “They don’t necessarily have to be kind, they don’t necessarily have to be generous, but these two individuals were just over the top. It was the interactions: asking him what’s going on in his life, talking about current events with him; you know, smiling, hugging, just telling jokes, just being fun with him.”
Having read numerous children’s books while raising his son, Gaines II thought highlighting the staff’s extra-mile courtesy was a worthy project. He discussed with his son what Gaines III felt were the most important parts of their waffle experience and double-checked the story’s accuracy, then set out to translate it into a text that might impact other kids.
“With all the divisiveness and the struggles that we’ve been going through as a society — political stuff, and then moving into COVID-19 and whatnot — it just reminded me, in a rat race where we’re all moving so fast, if we just take one moment to kind of slow down and do something kind for another, that person could potentially be inspired,” says Gaines II.
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He had no previous publishing experience but was able to land a contract with Nautilus Publishing. Though A Waffle Can Change the World was not created as a Waffle House project, Gaines II recognized the value of the brand association and reached out to the chain’s CEO, Walt Ehmer. He guessed at Ehmer’s email address and got bounce backs on his first six attempts. The seventh try landed a response within a few hours.
As a result, Waffle House is selling the book in its virtual retail store, and net profits are being donated to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Ehmer interviewed Gaines II at the Sidco location for an in-house communique, “Under the Yellow Sign.” It was during that visit that Dawn and Terrie learned they were actually in the book.
Dawn “burst into tears,” remembers Gaines II. “She said to me, ‘You know, my life moment has arrived,’ and that she just felt so appreciated and noticed.”
Thus, the endeavor was rewarding to the people who inspired it in addition to sending a much-needed message to youth about the importance of kindness in building community. The book was published on Nov. 22, timed perfectly to introduce that theme during the holiday season.
“For me, it was like a great teaching moment to show my son the value and the benefit of philanthropy,” says Gaines II. “It’s not always about receiving. We try to teach that it’s more about giving.”
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