Serenbe Stories

Today we are talking with journalist Gisela Williams, who's written for The New York Times, Elle Décor, The Financial Times, and Vogue among others. In her own words, she's always been interested in people who pursue humanitarian projects and make the effort everyday to be a better human. In her most recent article for Bloomberg Businessweek she writes about the people who are building for the future of community and features Steve Nygren and Serenbe.We discuss the article and why she thinks it's important to cover this topic for the more skeptical reader and a business audience who would be investing time and resources into these forward thinking eco enclaves we call biophilic communities.Mentioned In The EpisodeJoanna Frank and the Center for Active DesignFoundation for Intentional CommunitiesGreen SchoolJohn & Elora Hardy’s Green VillageNew York Times article “Limited-Run Restaurants” - Gisela wrote this article about a European trend in 2006, then called “temporary restaurants.” These would soon gain popularity in the United States and are known now as “pop-ups.”Regen VillagesThe new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

In today's 2-part interview, our very good friend, comedian and podcaster Pete Dominick talks poignantly about big life changes and finding his way after losing his dream job. We recorded that conversation last Fall and he graciously agreed to chat with us again this April to talk further now that the world is going through some big "life" changes and we're all trying to find our way. We hope you will find comfort, common ground, and definitely a chuckle or two with Pete. So stick around for parts 1 and 2 of today's episode. Mentioned In The EpisodeChildren & Nature Network - A global movement that grew from Richard Louv’s book Last Child In The Woods. They are working to increase equitable access to nature so that children - and natural places - can thrive. They do this by investing in leadership and communities through sharing evidence-based resources, scaling innovative solutions and driving policy change.The Joe Rogan Show - Pete was a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience in November 2019.Losing My Job Saved My Marriage - Pete’s post written for Wake-Up Call with Katie Couric.Pleasant Peasant - Steve Nygren opened the Pleasant Peasant in the ‘70s in Atlanta, which grew into dozens of restaurants throughout the Southeast. Stand Up! Garden Club - Pete’s gardening Facebook group.Stand UP! With Pete Dominick - What started as a daily live radio show is now Pete’s daily podcast.Vernon Stouffer - Founder of the Stouffer’s Corporation and Steve’s boss before he left to open the Pleasant Peasant.Walk With Walsh - Jennifer Walsh leads mindful walks through Central Park. She teamed up with Mother Dirt to do a series of walks through Serenbe’s preserved nature trails, and Pete was one of her guests.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

In Carrie Battan's recent Outside Magazine article, she says she came to Serenbe to see if it truly offered respite from, as she wrote, "the exhausting effects of {her} fast-paced, digital, urban life." In this episode of Serenbe Stories, we talk with her about her visit to Serenbe in Fall 2019, her Outside article, and how her life has changed since the coronavirus has forced people away from public spaces and leaving her life in Brooklyn NY. We also talk about the positive effects on the environment and she wonders if more communities will begin to live life the way Serenbe does.Mentioned In The EpisodeJeff Tkach and 7 “Silver Linings” - The New Hope Network held a webinar in April 2020 on the State of Natural and Future of Organic, in which Nick McCoy Caleb out seven “silver linings” to the crisis. They are:Increased focus on wellnessMoving away from individualism and toward new investments in public goods and services (especially health)Expansion of online communitiesDomestic self-sufficiency and reducing or eliminated the need for importsLand conservationPost-crisis boom in seeking relief from stress, pleasure, and communitiesIncrease in community at all levels from micro to macroPoets’ Walk - Named in honor of Washington Irving and other literary figures said to have walked the grounds, Poets’ Walk is one of the most popular places to take a stroll in the Hudson Valley.America’s Biggest Cities Were Already Losing Their Allure. What Happens Next? - The New York TimesThe new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Today's episode features a 2-part interview with Jennifer Walsh, who talks about her years in the beauty industry, her deep love of nature and her mission to connect us to the natural world. The first part of our interview was recorded Fall 2019 with the intention of kicking off our 3rd Season this Fall. But with everything happening in the world today we realized Jennifer's perspective and love of nature is the inspiration we could use right now as we are all sheltering-in-place. So we talked to her again this April while she is sheltered in NYC, and we hope this conversation will give you the encouragement to find those moments to get outside into the beauty of nature. Please enjoy this episode of Serenbe Stories. Mentioned In The Episode1918 Pandemic - Previously the most severe pandemic in recent history, caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Thought it is colloquially referred to as the “Spanish Flu,” it’s thought to have originated on an U.S. Army Base in Kansas and spread by soldiers during World War I.Biophilic design - A tactic meant to increase connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions.Blue Zones - Regions of the world where residents have lower rates of chronic diseases and live longer than anywhere else.  Global Wellness Summit - Annual conference hosted by the Global Wellness Institute that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively impact and shape the future of the global wellness industry.Ketchum’s Wellness Council - A diverse group of influential industry leaders helping to tell brands’ authentic wellness stories. Jennifer is on the council and developed the Nature Green Print (NGP) program to underscore the importance of walking mindfully through nature to bridge the gap between nature and brain health.Mother DirtNational Retail Federation - Retail’s greeted advocate, standing up for the people, policies, and ideas that hep retail thrive.Walks with Walsh - Jennifer interviews CEOs, founders, innovators, and philanthropists who are using nature in all that they do while also making sure to protect it. The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

In seasons 1 & 2, we heard from Steve Nygren and his personal journey of creating Serenbe, his vision for the future of community and we spoke to many of the people integral to Serenbe's success.Our next season, kicks off Monday, April 27, with an entire new set of guests and stories. We will move beyond Steve's story to talk with people who have experienced Serenbe - people who have visited, reported on or have deep relationships over the years with us. Our guests are journalists, influencers and entrepreneurs and all believe in a more hopeful future with nature at its core.Months ago when we started planning this season, we had no idea what the future held and that we would be in lock down together. We believe there's never been a better time to talk about living a well life connected to the natural world and our guests all agree. So tune in to hear their stories and perspective on Serenbe starting Monday, April 27 and enjoy the 3rd season of Serenbe Stories.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Tom Reed considers himself a "start-up guy" not a politician, in fact he's been on the Inc. 500/5000 List 3x for different startups, but moving to Serenbe offered a unique opportunity to lead "start-up city" of Chattahoochee Hills as mayor. Ask yourself, How do you thrive financially while mindfully preserving? How many developers live in the city they've built? Imagine creating such an amazing quality of life that you're willing to stay, and your children and grandchildren live there too. That's the message Tom has taken forward in developing Chattahoochee Hills, and working with other mayors to revitalize and preserve the beauty of south-Metro Atlanta.People + Organizations MentionedThe Blue Eyed DaisyThe Inn at Serenbe Capri Blue CandlesInc 500/5000John GrahamCongress for the New UrbanismChattahoochee Hill Country AllianceCity of Palmetto Bob Simpson CH2M Hill Bouckaert FarmAerotropolis Alliance Deana Holiday IngrahamMARTAThe new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Ned and Janice Peek were the first people Steve Nygren met when he moved to Chattahoochee Hills, and their table was the first he went to when he needed help protecting their shared rural paradise. Rodney Peek, their son, was on the first City Council after Chattahoochee Hills was incorporated, and his children are the 7th generation in their family to be born and raised in Chattahoochee Hills. The Peeks and Steve look back at a time when the Nygrens were the "city folk" moving next door, and tell stories about life in the country.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Today's guest, artist Tom Swanston, is regarded as Serenbe's first artist-in-residence, though he was a Serenbe resident before there was an official program. In fact, Tom was an integral figure in creating AIR Serenbe, which is the artist residency division of the Serenbe Institute. In this episode, Tom regales us with stories about finding his own farm south of Atlanta, what it was like to find his calling in the arts, and how Serenbe has inspired him to be the artist he is today.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Chad Epple says he's been a civil engineer since he started building tree houses as a kid. As the VP of Southeastern Engineering, he brought a creativity and willingness to join Steve in changing the rules to design Serenbe the way neighborhoods were built 75 years ago. In this episode, Chad and Steve look back at a time when Serenbe was only woods and remember what it was like to work with the land to maintain Serenbe's natural beauty while adding in modern infrastructure. People & Organizations MentionedBiomimicry - The design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.Bouckaert FarmsBoulder CreekChattahoochee RiverLands ProjectFlight Path: The River Beneath the World’s Busiest AirportGabion Bridge - Gabions are wire mesh baskets/boxes compactly filled with rocks or soils. ... These rock-filled baskets are often used as retaining walls for highly erosive materials, bridge abutments and outlet aprons.The Hill RestaurantMado HillsideOld 4th Ward ParkPhotogrammetry - The science of making measurements from photographs.Proctor CreekProfessional Engineering LicensingSmith Hanes StudioSoutheastern EngineeringDr. Phillip James TabbUnmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) - A drone is an unmanned aircraft or ship that is guided remotely or autonomously. UAV stands for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, something that can fly without a pilot onboard.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

On this episode of Serenbe Stories we talk with Robert Rausch, the man who created the works of art that are Serenbe's street lamps, sidewalk benches, bike racks, and even trash cans. We talk about Robert, Steve Nygren, and famed landscape architect Ryan Gainey collaborating to create Serenbe's original branding, and how Robert and Steve have continued finding ways to bring art and creativity to community, turning the ordinary to extraordinary.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.