In this episode of American Dream Factory, Nick and Joe sit down with two transformative leaders in the world of politics, community, media, and capitalism:

• Matthew Barzun – Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. & Sweden, bestselling author of The Power of Giving Away Power, and architect of “constellation thinking.”

• Seth Levine – Venture capitalist, co-founder of Foundry ($4B under management), and co-author of The New Builders, with a new book Capital Evolution releasing December 2025.

Together, they explore what it will take to reboot the American Dream in an era where trust in institutions is collapsing, cities are strained, and communities are hungry for new ways of working together.

Join our community of city leaders at AmericanDreamFactory.com and learn how to get the city building tool, BuildCities.com for free.

Chapters

Chapters

00:00 The American Dream: A Shared Vision

09:22 The Role of Venture Capital in Empowering Entrepreneurs

12:12 Meritocracy and Economic Mobility

15:11 Populism and the American Dream

21:12 Collaboration vs. Competition in Governance

24:02 Reimagining Capitalism for the Future

26:59 Local Businesses and Community Development

35:17 Navigating Local Government Regulations

37:25 Community Engagement and Overcoming Barriers

39:11 The Interdependence of Community and Economy

44:07 Building Trust Through Collaborative Efforts

44:45 The Role of Local Government in Community Dynamics

50:20 Creating a Culture of Open Dialogue

55:01 The Power of Shared Vision in Community Development

01:04:02 Bridging the Political Divide

01:04:54 The Importance of Deliberate Processes

01:09:51 The Role of Community in Decision Making

01:14:55 Navigating Future Paths

01:20:37 Creating a Collaborative Future

01:26:16 Building a Community of Leaders

If you have future guests you'd like us to interview, email us at [email protected]

In this episode Nick Smoot sits down with Ernesto Sirolli of the Sirolli Institute.

Chapters

09:42 Engagement with the Community

26:00 Lessons from International Aid

42:36 The Joy of Helping Others

46:24 Building Community Through Collaboration

56:21 The Importance of Passion in Business

01:00:22 The Role of Cooperatives in Society

01:06:08 The Nature of Entrepreneurship

01:08:57 The Debate of Nature vs. Nurture in Development

01:12:03 The Role of Pain and Love in Growth

01:13:50 The Importance of Community Participation

01:15:24 Finding Passion and Purpose in Work

01:17:46 Creating Value and Beauty in the World

01:19:08 The Journey from Idea to Market

01:19:57 The Sacred Act of Creation

01:21:00 Unlocking Social Capital for Community Growth

01:23:59 Measuring Community Prosperity through Social Capital

01:25:42 The Role of Frameworks in Economic Development

01:27:56 Indicators of Community Success

01:32:41 Enlightened Capitalism and Community Transformation

01:35:09 The Unexpected Beauty of Human Potential

01:38:10 The Importance of Digital Infrastructure

01:39:57 Empowering Communities for the Future

What does it take to lead a city when everything is on fire... literally and figuratively?

In this episode, Nick Smoot sits down with longtime friend and civic leader Joe Toney, who has spent nearly two decades inside city government, including serving as City Manager of Malibu during the recent catastrophic wildfires.

Together, they dive deep into what’s breaking modern cities—and what might still save them.

From AI and remote work to affordability, isolation, and polarization, cities today are struggling under a storm of converging forces. Joe offers a rare inside look at the emotional, operational, and political pressure of managing a city during crisis, while Nick challenges what’s possible for the future of work, belonging, and civic life.

What You’ll Learn:

– What really happens behind the scenes when a city is in disaster

– Why cities can’t pivot fast—and what that costs

– The emotional toll of being “number two” in civic leadership

– Why purpose and community might be the best mental health infrastructure

– How policy and entrepreneurship could align to rebuild social fabric

– Whether AI, ambition, and affordability will break cities—or make them better

Who It’s For:

– City and civic leaders

– Entrepreneurs, policy makers, and reformers

– Anyone who cares about community, belonging, or the future of work

– People trying to lead something hard, in a time of instability

Quote Highlights:

“Running a city today is like steering a ship through a hurricane while everyone on board argues about the map.”“Belonging isn’t a luxury. It’s infrastructure.”“We expect city leaders to fix everything, fast, but they’re operating inside decades of decisions that weren’t built for now.”

07:43 High School Experience and Preparedness

12:29 The Skills Gap in Education

15:04 Value of College in Today's World

21:32 Reimagining High School Education

29:33 The Role of AI in Education and Work

30:57 Perspectives on the Future of Work

32:56 The Impact of AI on Job Roles

36:13 The Evolution of Education and Experience

38:16 Redefining the Value of Education

41:20 Personal Experiences and Learning

45:05 Addressing Mental Health and Wellbeing

49:19 The Necessity of High School in the Age of AI

54:48 Empowering Young Entrepreneurs with AI

57:24 The Future of Entry-Level Jobs

59:45 The Evolution of Skills and Roles

01:02:43 Education's Role in a Changing World

01:09:28 Building a New Generation of Innovators

01:20:00 Creating Meaningful Impact Through Education

In this bold and timely episode, host Nick Smoot is joined by Ian Christianson (a newly graduated 18-year-old entrepreneur and camp counselor) and Patrick Gallagher (leadership advisor to engineering executives) to explore the future of high school in an AI-driven world and introduce a new education initiative called Pragma.

Together, they unpack the question:

Is high school still necessary in an era where AI automates knowledge and traditional jobs are disappearing?

Spoiler: Yes — but it must evolve.

• The Crisis in Education:

  Why 68% of teens and 85% of college grads feel unprepared for real life or work — and why employers agree.

• What the Future Demands:

  From AI to robotics, the new world requires high-agency, emotionally intelligent, curiosity-driven creators.

• Real Voices:

  Ian shares his perspective as a Gen Z student — what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change fast.

• The Role of AI in Learning:

  How AI can handle knowledge transfer while humans focus on building relationships, solving problems, and cultivating taste.

• Introducing PRAGMA:

  A new program designed to help 17- and 18-year-olds become high-performing humans who launch real-world projects.

  Think:

  • Hands-on projects

  • Access to world-class mentors

  • Personal development and emotional intelligence

  • A new path to flourishing in the modern world

    
    

Learn more about Pragma: Coming soon

Contact Nick: [email protected]

Connect with Patrick: LinkedIn – Patrick Gallagher

Connect with Ian: Instagram @christianson_ian

Learn about Build_ platform: buildcities.com

“Teenagers are no longer waiting to grow up. The world is changing too fast. We need to equip them now — not just to learn, but to lead.”

Welcome to the American Dream Factory. Let’s build something that matters.

🔥 Key Quotes:

“We’re no longer training people to be workers. We’re training them to be solvers.” – Nick Smoot

“I think the future of work is using AI as a tool — not a crutch. We need operators, not passengers.” – Ian Christianson

“The old entry-level job is gone. The new one is building something real that adds value.” – Patrick Gallagher

“Taste is the new moat. The differentiator is no longer what you know, but what you create.” – Nick Smoot

Think AI is just for tech bros, coders, or billionaires building robot empires? Think again.

In this episode, Nick Smoot sits down with AI expert Josh Freckleton to break down what artificial intelligence really is, what it actually does today, and how "normal people" can start using it to make work easier, faster, and better.

Josh went from studying the human brain to building digital ones and now he helps everyday business owners, founders, and curious creatives figure out how to use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini, and Hugging Face without needing to speak “tech.”

This is the plain-English, no-hype, real-world AI episode you’ve been waiting for.

👤 About Josh Freckleton

Josh Freckleton is a North Idaho–based AI researcher and software engineer focused on real-world applications of artificial intelligence. He began his career studying neuroscience, then shifted to AI after realizing the biggest questions about intelligence and reasoning were being explored through code. Josh has built systems for startups and large companies alike, and now leads the North Idaho Machine Learning & AI Group — a community where engineers, creatives, and business owners explore how to integrate AI into everyday life and work. His goal is to make intelligence tools useful, understandable, and accessible to everyone.

🌐 freckleton.io

💬 tinyurl.com/discord-ai-group

🎙️ About Nick Smoot

Nick Smoot is a civic futurist, founder, and economic strategist who has spent over a decade helping cities and companies adapt to the future of work, innovation, and human purpose. He is a founder of build_, a global platform that activates local economies through project-based incentives and AI-powered collaboration. With a background spanning startups, venture capital, real estate development, and public policy, Nick’s work focuses on rethinking how communities build, how people contribute, and how technology can unlock human flourishing.

🌐 nicksmoot.com

📲 buildcities.com

What if the most powerful new protocol in AI wasn’t being shaped in Silicon Valley… but in a basement in North Idaho?

Enter ⁠Paul Swaim⁠ and ⁠Garrett Oetken⁠, two innovators who went from community college hallway conversations to becoming key architects of ⁠BitTensor⁠, a $3B+ decentralized AI network reshaping the future of work, research, and economic contribution.

Garrett dropped out of college. Paul spent years as an IT leader working at one. Both found themselves in North Idaho, guided by curiosity and a shared desire to make a meaningful impact. As they got pulled into the innovation culture blossoming in Coeur d’Alene, they began to dream bigger about what they could build, and who they could become. 

Together, they co-founded a startup and went on to help create the leading global, merit-based AI economy that rewards contributors, not credentials.

This isn’t just a tech story.

It’s a blueprint for how small towns can birth big revolutions.

Chapters

04:08 The Evolution of Technology and Infrastructure

09:26 Digital Transformation in Education

11:50 Building Infrastructure in Rural Areas

15:23 Decentralized Future and Community Ownership

17:44 The Future of Energy and Nuclear Innovations

30:49 Building Community for Entrepreneurship

32:35 The Emergence of Blockchain and Innovation

33:19 Understanding BitTensor and Its Mechanisms

36:57 The Role of Miners and Validators in BitTensor

40:26 Incentive Mechanisms and Competition in Subnets

52:54 Monetizing Data and the Future of AI Innovation

56:58 Introduction to Macrocosmos and Its Team

58:11 Understanding Protein Folding and Its Applications

59:43 The Future of Work and Merit-Based Protocols

01:02:21 Decentralized Approaches Beyond AI

01:05:47 Real-World Applications and Community Engagement

01:08:14 The Role of Education in a Changing Landscape

01:12:59 Building a New Future Together

01:16:50 Engaging with the BitTensor Community

This episode challenges the broken narrative around the American Dream and reframes it as a mindset, not a marketing slogan. He dives into the importance of creation over consumption, the undervalued wisdom of older generations, and the truth that you’re never too old (or too young) to build something of real value.

Nick shares stories of his friend and aerospace legend Burt Rutan: the man who invented private space travel and is still designing planes at age 83. The episode also features a tribute to Max Faget, a high-impact inventor with no college degree who helped shape modern space capsules and inspired Rutan deep into his 90s.

This episode is both a wake-up call and a love letter to dreamers, doers, and underdogs of all ages.

🧠 What You’ll Learn:

• Why the American Dream isn’t about white picket fences, but about freedom to grind and create

• The dangers of a consumer-only culture and how to reclaim our creative birthright

• How storytelling nights around the world are reactivating towns and turning residents into creators

• The incredible story of Burt Rutan, his 50th commercial airplane, and his lifelong grind

• Why degrees and credentials aren’t the only paths to greatness (hello, Max Faget)

• A reminder that innovation and impact have no age limit

🛠️ Tools & Resources:

• BuildCities.com — A new platform for local collaboration and economic awakening

• Black Sky Documentary — Watch on YouTube

🔥 Takeaway Quote:

“You are never too young or too old to chase and create the American Dream. Go build things of beauty and value.” — Nick Smoot

📣 Join the Movement:

Become a part of the American Dream Factory by showing up, building your project, and joining others in your city who are grinding for something better. Follow along at BuildCities.com.

Before Google Maps. Before smartphones. Before Silicon Valley gave mobile a second thought — the Blumberg brothers were strapping GPS units to PalmPilots and piping real estate data through them.

In this episode, Nick Smoot sits down with Brad and Eric Blumberg, the underdog inventors who quietly pioneered location-based real estate search and filed the first patents that would later shape the mobile experience we take for granted.

From living a few blocks apart in Jersey to battling billion-dollar giants over the definition of “proximate,” the brothers share their wild ride through invention, patent wars, early startup life, and building trust with major partners before “startup” was even a cultural word.

This one’s about grit, timing, vision — and being early enough that people thought you were crazy.

• They were the first to hack GPS and mobile devices to make real estate location-aware.

• At a time when telecom was obsessed with “minutes,” they were shouting: “It’s about data.”

• Selling a vision is often harder than building the tech.

• They faced deep skepticism from insiders who couldn’t see the future — yet.

• Real innovation demands a shift in perception — and persistence when no one’s clapping yet.

• They proved you could shop for homes on a tiny screen long before Zillow or Redfin.

• Innovation often starts by refusing to follow the rules everyone else takes for granted.

• They stuck to their vision even through lawsuits, economic downturns, and tech shifts.

• Progress doesn’t happen in a straight line — it’s messy, hard, and worth it.

• At the center of it all: understanding real user needs, not just market trends.

  
  

Check out AstorKey, their newest innovation using encrypted, decentralized data to rethink how mortgages are done — without giving up your identity to the internet forever.

• 🔐 AstorKey

• 🌆 Build Cities

17:55 Pioneering Patents: The First Steps in Innovation

51:52 Defending Patents: The Journey

01:00:58 The Reality of Intellectual Property

In this episode, Nick Smoot sits down with Susan Paley, the powerhouse behind the early days of Beats by Dre. Before Beats became a global icon, it was Susan — employee one, founding CEO — who brokered the partnerships, built the business model, and turned the brand from an idea into a global force.

Susan shares how she navigated the chaos of startup life at the highest stakes, made the deals that fueled a cultural movement, and why simplicity is the hidden lever behind every great company. From early internet ventures to hardware innovation, her career is a blueprint for building in uncertain environments.

Today, Susan leads Beacon, where she has pulled together the best minds in global hardware manufacturing to help the next generation of founders build faster and smarter. We also dive into her perspective on innovation, leadership under pressure, and how places like Coeur d’Alene are becoming new frontiers for bold builders.

If you want to understand what it takes to create real momentum — and survive the pressure — this is a conversation you will not want to miss.

Highlights:

• How Susan built Beats into a company with no map, no playbook, and no safety net

• Lessons in deal-making: why listening wins and aggression loses

• Why hardware matters again — and how Beacon is helping founders scale

• How Build_ Coeur d’Alene is laying the groundwork for 100 new companies

• The mindset required to build when the rules are being written in real time

Want to meet Susan in person?

She will be live at Build_ Coeur d’Alene on April 30 and May 1, sharing more stories, lessons, and energy with the builders of North Idaho. Request your invite today at [Build_ Coeur d’Alene].

Chapters

00:00 The Love for Volleyball

11:14 The Evolution of Sports and Gaming

14:17 From Chicago to LA: A Journey into Film

17:11 The Internet Boom and Early Innovations

20:13 Navigating the Audio Industry

26:15 The Art of Deal-Making

33:20 Life in Los Angeles: A Dual Perspective

34:39 The Traffic Dilemma in LA

37:01 Resilience and Reinvention in Los Angeles

41:24 The Evolution of Beats by Dre

47:46 Lessons from the Beats Experience

51:17 Empowering the Next Generation of Hardware Entrepreneurs

56:55 Unlocking Hidden Innovations in Research

In this episode, Nick Smoot sits down with Javis Cornett, Audience Development Director at Hagadone Media, to announce a groundbreaking partnership between Build_ and The Coeur d’Alene Press. This isn’t just a media collab. It’s the birth of a modern business community—where local news, startups, mentorship, and creativity converge to reshape the future of North Idaho.

Whether you’ve got a dream project, a big idea, or you’re just looking for your tribe—this episode lays out how the new Build_ membership gives you the tools, access, and support to actually build it.

🚨 Big Announcement:

We’re kicking things off with an exclusive meet & greet for CDA Press subscribers featuring the Founding CEO of Beats by Dre, Susan Paley—a woman who scaled Beats to a $3.2B exit to Apple.

🎧 Meet Susan Paley – Live in CDA:

🗓️ April 30 @ 7 PM

📍 RSVP for the Meet & Greet

What You’ll Learn:

• Why Build_ and Hagadone Media teamed up (and why it matters now)

• How this new membership reinvents what local media can be

• What’s included in the Build_ subscription (hint: access to mentors, startup resources, local coworking, and venture capital opportunities)

• How you can start building your dream project with real support

• Why local storytelling and entrepreneurship belong in the same room

Best Quote: “You could sit at home and watch more YouTube… or you could go build something real. Don’t go to the grave with the song in your heart you never sang.” – Nick Smoot

🎁 What You Get as a Member:

• 🗞️ Digital CDA Press subscription

• 📘 Quarterly Build_ Journal (local startup news + national inspiration)

• 🧑‍🚀 Access to Build Circles (small group accountability)

• 💡 Invitations to premium live events & mentorship sessions

• 🚀 Project dashboard, coaching, and matching to capital or collaborators

• 🏛️ Option to add coworking, pool, gym, and conference space

Ready to Join?

Start building with us at buildjournal.club.

Free and premium levels available.

For questions or partnership inquiries, reach out to [email protected].