Off-the-Grid Biz Podcast

Episode 021. How do you gauge success? Are you positive regarding your future? Are you persistent? Scott Smith invented the "Earth 2 Earth Compost Pail" while still working full time in construction. He is now trying to spread the word of how important composting is, and how simple the process is using kitchen scraps and small garden trimmings. Though new to business, Scott's passion and drive will inspire you. Listen Now! Go to Scott's website for more - https://www.earth2earthcompostpail.com/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/   Full Transcript Scott: Met some very nice people had a great time. Did it really help my business? Time will tell. If you're a business, you need to get out there and meet your customers. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel.From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Scott Smith has been in the commercial construction industry for over 40 years building quality projects that have provided his customers years of trouble free use. That same pride and workmanship is exactly what's led him to inventing the Earth 2 Earth Compost Pail, hoping he can help every homeowner to compost and do their part to help the environment. Scott Smith welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Scott: Thank you. Brian: Hey, besides what we heard in your bio, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do. Scott: I'm a construction Superintendent by trade I've been in construction business all my life. Was raised to where you do a job right? Try to the best job you can, you know, get up early, go to work every day, try to earn your paycheck. And you take pride in what you do. Kind of how I live my life by you know, I mean, and if something's not done, right, tear it apart. You fix it. No, you make it right. You know what I mean, because if it don't work, what good is it? So that's kind of the idea behind Earth 2 Earth compost pail. I spent a couple years making them redesign them. So they work right so they're easy to use. So the handles are right, so it does what it's supposed to do. Trying to provide the average homeowner a product that is easy to use, affordable, and it does exactly what it's designed to do, you know help you compost all your organic organic kitchen scraps. Every person can do their part to try to help do a little bit to help the environment. Brian: Awesome. So what actually led you to building the compost pail? Scott: It started from a phone call. A friend of mine is a truck driver.

Episode 020. Have you used live events to promote your business, your book or your speaking career? Podcast Host Brian J. Pombo and Producer Sean E. Douglas attended the Mother Earth News Fair in Albany, Oregon from Saturday, August 3rd to Sunday, August 4th 2019. Located at the Linn County Fairgrounds, Brian and Sean give their reactions, thoughts and tips for attending and profiting off of shows and expositions like the Mother Earth News Fair. Listen now! Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ Full Transcript Brian: How many people do you think actually put their email address down off of that crowd from what you could tell Sean. Sean: If we're playing the game. So if you understand the 80/20 principle. 80 percent of the crowd was signing up for it, which pretty much blew me away, every single time I saw that. From my observation, I was definitely making note of that. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel.From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Alright, welcome back to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Today's episode is going to be quite a bit different because what we're doing instead of interviewing somebody from the outside, I have producer Sean E. Douglas with me. He also joined me in Albany, Oregon for the Mother Earth News Fair. And we're going to talk about our experiences there. First, we're going to go off of why we went. What made this one standout in our mind of something that we wanted to highlight on the show, and go to when it happened this year. And really, that comes back to an episode with Brad James from BeePods.com. He's the one that mentioned Mother Earth News Fair off of the podcast, we had a small conversation with him about how he got involved with them and was giving a speech at one of the other events. So that led us to look a little further into Mother Earth News Fair. We were very familiar with the magazine. And as we were looking into it, we noticed a number of speakers that had all the media capabilities. They had been on podcasts before many of them had, many of them had written books. And it was something that was interesting to us that we wanted to explore via the podcast. So in leading up to the actual fair itself, we decided to start emailing and calling some of these people and seeing if they'd be willing to be interviewed on the show. Sure enough, they did. As you may have heard up until now, and if you haven't, go back and listen, we had 11 episodes with a different interview on each episode, all from different backgrounds, some of them writers, some not. We produced them over a very short period of time in order to hit that deadline of the show itself. The last one that you may have heard with from Jereme Zimmerman was taken at the show itself. So you got to hear us on location and it was interesting,

Episode 019. Are you willing to break the barriers of your "comfort zone?" Is your natural personality holding you back? Were you made for employment or entrepreneurship? Jereme Zimmerman is a writer and traditional brewing revivalist who lives in Kentucky with his wife, Jenna, and daughters, Sadie and Maisie. In 2015 his book Make Mead Like A Viking was published, and became an unexpected hit! He followed that up with Brew Beer Like A Yeti in 2018. Our conversation with Jereme goes into his life as a freelance writer and how it has lead him (inadvertently) to publishing books, and giving public speeches about homebrewing and the history surrounding it. His story is interesting and inspiring - Listen Now! * Find out more about Jereme: http://www.jereme-zimmerman.com/ * Buy & Read his books: http://www.jereme-zimmerman.com/products-1?category=Books * Follow him on social media * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeremeZimmYeti/ * Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeremeZimm * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremezimm/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/   Full Transcript Jereme: I almost think I'm just kind of made to do this kind of thing. Same as when I was homeschooling I could I get up in the morning, my dad taught high school English, you'd get up really early, I get up with him do my work, I'd be done by 11 o'clock. Sometimes, the rest of the day I'd be playing in the woods, doing chores and stuff. And then when my school friends came home, they'd been set in school and I'm like, ready to go. So it's the idea of just being able to get up. And even though it can be daunting, sometimes at least I know, okay, well, here's a list of what needs to get done. I'll get as much done as I can and often do my chores now. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Jereme Zimmerman is a writer and traditional brewing revivalist who lives in Berea, Kentucky. He has been published in various magazines and websites and travels globally to speak on topics such as fermentation, natural and holistic homebrewing, modern homesteading and sustainable living. He is an avid fermenter and researches extensively into traditional fermentation practices in order to revive lost food arts, and to educate people on how to preserve food using traditional natural and healing ingredients and techniques. His first book Make Mead Like a Viking was published in 2015.

Episode 018. How close in proximity do you get to your customer base? What would you do if the world economy went bust? Are you connected with a local customer base, and can you survive independently? Michael Foley is a farmer, local food activist, and writer. He is the author of Farming for the Long Haul: Resilience and the Lost Art of Agricultural Inventiveness. He takes a historic look at farming, (with a global perspective) and discusses what he considers "good economics" especially regarding small farming. Are you a homesteader? Do you take it seriously, or is it just a fun hobby? Michael may give you a new perspective of what it means to be self-sustaining. Are you doing what you love in your business? Do you feel guilty for how EASY it is for you? I think you'll relate with Michael's story regarding writing and teaching. Listen now! * Find out more about Michael: https://www.anothermadfarmer.org/ * Find out more about Green Uprising Farms: https://greenuprisingfresh.wordpress.com/ * Find out more about the School of Adaptive Agriculture: https://www.school-of-adaptive-agriculture.org/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ Full Transcript Michael: That's something that I've emphasized. I work with a lot of young farmers both through the school and through farmers market and through something we created called, the Farmers Guild, that direct sales are really what you've got to do at least as part of your market, if your going to make it. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel.From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Michael Foley is a farmer, local food activist and writer. Formerly a political scientist, he now runs Green Uprising Farms in Willets, California with his wife and oldest daughter. He is also a co founder of the School of Adaptive Agriculture, a farmer training program and Willits. He is the author of Farming For the Long Haul - Resilience and the Lost Art of Agricultural Inventiveness. Michael, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Michael: Thanks, Brian. Thanks for having me. Brian: Yeah. Besides what we read out on your bio, what else can you tell us about yourself and let people know a little bit about who you are and what you do. Michael: I actually just stepped down as manager of the Willets Farmers Market, which I did for nine years. And that put me in touch with lots of local produce vendors and a few, a few meat producers and I to know the sort of alternative agricultural community. That doesn't mean bunch of hippies and liberals by any means, though.

Episode 017. How good is your customer service? Do you send REAL people to represent you at events and on podcasts? Chris White has helped customers with their irrigation needs across the United States as a Sales Representative with DripWorks. Drip irrigation can be a tricky business, and with lots of young people who are first-time gardeners, as well seasoned professionals looking to save water, Chris travels to shows like the Mother Earth News Fair to teach and help people overcome the mystic behind their product. With the economics and ecology behind water conservation, making every drop count matters now more than ever. How do you educate your customers? How easy do you make for brand new customers to test out and use your products? Chris represents his company well, and his perspective of the irrigation business is quite interesting. Listen now! Find out more about DripWorks: https://www.dripworks.com/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ Full Transcript Brain: We've got business owners and executives who listen to the show. Do you think that it would be worthwhile for them to plug into events like this, in the same way that DripWorks has been doing? Chris: Yeah, they're running 15,000 to 20,000 people to these shows, if people are paying to come to that show, which is important because they want to come and they want to learn, and they want to see what's out there. And that's one of the nice things about doing the show. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your Maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure life off the grid. Brian: Chris White has worked for DripWorks for five years, helping customers from all across the United States with their irrigation needs. He's worked with Master Gardener groups, local school farms, colleges and community and commercial farms, educating them on the importance of conserving water by using drip irrigation. DripWorks has been in business for almost 30 years and works hard to educate customers and communities on the importance of saving water through irrigation. Chris White, welcome to the off the grid biz podcast. Chris: Thanks for having me today, Brian. Brian: Yeah, happy to have you here. So besides what we heard about your bio, tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do for your course. Chris: Well, I work as the outside sales representative. You know, our main goal here at DripWorks is educating the public and our customers on the importance of knowing how to use our product either properly so last for years to come, but also educate him on important to saving water, conserving water and getting basic water where it needs to go. And as to the plants or trees, or vegetation that they're growing.

Episode 016. Are you selling physical products? Can you scale fast if necessary? Have you considered adding information, education and/or entertainment to your product line? Kirsten and Christopher Shockey had a farmer's market-based fermented edibles business (think sauerkraut) that was so popular and grew so fast that Whole Foods Market put in a massive order for their chain of stores! While many would think that was the beginning of a huge product empire, it actually forced them to rethink what they really wanted out of their business. Years later, they have transitioned to an information-based business, that provides entertaining books, courses and live-training all regard how to make fermented foods of all shapes, sizes, smells and colors. They have authored 3 great books: * Fermented Vegetables: Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes * Fiery Ferments: 70 Stimulating Recipes for Hot Sauces, Spicy Chutneys, Kimchis with Kick, and Other Blazing Fermented Condiments * Miso, Tempeh, Natto & Other Tasty Ferments: A Step-by-Step Guide to Fermenting Grains and Beans for Umami and Health Listen as we discuss their tragedies and triumphs in business, and presenting at shows like the Mother Earth News Fair. While, in certain spots, this episode is difficult to hear, we've provided a full transcript below. Listen & read now! Find out more about the Shockeys: http://ferment.works/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ AUDIO TRANSCRIPT: You're listening to the Off-the-Grid Biz Podcast. I'm Brian Pombo. I'm going to set the scene for you a little bit with this next interview. You see this all started when I was set to meet one-on-one with Kirsten and Christopher Shockey. This is kind of different because up until this point, I had not done any live interviews with anybody for this podcast. Everything had been done either by phone - we also do it by zoom, which is a digital communication similar to Skype and so being one-on-one, I thought I had all my equipment working properly. Sadly, I was wrong. After finishing up, I realized that my microphone was not fully plugged in to my recording device. What we ended up with was subpar audio. The conversation I had with the Shockey's was so interesting, was so revealing, that I found it necessary to get as much out of this audio as possible. What we ended up with is - there are some parts of the audio you may not be able to fully understand what the person's saying. So here's what I did to help resolve the problem: We attempted to get the audio to sound as best as we could and I've added in transcription where you can actually read what everybody is saying. If you would rather read it, go check out the description or go to offthegridbiz.com, and right in the post, you can read every word that is spoken in the podcast. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy this great conversation that I had with the Shockeys. Brian: Kirsten. Christopher, welcome to the Off the Grid Biz Podcast. Shockey's: Thank you. Glad to be here. Brian: So why don't you just let everyone know a little bit about who you are...

Episode 015. Do you take FULL advantage of events? Do you challenge yourself to meet new people and focus on new opportunities? Janice Cox is a leading DIY natural beauty and skin-care expert from Medford, Oregon. She is the author of several books including Natural Beauty from the Garden, Natural Beauty for All Seasons, and Natural Beauty at Home. She’s a member of the International Herb Association, the United States Lavender Growers Association, and the Herb Society of America. Janice brings an bright energy into everything she says and does. Her enthusiasm is contagious. Listen now! Find out more about Janice Cox: http://www.janicecox.com Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/   Full Transcript Janice: I think I said this to the fair director, the world would kind of be a better place if everybody acted like they do it Mother Earth News Fairs because you have all walks, all backgrounds. There's urban people, there's, you know, country people, but everybody gets together because they really do want to learn and share and grow ideas. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Janice Cox is an author and leading DIY natural beauty and skincare expert. She is a wife, mother and grandmother and loves creating her own bath and body products. She's also a freelance magazine writer and beauty editor for Herb Quarterly Magazine. Janice is a member of the International Herb Association, the United States lavender Growers Association, and the herb Society of America. She will be speaking at the remaining Mother Earth News Fairs for 2019 in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Kansas. Janice, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Janice: Thank you for having me. This is fun. Brian: Sure thing once you let everyone know besides what's in your bio, just tell us a little bit about who you are what you do? Janice: Well, I am kind of a DIY beauty. I've just always had a passion I grew up my dad was a farmer. My mom was a home mech major. So I kind of grew up in a DIY environment anyway. And I've just always had a passion for body care products. Now growing up, we lived out in the country, so I couldn't run and buy things. So we had to craft things. And I had to use what was on hand when I first started out, people really liked my recipes. Because you could save a lot of money, which you still can. Today, I've noticed that my message is kind of shifted, where it's people are really concerned with the products and the ingredients that they're using on their body. And so knowing what goes into even the commercial products that you're buying, because there's a lot of great products out there helps with your overall wellness. I mean,

Episode 014. Have you sold out to your profession? Is your passion contagious? Do you hire people who are great at what they do, but also LOVE doing it? Jessicka Nebesni is a Marketing Strategist for Mountain Rose Herbs in Eugene, Oregon. She manages a lot of the content than is produced through MRH's blog, and even writes some of the articles herself. She is a humble homesteader and herbal tinkerer who loves all things wild and natural! Jessicka loves to preserve food, make herbal preparations, garden, and spend time in the great outdoors. It's clear that Jessicka is enthusiastic about the natural health/sustainability lifestyle. Find out what drives her and what she'll be presenting in Albany, Oregon at the Mother Earth News Fair. "People want to see the face behind the brand. They want to have a personal experience. They want to have a conversation. They want to have advice from someone who knows." Listen now! Find out more about Mountain Rose Herbs: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/   Full Transcript Jessicka: I originally grew up in New Jersey, where I had a really rich cultural experience but not a lot of exposure to natural food, or any kind of homesteader kind of lifestyle. And I was really yearning to get back to the land and learn to be more self sufficient. So I did what any other 21 year olds would do. I quit my job. So got my things and packed up my car with my St. Bernard and my cat and whatever else with it, which wasn't much after them, and I headed to Northern California. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Jessicka Nebesni is the marketing strategist for Mountain Rose Herbs. She describes herself as a humble homesteader, who loves all things wild and natural. She loves to preserve food, make herbal preparations, garden and spend time in the great outdoors. Jessicka writes many blogs for Mountain Rose Herbs, featuring her experience with herbalism, natural food prep and body care recipes. She also helps to facilitate the partnership program and Mountain Rose Herbs and gains inspiration from all the amazing homemade goods made in their own homestead using herbs and spices. Jessicka, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Jessicka: Thank you so much for having me, Brian. Brian: Yeah, sure, let us know a little bit beyond the bio. Let us know a little bit about who you are and what you do for Mountian Rose Herbs. Jessicka: So I am one of the marketing strategist here at Mountain Rose Herbs. As you mentioned, I primarily work with bloggers who create DIY content, using our ingredients.

Episode 013. How do you handle adversity? Are you always worried that the worst-case scenario will occur? Can a bad health diagnosis ever lead to something good? Leah Webb is the creator of DeepRootedWellness.com and the author of The Grain-Free, Sugar-Free, Dairy-Free Family Cookbook: Simple and Delicious Recipes for Cooking with Whole Foods on a Restrictive Diet. When Leah's son Owen showed signs of food allergies and asthma, and then her daughter June was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease primarily affecting the lungs and pancreas, something major had to be done. Leah has always been passionate about health, but this lead her down an entirely new field of nutrition that completely changed her personal and professional life. “I no longer accept feeling powerless and defeated. I no longer accept the doctor’s word as the final say. I no longer accept that disease has to be terrible.” What if a slight change of perspective could change your health forever? Find out why Leah calls this situation a "gift from the darkness." Listen now! Find out more about Leah Webb: http://www.deeprootedwellness.com Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/   Full Transcript Leah: This was an opportunity that fell in my lap. And I talked about that a little bit in the book. I call it a gift from the darkness, because we did end up with some tough circumstances. It's the idea that when you open the door to allow the light to come in that there can be gifts that you get from these dark circumstances. And I truly believe that this book was one of such opportunities for me. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Leah Webb mph obtained her health coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. After earning a bachelor in Science degree in environmental biology from Appalachian State University and a Master of Public Health degree in environmental health sciences from Georgia Southern University. She's worked in nutrition and gardening education since 2009, with a focus on engaging children and healthy eating habits, experiential learning and discovery, Leah started and runs the deep rooted wellness blog on which she posts stories and tips regarding nutrition, gardening and healthy families. She lives in the mountains of North Carolina with her husband TC and her two children Owen and June. Owen has a life threatening anaphylaxis allergy to wheat and June has cystic fibrosis a genetic disease severely impacted in the lungs and pancreas. Leah is the author of the grain free, sugar free dairy free family cookbook a comprehensive guide for ...

Episode 012. What do you want out of life? Distilled down to its simplest form, what would your ideal lifestyle TRULY be? Gary Collins has lived a wild and unique life. He's worked in military intelligence, in the U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service, in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He has taught at the University College level, consulted and trained college level athletes, and been interviewed for his expertise on various subjects by CBS Sports, Coast to Coast AM, The RT Network, and FOX News to name a few. He now lives off-the-grid part of the year in a remote area of northeast Washington State, and the other part of year exploring in his travel trailer with his trusty black lab Barney. Gary is the writer of the best selling Living Off The Grid and The Simple Life book series. His books blow the lid off of conventional life and wellness expectations. “Today we’re bombarded by too much stress, not enough time for personal fulfillment, and failing to take care of our health… there has to be a better way!” How can you run your business while living the most fulfilling life possible? Listen now! Find out more about Gary Collins: https://www.thesimplelifenow.com Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ Full Transcript Gary: What I'm teaching is not the norm, challenging. It's challenging in the sense that it's more that you have to look inside yourself and go, okay, am I happy? The statistics say that Americans are not happy. They're not living the life they want to live. I was one of those people. And I finally said enough of this. I'm tired of it. I'm going to do something about it. And I did what I did. It isn't it perfect for everyone. I just tell you my story. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure life off the grid. Brian: Gary Collins has a very interesting and unique background and includes military intelligence special agent for the US State Department Diplomatic Security Service, US Department of Health and Human Services, and US Food and Drug Administration. Collins's background and expert knowledge brings a much needed perspective to today's areas of simple living, health, nutrition, entrepreneurship, self help and be more self reliant. He holds an AAS degree in exercise science, BS in criminal justice and MS in forensic science. Gary was raised in the high desert at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in a rural part of California. He now lives off the grid part of the year in a remote area of Northeast Washington state and the other part of the year exploring in his travel trailer with hi...

Episode 011. Do you truly love what you do as a business? Is your passion so clear to others that it's undeniable? Andy Brennan is truly passionate about his craft and trade. Andy is the founder and owner of Aaron Burr Cider and author of Uncultivated: Wild Apples, Real Cider, and the Complicated Art of Making a Living. A life-long artist, Andy did not set out to be a wild apple cidermaker (though always intrigued by the fruit), a writer nor a speaker. His publisher, Chelsea Green Publishing, were able to seduce him to attend and speak at the Mother Earth News Fair being held in Albany, Oregon. Due to his interest in visiting Oregon, (he admits a desire to interview some Pacific coast trees) he unknowingly was set on a direct course to be interviewed by Brian J. Pombo for the Off-the-Grid Biz Podcast. How does a struggling artist end up becoming an apple farmer? How does he stand out in the growing and crowded cider market? The way Andy mixes his business with his philosophy, while continuing an uncompromising life is instructive and liberating to any searching or struggling entrepreneur. Listen now! Find out more about Andy Brennan: http://aaronburrcider.com/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/   Full Transcript Brian: Have you found any way around that yourself? Andy: For sure. The best solution is always to build intimate relationships with customers which ask questions and you know, certainly large companies, they don't have the time or the inclination to have one on one relationships with their customers. Even though I said I'm an introvert, I can't hide from the fact that bonding with my customers is the only thing that that's going to save, I think people like me from actually becoming road kill to bigger, faster and cheaper. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your Maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure life off the grid. Brian: A homestead farmer who began making cider in 2007 from wild apples. After rising to national prominence with his cider company, Aaron Burr Cider. He wrote a book Uncultivated, which just came out. Andy Brennan, welcome to The Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Andy: Thank you. It's great to be talking to you, it's an honor. Brian: Yeah. So, who are you, and just let us know a little about what you do? Andy: My name is Andy Brennan and I am a homestead farmer, Apple farmer and cider maker. The town of Wurtsboro, New York,

Episode 010. Do you have a cause that motivates you? Is the work in your business related directly to that cause? Frank Hyman is the business owner, speaker, teacher, columnist and author of Hentopia: Create a Hassle-Free Habitat for Happy Chickens. Though he wasn't planning on owning chickens, his wife really wanted to get them. He agreed, but only if they could be left during his 2-week vacations. That adventure, lead to columns about developing chicken habitat, and then this book! How does he combine his passion for help the disadvantaged, with speaking at events like the Mother Earth News Fair and writing columns and books? When you hear Frank's inspiring story, you'll realize how ANYONE can do the same. Listen now! Find out more about Frank Hyman: http://www.hentopiacoops.com/ Buy Hentopia: https://www.storey.com/books/hentopia/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company: http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ Full Transcripts Frank: One of my rules of public speaking is that I mean, it's important that I give people what they want. But my premier rule is that I need to be having a good time. I'm getting to tell the stories I want to tell, and I'm getting to make jokes and make people laugh. And that makes me happy. So that's my priority. And I figured, hey, if I'm having a good time than the audience will have a good time. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman.We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure, life off the grid. Brian: Frank Hyman is a carpenter, stonemason and welder, who has farm, garden and house construction experience, on two continents for over 40 years. He was a double major in design and horticulture from NCSU. Frank believes in happy wife happy life. So when his wife Chris wanted chickens, he knew they would have chickens, but also wanted to be able to go on two week vacations. He wrote a column about it, how he achieved both goals for chickens magazine, and the columns became the book, Hentopia, create a hassle free habitat for happy chickens, 21 innovative projects. Hopefully we can get Frank to tell us about it. Frank's writing appears in The New York Times, Organic Gardening, Hobby Farms, Modern Farmer as well as Chickens Magazine, and CommunityChickens.com. He's been without a day job since 1992. When he first put together a plan to make a living from his hobbies. He launched an award winning garden design plant build business cottage garden landscaping, which is located in Durham, North Carolina. Frank Hyman, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Frank: Thank you for having me, Brian. Glad to be here. Brian: Yeah.

Episode 009. Are you an expert in your field? Do you speak publicly? Do you write articles and books? Do you teach your skills and knowledge? Deborah Niemann of Thrifty Homesteader is an author, speaker and successful homesteader. She's written several books including Homegrown and Handmade, Ecothrifty, and Raising Goats Naturally. Though she didn't grow up on a farm, she has become a leading homesteading expert. She can tell you about raising chickens, dairy, pork, goats, and so many more topics. Her thirst for practical knowledge is evident after just a few minutes of conversation with our host Brian J. Pombo. What does it take to be an world-renowned expert? Deborah's journey through life, and her ability to take advantage of opportunities around her is motivating and instructional. Listen now! Find out more about Deborah Niemann: https://thriftyhomesteader.com/ Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company:http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ Full Transcript Deorah: Raising goats naturally basically means you are letting the moms raise the babies. To me, that's the cornerstone of everything. You know, I saw something the other day online that said 10 things you must have in your goat medicine cabinet. And I'm thinking, Oh my gosh, if you think you have to have 10 things in your medicine cabinet, you're doing something wrong. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your Maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap.This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure life off the grid. Brian: Deborah Nieman is a homesteader, writer and self sufficiency expert. In 2002 she moved her family from Chicago suburbs to a 32 acre parcel on a creek in the middle of nowhere. Together they started raising goats, sheep, cattle, pigs and poultry to provide 100% of their meat and eggs. They have a garden and fruit trees for fresh produce, and they make their own sweeteners with a little help from these and maple trees. She's authored several books including,Homegrown & Handmade, Eco Thrifty and Raising Goats Naturally. She's currently at work on her sixth book. If all that wasn't enough, Deborah puts on workshops across the United States and Canada. She's presented at the Mother Earth News Fairs in North Carolina and Maryland. And you'll be able to see her at the upcoming fairs in Oregon, Pennsylvania and Kansas. Deborah Nieman, welcome to the Off The Grid Biz Podcast. Deborah: Thank you very much. It's great to be here today. Brian: It's great to have you. Besides what we heard about in your bio, tell us a little more about who you are and what you do? Deborah: Well Usually the first question people ask when they meet me is did you grow up on a farm?

Episode 008. How do you use events in your industry? Do you interact with your customers (and potential customers) in-person? Can they experience your products or services in the real-world before purchasing them? Andrew Perkins is the Events & Business Development Director for Ogden Publications. They publish the legendary self-reliance periodical Mother Earth News. He is one of the main people behind developing the Mother Earth News Fair in 2010, which is a live representation of the magazine. They have grown out the Fairs to six annual shows, spread throughout the continental United States. Though he started out in the field of journalism, Andrew found himself in the Ad Sales Department and eventually handling large-scale events. We are talking with him about that journey, and what people can expect to find at a Mother Earth News Fair. Can you profit from using events in your business? You'll be surprised to find out how, as well as other incredible tid-bits in this first episode of our mini-series about the Mother Earth News Fair of 2019. Listen now! To find out more about the Mother Earth News Fair go to: http://motherearthnewsfair.com Find out the business events secrets for growing and strengthening ANY company:http://brianjpombo.com/secrets/ Full Transcript Brian: All right. This is the first in a full on series of episodes that we're going to be doing here at the podcast, all about the Mother Earth News Fair's. So what are the mother earth news fairs? This all stems back from the legendary magazine Mother Earth News. If you don't know much about Mother Earth News, you should go and check it out if you go to their website and their about section. Here's a quick synopsis. They're the most popular and long running sustainable lifestyle magazine. Mother earth News provides wide ranging expert editorial coverage of organic foods, country living, green transportation, renewable energy, natural health and green building, lively, insightful, and on the cutting edge. Mother Earth News is the definitive read for the growing number of Americans who choose wisely and live well. So the Mother Earth News Fair, is like a live presentation of this magazine and their snippet off motherearthnewsfair.com website says, the fair is your passport to money saving hacks, health boosting remedies and environmental strategies from leading experts and entrepreneurs around the country. In addition to presentations and hands on workshops, you will encounter a vast marketplace of bounding with innovative resources and products to enrich your life. We even host book signings featuring some of our favorite authors who are available to field questions and hear your stories one-on-one. It's also an ideal destination to meet and network with likeminded enthusiasts from across an array of fields from natural health and beauty to homesteading for profit and beyond. Admission for children is free and there are plenty of youth oriented activities including live animals. With our growing emphasis on interactive programming. You can learn new skill sets live and onsite more than ever before that Mother Earth News Fair is truly an immersive experience where the magazine comes to life.

Episode 007. Who is your tribe? Which customers represent your products perfectly? Do you show appreciation for them? Do you try to duplicate their success? Jake Daly is the CEO of Tiny Life Supply, and they treat their best customers like royalty. They are not stopping there. Jake is out to find every person who is interested in the scaled-down, minimalist lifestyle and offer them products that can build and transform their homes. With only three years behind him, Jake has learned a ton about business management and not sweating the small stuff. Well worth a listen! To find out more about Tiny Life Supply's fine products:United States: https://tinylifesupply.com Canada: https://tinylifesupply.ca/ Find out how you can transform your successful company into your Dream Business: http://brianjpombo.com/dreambiz/ Full Transcript Jake: We'd get all these calls from broke hippies saying like, you know, I'm working on this crazy thing. Can you give me a free toilet? Can you give me a free stove? Can you give me a free this? Can I how much of a discount can I get on this? And I looked at Axel and I'm like, why have we made a business where our target market is broke Hippies? Like we should, we should open a jewelry store. You know, let's sell diamonds to people. But then not long after that, it kind of struck me. I was looking in the mirror and the face looking back at me. It's a broke hippie. I am a broke hippie. Podcast Intro: If you're someone who refuses to go along to get along, if you question whether the status quo was good enough for you and your family. If you want to leave this world better off than you found it and you consider independence a sacred thing. You may be a prepper, a gardener, a homesteader, a survivalist, or a farmer or rancher, an environmentalist or a rugged outdoorsman. We are here to celebrate you whether you're looking to improve your Maverick business or to find out more about the latest products and services available to the weekend rebel. From selling chicken eggs online, to building up your food storage or collecting handmade soap. This show is for those who choose the road less traveled the road to self-reliance for those that are living a daring adventure life off the grid. Brian: Jake Daily is the director of marketing and founding partner at Tiny Life Supply, which is an online store and information hub that supplies everything necessary to build a maintain your own tiny dream home. He lives and works in his hometown of Smithers, British Columbia. Oversees all aspects of marketing, brand management and business development for Tiny Life Supply. In 2017, Jake co-founded Canadian tech startup proximity app. Prior to his work in tech, Jake founded and manage equilibrium contracting and has also contributed to business growth in a variety of managerial roles. Companies such as Backwoods Contracting, Caldera House, and Canadian National Railway. As a volunteer,