How do we confront the destructive systems that govern our world while envisioning pathways to a sustainable, equitable future? What does it mean to transition from a death economy to a life economy? In this episode of Beloved Futures, host Aubrey Morgan Yee sits down with John Perkins, the best-selling author of Confessions of an Economic Hitmanand a lifelong advocate for global transformation
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John Perkins has been one of my heroes since I first came across his book Confessions of an Economic Hitman in the early 2000ʻs. This book felt profound and dangerous and I kept thinking it had to be fiction. It’s not. John is brave and bold and has shared with stark clarity the reality of the western, imperial, political-economic machine.

As Chief Economist at a major consulting firm, John was advisor to the World Bank, UN, IMF, Fortune 500 corporations, and government and business leaders in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. Before that, heapprenticed with shamans when he lived in the Amazon rainforest from 1968 to1971 and has since studied with shamans from many different cultures. His eleven books on economics, shamanism, and transformation includetheConfessions of an Economic Hit Man trilogy,Shapeshifting, The World Is as You Dream It,andTouching the Jaguar.They have been on theNew York Timesbestseller list for more than 70 weeks, sold millions of copies, and are published in at least 38 languages. 

John has spoken at shamanic gatherings, economic forums, and universities around the world and has been featured on ABC, NBC, CNN, NPR, A&E, the History Channel, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Der Spiegel, and many other publications, as well as in numerous documentaries including The End of Poverty?, Zeitgeist Addendum, andApology of an Economic Hit Man.

His awards include the Lennon Ono Grant for Peace (along with Lady Gaga and Pussy Riot) and the Rainforest Action Network Challenging Business asUsual Award. He is a founder and board member of the Pachamama Alliance and Dream Change.Together, John and I delve into the systems driving inequality and environmental destruction and discuss how we can shift toward regenerative economic models that honor life and equity. This conversation is both sobering and inspiring—a call to action for those ready to imagine and build a world rooted in love, equity, and sustainability.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding the death economy: a system rooted in exploitation, consumption, and short-term gains.
• Transitioning to a life economy: aligning economic systems with the well-being of all life.
• Lessons from Confessions of an Economic Hitmanand the courage required to confront entrenched power structures.
• Practical steps to transform systems of inequality into models of equity and sustainability.
• The role of individual and collective action in building a regenerative future.

John is filled with the life-force of a man who is on purpose. Using his gift of writing to share the truth about empire and the web of systems that are destroying our planet and our humanity. You will love this conversation... settle in with a cup of tea and an open mind.

With Love and Gratitude,

Aubrey Morgan Yee

GUEST INFO

You can find / follow John Perkins here:

Website: https://johnperkins.org/

Instagram: @johnp

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