Building Community Sufficiency at Melliodora (w/ Su Dennett)

Next Economy Now is a weekly social impact podcast sharing stories & dialogue from the front lines of the new economy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts.

What would change if we treated the household as a living economy, not just a place to rest between workdays? Su Dennett, permaculture elder and local food pioneer, joins Erin Axelrod to explore how daily life can foster resilience, care, and cultural change. Su lives at Melliodora, the internationally recognized permaculture demonstration site in Central Victoria, Australia, with her partner, permaculture co-originator David Holmgren.

In their conversation, Su discusses what it was like growing up with a self-sufficiency mindset, living in food-conscious cultures in Greece and Italy, and eventually helping shape life at Melliodora. She shares how tending goats, growing food, preparing meals, managing household systems, and building exchange-based relationships have informed her understanding of what it means to live well outside systematic norms.

They explore the difference between self-sufficiency and community sufficiency, and how local food networks and direct relationships with growers can help people rely less on fragile systems. Su also talks about raising children close to the land, reclaiming domestic work from the monetary economy, building health through daily routines, and learning to set boundaries in a community.

Tune in to challenge your ideas about household economics, interdependence, parenting, and the simple yet necessary act of getting back in the dirt.

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What You’ll Learn:

• Learn how Su’s early life shaped her connection to food, land, and self-sufficiency. [0:02:08]

• Explore how Melliodora’s household economy works through food, animals, and exchange-based living. [0:08:15]

• Discover how Su attracted people to Melliodora and introduced them to shared permaculture living. [0:13:50]

• Hear Su’s views on retirement and preventative health care, and why she thinks individual agency can drive systemic transformation. [0:17:33]

• Unpack Su’s philosophy around parenting, resilience, nature, and learning through daily immersion. [0:30:28]

• Understand how she approaches task prioritisation, delegation, boundaries, conflict, and emotional learning in a shared community. [0:45:23]

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Memorable Quotations:

“When you live and work together a lot in a partnership, then you need to have separate domains.” — Su Dennett [0:08:16]

“You don’t need to be self-sufficient, you need to be community efficient.” — Su Dennett [0:11:00]

“Living out of the cities, I think, is such a luxury. And living close to the dirt where you do get your immune boost.” — Su Dennett [0:24:23]

“That’s in general, in life, you don’t rely on anything that you do for yourself. Everything has to be given out to a professional.” — Su Dennett [0:26:28]

“The systemic transformation must always come after the individual transformation.” — Su Dennett [0:27:17]

“We’ve got to take things back into the non-monetary economy.” — Su Dennett [0:39:35]

“Enjoy [the] journey and make sure you’re out in the dirt.” — Su Dennett [0:55:48]

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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Su Dennett – Website: https://holmgren.com.au/about-holmgren-permaculture-design/

Melliodora – Website: https://melliodora.com/

RetroSuburbia – Book Link: https://retrosuburbia.com/book/

Artist as Family – Website: https://artistasfamily.is/

If Women Counted: A New Feminist Economics – Book Link: https://www.marilynwaring.com/publications/if-women-counted.asp

Radical Homemakers – Book Link: https://www.abebooks.com/9780979439117/Radical-Homemakers-Reclaiming-Domesticity-Consumer-0979439116/plp

Explore More from LIFT Economy:

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Stay connected with the LIFT Economy team for more conversations and resources on building an economy that works for all life:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifteconomy/

One Precious Life, One Sustainable Economy (w/Dror Yaron)

Next Economy Now is a weekly social impact podcast sharing stories & dialogue from the front lines of the new economy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts.

What if there were a way you could make a difference in the world and be successful financially? Today on Next Economy Now, we welcome Dror Yaron, a purpose-driven life and leadership coach who helps overwhelmed business leaders by rebuilding and reenergizing his community, while also facilitating conversations about humanizing business and practical ethics. Dror shares his career journey from the Israeli military to ethics coach and tells us why, for him, his focus has always been on ‘the people’ and supporting their ‘precious lives’. 

This conversation explores Dror’s vision for an ecosystem of leaders committed to building a sustainable world through business. We reflect on Social Venture Network’s mission and initiatives committed to sustainability and touch on how Dror supports his clients in reclaiming their joy and sense of purpose in order to thrive both personally and professionally. He shares his thoughts on the role of ethics in technology and the power of prioritizing the thriving of life and human happiness. 

Dror also delves into why he believes that business leaders can make good money and do a lot of good in the world before discussing some of the biggest ethics issues he is tackling. Listen in for a fascinating discussion about the power of finding joy in work, the importance of prioritizing sustainability, and how leaders can live good lives and make a difference at the same time.  

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What You’ll Learn:

• Discover what Social Venture Network does, its evolution, and the role Dror plays in it. [0:10:50]

• Learn about Social Venture Network’s Peer Circles initiative and new groups they’re starting. [0:15:38]

• Explore the ecosystem Dror is trying to build in the world of purpose-driven business. [0:19:30]

• Understand how our guest is helping leaders reclaim their joy and purpose. [0:23:09]

• Unpack Dror’s opinion on the role of ethics in technology in the future. [0:25:57]

• Examine some of the ethical issues at the forefront of Dror’s mind and how he is confronting them. [0:29:20]

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Memorable Quotations:

“I want to help people succeed [in] a purpose-driven business.” — Dror Yaron [0:18:27]

“I hold space, and I give permission. That’s my job as a coach.” — Dror Yaron [0:19:40]

“[Business] is there to make a living. It is also there to solve problems for people, which a lot of us forget.” — Dror Yaron [0:25:45]

“You can do good in the world and make a lot of money.” — Dror Yaron [0:28:56]

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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dror Yaron – Website: https://ethics.coach/ 

Dror Yaron – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/droryaron/ 

Dror Yaron – Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dror04/ 

Ethics MVP Framework for startups cohorts: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10Atv_ZWx1ui0rOUIpBUUjyiJOYln8czX/view

Zebras Unite: https://zebrasunite.coop/ 

Opportunity Collaboration: https://ocimpact.com/ 

Social Ventures Institute: https://www.socialventuresfoundation.org/institute 

Socia Venture Network: https://www.svn.org/

SVN Global Gathering: https://www.svngathering.org/

Explore More from LIFT Economy:

Subscribe to Next Economy Now wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-economy-now-for-the-benefit-of-all-life/id1074584017

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36p6xgHCr8BY9jZyIaQPYB

YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Lifteconomy

Stay connected with the LIFT Economy team for more conversations and resources on building an economy that works for all life:

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Next Economy MBA: https://lifteconomy.com/mba

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifteconomy/

Building a Functional Society Through Restorative Justice (w/ Gerald Partridge)

Next Economy Now is a weekly social impact podcast sharing stories & dialogue from the front lines of the new economy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or wherever you find your podcasts.

Can you imagine the kind of healing and reconciliation that could be possible in society if Restorative Justice were used as an alternative to traditional criminal justice? Gerald Partridge joins us today to explore the power and value of Restorative Justice in building a civilized society. Gerald is a retired career prosecutor who has used Restorative Justice throughout his career to solve sensitive and complex criminal cases. Justice has always been important to Gerald, and when he discovered Restorative Justice, he knew it was the best way forward for society. 

In this conversation, Phoenix and Gerald discuss the “bad fruit” being produced by the traditional criminal justice system, how Restorative Justice fills the gaps that system creates, exactly how the process works, why victims want to participate in this process, the benefits of reconciliation, and more. Gerald goes on to break down the three questions that make up a Restorative Justice conference before discussing how listeners can learn more about Restorative Justice and what we can do to support this reformative system. 

Finally, our guest shares some real-life instances where Restorative Justice has transformed lives. If you want to hear all this and learn how Restorative Justice changes the “us versus them” narrative into a sense of unity among people, be sure to press play now. 

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What You’ll Learn:

• Discover the issues Restorative Justice addresses that traditional criminal justice ignores. [0:05:35] 

• Learn how the Restorative Justice system works, step-by-step, and why victims of crime participate. [0:12:46]

• Explore the three questions that make up the Restorative Justice conference. [0:33:59]

• Hear about how you can get involved in supporting the Restorative Justice system. [0:40:19]

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Memorable Quotations:

“If you’re going to build a civilization and a society, Restorative Justice really should be the cornerstone.” — Gerald Partridge [0:05:05]

“The criminal justice system is, ‘Nail them, jail them. You do the crime, you do the time, you get what you deserve,’ and Restorative Justice does it better.” — Gerald Partridge [0:11:09]

“When you give people the opportunity to be human beings, sometimes, they really are.” — Gerald Partridge [0:30:07]

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Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Sign up for Gerald Partridge’s Webinar – One Giant Leap for Criminal Justice Reform: https://one-giant-leap-for-criminal-justice.mailchimpsites.com/ 

Gerald Partridge – Email Address: [email protected]

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Explore More from LIFT Economy:

Phoenix Soleil – Website: https://www.phoenixsoleil.com/ 

Phoenix Soleil – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phoenix-soleil-68b4431/ 

Subscribe to Next Economy Now wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-economy-now-for-the-benefit-of-all-life/id1074584017

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36p6xgHCr8BY9jZyIaQPYB

YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Lifteconomy

Stay connected with the LIFT Economy team for more conversations and resources on building an economy that works for all life:

Newsletter: https://lifteconomy.com/newsletter

Next Economy MBA: https://lifteconomy.com/mba

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifteconomy/

Raising Collaborative Children in a Fragmented Economy (w/ Dr. Lucía Alcalá)

Many parents feel pressure to manage children through packed schedules, constant supervision, and endless activities. In this episode of Next Economy Now, Erin Axelrod speaks with Dr. Lucía Alcalá, a professor of psychology at California State University Fullerton who studies the relationship between cultural values and children’s cognitive and social development. Drawing on her own background and cross-cultural research, Dr. Alcalá offers a grounded perspective on how children learn through participation, not isolation.

Dr. Alcalá shares insights from Indigenous communities in Mexico, where children are woven into daily family and community life. She describes how children develop autonomy, collaboration, and purpose by contributing to real work from a young age. The discussion contrasts this with Western, middle-class norms that often rely on transactional chores, overscheduling, and screens, limiting opportunities for agency, emotional regulation, and intrinsic motivation.

As the conversation unfolds, they unpack how parenting becomes an economic issue. Erin and Dr. Alcalá explore how reciprocity, unstructured time, and shared responsibility can reduce pressure on families while building skills children need in a changing economy. Tune in to hear how rethinking childhood can help reimagine the next economy.

What You’ll Learn:

• Explore how Indigenous communities in Mexico integrate children into family and community work from an early age. [0:03:54]

• Learn how developmental skills and intrinsic motivation grow through participation, not overscheduling or transactional relationships. [0:10:08]

• Discover how reciprocity and gift-economy relationships foster belonging and contribution across families and communities. [0:19:15]

• Reimagine childhood participation to foster shared responsibility, community care, and social resilience. [0:22:42]

• Explore how screens and overscheduling reduce participation, while unstructured time builds regulation, intrinsic motivation, and adaptability. [0:32:41]

• Recognize the shared goal across cultures: helping children live safe, happy, and fulfilling lives [0:43:50]

Memorable Quotations:

“We have siloed children into child-focused activities that are managed and created by adults for children’s consumption.” — Lucía Alcalá [0:04:45]

“When children are integrated early on into the fabric of the family and the complex social fabric of the community. They start to have opportunities to observe others working together.” — Lucía Alcalá [0:10:57]

“That sense of belonging to a group [in indigenous communities] is very different than this contractual relationship that we often see in middle-class families.” — Lucía Alcalá [0:17:37]

“All parents that I have talked to in my multiple studies, regardless of background, share the same overarching goal. They want their children to be happy and to lead safe, fulfilling lives.” — Lucía Alcalá [0:44:33]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Lucía Alcalá – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dra-lucia-alcala/

Dr. Lucía Alcalá – Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dAyNLTYAAAAJ&hl=en

Research Papers: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yYFAl1ZuMur64iNx839_ApWGS36NJ3Ww?usp=sharing

Erin Axelrod – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinaxelrod/

Subscribe to Next Economy Now wherever you get your podcasts:

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/next-economy-now-for-the-benefit-of-all-life/id1074584017

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/36p6xgHCr8BY9jZyIaQPYB

YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/Lifteconomy

Stay connected with the LIFT Economy team for more conversations and resources on building an economy that works for all life:

Newsletter: https://lifteconomy.com/newsletter

Next Economy MBA: https://lifteconomy.com/mba

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lifteconomy/

Earth, War, and the Path Toward Regeneration (w/ Zainab Salbi)

When it comes to the protection of Mother Earth, no positive contribution is too small, and we are all responsible for doing our part. In this episode of Next Economy Now, Zainab Salbi joins us to discuss the impact women have in major global crises and how her organization, Daughters for Earth, is pioneering this action. With a background rooted in conflict and war and being raised by a strong mother, Zainab was inspired from an early age to make a career out of women’s rights. 

Zainab explains what the mission of Daughters for Earth is, why environmental activists have a responsibility to speak out against war, why women are already empowered in their protection of the Earth, what support they need, and more. We delve into the beautiful African fable that inspired Daughters for Earth’s Hummingbird Effect before Zainab tells us about the momentum in her work and what their focus is on in the near future. She even challenges the mainstream principles of business and, finally, how we can become hummingbirds.  

This episode will inspire you to question what it means to protect the natural world and how you can show up to make an impact, no matter how big or small. Tune in to hear how you can join the Hummingbird Effect and support women fighting climate change.

Key Points From This Episode:

• How encountering injustice in her childhood in Iraq inspired Zainab to make a career out of women’s rights. [0:01:46]

• Zainab shares how Daughters for Earth was created and the essence of the organization. [0:06:22]

• Our guest discusses the war in Gaza and why environmental activists have to condemn war. [0:12:36]

• What women really need to protect Mother Earth (and why it doesn’t include empowerment). [0:17:08]

• Zainab tells us about the Hummingbird Effect and the beautiful African story it comes from. [0:18:36]

• How people have responded to this work, how it’s evolved over the years, and Zainab’s mission to prove the effectiveness of women’s work. [0:22:42]

• Zainab challenges the principles of the mainstream business economy and shares what’s important to her with regards to outcome. [0:25:54]

• What kind of support Zainab and Daughters for Earth needs right now and how listeners can help. [0:29:36]

Quotes:

“No crisis can be solved without the inclusion of women, and [climate change and loss of biodiversity] is the mother of all crises.” — @ZainabSalbi [0:08:30]

“If we are pro-Earth, then we cannot be pro-any war. Any war whatsoever!” — @ZainabSalbi [0:15:21]

“When it comes to the protection of Earth or nature,  – women do not need to be empowered. I actually really reject that notion. When it comes to the protection of Mother Earth, women are in their full power.” — @ZainabSalbi [0:17:19]

“Never underestimate the power of the individual and never underestimate what we each can do in our community.” — @ZainabSalbi [0:21:25]

“The cause, the Earth, nature, does not require us to self-sacrifice. So, we need to act out of fullness of ourselves and out of integrity of ourselves.” — @ZainabSalbi [0:31:23]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Zainab Salbi — https://zainabsalbi.com/

Zainab Salbi on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/zainab-salbi-67a20411/ 

Zainab Salbi on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/zainabsalbi/

Zainab Salbi on X — https://x.com/ZainabSalbi

Daughters for Earth — https://daughtersforearth.org/ 

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