Best Asset Based Community Development Podcasts (2025)

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Chris Estes highlights how asset-based strategies can drive regional cooperation and elevate the role of rural communities in rural-urban partnerships 36:23

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5h ago36:23

36:23

Ellen talks with Chris Estes, co-executive director of Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group, which supports rural communities, particularly those that have historically been overlooked. Chris emphasizes a shift from a deficit-based approach to an asset-based approach in community development and the benefits of rural-urban regional collabor…

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12 Ways to Build Resilience (Don't Get Triggered) with Jim Kwik 13:20

2d ago13:20

13:20

Life doesn’t slow down, it speeds up. And in those high-pressure moments, what makes the difference isn’t talent or luck, it’s resilience. In this episode, I’m sharing 12 of my favorite tools and strategies to help you stay calm, clear, and focused no matter what’s happening around you. These are techniques I’ve used personally and taught to top pe…

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Nora Hertel, founder of Project Optimist, explores how regional solutions-focused journalism can rebuild trust and connection 40:31

7d ago40:31

40:31

In this episode, Ellen talks with journalist Nora Hertel and her news initiative, Project Optimist. Project Optimist, founded by Nora, aims to bring positive and constructive perspectives through solutions-based journalism, addressing regional issues with an evidence-based approach. Nora explains how the challenges faced by local newspapers and the…

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Recover From Brain Injuries: Oxygen, Mitochondria & Supplements with Scott Sherr 19:42

9d ago19:42

19:42

Your brain might be sabotaging you without you even knowing it. Millions of us are walking around with invisible brain injuries from childhood falls, sports hits, or even emotional trauma that happened decades ago. These hidden wounds could be why names slip through your memory like water or why you snap at loved ones over nothing. I've spent years…

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Tim Marema of The Daily Yonder reflects on the changing news ecosystem and how the loss of local news can impact the way rural and urban communities see each other 28:44

14d ago28:44

28:44

Ellen talks with Tim Marema, editor of The Daily Yonder, a digital news platform that provides news, information, and storytelling about rural America. Tim shares how the news ecosystem has changed since he started as a journalist 30 years ago and how it has become much more fragmented and nationalized as news deserts in rural areas increase and lo…

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4 Daily Steps for Better Memory with Jim Kwik 9:15

16d ago9:15

9:15

Your brain deletes and distorts information constantly—which means most of what you think you've forgotten was never properly encoded in the first place. I've spent decades studying how memory actually works, and here's what I've discovered: the difference between people who seem to have "photographic" memories and those who struggle isn't genetics…

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Camden Blatchly, Center on Rural Innovation data analyst, explains the complex story behind rural and urban classifications and why place isn't so easily defined 26:27

21d ago26:27

26:27

Ellen talks with Camden Blatchley, a data analyst with the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI). Camden discusses the complexities of defining rural and urban areas in the United States, and describes the differences between the two most commonly used definitions: one developed by the Census Bureau and the other by the Office of Management and Budget.…

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Manage High Pressure Like $500 Billion Asset Manager with Sébastien Page 19:06

23d ago19:06

19:06

Ever wonder how someone managing half a trillion dollars daily avoids complete burnout? The secret isn't what most people think – it's not about eliminating stress, but optimizing it. The most successful leaders embrace a shocking truth: they lose almost half the time. I discovered something counterintuitive through this interview: your peak perfor…

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Bitcoin as Pristine Collateral: Risk Redefined. @PeoplesReserve with @CJKonstantinos 20:31

26d ago20:31

20:31

During the darkest days of the last bear market, 5 years ago, I met my friend and guest @CJKonstantinos at The Green Flash in Florida. This guy is the definition of OG by doubling down and starting @peoplesreserve. He's creating Bitcoin-backed financial products that are reshaping the way we think about money. Tomorrow we are both speaking at Bitco…

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David McCollough III describes how the American Exchange Project builds connections between rural, urban, and suburban students 29:33

28d ago29:33

29:33

In the first episode of season 2, Ellen talks with David McCullough III, co-founder and CEO of the American Exchange Project (AEP). David discusses the origins and objectives of AEP, a program that sends high school graduates on week-long exchanges to different parts of the country. The program, inspired by international exchange initiatives after …

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Become Memorable & Captivating in Every Conversation with Bill McGowan 19:58

1M ago19:58

19:58

What if the way you speak is costing more than just missed connections – perhaps even measurably diminishing your team's effectiveness? I’ve discovered that transforming how your message lands isn't about some innate talent, but about mastering specific, often counterintuitive techniques. Our guest today is, Bill McGowan, founder and CEO of Clarity…

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From Bitcoin to Boat Storage: Joey Rosati on Diversifying Investments 34:26

1M ago34:26

34:26

I've gotten to know Joey Rosati (@rosaticorp) over the last 3 years working alonside hime in the VC trenches of Druid Ventures. Let me tell you, the VC world is a funny place and there are gems if you know where to find them. Joey is one of them. He knows that behind every successful business, it's all about people. In today's epic episode, Joey jo…

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The Question Behind Every Decision You Make with Jim Kwik 13:22

1M ago13:22

13:22

How do you find your dominant question? You’ve heard me say that questions are the answer. Every day, you have around 60,000 thoughts a day. And a lot of those thoughts are questions. And there is often one question, what I call your dominant question, that you ask yourself more than any others. I get asked this question almost daily. And in today’…

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9 Ways I Released Pent-Up Childhood Pain & Resentment with Jim Kwik 9:13

1M ago9:13

9:13

How can you work through the pain, anger, and resentment from childhood caused by the adults in your life? As many of you know, I had a teacher call me the boy with the broken brain. What was a comment intended to keep other kids from picking on me instead became a hurtful label that took years to overcome. Every time I couldn’t do a task or assign…

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Sharpen Your Intuition for Confident Decisions with Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir 19:55

2M ago19:55

19:55

What if the key to navigating uncertainty and making truly aligned decisions lies not just in logic, but in an ancient wisdom tradition? I was fascinated to learn from Hrund Gunnsteinsdottir about 'Innsæi: Heal, Revive and Reset with the Icelandic Art of Intuition’, which she beautifully describes as 'the sea within.' This isn't about vague hunches…

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15 Practices That Helped My Traumatic Brain Injury with Jim Kwik 12:26

2M ago12:26

12:26

Is it possible to recover from a traumatic brain injury? Many of you know I suffered from several traumatic brain injuries when I was younger. Over the years, I’ve discovered strategies and tactics that have helped me recover. Healing a TBI requires a science-based approach to ensure you’re supporting your brain’s natural healing process. This is a…

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The Best Mindset Won’t Work If You’re Missing This with Dean Graziosi 19:56

2M ago19:56

19:56

We often focus intensely on mindset, but what if the real key to unlocking your next level lies deeper, within your heart? I explore this with Dean Graziosi, who shares a powerful, previously untold story about hitting rock bottom and how shifting his perspective—not his circumstances—fuelled an incredible comeback. Discover how connecting with pur…

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Cold Exposure & Female Brain: Hormones, Stress, Pregnancy with Laura & Isabelle Hof 19:56

2M ago19:56

19:56

How does cold exposure and breathwork transform the body and mind? The Wim Hof method has helped people all over the world harness the power of cold and breath to achieve the extraordinary. These methods have transformed lives by unlocking the body’s restorative ability to heal itself. While cold exposure and breathwork are beneficial for everyone,…

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Bitcoin = Home: The Mortgage Revolution No One Saw Coming with Josip Rupena of Milo 23:44

3M ago23:44

23:44

Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d say: you can buy a house with your Bitcoin — without ever selling it. That’s the financial revolution Josip Rupena is building. He’s the founder and CEO of Milo, the fintech startup that’s already issued over $60 million in crypto mortgages — loans backed by your Bitcoin, not your bank account. And here’s the k…

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How to Memorize Information When You Can't Write it Down with Jim Kwik 8:03

3M ago8:03

8:03

How do you remember important content when listening to an audiobook? Audiobooks are a fantastic productivity hack. You can listen to experts divulge decades of knowledge while you walk, drive, clean the house, work out, and more. But that also means you may not have your hands free to write down the information you’re consuming. In today’s episode…

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Crypto, AI Agents, and the Future of Decentralized Infrastructure with Chris “Jinx” Jenkins 17:32

3M ago17:32

17:32

My buddy Chris Jenkins just got back from ETHDenver, and he’s buzzing about the convergence of crypto and AI. He’s the head of operations at the Pocket Network Foundation, and right now, they’re gearing up for their biggest protocol upgrade ever: Shannon. What they’re doing is wild — opening up full permissionless access to decentralized data, from…

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Silk Road to Satoshi: Digging Up Bitcoin’s Buried Past with Pete Rizzo 45:03

3M ago45:03

45:03

Pete Rizzo Thinks We're Losing Bitcoin's History. I'm Helping Him Fix That. Pete Rizzo’s been called Bitcoin’s historian — and after this conversation, you’ll understand why. He’s spent the past few years diving deep into the stories, people, and drama that built Bitcoin from nothing into a global force. We talk about that work — the threads, the a…

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Computer Arbitrage, Inefficient Markets, Tariffs, and Monetizing Stranded Energy with Sopris Capital’s Head of Special Situations Dan Wedman 24:33

3M ago24:33

24:33

Welcome back, everyone! I sat down with my new friend Daniel Wedman, the head of special situations at Sopris Capital. We delved into a variety of topics, focusing on the dynamic world of Bitcoin and crypto investments, and the evolving landscape of capital markets. Daniel's Career Journey Daniel shared his fascinating career trajectory, starting f…

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How Chasing Uncertainty Fuels Continuous Learning with Alex Hutchinson 19:55

3M ago19:55

19:55

What if the key to unlocking your potential lies not in certainty, but in deliberately seeking the unknown? I sat down with Alex Hutchinson, author of 'The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,' to really dig into the science behind our innate drive to explore. We explore why our brains actually c…

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High Functioning Depression & 5 Steps to Overcome It with Dr. Judith Joseph 19:55

3M ago19:55

19:55

Ever wonder if your relentless productivity is hiding a deeper pain? Our host & CEO Alexis Banc has been there—juggling the roles of caregiver, entrepreneur and nurturer while feeling an underlying emptiness that no amount of busyness can erase. In this episode, we'll dive deep into the science of happiness and uncover how our brains can trick us i…

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Leading With Vulnerability: Radical Honesty, Facing Conflict & Less Authority with Keith Ferrazzi 19:55

3M ago19:55

19:55

How do you build a team that genuinely cares for each other? You already know how important building your positive peer group is for your brain. The same principles apply to your team within the workplace. It’s common to look at your coworkers or employees as a group of individuals. But what if there was a way to turn your team into a cohesive, col…

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5 Evidence Based Resets to Support Positive Stress Levels with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar 19:55

4M ago19:55

19:55

Is there a difference between unhealthy stress and healthy stress? Stress is a natural part of your life. In fact, a healthy amount of stress is important. You need it to develop a strong adaptive response to life’s demands. So why does stress so often feel like it’s the enemy when it comes to your productivity and health? Our guest today is a phys…

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Real-World Assets and Institutional Crypto: The Next Evolution of DeFi with Joe Flanagan Maple Finance 22:06

4M ago22:06

22:06

In this episode, I sit down with Joe Flanagan, the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Maple Finance, a leading institutional lending platform in DeFi. With nearly $6 billion in loans issued, Maple is one of the few crypto companies bridging the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). We cover some of the biggest…

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How to Control Your Emotions & Benefit from Negative Ones with Ethan Kross 19:54

4M ago19:54

19:54

How do you manage your emotions so that they don’t manage you? Emotions are often viewed as something you have to control if you want to be successful. The truth is emotions—both positive and negative—are simply tools you can use to navigate the world. They influence everything from relationships to motivation and productivity. Yet, for all their p…

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Fixing Ethereum: Hart Lambur on Cross-Chain Intents & the Future of Interoperability 17:20

4M ago17:20

17:20

In this episode, I sit down with Hart Lambur, the co-founder of Risk Labs, the team behind UMA and Across Protocol, two projects solving some of the biggest challenges in crypto—cross-chain interoperability and on-chain data verification. Ethereum has scaled, but in the process, it’s fragmented into over 50 Layer 2s, creating a messy user experienc…

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Why Privacy is the Next Big Thing in Crypto – Midnight CEO Eran Barak Explains 25:18

4M ago25:18

25:18

In this episode, I sit down with Eran Barak, the CEO of Midnight, a groundbreaking new privacy-focused blockchain incubated by IOHK (Input Output, the team behind Cardano). Eran has an incredible background—before diving into Web3, he built the financial world’s digital plumbing at Symphony, a secure communications platform used by thousands of ban…

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Bonus Episode: Family Pod 18:33

4M ago18:33

18:33

In this special bonus episode, Ellen takes a break from working on season two to chat with her siblings, Megan and Keith, about their experiences growing up in rural Montana and North Dakota and their journey to urban spaces. Megan, Ellen, and Keith reminisce about their unique childhood from being the only girl in fifth grade to walking home from …

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The Missed Opportunity of Tokenization – What Comes Next? Tezos Founder Arthur Breitman 19:53

4M ago19:53

19:53

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend Arthur Breitman, the co-founder of Tezos, one of the OG blockchains that has been innovating since 2018. We dive deep into the evolution of tokenization, why the first wave fell short, and how the next iteration can unlock real value. Arthur also shares insights on Tezos’ latest upgrades, the grow…