The Human Greenhouse

Baking is more than just a culinary skill; it’s an art form that connects us to our roots and to each other. In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Bill McCarrick, a seasoned baker and pastry chef, who shares his insights on the craft of baking and its profound impact on culture and community.Bill McCarrick is a culinary storyteller with over four decades of experience in the baking industry. From his humble beginnings in Philadelphia to his travels across the globe, Bill has lived and worked in twelve countries and has worked for many 5-star hotels and prestigious kitchens, learning under master chefs and later sharing his passion for baking with the next generation at the Culinary Institute of America.This episode will help you appreciate: The importance of mentors: Our journeys are enriched by mentors who can guide and inspire us. Being a mentor yourself is a wonderfully rewarding way to pass on to the next generation, ensuring your craft continues to thrive. Diversity is a win-win: Being curious to embrace the different customs and traditions you encounter will enrich and enlighten you and may bring you to new and exciting places.Bread is a universal symbol of togetherness: There is important cultural significance in bread. Bread serves as the centerpiece of many cultures and gatherings. When we break bread with others we invite in fellowship. Baking is a mindfulness practice: The act of kneading dough and allowing it to rise provides a moment of calm and reflection. Bill highlights the therapeutic benefits of baking, noting that it can improve mental health and foster a sense of community when shared with others.Resources: Connect with Bill via LinkedInConnect with Bill on InstagramConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect.

Genuine abundance doesn’t come from accumulation or self-sufficiency, but from cultivating trust, vulnerability, and interconnectedness within our communities.Children naturally embody abundance and interconnectedness, but our systems often beat out that sense of abundance by instilling discipline, structure, and independence", preparing them for a capitalistic world rather than nurturing their innate wisdom.Kapil Dawda describes his life purpose as bringing belonging into the world. He draws energy from weaving experiences and communities that help people feel they belong and learn, and is exploring how AI can help people have better conversations in the real worldThis conversation will help youRecognise the power of slowing down and collective reflectionUnderstand where true abundance comes fromApproach AI as a tool for asking better questions and revealing blind spots in your thinkingResourcesConnect with Kapil via LinkedInConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connectWe are the Great Turning – podcast by Joanna Macy & Jessica SerranteHoles in the Web, by Deepak Varuvel DennisonBurnout From Humans

Creating intentional spaces for rest, reflection, and self-connection through journaling and time in nature is not a luxury but a fundamental act of resistance against the relentless pace of modern capitalism. By pausing to write, we can better understand our emotions, process grief and transitions, reconnect with our whole selves, and ultimately show up more authentically in our relationships and work.Jackee Holder is an experienced expressive writer, coach, facilitator, and supervisor who works with writing therapy and journalling practices. She’s an ordained interfaith minister and describes her superpower as creating magical spaces for people to write and be in. Jackee co-founded the School of Journaling, where she offers various programmes, co-writing spaces, and resources to help people connect with themselves through journalling.This conversation will help youUse writing as a tool to navigate difficult emotions and life transitionsCreate safe psychological spaces for yourself through simple journaling practicesReconnect with nature and your immediate environment as sources of wellbeingResourcesConnect with Jackee via LinkedInThe School of JournalingFollow @theschoolofjournaling on InstagramFollow @jackeeholder on InstagramConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connectRest is Resistance, by Tricia HerseyThe Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der KolkTransitions, by William BridgesJournal to the Self, by Kathleen Adams

Thriving when the odds are stacked against you is an incredible catalyst for change, and for Anton Chernikov, creating co-living spaces allows him and others to slow down, connect authentically, and discover their resourcefulness whilst building something meaningful together.Anton created House of Transformation, an event space opened during the pandemic, which became a significant source of income. On top of this he also runs Selgars, an eight-acre countryside property with a four-storey millhouse, cottages, and barn that he and his wife operate as a retreat and a co-living space through the winter months.This conversation will help youUnderstand how to structure a seasonal business model that balances intensive event hosting with more relaxed co-living operations throughout the yearCreate rhythms and rituals in shared living spaces that balance independence with communal connectionAllow for spontaneous creativity and deeper community bonds through experiences that emerge organically when people spend extended time togetherResourcesHouse of TransformationSelgarsConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect

Creative expression through art isn't a luxury or something reserved for "artistic people"; it's a fundamental human need and a powerful form of resistance that can transform how we connect with ourselves and others.Art allows us to access and communicate parts of ourselves that words alone cannot reach, breaking free from the linear, transactional ways we've been conditioned to interact.Kel Dylla is a classically trained violist, teaching artist, arts engagement designer and facilitator, and fundraiser. She's currently working on establishing Pottery Northwest's ceramic centre in South Lake Union, Seattle, in the core of Amazon Central. The organisation centres Black, Latino, indigenous people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and disabled people.This conversation will help you:Reconnect with your innate creativity through simple, accessible practicesUnderstand art as a form of resistance and transformation that accesses different parts of your brain, creates spatial awareness, and allows for deeper, non-verbal connection with yourself and othersWitness and honour your own experience without needing external validationResourcesConnect with Kel via LinkedInListen to Kel’s soundscapesEmail Kel: kellydylla@gmail.comEn historie om mennesket: Homo sapiens og meningen med tilværelsen, by Rane WillerslevConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect

Grief and joy can coexist, and embracing both can be healing. Rather than seeing grief as something to "get over", we can learn to process it through movement, community, and ritual.Georgina Jones is the co-founder of Grief Disco, an innovative approach to processing grief through dance and music. After her 16 month-old son Osian died in 2023, her life took a new trajectory. She now uses creative methods like dance and music to help people with grief and to find joy.This conversation will help youCreate moments of joy in the midst of griefDesign meaningful rituals for processing grief in communityEmbrace authenticity in grief by creating safe spaces where all emotions are welcomeResourcesConnect with Georgina via LinkedInGrief Disco Cardiff Facebook groupThe Joy Reset, by Mary-Catherine McDonaldConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect

Mind and body are not separate – we are whole, integrated organisms whose physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts are all interconnected.The disconnection from our embodied experience parallels how we've become disconnected from the natural world. But reconnecting with our somatic experience can lead to more sustainable and regenerative ways of living, challenging extractive systems that benefit from our disconnection and burnout.The Somatic School, founded by Nathan Blair, has trained over 600 body-oriented coaches. Their flagship programme, the accredited diploma in Body Oriented Coaching, focuses on helping people access what he calls "the wisdom of distributed intelligence through our entire body-mind".Nathan’s approach bridges "profundity and professionalism”, marrying the worlds of the magical and the logical, the mystical, the measurable, the scientific and the spiritual.This conversation will help youUnderstand somatics as a unified approach to the mind-body connection, recognising yourself as a whole being rather than fragmented partsIntegrate embodied ways of knowing into your decision-making and daily life, drawing on wisdom traditions that value physical intelligence alongside intellectual understandingRecognise patterns of burnout and disconnection in your life, and develop a more sustainable relationship with yourself, others and the planet through somatic awarenessResourcesConnect with Nathan via LinkedInBecome a certified Body-Oriented Coach with the Somatic SchoolOrganic IntelligenceConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect

Personal and professional journeys don't need to follow a linear path or predetermined plan.In this special episode, Tatjana demonstrates the value of following intuition, embracing curiosity, and being open to emergent opportunities rather than rigidly adhering to long-term career plans.Her interviewer, Claire Mendelsohn, invited Tatjana to share her journey through school and work, from helping people relocate internationally to providing hair and make-up services, to retraining as a therapist.This conversation will help youUnderstand how intuition can be a powerful tool for personal and professional decision-making, especially at pivotal moments in your career journeyRecognise the value of exploring multiple paths and interests rather than following a strict career planApply the concept of connecting deeply with people through your workResourcesConnect with Claire via LinkedInRead her SubstackVisit her websiteConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect

The words we choose have profound power to shape our collective reality and consciousness. Consciously selecting positive, life-affirming language can transform not just our individual experience, but our entire relationship with each other and our environment.Rather than merely reframing negatives, we can "upframe" our communication to create higher vibrations and more constructive ways of seeing the world, leading to stronger communities and more meaningful connections.Dr Claudia Gross is the author of the book Words Create Worlds. She works as an organisational development consultant, trainer, facilitator, and host. Her work focuses on conscious language use and transforming how we communicate to create more positive impact.This conversation will help youTransform negative or limiting language into more empowering "green" words that elevate consciousness and create positive changeRecognise how words shape our collective experience and future, moving beyond individual self-development to conscious co-creation of realityBuild stronger communities by shifting from isolation-based language ("you are not alone") to connection-based language ("we are in this together")ResourcesConnect with Claudia via LinkedInWords Create Worlds – Claudia’s bookVisit Claudia’s websiteConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect

Effective social change means balancing activism with self-care and maintaining healthy relationships. Burnout in social movements often comes from difficult interpersonal dynamics and unresolved trauma, not just the workload itself.Sustainable change happens when we can acknowledge others' humanity and work together across differences, even with those we disagree with.Katherine Golub is a city counsellor and a coach who helps social change workers find more sustainable ways to continue their activism.This conversation will help youNavigate social change work without burning outBuild better relationships across political differences in your communityTransform conflicts in activist spacesResourcesConnect with Katherine via LinkedInConflict Decoded – Katherine’s podcastVisit Katherine’s websiteHospicing Modernity: Parting with Harmful Ways of Living, by Vanessa Machado de OliveiraConnect with Tatjana via LinkedInVisit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect