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Freedom and fulfillment aren’t measured in square footage; they’re shaped by how we live and what we value. In this episode of Next Economy Now, we welcome Jewel Pearson, a tiny house expert, intentional living advocate, and longtime voice for representation in the tiny house movement. With over ten years of experience living in a tiny house, Jewel brings lived experience and deep expertise as a consultant, educator, and speaker. She challenges traditional ideas of housing and wealth building, helping people design homes and lifestyles rooted in sustainability, equity, and community.
Jewel shares her journey from building her own tiny house in 2015 to becoming a “lifestyle architect,” guiding others toward intentional living. She reflects on the personal transformation that came with downsizing, from letting go of possessions to finding clarity, alignment, and liberation. The conversation explores the challenges of navigating zoning restrictions, racism, and isolation as a Black woman in the movement, and how those experiences deepened her commitment to building inclusive, resilient communities. Jewel also highlights the growing momentum for tiny house legalization and the need for municipalities to embrace creative housing solutions.
Tune in to hear how Jewel is reimagining tiny homes as infrastructure for systemic change and inspiring others to create housing solutions rooted in care, sustainability, and community!
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Key Points From This Episode:
An introduction to Jewel and how she became part of the tiny house movement. [0:00:27]
Tiny house living as a non-traditional retirement plan. [0:05:03]
Downsizing as a path to clarity, alignment, and liberation. [0:07:10]
Confronting zoning barriers, racism in RV parks, and early isolation as a Black woman in the movement. [0:09:34]
Hopeful signs from cities embracing tiny house legalization on the West Coast. [0:16:03]
Jewel’s story of personal transformation: living lighter and traveling with less. [0:18:54]
Encouraging others to build homes that work for them, not follow rigid norms. [0:22:28]
How the pandemic inspired more people to seek autonomy and new models. [0:28:18]
Jewel’s vision for intentional communities and collective care systems. [0:31:30]
Her dream project: creating a physical tiny house community. [0:33:43]
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Quotes:
“It's really so much more than just about the house. It's about clarity. It's about alignment. For me, it's been about liberation, and that has been a major shift from how I started initially, to where I am right now, in the work that I do right now. My house changed me.” — Jewel Pearson [0:08:29]
“I've twice had to move my house because of issues with racism.” — Jewel Pearson [0:12:26]
“I've always said I imagined my tiny house journey as living a lighter, freer lifestyle.” — Jewel Pearson [0:19:50]
“My dream right now — is to build this community, a physical, tiny house community. — I feel like that's my legacy in the movement.” — Jewel Pearson [0:33:55]
“The ways that we've existed thus far haven't been working. It leaves so many people out of the conversation, and it purposely leaves people out, and criminalizes people, and we deserve so much better.” — Jewel Pearson [0:35:35]
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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Jewel Pearson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msjdpearson/
The Bohemian Brand LLC: https://www.thebohemianbrand.com/
Tiny House Trailblazers: https://www.tinyhousetrailblazers.com/
The Next Egg - A Next Economy Approach To Retirement: https://www.lifteconomy.com/the-next-egg
Erin Axelrod on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinaxelrod/
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