In this episode, I'm joined by Mic of Mic Talks Tiny, an expert in vetting companies, especially within the tiny house industry, to help us make more informed decisions. Mic shares invaluable insights on recognizing red flags, avoiding scams, and the importance of due diligence when choosing a builder. We dive into the transition of the tiny home market from DIY to professionally built spaces and the challenges around affordability and luxury. Mic also discusses their plans for a community focus...
Jan 31, 2025•39 min•Ep. 313
I'm thrilled to welcome Betsy Barbour back to the show. Betsy has been living in a 200 square foot tiny house since early 2019, navigating the challenges and joys that living tiny presents. Over the past few years, she's moved her home between various locations in Florida and Pennsylvania, even enduring back to back hurricanes. Betsy has also worked in the tiny house industry as a community facilitator and lifestyle consultant, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to our conversation. W...
Jan 17, 2025•32 min•Ep. 312
Today, I'll be talking to Jaymie, a visionary who transformed his life and business during the pandemic. From bankruptcy to building a thriving tiny home community on 160 acres, Jaymie's journey is nothing short of inspirational. He co-founded Living the Off Grid Dream, a program with 9,000 students worldwide and shares practical strategies for creative real estate and business acquisition. Jaymie will share several methods and frameworks for innovative financing and his plans for a sustainable ...
Dec 27, 2024•48 min•Ep. 311
Today's episode is packed with practical tips and inspiring insights on decluttering and organizing your home. Joining me is renowned home organizing expert and bestselling author, Shira Gill. With 15 years of experience, Shira has developed a straightforward 4-step organizing process that can transform any space, no matter its size. In our conversation, we delve into the importance of reducing volume before organizing and how to tackle even the tiniest of spaces without feeling overwhelmed. Plu...
Dec 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 310
Dedria Kolb is a developer who's making waves in the housing industry with her innovative, community-focused projects. Dedria is the owner and cofounder of Ideal Ridge Ventures, and her latest endeavor, Poplar Creek, is the first tiny home development in Rutherford County, North Carolina. We'll be diving into how she's tackling affordable housing through sustainability, community interaction, and tiny homes. If you're considering a midlife career change or interested in real estate development f...
Nov 22, 2024•37 min•Ep. 309
I am thrilled to welcome back a true advocate for the tiny house movement, Lindsay Wood. In this episode, we delve into the opportunities and challenges of living small in California compared to other states, exploring everything from zoning issues to the emerging interest in disaster relief applications for tiny homes. Lindsay shares her insights on finding and creating supportive communities, as well as the intrinsic flexibility and resale potential of tiny homes. We also discuss her project i...
Nov 08, 2024•46 min•Ep. 308
Today, I have a returning guest who continuously brings valuable insights into the tiny house movement, Jewel Pearson. Jewel is a tiny house educator, advocate, and community leader with nearly a decade of experience living in her self designed tiny home. She's back to talk about her latest venture, the Cooperative Communities app, which aims to make tiny house parking more accessible and safer, especially for black and brown tiny house owners. We'll delve into her motivation behind creating the...
Oct 25, 2024•44 min•Ep. 307
Tracey Dedicatoria’s journey into tiny living began after a 23 year marriage, and her tiny house has been a sanctuary of peace, healing, and financial stability for her over the past 8 years. In this episode, Tracey shares the transformative power of simplifying your life, the unique challenges and discoveries of living off grid, and her advice for those considering tiny living today. We also dive into the evolution of the tiny house market, including the rising costs and how to navigate the fin...
Oct 11, 2024•32 min•Ep. 306
I am excited to welcome a guest with a powerful and eye opening story about the realities of tiny living. Cheryl, a musician and single mother, joins us to share her journey of creating a custom tiny home designed to support her musical career and her daughter's needs. However, Cheryl's story goes far beyond innovative design solutions. We'll dive deep into the legal challenges and zoning issues that have plagued Cheryl's tiny house journey, including a harrowing experience with eviction that ex...
Sep 20, 2024•54 min•Ep. 305
Louise Scott is a multifaceted professional organizer, designer and travel enthusiast. She has not only embraced tiny living, but has also helped many transition to a more minimalistic lifestyle through her business, All Things French. We'll dive deep into the challenges and triumphs of living small, the positive impact it has on finances and quality of life and her unique organizational tips to apply to the spaces in your life of all sizes. Plus, we'll explore her passion for French culture and...
Sep 06, 2024•35 min•Ep. 304
Today, we have a thought-provoking episode featuring Nate Murphy. Nate is an advocate for minimalism, environmental consciousness, and co-living, and he's here to share his insights on how these concepts intersect with van life and tiny house living. We’ll also explore his book "The Ideas That Rule Us," which dives deep into the ideologies shaping our lives and how embracing minimalism can lead to more fulfilling choices. Nate's personal journey and the practical steps he offers for aligning you...
Aug 02, 2024•39 min•Ep. 303
Today's episode is a special one, several years ago, I had the privilege of interviewing John Wells, a true pioneer in the tiny house movement. John first caught my attention through his insightful comments on my Facebook posts about building my own tiny house. As I dug deeper into his profile, I realized he was the real deal - someone who had fully embraced the off-grid, minimalist lifestyle. While we initially decided not to release our conversation, recent events have changed my perspective. ...
Jul 12, 2024•42 min•Ep. 302
Over the past decade, Jenna has expanded her influence through her amazingly popular YouTube channel, Tiny House Giant Journey, which showcases unique tiny house tours and stories. We'll discuss the challenges of maintaining and repairing a tiny house, especially when it's used primarily as a vacation rental, but it wasn't built as one initially. Jenna will also share the incredible stories behind some of the most remarkable tiny houses she has encountered, including one nestled in an animal san...
Jun 28, 2024•36 min•Ep. 301
Candace and her husband have a unique story, having coordinated their tiny house build in the United States while still living in South Africa entirely via WhatsApp video calls. With a background as a declutter coach, life coach, retreat leader, and yoga teacher, Candace brings us insights on how to create a life filled with intentionality and joy. We'll dive into her journey from South Africa to the United States, explore the impact of decluttering on mental and emotional well-being, and get in...
Jun 14, 2024•41 min•Ep. 300
Emily Gerde and her husband Justin, son Wyatt, three cats and one dog live in a 325 square foot tiny house on wheels. Emily is the author of Minimalist Living for a Maximum Life, which provides insight on their tiny house journey and how a minimalist, organic, holistic, mindful lifestyle led to a life of their dreams. What's it like raising a minimalist family with plans to grow in tiny house? How do you keep the intake of stuff to a minimum while creating an enriching experience for your childr...
May 31, 2024•36 min
Lil Wing is a metal triangle on wheels with a putting green grass landing, and it was the most unique tiny house I saw at Big Mass Festival. The builder, Chris Schapdick of Tiny Industrial, specializes in smaller tiny homes that are easy to tow. In addition, he is the author of two books about tiny house living. In this conversation, we’ll cover the ins and outs of building towable tiny houses, why Chris decided to share his process on Instructables, and what we can look forward to in his book r...
May 24, 2024•37 min
I am excited to introduce you to Kaylee, a passionate advocate for the tiny house movement and a biology teacher with a deep interest in sustainable living. Kaylee will share the inspiring saga of her journey building her own tiny house and how it reshaped her perspective on simple, ecological living. We'll dig into the challenges she faced from zoning laws to financial hurdles and how these experiences fueled her advocacy for tiny house legalization. Kaylee's story is not just about building a ...
May 17, 2024•41 min•Ep. 299
MJ Boyle is a mastermind in the tiny house community and the founder of several successful tiny house businesses, including My Tiny House Village and Oregon Teardrop Rentals. MJ has not only built and rented out nine unique tiny homes but has just embarked on transforming a construction trailer into an alluring tiny home called “My Tiny Bunkhouse.” In today's episode, MJ will share her innovative approach to waterless and odorless toilet systems that enhance both guest and staff experiences. We'...
May 10, 2024•55 min•Ep. 298
Today, we have a very special guest, Lucy Lich, joining us from the South Coast of New South Wales Australia. Lucy is not only a dedicated tiny house dweller, but also a teacher, wellness enthusiast, and the host of the Tiny House Conversations podcast. Over the next hour, we'll dive into how living tiny has profoundly integrated with her values of minimalism, health and environmental consciousness. Lucy will share her personal journey into tiny living, her insights on designing for health and m...
May 03, 2024•46 min•Ep. 297
Janet Thome is deeply involved in the tiny house movement, leading the Tiny House Alliance USA and serving as the membership secretary of the ASTM International Tiny House Subcommittee. In this episode, Janet will share insights into the current state of the tiny house market, the impact of recent economic shifts, and the ongoing efforts to develop standards that ensure safety, affordability, and compliance in the industry. She’ll also discuss the importance of certification for owner-builders a...
Apr 26, 2024•40 min•Ep. 296
Today we delve into the story of a listener turned tiny home owner, Maegan Bell. Maegan is an active duty Army logistics officer who's going to share with us how she exchanged the blueprints of a traditional house for the compact efficiency of a custom-built tiny home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. We'll explore the challenges of setting up utilities, the joys of bringing family closer together, and how tiny homes can offer a unique solution for military families on the move. Maegan's ...
Apr 19, 2024•42 min•Ep. 295
Today we're exploring the cozy nooks of park model tiny homes with Cindy Ballaro. Cindy is not only a resident of a charming tiny home, but also a multipreneur who wears many hats including that of a publisher and marketer. Living in the picturesque mountains of North Carolina, Cindy has turned her sunflower-themed tiny house into a haven for both living and Airbnb guests. She's going to share with us the unique benefits and challenges of choosing a park model over a traditional towable tiny hou...
Apr 12, 2024•30 min•Ep. 294
I am thrilled to introduce our guest, Mike Crowhurst, a seasoned tiny house dweller and the creative mind behind one of the most unique tiny homes I’ve seen in a while! Mike and his wife Heidi spent three years crafting a 45-foot ex-refrigerated semi-trailer into a gorgeous tiny home. Throughout this episode, we'll dive into Mike's journey of tiny house living, exploring not just the practical aspects like custom cabinetry and space-saving features like an innovative elevator bed, but also the s...
Apr 05, 2024•39 min•Ep. 293
Judy comes to us with 36 years of experience as a custom builder and remodeler, with a passion for well-appointed, smaller living spaces. We'll dive into her expert advice on maximizing functionality without sacrificing style and comfort, and explore her journey from a 4,000 square foot dwelling to her favorite 1,100 square foot home. From Murphy beds to curated maximalism, Judy is here to share her wealth of knowledge on living intentionally within our means. So get ready to learn from Judy's i...
Mar 29, 2024•43 min•Ep. 292
Today, I'll be talking with Elizabeth, one of the team members behind a new and innovative entry into the world of compost toilets, the Throne Composting Toilet. Throne offers both a ready made AND DIY solution to the traditional compost toilet that promises ease and simplicity. We'll delve into the nuts and bolts of building your own compost toilet using Throne’s DIY kit, tackle common problems with existing designs, and explore the benefits and drawbacks of different styles of compost toilet. ...
Mar 22, 2024•42 min•Ep. 291
I'm thrilled to have you join us for another adventure into the fascinating world of compact and conscious living. Today we're venturing off the beaten path and into the realm of off-grid living with our inspiring guest, Reesa, who has carved out her own piece of paradise on a multi-generational homestead. Throughout our conversation, we'll uncover the nuts and bolts of Reesa's journey, from the inspirations that sparked her transition to a scaled-down, sustainable lifestyle, to the practicaliti...
Mar 15, 2024•31 min•Ep. 290
Over the past five years, Kim DeLaney has made strides in transforming the traditional housing model by utilizing her business savvy and passion for sustainability to champion tiny home communities. Kim DeLaney is the Co-Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of HaZi Enterprises and the Executive Director of Tiny House Big Movement. From changing municipal ordinances to negotiating real estate development deals, she's on the forefront of creating affordable equitable housing solutions. We're going ...
Mar 08, 2024•31 min•Ep. 289
Sophia and Henry self-designed and built their 28′ THOW in Northern Minnesota, where they experience a full range of seasons, including a very cold and long winter. We start with an in-depth discussion of how they are staying warm in their tiny house and preventing their water from freezing on the way in and the way out. If you're thinking of living in a cold climate, this is not to be missed. From there, we turn to rethinking the American dream and a discussion about values, lifestyles, and whe...
Mar 01, 2024•49 min
Erin Maile O'Keefe is a talented designer who designed and built the Paper Boat tiny house for herself and her husband, where they live in the backyard of a house that they own. In this conversation we'll break down the Paper Boat design and share some of the ways that Erin thinks about designing tiny spaces so that they work for the occupants in the process. In This Episode: A brief history of Yestermorrow and teaching the class The Paper Boat house: how it got its name and the way that functio...
Feb 23, 2024•41 min
Get inspired to build with repurposed materials and introduce yourself to the world of food freedom. Rob Greenfield is not a conventional kind of guy. He’s currently living in a tiny house that he built with 99% repurposed materials. He doesn’t have running water in the house and his current project is called food freedom. He’s growing and foraging for 100% of his food for an entire year. Even if you don’t plan on living off grid or foraging for your own food, this is a really unique and interes...
Feb 16, 2024•47 min
