Inside Community podcast takes an inside look at the beautiful and messy realities of creating and sustaining an intentional community.
Episode List
Bonus Episode – This one is all about the perspective of the kids! Listen in on a funny and heartwarming conversation I had with 6 kids ranging in age from 5-24 about their experience growing up in community. This panel was conducted at the Emerald Village’s Full Bloom Festival in San Diego… Read more…
Ep 026 – We’re closing out our second season with an examination of how to navigate inevitable interpersonal conflict and move towards restored connection. How we process our own pain and trauma and interact with the trauma of others offers rich opportunities for growth and learning. Read more…
Ep 025 – Crystal Byrd Farmer covers code switching, how to have safe conversations, microaggressions, call out culture, hidden diversities, tools and resources, and how to create communities and spaces that are welcoming to all people….Read more…
BONUS EPISODE – Monique leads us through the centering meditation she does with her midwifery clients as they arrive in her office as well as shares some very practical tools for expecting families to…Read more…
Ep 024 – Bringing new life into the world requires levels of support practically unheard of in modern, western culture… unless you’ve cultivated community that is up for the task! Seasoned midwife…Read more…
Ep 023 – As we close out 2023, it’s time to take stock of the Communities Movement and consider where we might be headed in the future. In this episode we are joined by new FIC co-director Daniel Greenberg… Read more…
Ep 022 – Jesse Stone, co-host of the Cults I’d Join podcast comes on the show to shed some light on the upside of cults while giving us some helpful advice on what to look out for if manipulation just isn’t for you. Read more…
Ep 021 – Angela Franklin talks about the possibilities of end of life and death care, how communities and individuals can reimagine how they view their final days, how to plan for the end, and the importance of…Read more
Ep 020 – Paul Wheaton talks about the benefits of top-down power structures and the great responsibility that comes with taking on the role.
Ep 019 – Hear from intimacy nerd Dave Booda, about why intimacy is so important, get new ideas on prompts that can lead towards deeper connection…Read More
Ep 018 – Hear from Margaret Critchlow, PhD., about finding connection as an older person, and building communities where elders can thrive emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically. Read More
Ep 017 – Amy Saloner explores the joys and challenges of raising children in community, and how to create a more child-friendly community… Read More
Ep 016 – Ridhi D’Cruz approaches the topic of Placemaking from a liberatory and healing perspective… Read More
Ep 015 – Hear from Bryan Bowen about the ins and outs of designing sustainable spaces for healthy, connected, thriving humans from a design perspective… Read More
Welcome back to Season 2 of the Inside Community Podcast! On this show we explore the beautiful and messy realities of living inside community and this season we are… Read More
Ep 014 – Join communities experts Yana Ludwig, Sky Blue, and Cassandra Ferrera for a panel discussion… Read More
Ep 013 – Listen to ideas on how to best engage with communities you would like to visit, so you and… Read More
Ep 012 – Hear Ted Rau share how sociocracy brings an incredible opportunity to cooperative groups to embody higher levels… Read More
Ep 011 – Cohousing benefits include autonomy, resource sharing, social and emotional connection, and a model for engagement and democracy that reaches… Read More
Ep 010 – Conflict is inevitable. Alyson Ewald shares how to have a good fight and transform harm into… Read More
Ep 09 – Moving groups through tough decisions can be tricky, if not impossible, without a skilled and well-trained… Read More
Ep 08 – In this episode, I’m joined by Sky Blue to discuss income sharing and innovating economic models… Read More
Ep 07 – When it comes to deciding who gets to make decisions and how decisions get made, the… Read More
Bonus Episode 04 – [Part II] This is a bonus conversation from episode 04 on Finding Co-Founders and Creating Cooperative Culture. Enjoy!… Read More
Ep. 06 – Sometimes the community dream only starts to “feel real” when the time finally comes for forming groups to… Read More
Ep. 05 – Do legal structures and documents make your head spin? Fear not! In this episode we’re… Read More
Ep. 04 – [Part I] Thinking of starting an intentional community? The first step is finding “your people”… Read More
Ep. 03 – There are many communities out there looking for capable and eager new members to become… Read More
Ep. 02 – This episode explores the topic of Mission, Vision, and Values in community. These guiding principles and founding documents help communities determine who they are and what they do. In many ways, this is the “intention” part of intentional community. Joining me on a deep dive into this topic is Dave Henson. Read More
Ep. 01 – Hello friends and welcome to the Inside Community Podcast where I bring you along for an inside look at what it takes to create and sustain community. In this episode we are going to take a look at what we actually mean when we say “community.” Read More
Ep. 00 – In this episode, I take a moment to introduce myself, tell you a little bit about my journey… Read More
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About the Podcast
The Inside Community Podcast brings folks along for an inside look at all of the beautiful and messy realities of creating and sustaining a community. We provide useful and inspiring content to support people on their quest for resilience, sustainability, and connection.
Through essays and interviews with experts, we examine a variety of topics related to communal living — from governance and decision making to ownership models, from navigating coparenting to navigating finances, from how to find your people to how to actually live with them. Whether you are wondering what it would be like to live with friends, share resources, and explore a more interconnected way of being, or live in community, and are looking for tips and tricks to overcome your community’s latest hurdle, the Inside Community Podcast will meet you where you are on your journey with topical episodes and fearless investigations.
Meet Your Host
Inside Community Podcast host Rebecca Mesritz is a community builder living in Williams, Oregon. In 2011, Rebecca co-founded the Emerald Village (EVO) in North County San Diego, California. During her ten years with EVO, she supported and led numerous programs and initiatives including implementation and training of the community in Sociocracy, establishment of the Animal Husbandry program, leadership of the Land Circle, hosting numerous internal and external community events, and participation in the Human Relations Circle which holds the relational, spiritual and emotional container for their work.
In June of 2021, with the blessing of EVO, Rebecca and 3 other co-founders relocated to begin a new, mission- driven community and learning center housed on 160 acres of forest and farmland. Rebecca is passionate about communal living and sees intentional community as a tool for both personal and cultural transformation. In addition to her work in this field, she also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from San Diego State University and creates functional, public, and interactive art in metal, wood, and pretty much any other material she can get her hands on. She’s currently growing Bound for Color, creating and selling bespoke and naturally dyed art, homegoods and wearables. She is a mother, a wife, an educator, a nurturer of gardens, an epicurean lover of sustainable wholesome food, and a cultivator of compassion and beauty.
The Inside Community Podcast is sponsored by the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC). Reach out if you are interested in sponsorship or advertisement opportunities on the podcast.
