In this final episode of the Start In Your Own Backyard mini-series, Steve Nygren reflects on the journey of building Serenbe. What started out as an unlikely idea, sparked in a moment of fear and panic is now a living, breathing community where nature and people are woven back together.
You’ll hear from neighbors like Gil Mathis, who traded a corporate finance career for a more authentic life rooted in connection, and Gigi Wilborne, an artist and entrepreneur who has poured her creativity into nearly every corner of Serenbe. You’ll also meet Price Bell, whose visits to Serenbe inspired him to spark change in his own hometown.
Together, their stories remind us that change doesn’t always start with grand plans. Instead, it begins in backyards, on front porches, and in everyday choices that ripple outward to transform lives.
As we close this series, we return to the bigger lesson running beneath it all: you don’t need to wait for permission to imagine a better way of living. Wherever you are, the spark of possibility is already in your hands. Sometimes all it takes is the courage to begin.
Show Notes
- Pre-Order Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Steve Nygren
- Start In Your Own Backyard Substack
- Learn more about Serenbe
- Serenbe Stories Podcast
Keywords: Serenbe, community building, placemaking, biophilic design, sustainable living, connection to nature, intentional communities, local food, community gardens, shared meals, walkability, small sparks of change, starting in your own backyard, radical common sense, meaningful change, authentic living, neighborhood design, creativity, wellness, joy, beauty, possibility, better way of living
Now through October 12, order a copy of Start In Your Own Backyard and you'll receive a tote bag, keychain and signed bookplate from Steve Nygren.
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