By Serenbe Media Network
Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Hear from founder Steve Nygren about Serenbe’s unlikely origins and
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4.9
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The podcast currently has 127 episodes available.
Today we have a special bonus episode from the Biophilic Solutions podcast. Monica catches up with Atlanta writer Austin L. Ray to discuss “How I’d Fix Atlanta,” his fantastic essay series he publishes featuring local writers sharing how they would fix Atlanta.
Austin just launched the second collection of essays in a cool zine about the action steps these Atlanta writers would take to improve their city. Topics include increased walkability, wildlife in the city, supporting pollinator habitats, clean energy, and more.
Enjoy this bonus episode with Austin Ray.
Biophilic Soultions Overview
Today’s episode is a great example of using your unique skills to amplify your impact. This week, Monica is chatting with Atlanta-based writer Austin Louis Ray, who has contributed to publications like Rolling Stone, GQ, Creative Loafing, and Eater just to name a few. He is also the publisher of How I’d Fix Atlanta, a seasonal collection of essays from Atlanta natives about the action steps they would take to improve their city. Topics include Biophilic Solutions favorites like walkability, wildlife in the city, supporting pollinator habitats, clean energy, and more.
The conversation today, however, really revolves around how Austin does it: how he finds his writers, how he raises money to pay those writers well, and how he uses the How I’d Fix Atlanta series to build awareness at city council and beyond.
Show Notes
Image credit: Jason Travis
Over 6 years ago, Collin and Sydney Jones moved with their two young boys from Roswell, Georgia. It was a surprise weekend away for Collin that turned into a home purchase 9 days later. During that weekend, they happened upon a party at the Grange Green, discovered golf cart charcuterie and met a family who encouraged them to tour homes while that family watched their son. Serenbe turned out to be the community they didn’t know they needed. In today’s episode, Steve Nygren and I catch up with the Jones and we not only do we find out what they do for a living, Collin is the President of Westwood One, the largest audio network in America and Sydney is a neonatal and pediatric nurse practitioner at Emory - we also learn that Sydney is becoming a bird watcher, how the resident soccer team has been life changing for Collin and we try to solve the mystery of where did their namesake Halsa cocktail go? Oh, and listen until the end for a bonus story on how Collins' neighbors saved him while on a business trip.
Show Notes
HGTV Green Home
Richard Louv
Westwood One
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta
Halsa
Nigel’s Serenbe
Birds of Serenbe
Giff Beaton & Serenbe Stories Episode
Cicada Broods in Georgia
Serenbe Real Estate
Nikkolas Smith is an artist Artivist and illustrator widely known for his distinctive style and emphasis on social justice issues. He is the illustrator of multiple children’s picture books, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water, I Am Ruby Bridges, That Flag, and Black Panther Wakanda Forever: The Courage To Dream as well was a gilm illustratorfor films like Space Jam 2, Black Panther 2, and Judas and the Black Messiah. His own latest children’s picture book, The Artivist, explores how children can combine art and activism in their everyday lives and was released last September to widespread acclaim.
Monica and Garnie caught up with Nikkolas while he was the artist in residency at the Art Farm in the Spring of 2024. They chat with Nikkolas about transitioning from a career in architecture to a full time artist (or artivist, more appropriately), the inspiring mural he designed with students at the Terra School, and how everyone can use their own unique skills to make positive change in the world.
Shownotes
This week, we’re talking about a very exciting new endeavor here at Serenbe: the Wildflower Meadow Restoration Project. Over the next 18 months, the iconic meadow connecting the Inn at Serenbe to the wider community is set to undergo an incredible transformation into a permanent community of native plants that will serve as a protected pollinator and wildlife habitat. Guiding us through it all are Rob Kirsch and Thomas Peters. Rob is a longtime resident of Serenbe and is the Chair of the Art Farm’s Environmental Council, which has spearheaded several important sustainability initiatives over the last few years. Thomas is leading the project in his role as Serenbe’s Director of Landscape and Natural Resources.
In this conversation, Monica & Garnie chat with Rob & Thomas about the importance of native plants & pollinator habitats, the potency of controlled burning, and their hopes that the Wildflower Restoration Project will serve as an inspirational model for similar projects throughout the Southeast.
Shownotes
Lindsey Epperly Sulek and her husband Jeremy first visited Serenbe in March 2022, tagging along with a pair of friends who were interested in a possible move. Of course, Jeremy and Lindsey (who had no plans to move) ended up here instead. Lindsey describes Serenbe as a place where her family immediately knew they belonged, particularly following a period of difficulty and transition.
Lindsey is the Founder + CEO of Jetset World Travel, an independent boutique travel agency which she has scaled from a one-person operation to a team of over 70 dedicated agents. Jetset was also recently recognized as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing companies. In this episode, Steve and Monica chat with Lindsey about what it means to run a travel agency for a modern clientele, her favorite places in the world, working alongside her husband, and raising two young children in Serenbe.
Shownotes
It’s safe to say that if you’re a regular Serenbe Stories listener, you’ve heard many guests mention Halsa’s now-legendary trivia Thursdays.Trivia at Halsa is highly competitive, with regular teams like Rushmore, Crushmore, Slushmore, and the Scrappy Scraps. If you haven’t already attended, you should definitely plan to check out the next one - if you can get a table, that is.
On this episode of Serenbe Stories, Monica and trivia regular Stephanie Coyne are teaming up to chat with the man behind all of the fun: Abe Grier. Tune in to hear how Abe got started in trivia, his deep love of all things nerdy, and his first impression of Serenbe. Monica and Stephanie even turn the tables on Abe himself in a new game we;re calling Can We Stump Abe?
Shownotes
A few years ago, television producer, writer, and director Randy Zisk and his family moved from Malibu California to the East Coast. After a brief stint in Decatur, they discovered Serenbe and were instantly drawn in by the distinctive architecture and easy access to nature. However, as it so often happens, once they officially made the move, they realized that the community itself is what really makes Serenbe magical.
In this episode, Monica Olsen and Garnie Nygren catch up with Randy about his very impressive career in Hollywood - you’re definitely a fan of at least one of the shows he’s worked on - why creative people tend to be drawn to Serenbe, and all of the beauty you find out on the trails.
Shownotes
Sheri Salata was living in Napa Valley with no plans to move when a Serenbe resident just so happened to send her a link to the website, thinking it would be the perfect place to lead a retreat. After reading about Serenbe’s commitment to nature, the arts, and community, it didn't take Sheri long to realize that she not only wanted to lead a retreat here, she also wanted to move and plant her roots for good.
Sheri jumped from job to job until she got a big break at the Oprah Winfrey Show, a rollercoaster of a role that eventually culminated with working as the iconic show’s final executive producer. After a few years of even bigger roles as President of HARPO and OWN, Sheri decided it was time to do her own thing. Nowadays, she is the CEO of The Support System, a private membership platform for women who want to reimagine their lives and manifest all of their possibilities. She is also an acclaimed author and leads women’s retreats all over the world.
In this episode of Serenbe Stories, Monica and Garnie chat with Sheri all about her inspiring career, the importance of connecting to a place, and her top three can’t miss things to do here in Serenbe.
Shownotes
Even though Edgar Guillory has worked for the Inn at Serenbe for less than two years, it’s almost impossible to imagine a time before him. As Director of Guest Experience, Edgar kickstarted The Inn’s concierge program, bringing an already high standard of service to an entirely new level of hospitality. In fact, he is so overwhelmingly popular with our guests that he’s mentioned by name in pages of online reviews - including the reviews generated by AI.
For this interview, HR Director Stephanie Coyne is back to chat with Edgar about learning the hospitality ropes (occasionally the hard way) in his native Mexico, why he almost ignored Serenbe’s first attempt to reach him, and his personal philosophy for exceptional customer service.
Shownotes
Key Words: Hospitality, Customer Service, Concierge, Inn at Serenbe, Serenbe, Boutique Hotel
As we kick off the 10th season of this podcast, Serenbe is hitting a major milestone - 2024 marks 20 years since Serenbe’s groundbreaking, when the very first homes were being built and the first residents were taking a chance on a very new and evolving type of neighborhood development. In this episode, Monica and Steve take a trip down memory lane, discussing what the world looked like in 2004, the earliest days of the green building movement, and some of the major milestones that influenced Serenbe’s path forward. We also discuss the way the community itself has evolved over the years - and what the next 20 years have in store.
Shownotes
The podcast currently has 127 episodes available.
110,614 Listeners