Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

A bright yellow car with black racing stripes arrived in Jim's yard on a chain. It didn't run, its engine had once caught fire, and its rusted hood revealed its well-worn condition. Then Jim's father offered him a simple challenge: "If you can get it running, it's yours."

In this episode, I talk with Jim from Missouri about the lessons hidden inside of broken cars, the value of hard work, how to face uncertain crossroads in life, incredible family stories, and the importance of being willing to learn by doing. Jim grew up watching his father—a Great Depression survivor, World War II veteran, mechanic, carpenter, teacher, and tireless problem-solver—bring worn-out machines back to life with patience, ingenuity, and whatever parts he could find.

Along the way, Jim reveals what these memories have to teach us about personal growth and becoming the people we were meant to be. Broken engines can be studied and repaired. Difficult skills can be learned and mastered. Places can be left better than we found them. Even parts of ourselves that feel stuck or unfinished can grow and mature with a little persistence, humility, and mentorship. That's true even when a few wrenches are thrown our way.

Jim also recalls the time he faced a literal crossroads and had to choose between returning to a motorcycle shop he loved or turning toward college and an uncertain future. His decision led him into journalism, where his curiosity has allowed him to step inside the worlds of many different people, including tobacco farmers, blacksmiths, and other rural Missourians.

Books also factored heavily in Jim's upbringing, and they continue to shape how he sees the world. Jim relays his remarkable family reading tradition: books at the dinner table, books beside the kitchen sink, and enough concentration to read and carry on a conversation at the same time.

This is the first half of a two-part conversation about self-reliance, curiosity, work, risk, storytelling, and the lasting wisdom we inherit from the generations who came before us.

Sincere thanks to Lee Williams for his fantastic production of this and every episode of Perennial Pen.

• The broken 1969 Opel Rallye that became Jim's first car and an education in perseverance
• Lessons Jim inherited from his father's Great Depression childhood and World War II service
• Why believing that something can be understood is often the first step toward repairing it
• The importance of leaving a place better than when you found it
• How scarcity can inspire creativity, resourcefulness, and self-reliance
• Jim's work building and test-riding motorcycles as an 18-year-old
• The crossroads where Jim chose college over the comfort of a familiar job
• Why Jim believes taking the riskier path can open the door to growth
• The lasting physical and mental value of hard work
• How hands-on journalism allowed Jim to enter the worlds of farmers, craftspeople, and rural communities
• The influence of Jim's mother, family gatherings, Irish roots, and a home filled with books
• How Jim's family learned to read during meals—and still carry on a conversation

What's one uncertain yet meaningful step you could take this week that might help you grow beyond your comfort zone?

Jim McCarty is Editor Emeritus and Special Projects Manager for Rural Missouri, where he has spent his career sharing the people, traditions, history, and everyday life of rural communities.

Meet the Rural Missouri staff: https://ruralmissouri.org/staff/

Learn more about Jim McCarty in this Missouri School of Journalism Q-and-A article: https://journalism.missouri.edu/alum/jim-mccarty/

Explore the history of Rural Missouri: https://ruralmissouri.org/history/

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on the Perennial Pen podcast, email Nate at [email protected].

Would you like help preserving your loved one's amazing life stories? Is your business or nonprofit looking for a way to celebrate an important anniversary or milestone? My wife, Julie, and I can help you do that.

Learn more about our 90-day Perennial Pen engagement: https://www.silvermaplestrategies.com/perennial-pen-family-legacy-book

Veronica Taylor's life began in the violence and uncertainty of war-torn Nicaragua. Years later, after fleeing to the United States with her family, she found herself living out of a car in San Francisco as a teenager, navigating poverty, danger, fear, and survival.

In this episode, I talk with Veronica about how those early experiences shaped her understanding of resilience, self-respect, empathy, and peace. What struck me most is not only what Veronica endured, but how intentionally she has worked to build a life grounded in values: self-love, grit, honesty, respect, and the belief that our circumstances do not get the final word.

Veronica shares how a $10-an-hour job became a turning point, how coaching helped her work through pain rather than avoid it, and why she now teaches others to become "life leaders" in their own lives. Her story is a reminder that peace is not always immediate, but it can be cultivated one honest step, one safe relationship, and one act of self-trust at a time.

Sincere thanks to Lee Williams for his fantastic production of this and every episode of Perennial Pen.

In this episode, we explore:

• Veronica's childhood during the revolution in Nicaragua

• Fleeing violence and seeking asylum in the United States

• Living through poverty and homelessness as a teenager in San Francisco

• The moment she began creating her own path

• Why core values can become an anchor through uncertainty

• The connection between self-empathy and empathy for others

• How coaching, community, clarity, and trust can help us move through hard seasons

Reflection Question What is one way you can cultivate deeper empathy for yourself this week?

• Connect with Veronica on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifeleaders360/

• Podcast appearance: Leading in Life with Veronica Taylor — another interview featuring Veronica Taylor as a leadership coach and life strategist. (Podscan)

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email Nate at [email protected].

Would you like help preserving your loved one's amazing life stories? Is your business or nonprofit looking for a way to celebrate an important anniversary or milestone? My wife, Julie, and I can help you do that.

Learn more about our 90-day Perennial Pen engagement: https://www.silvermaplestrategies.com/perennial-pen-family-legacy-book

What does a childhood in Colorado, a stack of freshly printed high school newspapers, a dream of becoming a war correspondent, a life rooted in faith, and a small Missouri farm have to teach us about memory, meaning, family, courage, and calling?

In this episode, the tables are turned. My friend Kevin Payne interviews me — Nate Birt — about the story behind my own life, work, family, and the beginnings of Perennial Pen.

Kevin and I first met years ago through the agriculture and ag tech world, later reconnected through a book-editing project, and have stayed in touch as friends and collaborators. Along the way, Kevin realized there were parts of my story he had only heard in pieces. So he offered to interview me for this episode.

We talk about my growing-up years in Longmont, Colorado, where I was the bookish kid with neatly parted hair, knee socks, a love for R.L. Stine's Goosebumps books, and an early fascination with newspapers. I share how my dad's Sunday newspaper reading helped shape my curiosity, how my high school newspaper gave me a sense of purpose, and why journalism originally felt like a doorway into the wider world.

We also explore my years at the University of Missouri, my early dream of becoming a war correspondent, and the unexpected path that led me instead into community journalism, rural America, agriculture, nonprofit communications, and eventually Silver Maple Strategies and Perennial Pen.

At the heart of the conversation is a deeper theme: none of us becomes who we are alone. I reflect on the parents, teachers, mentors, church families, friends, clients, and loved ones who helped shape my life. I also talk about meeting my wife, Julie, the family we've built together, our life on a small farm, and how faith continues to guide the way I think about work, service, curiosity, and care for other people.

And yes, we also talk about saxophone, marching band, horror movies, meatloaf, introversion, and the joy of sitting on the couch with a good book.

In this episode, we explore:

• How childhood interests can quietly point us toward lifelong callings
• Why mentors and small words of encouragement can change the course of a life
• The difference between youthful ambition and a more grounded sense of purpose
• How journalism, editing, and storytelling shaped my work
• Why faith, family, and community remain central to how I understand meaning
• The unexpected path from Colorado suburbia to rural Missouri
• How Perennial Pen grew out of a desire to preserve stories for future generations
• Why reconnecting with childhood joy can help us remember what matters most

Sincere thanks to Lee Williams for his fantastic production of this and every episode of Perennial Pen.

What is something you loved in childhood that you would love to do again — and what might happen if you made space for it this week?

Nate Birt is the host of Perennial Pen: What Matters Most and co-founder of Perennial Pen with his wife, Dr. Julie Birt. Through Perennial Pen, Nate and Julie help families preserve the stories, memories, and histories of loved ones in beautiful printed legacy books.

Nate is also an author, journalist, editor, speaker, and founder of Silver Maple Strategies. His work has spanned community journalism, agriculture, nonprofit communications, book editing, professional development, and storytelling for families and organizations.

He lives in Missouri with Julie and their four children.

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email me at [email protected]. I respond to every message personally!

Would you like help preserving your loved one's amazing life stories? Is your business or nonprofit looking for a way to celebrate an important anniversary or milestone? My wife, Julie, and I can help you do that.

Learn more about our 90-day Perennial Pen engagement: https://www.silvermaplestrategies.com/perennial-pen-family-legacy-book

What do a childhood memory, a grandmother's unconditional love, a theater stage, a trip across Europe, and the hero's journey have to teach us about mortality, confidence, art, courage, and belonging?

In this episode, I talk with Patty from California about the experiences that shaped her life as an artist, teacher, actor, novelist, and storyteller. She shares how her grandmother boosted her sense of confidence and how she discovered the power of art to convey experiences for which we lack words.

Patty also reflects on how seeing life's uncertainty at a young age made her think deeply about death — not in a morbid way, but as a reminder that human life is brief yet meaningful. She shares why she believes art exists, in part, to help us process our mortality, see ourselves reflected, and remember that we're not alone.

Along the way, Patty talks about the vulnerability required in live theater, the courage she mustered to travel alone in Europe before cell phones and GPS, the importance of representation in the arts, and why she believes young people need opportunities to discover what makes their souls come alive.

In this episode, we explore:

• The childhood moment that helped Patty understand life's fragility
• Why talking about death can help us live with more meaning
• How art gives us a mirror for our own humanity
• The role of theater, books, and storytelling in helping us feel less alone
• How unconditional love can build confidence and belonging
• Why representation matters on stage, on screen, and in the stories we tell
• The courage of travel, vulnerability, and learning to trust yourself
• Why schools need art, music, theater, shop, and other creative outlets for kids

Sincere thanks to Lee Williams for his fantastic production of this and every episode of Perennial Pen.

Reflection question: Who has loved you in a way that helped you belong and feel fully accepted? How might you share that kind of love with someone else?

More about Patty:

Patty Flores Reinhart is an actor, author, dancer, singer, writer, and advocate for equal and accurate representation of BIPOC artists. She was born in El Salvador, immigrated to the United States at age three, grew up in Southern California, graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's in theater arts, appeared on English- and Spanish-language TV in Los Angeles, taught elementary school, and has performed with theater companies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Patty's novels include High Water, published in 2021, and Journeys, published in 2025. High Water is a story of emotional healing, friendship, community, and art. Its sequel, Journeys, explores resilience, human connection, purpose, and healing.

Patty's website: https://www.pattyfloresreinhart.com/ Patty's published work: https://www.pattyfloresreinhart.com/work High Water: https://books2read.com/u/3LYXG0 Journeys: https://books2read.com/u/380oZd

Call to action:

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email me at [email protected]. I respond to every message personally!

Chronicle your loved one's stories or your organization's anniversary/milestone: Would you like help preserving your loved one's amazing life stories? Is your business or nonprofit looking for a way to celebrate an important anniversary or milestone? My wife, Julie, and I can help you do that! Learn more about our 90-day Perennial Pen engagement. https://www.silvermaplestrategies.com/perennial-pen-family-legacy-book

What do a Journey song, a counselor's question, a mother's unconditional love, and a sunflower turning toward the sun have to teach us about resilience, purpose, mental health, and hope?

In this episode, I talk with Kevin from Raleigh, North Carolina, about the experiences that shaped his life and calling — including being diagnosed with depression and an eating disorder at age 12, learning to "change the station" inside his mind, and discovering that our hardest chapters can sometimes become a way to help someone else.

Kevin shares the story of a counselor who used music to help him understand that just because a negative thought enters your mind does not mean you have to agree with it. On the drive home from that session, Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" came on the radio — a song that has stayed with him ever since as a reminder of hope, healing, and forward motion.

Along the way, Kevin reflects on the unconditional love of his mom, the professional counseling that helped save his life, the teacher who helped him believe he could write, the unexpected path that led him into motivational speaking, and the daily practices that help him keep choosing growth. He also speaks openly about adversity, purpose, parenthood, community, and the power of deciding who we want to become.

In this episode, we explore:

• The unconditional love Kevin received from his mother during a very difficult season
• How music helped him understand the power of changing his thoughts
• Why mental health conversations matter, especially for men and young people
• The role of counseling, community, and daily practices in healing
• How adversity can become a source of empathy and service
• Why purpose is often connected to the people and opportunities placed in our path
• The difference between hoping for change and deciding to change

Sincere thanks to Lee Williams for his fantastic production of this and every episode of Perennial Pen.

Reflection question: What difficult experience in your life might one day help you encourage someone walking through something similar?

More about Kevin:

Dr. Kevin C. Snyder's website: https://kevincsnyder.com/

Kevin's books include Paid to Speak, available on Amazon, along with his other books on speaking, personal growth, and sharing your message.

Call to action:

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email me at [email protected]. I respond to every message personally!

What happens when you reach the point where you know something has to change?

In this episode, I talk with Jamin from Missouri about a recent turning point in her life—one that began with exhaustion, anxiety, and the feeling of hitting a wall, but gradually opened into healing, boundaries, purpose, and a renewed connection with the natural world.

Jamin shares honestly about learning to say, "This is who I am," and about the role nature has played in helping her breathe, listen, reflect, and come home to herself. We also talk about her lifelong love of the outdoors, her work as an educator, the value of active listening, and a simple question that can help each of us think more clearly about why we're here.

In this episode, we explore:

• How Jamin recognized she had hit a wall and needed to make a change
• Why getting help can be a brave and life-giving step
• The freedom that comes from saying, "I'm not going to be anybody else"
• How nature can help us slow down, breathe, and reconnect
• Why active listening is one of the simplest ways to care for people
• The one-word question Jamin uses to think about purpose

Connect with Jamin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamin-bray-a09180272/

As always, sincere thanks to Lee Williams for producing this and every episode of the Perennial Pen podcast.

Reflection question: If you had to describe your life's purpose in one word—and it had to be a noun—what would that word be?

Call to Action:

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email me at [email protected]. I reply to every email personally!

Want Help Preserving Your Loved One's Amazing Life Stories? Would you like help capturing someone special's amazing life stories? My wife, Julie, and I can help you do that! Learn more about our 90-day Perennial Pen engagement.

What stories shape the way we see the world — and what stories might help us build something better?

In this episode, I talk with Ronnie, a self-described "recovering academic" from California, about science, politics, human behavior, sustainability, and the stories we tell ourselves about what is possible. Ronnie spent decades teaching and studying politics, energy, resources, and global systems, but over time, his thinking shifted from purely rational explanations toward a deeper appreciation for worldviews, imagination, power, emotion, and local action.

This conversation does touch on politics, and Ronnie shares his viewpoint -- so skip if you so choose! But at its heart, this episode is about something much more personal and universal: how we make sense of the world, how we decide what to believe, and how we might begin moving toward a better future one small step at a time.

Ronnie reminds us that facts and science can help us understand what is happening, but they do not automatically change how we live. For that, we need stories — stories strong enough to help us imagine a different future, and practical enough to help humanity take the next step forward.

In this episode, we explore:

• Ronnie's journey from physics and nuclear research to politics, sustainability, and local action
• Why facts, logic, and data do not always explain human behavior
• The power of stories, worldviews, and imagination in shaping public life
• Why local projects can become meaningful models for broader change
• How healthy skepticism can help us listen more carefully in an age of media, AI, and uncertainty
• The challenge — and importance — of continuing to talk across differences

Reflection question: What is one story you have been telling yourself about your life, your community, or the world — and what better future might you begin imagining instead with a more compelling story?

More about Ronnie:

Learn more about Ronnie's work on his UC Santa Cruz bio page: https://campusdirectory.ucsc.edu/cd_detail?uid=rlipsch

Call to action:

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email me at [email protected]. I respond to every message personally!

What do a grandmother's red dress, a muddy river lot, and an old International Travelall have to teach us about confidence, hard work, connection, and legacy?

In this episode, I talk with Amy from Iowa about the life lessons she learned from her grandparents — lessons that have shaped the way she leads, works, serves, and shows up for the people around her.

Amy shares the story of her grandmother walking into a room in a red dress and teaching her that if you choose to be somewhere, you should know why you're there. She also tells the story of her grandfather teaching her how to "drive in the snow" on a muddy lot after a flood — and reminding her that you are not stuck until you stop.

Along the way, Amy reflects on growing up as an introvert, learning to lead in agriculture, building trust in a family business, becoming a grandmother herself, and understanding that real connection is not just about whose name is in your book — it is about whose book you are in.

In this episode, we explore:

• The confidence and dignity Amy learned from her grandmother
• Why it matters to know your purpose when you walk into a room
• The power of keeping forward momentum when life swerves
• What grandparents can offer through presence, support, and affirmation
• How hard work, trust, and connection shape leadership
• Why meaningful relationships are built through mutual care, not just networking

Sincere thanks to Lee Williams for his fantastic production of this and every episode of Perennial Pen.

Reflection question: Where in your life do you need to keep moving — even if the road is muddy or uncertain? More about Amy:

Amy's LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-asmus-78a1a241/

Asmus Farm Supply: https://www.afschem.com/

Call to action:

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email me at [email protected]. I respond to every message personally!

In this episode, I talk with Toby from California about friendship, identity, aging, and the conversations that help us become more fully known.

Toby introduces us to the Australian idea of mateship: the kind of trusted connection where someone has your back, listens without judgment, and offers honest perspective when you need it most. From there, we explore what Toby calls narrative worth—the fuller story of who we are beyond job titles, résumés, and the narrow ways we often introduce ourselves.

These themes eventually led us into a poignant and practical conversation about aging, caregiving, planning ahead, and the hard-but-loving conversations families need to have before crisis arrives. Toby speaks honestly about turning 65, caring for a neurodivergent adult son, and thinking through how to prepare well for the people he loves.

In this episode, we explore:

• What "mateship" means and why trusted circles matter
• How friendship can offer honest feedback without the usual family or workplace filters
• Why your story is bigger than your title, résumé, or LinkedIn profile
• Toby's idea of "narrative worth" and how you can use it to shape how you show up
• How hidden parts of our lives can reveal meaningful strengths
• The importance of planning ahead for aging, care, and family responsibility

Reflection question: What part of your story have you kept hidden or minimized that might actually help others understand who you really are?

Links and resources mentioned:

• Connect with Toby on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Toby's work with narrative strategy at Spatial Shift.
• Explore The DO Lectures, where Toby's international circle of friends first began connecting through writing and community.
• Learn about The DO Lectures Micro Blog System, the writing course Toby mentions as part of how the group first formed.
• Learn more about DO Loss, the book Toby references in connection with grief, loss, and moving through change.

If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email me at [email protected].

Until next time, listen for what matters most.

In this episode, I visit with Nerma from Puerto Rico about entrepreneurship, motherhood, resilience, and the courage it takes to build a life that reflects what matters most to each of us.

Nerma shares how becoming a mother led her to pursue entrepreneurship--not as a glamorous escape, but as a practical way to create flexibility, stability, and dignity for her family. Along the way, she learned hard lessons about leadership, mistakes, team building, and the responsibility of helping others pursue their dreams.

What strikes me most about this conversation is Nerma's deep conviction that we already carry many of the tools we need. Her mother taught her resilience through hardship. A college professor reminded her to look inside of herself for everything she needed to be successful. And now, through her work with entrepreneurs, Nerma helps others see a path forward for themselves, their families, and their communities.

We also talk about life in Puerto Rico (and what outsiders often misunderstanda about it), the richness of family culture, and how to reframe your definition of success by focusing on the quality of your life and the happiness you are building, rather than on someone else's standards.

In this episode, we explore:

• How motherhood shaped Nerma's path into entrepreneurship
• Why mistakes are part of growth, not proof of failure
• The responsibility of leading a team with humility and care
• What Puerto Rico can teach us about family, place, and belonging
• How parents can know if their efforts in raising their children are paying off
• Why true success begins with knowing what makes you and your loved ones happy

Reflection question: What definition of success are you living by right now—and is it truly your own? Learn more about Nerma:

Connect with Nerma on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nermaalbertorio/

Visit Nerma's website: https://nermaalbertorio.com/ Call to action:If you or someone you know has a meaningful, life-affirming story to share on Perennial Pen, email Nate at [email protected].