Tiny House Podcast

Jackson Hole Wyoming is well known as a playground for the rich and famous and the last place on earth you would expect to find a tiny house. But, as our guest this week explains, with enough tenacity you can indeed find the perfect secluded spot for your tiny house, even amongst the most inhospitable of neighbors. (Moose, Wolves, Elk, and Mountain Lions, of course!) Perched on the corner of a 300 acre estate, Ariel’s fully off grid tiny house provides her with the financial freedom to support herself by working part time as a waitress. And when she’s not working, she spends her time perfecting the art of wildlife photography and cooking. But off grid life is not all sunshine and naps. This hard working tiny-house-life-advocate hauls her water, shovels snow for more than a few months a year, and even cuts the wood for her stove. If you’re inspired by stories about women who kick ass, in more ways than one, tune in this week and hear how she does it all, and still has it all.

http://fynyth.blogspot.com/

This week, we’re thinking outside the tiny house box again and having a ton of fun chatting with Romania (pronounced Ra-mon-ya) about her 1990 Bluebird home on wheels. What this bus originally lacked in amenities, it more than made up for in affordability. Romania and her husband paid only $100 to put the bus on layaway, and before they could say “all aboard”, this family of 8 was driving towards their dream. Inspired by the tiny houses they saw on HGTV, they immediately recognized the advantages of financial freedom and how having a mobile lifestyle would enable them to fulfill their mission to give back to their community. And, since Romania met her cop-husband on a bus, it seemed to be the perfect way to honor the beginning of their dream. Soon, they’ll be serving breakfast to their neighbors, welcoming all who are in need, and encouraging them to pursue their own dreams, one tiny step at a time.

http://tinyhousetrailblazers.com/2017/03/in-the-spotlight-2/

You may not easily recognize Adam Lehman, or the name “A New Beginning Tiny Homes” but we KNOW you’ll recognize his beautiful tiny blue house named “Tiffany” because it’s been seen everywhere like the Rock Star house that it is! It has already graced the front page of Tiny House Magazine, was featured on the TV show “Tiny House, Big Living”, received the best design award at the recent Georgia Tiny House Festival, and just spent the weekend for a photo shoot on a white sand beach in Florida. This week we’re chatting with this hometown favorite about his inspiration, his challenges, and his entry into the bright-lights world of tiny house fame. For a first builder, Adam really hit it out of the park on this one and his attention to details shows in every light fixture, the paint color and trim choices, and even the portable bathtub made out of old telephone poles. For now, he’s a one man show looking for a 2nd time up at bat, but we have confidence that the lucky buyer who discovers his talent will be thankful they didn’t have to stand in line too long. Yep. Very soon he’ll be buried with interview requests and build backlog. So if you’re in the market for a high end tiny you might want to take advantage of what will no doubt be Adam’s dizzyingly short off-season. The Tiny House Podcast crea has already purchased our front row tickets to see this All American builder strut his stuff, and we’re looking forward to another great inning!

https://www.facebook.com/anewbeginningtinyhomes/

Where were you when you were 23 years old? Did you have LIFE all figured out? No? We didn’t either. Our guest this week, however, is likely the youngest of our guests and yet no less impressive than the most seasoned of builders. Amanda Archambault (we dare you to pronounce THIS last name without help) is a designer turned passionate tiny house advocate and we have no doubt that she’s on her way to great things. The flexibility of tiny homes on wheels is well known. In addition to being someone’s forever home, they’re used as guest homes, vacation homes, travel homes, mobile bars, and even as mobile churches. Amanda has taken this vision one step further and her project, Pocket Living, is helping small business owners find efficient and affordable space for their craft in, you guessed it, tiny storefronts on wheels. Can’t decide on a theme for your tiny house? Stuck on a color decision? She and her business partners will also help you design the tiny house of your dreams. And just when you thought this too-busy-to-date young woman was too busy for one more project, she also works with a newly formed non-profit who is has launched a Kickstarter campaign to sell yoga pants made by women in crisis. And speaking of “in crisis”, Amanda didn’t skip a beat when she moved to a tornado shelter DURING OUR INTERVIEW amidst the sounds of sirens. Yes, the show must go on; and go on, it did…

www.tinypocketliving.co

What do you get when you mix together one part Amish, one part rebel, and one part tiny house? Liberation Tiny Homes, of course! No matter how many builders we interview here on the Tiny House Podcast, we’re always impressed by the variety of the stories and the people, and this week is no different. After having been raised in the secluded environment of an Amish community in Pennsylvania, when given the chance, Jimmie Stoltzfus chose a different path for himself. His new life, however, didn’t stray too terribly far from his roots. Aft a bit of soul searching in his late teens, he took what he had learned in the building trades as a growing boy, and applied them to his passion for tiny efficient spaces, and the results are stunning. There are no cutting corners in his little corner of the world. And when you see them, it won’t take you long to notice that Jimmie takes his work and his designs very seriously; and it shows in every tiny, perfectly plumb, perfectly square, aspect of his houses on wheels. You don’t have to be religious to appreciate the conviction in these inspired homes, but you just might be converted in the process.

www.liberationtinyhomes.com

"Once there was a farmhouse in a field of hay.." is the opening line to an adorable new children's book called “The Big Adventures of Tiny House” being released in April. Roll along with us this week as Susan and Courtenay, the books’ author and illustrator, share how building a book is a lot like building a tiny house, and why indie publishing appeals to these very creative DIY-ers. You'll hear what inspired their story of an old farmhouse that gets salvaged and repurposed into “Tiny”; a little house with a big heart and WHEELS, who sets off on a cross-country journey to figure out the true meaning of home. We loved hearing about their creative process, and how their own family histories influenced the book; and we know you will too! So, sit back, settle into your favorite chair, grab a nice cup of tea or hot chocolate - it's story time!

www.SunKissesMoonHugs.com

What do you get when you take 7 children, 2 adults, 1 bus, and a tiny-kitchen-on-wheels on a faith-based mission to ease the loneliness of homelessness? A fun and inspiring story about a new tiny house builder, of course. This week, Marc from BIGHEART Tiny House Co, joins us to tell the story of how his family started their somewhat unintentional tiny house journey by hitting the road on a converted school bus. Over the course of 6 months, they toured the country in search of the disparaged and poverty stricken, and freely donated their time and musical talents to raise the spirits of whomever they met. Upon their return, the sale of their tiny-kitchen-on-wheels turned into an opportunity to help a college student in an unexpected new way. And their first tiny house project was born. Word spread quickly about their affordable approach to tiny house building and their desire to help people fulfill their tiny house dreams. With so many builders who are vested in building the best, and the biggest, and the fanciest tiny houses they can; our visit this week with a man whose mission is based on faith and helping others was refreshing indeed. After hearing this week’s episode we think you’ll agree that BIGHEART Tiny House Company is a perfect moniker for this impressive and hard working family!

http://www.bighearthouses.com/

Ladies and Gentlemen, Introducing….. the many personalities that are Thom Stanton! <<<< insert applause here>>>>> Here at the Tiny House Podcast we traditionally have a pretty good time but this week’s interview with Thom takes our banter to a whole new level. Laughter aside, however, don’t let his humorous demeanor let you be distracted from the serious nature of The Housing Development Institute’s message; and his focus on creating a better, more sustainable, and fully legal future for tiny houses. And while reaching for a tissue to wipe the tears of laughter from your face, don’t miss the advice he has for DIY housebuilders who wonder if they’ll ever be able to legally occupy their tiny abode. Some of us “like” tiny homes but Thom is one of those people who lives and breathes tiny homes. (and according to his facebook page, stays up all night researching them!) So tune in this week, with pencil in hand if possible, to learn more than you might expect from this guy, an unstoppable force, an impressive advocate, and now…..our friend.

www.HousingDevelopmentInstitute.com

If you think that living in a 200 square foot tiny house on wheels would be a challenge, consider what it might be like to live in only 90 square feet like our very-famous guest did for 5 years! You seriously don’t want to miss this week’s interview with Felice, an award winning author-blogger-speaker-consultant-and TV Personality. This lady’s got it all! (and we don’t mean just looks and brains.) Felice embodies drive, and creative vision, and focus, and keeps an impressively keen eye on a vision for her minimalistic future. This candid conversation about downsizing and organizing and guilt and stuff even inspired Michelle to take yet another critical look at her growing boot collection. (insert incredulous “gasp!” here!) Do you really need all that stuff? Does Michelle really need over 40 pairs of shoes and boots? Listen in this week and decide for yourself.

www.felicecohen.com

Once upon a time there was a tiny bus named Eldon and a fun man named James. Eldon was sad. He was lonely and wanted to find a friend. And then James met Eldon. And, James said to Eldon “Let’s have fun together!” Eldon was drab and tired. And then James painted him. Now Eldon is colorful and cheerful! Now Eldon is fun too! James likes to make drinks. Eldon and James now share drinks with their fun new friends. Now Eldon goes on exciting adventures with his friend James. We love Eldon. We love James. We love friends and drinks too! We know you will love Eldon and James just like we do. The End.

http://eldonthebus.com/