One Maine man's mission to spread good news

PORTLAND, Maine — Bad news travels fast but uplifting stories of the human spirit - no matter how small - can stick with people for a lifetime. Tom McGowan, 26, who grew up in Windham is on a mission to spread good news. He's even trying to make sharing positive stories into a profitable business venture. 

McGowan who has an undergraduate degree from the University of Farmington, started All Things Good Co. when he was getting his master's at Husson University. 

"I have always tried to be nice and genuine with people as much as possible because you never know what people are going through," said McGowan. 

All Things Good, which is based in Portland, shares stories from all over the world on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. McGowan also hosts a podcast that features from all walks of life, comedians, business people, and athletes. 

"You do have to search through a lot of negativity, unfortunately, to find these stories," said McGowan. 

Stories that no matter how brief, have a lasting impact. 

McGowan says he gets permission to share the stories, videos, and pictures on the All Things Good Co. social media sites. His followers have skyrocketed over the last 18 months from 28,000 followers on Instagram to more than 200,000.

"Once covid hit, it was a huge growth because people were looking for feel-good stories to help their mental health," said McGowan.

Some of those new fans are well-known celebrities like Kaley Cuoco, Courtney Cox, and Alyson Hannigan. 

"It's kind of cool like when people like that start to recognize what you're doing. You know you're reaching a bigger audience."

Author: Beth McEvoy (NEWS CENTER Maine)

Published: 11:44 AM EDT August 12, 2021

Updated: 7:03 AM EDT August 13, 2021