SHEBOYGAN — Koke Mailo-Podewils is hard to miss in public - with his multi-colored hair, rainbow-striped socks, and a broad smile.
He's known around Sheboygan as "Mr. Positivity." His mission in life is to spread smiles.
"It's like I can't not do it."
His mission in action can take many forms. It could look like a gas station drop-by.
I witnessed a local Kwik Trip cashier thank him for a free-style affirmation rap because she was having a bad day. "I needed that, seriously," she said before giving him a hug.
It can also look like handing out coffee on a whim at a cafe drive-thru.
"It's so good to see you. You always make me smile, so I had to hand you your donut holes with a little bit of my style," Koke recited to the customers.
Watch: How Sheboygan's Mr. Positivity's passion is spreading good vibes
That cafe is Biggby Coffee in Sheboygan — a sponsor for Mailo-Podewils. Michele Lapres is a manager there.
"I just kept seeing this guy popping up with the crazy socks and just the smile," she recalled. "We try to get him part of everything that we're about so that he can get out there to help everybody."
Biggby has even created a menu item in honor of him: "The Positivity Drink."
Lapres said she was drawn to Mailo-Podewils because they have something in common — they're both in recovery.
Mailo-Podewils didn't used to be colorful and energetic all the time. He struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for years.
"I was doing everything I do now but it wasn't real. It was fake because I had to get out of my right state of mind to be that person," he explained. "I think it was there before. I just had to be comfortable with me."
Now 100 pounds lighter and almost four years sober, people in Sheboygan have come to know him well.
"Sheboygan saved my life. There are some people here, that had they not been here, I wouldn't be sitting with you," Mailo-Podewils said in our interview.
"I want to give back and the best way I know how to do that is to help people be happy."
As much as he would like to, Mailo-Podewils said he can't make this a full-time job without financial support and donations.
Before establishing his Positivity Recovery Foundation last year, he's been able to partner with at least 20 local and national organizations and businesses to carry out his mission.
B'Loonie Gifts in Sheboygan is his longest-running sponsor.
The party supplies and event-planning store has been in Stephani Swigert's family for 43 years. Her mom's goal when opening up was to "spread joy and happiness to everyone," much like Mailo-Podewils.
"We said 'Let's do this, I will definitely help you because right now in the world we need as much positivity as we can get,'" Swigert said.
She gives away "positivity packs" which Mailo-Podewils gives out to kids at the "Positivity Booth," hosted on Saturdays at the Sheboygan Farmers Market.
He said as more businesses get on board, his mission reaches more people.
"The ripple effect in a good way," Mailo-Podewils added. "So many people can relate to what we're going through."
"His craziness is, for some, not what they're looking for," Swigert stated. "But for others, it's exactly what they need."
