Life Itself: LI Podcast

Jim Rutt: From Dotcom Boom to Game A Collapse

Jacob Kishere — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 18:16:29 GMT

Rufus interviews Jim Rutt on his life journey to becoming chairman of the Santa Fe Institute and a leading pioneer of ‘Game B’. Rutt shares insight into the failures of the Game A financial system. Rufus and Rutt explore the historical context of our ‘Game A’ system and what characteristics a Game B communities need to survive and grow with integrity.

About the episode

In this Life Itself Podcast, Jim Rutt, a complexity thinker and former tech entrepreneur, recounts his early life hitchhiking across America and his journey to becoming a senior figure in Thomson’s internet transition (1992–1999) and Network Solutions’ $15 billion sale in 2000. Rutt details his early awareness of Game A’s unsustainability and bringing his work on complexity science, markets and social systems to the Santa Fe Institute. Rutt details the founding dialogues with Jordan Hall that led to ‘Game B’ a decentralised societal model to replace Game A—a civilisational mode Rutt and Rufus trace back to the treaty of Westphalia. Rutt describes the intensity of ‘willing to die’ spirit necessary for Game B values to take root & the kinds of meditation structures needed for Game B communities to scale together.

Chapters:

00:01:55 – Jim’s Childhood and 1976 Hitchhiking Adventures
00:16:23 – Leading Thomson’s Internet Transition (1992–1999)
00:18:38 – Realizing Game A’s Unsustainability (1994)
00:27:00 – Joining the Santa Fe Institute
00:29:25 – Uncovering the Monetary-Finance-Business Nexus (2007–2008)
00:29:31 – Reflections on Money and the Debt Regime
00:35:35 – Planning for an Uncertain Future
00:36:38 – The Treaty of Westphalia and Game A’s Foundations
01:40:37 – Introducing Game B
02:02:20 – Defining Game A and Game B
02:19:00 – The Personal-Institutional Spiral and Game B Communities

About the speakers:

Jim Rutt is the former CEO of Network Solutions. The New York Times once referred to him as “the Internet’s bad boy” due to his reputation for creative mischief. He sold Network Solutions at the peak of the Dot Com boom and then went into scientific research. Jim has been affiliated with the Santa Fe Institute since 2002, serving as Chairman from 2009 thru 2012. Since that time he has been spearheading the Game B movement and host of the Jim Rutt Show. “Dividend Money” Everything Jim Learned about money

The Jim Rutt Show: https://www.jimruttshow.com

Substack:

“Dividend Money” Everything Jim Learned about money

Rufus Pollock is an entrepreneur, activist and author as well as a long-term zen practitioner. He is passionate about finding wiser, weller ways to live together. He has founded several for-profit and nonprofit initiatives including Life Itself, Open Knowledge Foundation, and Datopian. His book Open Revolution is about making a radically freer and fairer information age. Previously he has been the Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge as well as a Shuttleworth and Ashoka Fellow. A recognized global expert on the information society, he has worked with G7 governments, IGOs like the UN, Fortune 500s as well as many civil society organizations. He holds a PhD in Economics and a double first in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge.

Find out more about his work on his website: www.rufuspollock.com.

Podcast Production:

Jacob Kishere of

www.jacobkishere.com

Sylvie Barbier: Charlie Kirk, Forgiveness & The Power of Words

Jacob Kishere — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 18:04:31 GMT

Sylvie Barbier brings sensemaking to bear on the polarization that followed the Kirk assassination and explores the significance of the Kirk memorial in an interview hosted by Jacob Kishere. The dialogue delves into the profound importance of speech, cycle-breaking forgiveness, non-violence, and remembering the sanctity of life.

About the episode:

In this episode of the Second Renaissance Podcast, we make sense of the polarization following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Sylvie speaks to the power and necessity of forgiveness in breaking cycles of retaliation and explores what leadership can look like amid escalating division. We reflect on the nature of speech and the importance of recognizing the power of our words. The conversation closes with an appreciation of the existential importance of becoming joyfully alive in these times.

Chapters:

00:02:11 – Erika Kirk’s Forgiveness of the Killer
00:08:00 – Why Our Words Matter
00:16:50 – Sacred Anchoring & Breaking Cycles of Violence
00:18:50 – Challenges Around “Speech as Violence”
00:26:00 – Intention in Speech
00:29:00 – Thich Nhat Hanh on Non-Violence & the Seeds of Hatred
00:31:00 – Committing to Something Greater & the Joy of Being Alive

Speakers

Sylvie Shiwei Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.

https://lifeitself.org/people/sylvieshiweibarbier

Jacob Kishere is a dialogue facilitator, rapper, philosopher and writer. He is the creator of SENSESPACE podcast, author of Culturepilgrim and co-founder of The Resonant Man Initiative.

www.jacobkishere.com

Discussion about this video

Layman Pascal: Born to Go Beyond (A Post-modern World)

Jacob Kishere — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 21:37:00 GMT

Rufus dives into the life story of the one and only Layman Pascal: exploring his unique childhood, what he found in Wilber’s Integral, his relationship to intentional communities and what it means to live beyond a post-modern world.

About the episode:

In this interview with Layman Pascal and Rufus Pollock, Layman recounts his upbringing and the unique childhood in the Canadian Pacific Northwest that disposed him to become one of the metamodern scenes most interesting thinkers. Layman delves into the experience of the post-modern milieu of the late 1990s and efforts to find ways beyond it. They explore the value and limits of Ken Wilber's integral and the formation of his approach to dialogue and community in 'The Integral Stage' project. He closes envisioning precisely what's needed to move beyond culture war dynamics.

Chapters:

04:43 Layman’s childhood in the Canadian Pacific Northwest

15:00 From college to living in Belize

16:48 Early Spiritual Teachers

27:00 Layman’s experience of the Post-Modern and Post-Post Modern

35:00 Story of Ken Wilber, Integral and The Integral Stage

45:24 going beyond post-modernism

52:53 Rufus’s View on Integral

57:50 Integralist vs Integralites

1:02:00 What Layman looks for in communities

1:08 Culture War & What we need to build coherence

Speakers

was incarnated on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. He used to be a meditation teacher, yoga instructor & public speaker—but he’s feeling much better now. He is a writer on themes of cultural philosophy, shamanism and organic spiritual development.

www.laymanpascal.substack.com/

is an entrepreneur, activist and author as well as a long-term zen practitioner. He is passionate about finding wiser, weller ways to live together. He has founded several for-profit and nonprofit initiatives including Life Itself, Open Knowledge Foundation, and Datopian. His book Open Revolution is about making a radically freer and fairer information age. Previously he has been the Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge as well as a Shuttleworth and Ashoka Fellow. A recognized global expert on the information society, he has worked with G7 governments, IGOs like the UN, Fortune 500s as well as many civil society organizations. He holds a PhD in Economics and a double first in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge.

Theo Dawson: Beyond Teach to Test—Designing Educational Metrics That Work

Jacob Kishere — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 20:30:58 GMT

Following our interview with Lectica Co-founder Zak Stein, Rufus interviews Theo Dawson, Lectica’s founder and executive director, about her journey into transforming education and the complex and critical science of measuring educational development.

Listen above or watch the episode here:

About the episode:

In this interview Theo Dawson, award-winning educator, scholar, & founder of Lectica Inc. speaks to her rich life story from drop out to conscious birthing doula to working inside of America's premier educational institutions. In her decades long journey, Theo has focused on realising a form of testing that actually supports students—recognising that contemporary 'education' often works in contra to natural learning processes. We 'teach to test' and education as a field often 'memory holes' decades of work to adopt the latest fashion.

Join us to explore development and how Lectica have, over three decades, developed new metrics for student development in K-12 which are also offered to professional organisations.

Corrections:

At 22:39 Theo refers to ‘Dopamine’ but means ‘Opioid’

At 44:58 Theo refers to 'Abstract Mappings' but Means 'Representational Mappings'

Chapters:

1:28 Theo’s story of growing up during the Vietnam War, leaving home and running with draft dodgers.

3:47 Becoming a mother and organising conscious doulas

6:57 How her life brought her to focus on the injustice of limiting education system

12:00 The ‘memory holing’ shadow in education and developmental science

15:00 The contra-Piaget movement in education, new ideas of ‘fairness’ in education

18:00 ‘Teaching to the test’

19:41 How learning really works, the role of the dopaminergic system, and how education undermines natural learning

26:19 Developmental science as very recent

36:00 Hierarchical complexity as development

50:00 The dangerous shift in education

59:29 Points of leverage in systems

01:02:57 A new system of measurement

01:17:00 Higher complexity does not equate to ethical participation

01:24:45 Is there a limit to human development?

Theo Dawson is founder and executive director of Lectica, Inc, a non-profit organization that develops and administers evidence-based, diagnostic, and formative developmental assessments; offers research and assessment services to clients in the private and public sectors; and builds knowledge about learning and its role in the future of society. She received her master's and PhD from University of California at Berkeley and has published widely in the field of cognitive developmental psychology. https://theo-dawson.medium.com/ https://lectica.org/about/cv-theo

Rufus Pollock is an entrepreneur, activist and author as well as a long-term zen practitioner. He is passionate about finding wiser, weller ways to live together. He has founded several for-profit and nonprofit initiatives including Life Itself, Open Knowledge Foundation, and Datopian. His book Open Revolution is about making a radically freer and fairer information age. Previously he has been the Mead Fellow in Economics at the University of Cambridge as well as a Shuttleworth and Ashoka Fellow. A recognized global expert on the information society, he has worked with G7 governments, IGOs like the UN, Fortune 500s as well as many civil society organizations. He holds a PhD in Economics and a double first in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge. Find out more about his work on his website: www.rufuspollock.com.

Podcast Production:

Awaken Your Spiritual Warrior: Shadow Work, Sovereignty & Accountability

Jacob Kishere — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 05:31:13 GMT

Sylvie Shiwei Barbier Co-founder of Life Itself and Ritual Artist calls upon the necessity of re-imagining and committing deeply to the role of the spiritual warrior. A path of vows, communal bonds, shadow work and ethical restoration.

Listen above or watch the episode here:

About the episode:

In this interview with Jacob Kishere, Sylvie presents new work on why we need spiritual warriorship and what that means in community. Sylvie shares about her undertaking of spiritual warrior vows and we dive into what role mutual accountability takes in creating powerful communities. She foregrounds the importance of both shadow work and contexts for ethical restoration that can heal victim-perpetrator dynamics in culture and community.

This dialogue connects with The Second Renaissance Manifesto and The Life Guild

Chapters:

1:33 Why the spiritual warrior?

3:41 The feminine, the mother, and warrior energy

4:00 The creation of the Life Guild

5:47 Spiritual warrior vs spiritual person

9:10 Boundaries and sovereignty

10:35 Taking spiritual warrior vows

12:48 Receiving and forming bonds of accountability as a spiritual warrior

16:51 Victim and oppressor dynamics, responsibility, and shadow work

18:29 Shadow work must account for, heal, and integrate our experiences as both victims and oppressors

20:50 Call out culture and #MeToo

21:11 We must heal both perpetrators and victims

26:30 Confession without the possibility of forgiveness

29:54 Spiritual community, spiritual bypass, and shadow work

38:23 Why I’m excited about the second renaissance

48:41 Men and women’s work

About Sylvie Shiwei Barbier:

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community. https://lifeitself.org/people/sylvieshiweibarbier

About Jacob Kishere:

Jacob Kishere is a dialogue facilitator, rapper, philosopher and writer. He is the creator of SENSESPACE, author of Culturepilgrim and co-founder of . www.jacobkishere.com

Production by Jacob Kishere & SENSESPACE Studio

Manda Scott: Weaving Thrutopias Beyond Climate Crisis and Capitalism’s Collapse

Jacob Kishere — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 11:00:39 GMT

In this interview with author Manda Scott we explore Manda’s journey as bestselling fiction author into the realms of the shamanic and her subsequent search for new and ancient narratives that can lead us through and beyond collapse.

Listen above or watch the episode here:

About the episode:

In this interview, award-winning novelist and the host of Accidental Gods Podcast Manda Scott explores humanity’s precarious position at the edge of chaos and transformation. She introduces "thrutopia," a visionary framework for crafting hopeful, actionable paths to flourishing futures amidst the climate crisis and broader metacrisis. Scott highlights how fear paralyzes our ability to act, urging us to embrace empowering narratives that move beyond trauma culture toward a culture rooted in myth, hope, and imagination. Through discussions on participatory democracy, citizens’ assemblies, and regenerative economics, she calls for a cross-generational movement to reimagine systems and mobilize toward sustainable, thriving futures.

Chapters:

01:20 – Ursula K. Le Guin and the Non-Inevitability of Capitalism

04:35 – Defining Thrutopia

06:26 – Overcoming Fear in the Climate Crisis

07:50 – Alternative Futures Already Possible

16:05 – Manda Scott’s Background

21:00 – Economics and the Need for a New Collective Story

25:00 – Achieving Escape Velocity from the Current System

28:45 – Trauma Culture vs. Initiation Culture

46:56 – Participatory Democracy in Thailand

49:27 – The Power of Citizens’ Assemblies

53:00 – Urgency for a Cross-Generational Political Movementecological collapse. 54:00 – The Inner Work Required for Change

56:00 – Understanding the Dark Triad

About Manda Scott:

Manda Scott is an award-winning novelist, podcaster, and visionary thinker renowned for her pioneering work in "thrutopian" fiction, which maps plausible paths from our current crises to flourishing futures we’d be proud to leave for future generations. A former veterinary surgeon with an MA in Regenerative Economics, she blends myth, technology, and radical compassion in her mytho-political thriller Any Human Power. As host of the chart-topping Accidental Gods podcast and co-creator of the Thrutopia Masterclass, Scott inspires writers and creatives to craft stories that bridge divides and foster collective action for a sustainable world.

About Rufus Pollock:

Production:

Podcast Production by &

The Sacred Ethics of Measurement & A New Archetype of Wise Agency: Zak Stein & Rufus Pollock

Rufus Pollock — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 11:02:42 GMT

In this conversation, Rufus interviews Zak about his early learning journey, exploring the corruption of graduate education, the sacredness of measurement for ancient man and what kind of new wise agency is needed amidst existential risk and all pervasive information warfare.

Listen above or watch the episode here:

About the episode:

In their second interview, Rufus explores Dr. Zak Stein's formative experiences of education, music and standardised testing. They explore the sacred and esoteric history of measurement in the pre-modern world compared with today. Zak Shares on what he learned conducting research into the all-pervasive landscape of propaganda and information warfare for the Consilience Project. They close exploring the possibility of 'a new archetype of wise agency' which, unlike previous monastic wisdom traditions, is deeply responsive and engaged with worldly agency, politics, power and strategy.

This conversation supports the recent book First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come. See detailed notes on the book and our summary here.

Chapters

00:00 Zak’s Early Education Experience

09:46 Zak’s Journey Through Jazz Musicians

14:33 Ken Wilber and Developmental Psychology

17:44 The Creation of Lectica & Entering Harvard Without a GPA

24:02 What Happened to Developmental Psychology at Harvard?

28:00 The Academy Is Broken & the Frame of Institutional Decay

31:47 Government and Industry Cannibalize Graduate Education

39:29 The Problem of Metrication & Civilizational Collapse

45:35 The Magic of Measurement for Ancient Man & Measurement as a Sacred Act

58:18 Consilience Project’s Findings on Psychological Warfare

1:01:00 Rufus: Culture War, Printing Press, and the Modern Age

1:03:45 Information War Erodes the Possibility of Truth

1:20:00 How Can a Second Renaissance Counter Propaganda Culture?

1:22:45 The “Long Game” of Wisdom in the Past vs. the Need for Active Engagement in the Metacrisis

1:24:12 The New Archetype of “Wise Agency”

1:32:00 How Do We Use Power Wisely?

About Zak Stein

Dr. Zachary Stein is co-founder of the Civilizational Research Institute, the Center for World Philosophy and Religion and Lectica, Inc, and is a widely sought after and award winning speaker. Zak is a leading authority on the future of education and contemporary issues in human development. He was trained at the interface of philosophy, psychology, and education, and now works in fields related to the mitigation of global catastrophic risk. Dr. Stein is the author of several books and many peer-reviewed papers, including most recently First Principles and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come, by Zak Stein, Marc Gafni and Ken Wilber writing under the name David J. Temple.

About Rufus Pollock

Production by Jacob Kishere &

The Future of Education with Boaz Feldman

Lauren Wigmore — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 21:21:57 GMT

In this podcast series Jacob Kishere interviews key speakers on themes of education, metacrisis, transformation and the possibility of a Second Renaissance. On May 2-3rd the corresponsing conference 'Education For Flourishing: In a time of Metacrisis and Second Renaissance' will be held in partnership with Life Itself at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

In this first dialogue with conference co-lead and co-founder Boaz Feldman, they lead a broad and deep exploration into these questions & introduce the conference itself.

More information about the conference here: https://www.sfwhgse.com/

About Boaz

Boaz Feldman is a researcher and clinical psychologist, ordained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, completed over 7 years of silent meditation retreats, led numerous war-zone humanitarian missions, and presented at over 30 international conferences. At Harvard University, he is a Research Scholar (at HGSE), an Education Ambassador (at HCCRC), and the European Director for the Harvard Alumni for Education. http://boazfeldman.com/home/

About Jacob

Jacob Kishere is a professional dialogue facilitator, the rapper, philosopher and writer behind Culturepilgrim and The Resonant Man Initiative. In 2020 he founded SENSESPACE Podcast—a dialogos journey into the heart of wisdom bringing together leading philosophers, artists and practitioners to address a collective phase shift. www.jacobkishere.com

Watch the episode here

Who Gets to Build the World We Live In?

Rufus Pollock — Wed, 13 Nov 2024 14:04:30 GMT

In this Second Renaissance episode from Life Itself, Rufus Pollock sits down with Bonnitta Roy for part II of their conversation.

Listen above or watch the episode here

About the Episode

In this episode, Bonnitta Roy delves into the challenges of large-scale collective action, the limitations of extrinsic motivation, and the importance of fostering intrinsic motivation and prosocial behavior. Drawing from her own personal experiences and work with the UN, she and Rufus examine the evolution of human cooperation, the role of identity, and the need for new strategies that emphasize inner development for transformative leadership.

They also explore the four key skills taught in the Divinity School—awakened perception, visionary scholarship, crazy wisdom, and passionate action—skills that Bonnitta argues are vital for guiding free and willing participants towards positive change. Their conversation addresses the essential qualities of healthy leadership, voluntary obligation, and effectively managing difficult personalities within conscious communities.

Listen to our first interview with Bonnitta Roy here.

Chapters

00:01:11 Who gets to build the world we live in and the role of investors

00:07:20 Challenges of large-scale collective action and the role of intrinsic motivation

00:12:55 The evolution of human prosociality and cultural factors enabling collective action

00:21:35 The importance of identity, evaluative reasoning, and enforced social protocols

00:37.25 Circles of trust and transcending the Self

00:53:00 The role of trust and voluntary obligation in community building

01:05:00 The need for transformative leadership and toxicity

01:10:02 The four key leadership skills of the Divinity School

About Bonnitta Roy

Bonnitta Roy teaches insight practices for individuals who are developing meta-cognitive skills, and hosts collective insight retreats for groups interested in breaking away from limiting patterns of thought. She teaches a masters course in consciousness studies and transpersonal psychology at the Graduate Institute. Her teaching highlights the embodied, affective and perceptual aspects of the core self, and the non-egoic potentials from which subtle sensing, intuition and insight emerge. Through her company, APP-AI, Bonnitta is developing applications that can visualize changing patterns as teams work through complex problems. Her research shows how simple but powerful protocols that underlie these patterns can be used to represent various dispositional states of human systems. Bonnitta is the author of the popular Medium publication Our Future at Work. She is an associate editor of Integral Review where you can also find her articles on process approaches to consciousness, perception, and metaphysics.

About Rufus Pollock

Zak Stein on Reconstructing Value: A Conversation on the Meta-Crisis

Rufus Pollock — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:41:05 GMT

In this conversation, Zak and Rufus examine the shift that has taken place from a belief in the intrinsic value of the universe to the modernist view that denies the reality of value.

Listen above or watch the episode here:

About the episode

Zak explains how this loss of value has contributed to the current metacrisis, impacting areas such as education, architecture, and technology.

The concept of "civilizational transvaluation" and the dangers of a potential civilizational collapse during this period of profound change are also discussed. Alongside this, the potential for conscious evolution is explored, which could enable new forms of human cooperation and flourishing—provided that we establish an urgent, coherent discourse around value to address the challenges we are facing.

Chapters

00:03:15 - Ideas and motivations behind First Principles and First Values

00:13:12 - The shift from intrinsic to denied value

00:22:00 - The cold and warm streams of modernity

00:32:35 - The dangers of civilizational transvaluation

00:46:45 - The importance of value in education and society

00:54:58 - The denial of value in architecture

01:03:26 - The transhumanist ideology and the denial of value

01:30:27 - The path to conscious evolution and homo-more

About Zak Stein

About Rufus Pollock

A Conversation with Kyle Kowalski

Lauren Wigmore — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 15:30:03 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People, Rufus Pollock speaks with Kyle Kowalski, the founder of Sloww.

Kyle shares his journey that led him from a high-powered marketing career to becoming a self-described "student of life" and creator of a digital platform dedicated to the art of living.

In 2015 Kyle experienced a turning point that shattered his then current and conventional path and set him off on a deeper quest for meaning and purpose. Kyle candidly shares how he navigated the cognitive dissonance of staying in his unfulfilling job while simultaneously immersing himself in the world of intentional living, minimalism, and spiritual self-inquiry.

Kyle's story highlights the power in questioning, learning, and trusting the unfolding of one's life journey. In this episode he shares insights into the stages of ego development, the impact of his family conditioning, and the joyful yet challenging process of transcending one's socialized identity.

Chapters

00:03:39 The Existential Crisis Catalyst

00:10:22 Embracing Intentional Living

00:18:04 The Path to Entrepreneurship

00:27:15 Reconnecting with Life through Self-Inquiry

00:37:42 Ego Development and Spiritual Evolution

00:44:00 Trust the Extraordinary Unfolding

About Kyle

Kyle Kowalski is the founder of (and human behind) Sloww. He’s an ex-marketing executive turned self-education entrepreneur after an existential crisis. In one sentence, his purpose is synthesizing lifelong learning that catalyzes deeper development. But, he’s not a professor, philosopher, psychologist, sociologist, anthropologist, scientist, mystic, or guru. He’s an interconnector across all those humans and many more—an “independent, inquiring, interdisciplinary integrator” (in other words, it’s just him, asking questions, crossing disciplines, and making connections). To keep it simple, you can just call him a “synthesizer,” and Sloww is his synthesis on the art of living for students of life. Over the last decade, Kyle has deeply explored lifelong learning, human development, intentional living, life purpose, mental mastery, and spiritual growth. He shares all his learning and living with 10,000+ email subscribers and 50,000+ social followers.

About Rufus

Ordinary People is a podcast series as part of The Life Itself Podcast that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey.

A Conversation with Bonnitta Roy

Lauren Wigmore — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:10:01 GMT

In this episode of the Ordinary People series, Rufus Pollock sits down with Bonnitta Roy to explore her extraordinary life journey, from her early days in a Connecticut factory town to her groundbreaking work in neuroscience, philosophy, and spiritual practice. Bonnitta recounts her adventurous childhood, her academic achievements, and the profound moments of introspection that shaped her worldview. As she navigates her college years and early career, Bonnitta shares the transformative experiences that led her to leave a promising scientific career and dive into the world of philosophy and art in San Francisco.

Bonnitta also delves into her spiritual awakening, recounting intense experiences that deepened her understanding of herself and the world around her. Her story includes a powerful psychological split that allowed her to see the world in a new light, ultimately leading her to innovative approaches in horse training and teaching.

About Bonnitta Roy

About Rufus Pollock

Chapters

5:07 Childhood experiences & self-awareness

12:23 College culture, social games, & personal growth

25:47 Power dynamics & inauthenticity in a college setting

32:31 LSD use & academic career choices

39:35 San Francisco & New York in the late 80s & early 90s

46:09 Personal experiences with poverty & homelessness

1:02:20 Spiritual experiences, limitations of the self, & the perception of beauty

1:14:00 Using Qigong & horse training to understand fundamental nature of reality

1:30:15 Cultivating inner capacities & awakened perception

A Conversation with Rainer von Leoprechting

Lauren Wigmore — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:27:09 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People host Sylvie Barbier speaks with Rainer von Leoprechting, an inspiring figure who transitioned from a structured career in the European Commission to a fulfilling life as an independent consultant working internationally from his small farm place in Austria.

Rainer shares his journey from studying Economics and Business Administration in Germany to embracing a critical view of economic systems. After joining the European Commission in 1994, he eventually left to co-found initiatives like the Frændi Partnership and the Obenaus community in Austria, focusing on innovative leadership and long-term strategic thinking. Rainer reflects on the systemic challenges of his generation, the importance of fostering new approaches for younger generations, and the transformative power of leaving behind the "golden cage" of conventional success. He emphasizes the value of community, creativity, and proactive change in leadership roles.

This episode is a testament to how stepping away from comfort zones can lead to a richer, more authentic life. Join us for a compelling conversation that delves into the heart of personal and societal transformation, highlighting the potential within each of us to impact the world positively.

#community #economicsystems #transform #leadership #podcast #ordinarypeople

About Rainer von Leoprechting

Rainer von Leoprechting is a German entrepreneur and philanthropist. He works as an independent consultant and is co-founder of the Fraendi partnership.

About Sylvie Barbier

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community. Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey.

Chapters

00:02:25: The 2035 Process: Preparing for the Future

00:07:54: Founding the Frændi Partnership

00:12:33: Inspiration from Jean Monnet

00:19:49: Rainer’s Formative Years

00:22:39: Family Background and Education

00:27:10: Transition to Independent Consultancy

00:34:20: The Role of Community in Leadership

A Conversation with Natalia Lombardo

Lauren Wigmore — Tue, 18 Jun 2024 19:00:14 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People host Sylvie Barbier sits down with Natalia Lombardo, a multifaceted community developer and psychedelic guide.

Natalia shares her journey from her roots in Argentina to her current endeavors in Europe, where she engages in community development, permaculture, and creative activism. She opens up about her personal healing journey following a severe brain injury and how this led her to explore and integrate psychedelics into her therapeutic practices. Natalia's story is one of transformation, resilience, and the continuous pursuit of innovative ways to foster collaboration and personal growth.

#permaculture #collaborative #psychedelics #collective #activism #ordinarypeople #podcast

About Natalia Lombardo

Nati helps groups to cultivate a collaborative culture through values-driven behavioral change. Her focus is the self in "self-organising": the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours each of us brings into any collective endeavour. Co-founder and Collaboration Coach at The Hum . Co-owner of Loomio and member of Enspiral.

About Sylvie Barbier

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.

Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey.

Chapters

00:02:09: Current Projects and Passions

00:03:23: Nati's Childhood Journey from Argentina to Europe

00:15:51: Discovering Permaculture and Community Living in Argentina

00:21:43: Intergenerational Communication in Communities

00:29:37: Unlearning Societal Norms and Exploring New Models

00:36:14: Healing with Psychedelics

00:42:34: Embracing a New Identity Post-Trauma

00:45:33: Discovering New Energies and Capabilities

A Conversation with Liam Kavanagh

Lauren Wigmore — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 15:01:16 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People Walking Extra-Ordinary Path, Life Itself Co-Founder Sylvie Barbier is joined by Liam Kavanagh. Liam reflects on his transition from observing environmental changes to spearheading initiatives like the Climate Majority Project. From his childhood curiosity and nourished creativity to his adult inquiries into the nature of thought and emotion, Liam shares how an openness to people from all walks of life, a thirst for understanding truth, and a dedicated meditation practice have shaped his unconventional journey.

His story invites us to question societal norms and embark on our own journey of spiritual inquiry in service of an awakening society.

#ordinarypeople #climatechange #meditation #buddism #curiosity #adhd #secondrenaissance

About Liam Kavanagh

Liam Kavanagh is co-founder of Life Itself and Director of the Climate Majority Project.

About Sylvie Barbier

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.

Chapters

0:00 - Liam's path from economist to climate activist

03:12 - Growing up, family values and curiosity

10:06 - Creativity, ADHD, and family support

14:47 - Living in a squat, visiting Compton, and encountering gang violence

25:45 - Buddhism and the book that opened my mind

35:40 - Economics, neuroscience, and understanding the emotional holes of economic ideas

42:35 - Meditation and practice

53:15 - Questioning societal norms and the thirst for enquiry

A Conversation with Elizabeth Debold

Lauren Wigmore — Tue, 28 May 2024 14:59:32 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People Sylvie Barbier speaks with Elizabeth Debold in a thought-provoking dialogue exploring the intersections of gender, identity, and culture. Elizabeth shares her journey of questioning societal norms around gender roles and relationships, stemming from witnessing the destructive dynamic between her parents. She talks about her early spiritual experience that opened her up to a sense of unity, and her involvement in feminist activism and spiritual communities.

The conversation explores themes of community, interbeing, postmodernism, and the tensions between different generations.

#societalchange #genderidentity #growth #resilience #feminine #masculine #ordinarypeople #secondrenaissance #developmentalpsychology

About Elizabeth Debold

Elizabeth Debold is a developmental psychologist, gender futurist and author of the bestselling Mother Daughter Revolution. She has spent the past four decades working as an activist, researcher, journalist, spiritual explorer, and transformative educator in relation to gender and cultural evolution.

About Sylvie Barbier

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.

Chapters

0:00 - Gender identity, spirituality, and creating sacred spaces for connection

05:32 - Personal growth through writing and identity formation

11:26 - Gender roles, expectations, and family betrayal

19:38 - Gender roles and cultural divisions

25:17 - Gender roles, femininity, and community life

34:34 - Women's empowerment and interpersonal relationships

41:40 - Family dynamics, and sibling relationships

48:00 - Generational differences and the challenges of growing up in a postmodern society

A Conversation with Daniel Thorson

Lauren Wigmore — Tue, 21 May 2024 14:01:34 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People Rufus Pollock talks with Daniel Thorson. Daniel shares his unique journeys of finding faith, meaning, and personal growth through unexpected avenues of meditation, living at a Goenka center, and participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement.

They delve into the critical roles of trust, courage, and support in navigating life's uncertainties and explore the intersection of Buddhism and technology, pondering the potential for online spaces to foster contemplative practices, and sustaining personal and societal transformation through commitment and deep inquiry.

#monastic #emerge #buddhism #friendship #inquiry #technology #socialtransformation #courage #faith #meditation

About Daniel Thorson

Daniel Thorson is a writer, a Monastic at Monastic Academy and the creator and host of the podcast Emerge – Making Sense of What's Next, where he explores meaning, responsibility, and human development in the age of automation and climate collapse, and the relationship between inner and outer transformation.

About Rufus Pollock

Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey.

Chapters

00:05 Personal growth, meditation, and systems change with a focus on alienation and finding meaning in life

06:48 Occupy Wall Street movement, Buddhist geeks, and hope, and power

18:02 Creating a modern monastery to address planetary crisis

27:18 Personal growth, breakthroughs, and the importance of faith and support

39:41 The importance of friendship in personal growth and spiritual development

47:19 Creating intentional communities for personal growth and service

59:07 How to help people stay in a community and work through conflicts

1:05:02 Commitment and transformation through structured programs

1:10:53 desires through inquiry, letting go of preferences and avoiding manipulation.

1:20:59 The nature of truth and goodness in a secular humanist society and its relationship to religion, culture, and personal transformation

1:31:27 Truth, meaning, and values in post-conventional society

A Conversation with Valerie Duvauchelle

Lauren Wigmore — Thu, 09 May 2024 23:51:41 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People Sylvie Barbier speaks with Valerie Duvauchelle on the transformative power of Zen and embodied practices. Valerie explains her personal journey as she navigates the complexities of cultural and generational trauma, exploring the profound impact Zen Buddhism had on her connection with self, others, and nature.

About Valerie Duvachelle

Alongside being a culinary adventurer, a food activist and a tenzo (a zen cook in the Soto Zen tradition), Valerie is the Guardian of Life Itself's daily practices at the Bergerac Praxis Hub. She enjoys sitting in the uncertainty and is passionate about helping communities to awaken their enthusiastic collective heart through shared practice. She lives life according to her mantra: together, together, all together!

About Sylvie Barbier

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.

Chapters

0:00 Using food as a transformative tool in the Zen tradition

5:58 Spiritual journey from France to Japan, finding Zen through meditation

11:45 Personal growth, trauma, and societal values

19:27 Personal growth, spirituality, and the transformative power of meditation

30:35 Embodied transformation and prioritizing full aliveness through shared practice and physical space

36:52 Faith and engagement in a group context

43:16 Spirituality, comfort, and safety

Simon Longstaff from cleaner to Director of the Ethics Centre

Rufus Pollock — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 14:41:26 GMT

In this episode of Ordinary People walking an extra-ordinary path podcast, Life Itself co-founder Sylvie Barbier is joined by Dr Simon Longstaff.

Dr Simon Longstaff is the Executive Director of The Ethics Centre, co-founder of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas, and has been named one of the True Leaders of the 21st century by Australian Financial Review BOSS magazine. He shares with us his journey into ethics, from the choice of his mother between the life of her child and her own, his path of working as a cleaner, to studying the law, to the influence the aboriginal people had on his life to his work of strengthening Australia’s ethical infrastructure. Ordinary People is a podcast series that delves into the lives of individuals who have defied societal expectations and embarked on extra-ordinary paths despite their seemingly ordinary backgrounds. Join us as we dive deep into their lives, uncovering their motivations, beliefs, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extra-ordinary journey.

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.

The Once Upon a Time podcast series, shatters the myth that extraordinary lives are reserved for a select few. Join us as we dive deep into the lives of seemingly ordinary people who are walking extra-ordinary paths, uncovering their motivations, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extraordinary journey.

If you found this conversation insightful please give it a like and consider subscribing to our channel. By doing so you will be helping us bring this necessary knowledge to a bigger audience. www.lifeitself.org

Jamie Bristow from the world of Corporate advertising to mindufulness in politics

Rufus Pollock — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 14:25:26 GMT

In this episode of the Ordinary Poeple walking an extra-ordinary path
Podcast, Life Itself Co-Founder Sylvie Barbier is joined by Jamie Bristow a leading expert on inner development and contemplative practices in public life.

Jamie talks about his journey from his troubling teenage years to teaching mindfulness to politicians. Jamie Bristow opens up about his troubling teenage years led by the dislocation and adaption of new cultures while their family moved between the UK and the USA. Exploring what led him to move away from his advertising career to being a mindfulness practitioner and teacher. Jamie’s life story highlights the importance of meditation, faith, and resilience in leading a mindful life.

About Jamie Bristow (2023)

Jamie Bristow is a leading expert on inner development and contemplative practices in public life.

For eight years, he was Director of the Mindfulness Initiative and clerk to the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mindfulness. In 2023, he joined the Inner Development Goals team to lead on public narrative & policy development. Jamie was formerly Business Development Director for Headspace and has a background in psychology, climate change campaign communications and advertising. A teacher of insight meditation, his mentors have included Rob Burbea, Stephen Batchelor and Christina Feldman.

Learn more about Jamie Bristow and his work here: https://www.jamiebristow.com/

About Sylvie Barbier

Sylvie Barbier is a French-Taiwanese performance artist, entrepreneur and educator. She co-founded Life Itself to build a wiser future through culture, space and community.

The Once Upon a Time podcast series, shatters the myth that extraordinary lives are reserved for a select few. Join us as we dive deep into the lives of seemingly ordinary people who are walking extra-ordinary paths, uncovering their motivations, practices, and moments of transformation. We demystify hero worship and share accessible narratives of real individuals who have transcended societal expectations and norms. Each guest delicately navigates the balance between introspection and worldly engagement. Listeners are offered empowerment, kinship and inspiration for embarking on their own extraordinary journey.