The Slow Home Podcast With Brooke Mcalary

Unbelievable though it may seem, today's episode is the final poggie of Season 3. (Time flies when you're having fun!)  Before Brooke and Ben get in to today's episode and the outstanding listener questions that have been submitted throughout the season, they begin on a bittersweet note as they bid a very fond farewell to two Slow Home team members.  Once they wipe away their tears and (literally) play Steph and Ryan off in to the sunset, Brooke and Ben dive head-first in to some terrific listener questions. These include:   Apart from people, what do you most miss about Canada and the US? And what are you most glad to have in Australia? Is it easier to live slower in Australia or in the US/Canada? What are you finding challenging in regards to slow living, and what are you doing in response? What area did you decide to buy and live in, and why did you chose that area? Were you ever nervous about not being close to the city, not being close to family and instead living in a rural area?

This season has been an exploration of slow living through a variety of different lenses, looking at what constitutes ‘slow’ from new perspectives. Today’s episode, the second-last of the season, is no different as Brooke chats with author and Japanologist Beth Kempton about slow living through the lens of Japanese culture. Or more specifically, through the lens of wabi sabi. Complex to define, wabi sabi is an exploration of acceptance and contentment. An acknowledgement of the true nature of life and as such is a really powerful way of shifting our worldview. Beth introduces Brooke to this complex nature of wabi sabi and they discuss how the idea of perfect imperfection can impact the way we purchase and consume things, the way we connect with people and the environment around us, and how it’s a welcome respite in a world that calls us to constant comparison and competition. They discuss whether wabi sabi, or any personal philosophy really, has the power to change the world as well as

You may know by now that the fashion industry is one of the leading planet polluters,  and you also may know that fast fashion (cheap, poorly made fashion that's created for very short-term wear) is a huge part of the problem.  One of the best solutions is to start buying second-hand clothes, but if you're a little clueless about how to start thrifting or if you feel intimidated every time you step in to a vintage store, this episode is for you.  Brooke chats with Emily Stochl, a passionate thrift shopper who has the best advice on how to get started, how to make sure your bargain is money well spent and why it's important to take it slow when thrifting.  Emily also talks about the rise of 'eco fashion' on the high street and why we need to be cautious of greenwashing in the fashion industry, and shares why second-hand shopping is one of the most effective, fun, self-expressive ways to lower our personal carbon footprint.  Questions featured in this episode:  What's your primary

Often on the podcast we dance around the topic of technology - usually viewing it as something that gets in the way of our efforts to slow down and live a more mindful, sustainable life. But what if we embraced technology and viewed it as the greatest opportunity we have to change (or maybe even save) the world? In this week’s episode Brooke chats with Katie Patrick, an environmental engineer and designer who applies data-driven, gamification, and behaviour-change techniques to solve the world’s environmental problems. Katie brings with her a completely new perspective on what it’s going to take to change the world, and it’s a refreshing, hope-filled, imagination-fuelled joy to listen to. Brooke and Katie talk about the important relationship between slowing down, getting creative and making an impact on the world, as well as what letting go of the idea of goals and success has done to Katie’s own life. Katie also shares how imagination and day dreaming might just hold the key to

Is there a link between the rise in consumerism, the endless advertising messages that assault us thousands of times a day and the increase in body image issues? According to today’s guest, Kali Gray, the answer is a resounding yes.  Kali is a body confidence expert and a “non diet” dietician and in today’s episode she and Brooke discuss the the relationship between food security and body image issues, while also looking at the crossover between slow living and the work of reframing our perspective on food, self-care, self-worth and the food we eat. Kali also turns the interview tables around on Brooke at one point, sparking a conversation on how big changes such as these take time, and no matter how well-versed we are in consumerism, health, wellness, body image and food, there’s always going to be part of us that requires a little extra love and empathy.  Questions featured in this episode:  Capitalism and consumerism are both linked to our dissatisfaction with

Today’s episode features the powerhouse that is Sheri Salata - creator of The Pillar Life.com and The Sheri and Nancy Show and author of The Beautiful No. Brooke was lucky enough to meet Sheri in person in LA during her book tour, and we’re thrilled we’ve finally had the opportunity to have her on the show. She and Brooke chat about her journey from executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show to where she is now, her approach to slowing down, spirituality, the second half of life and more. Questions featured in this episode: You've changed your life significantly over the past few years - what was the catalyst for those changes? You talk about going through a process of 'reckoning'. What did your reckoning look like? How do you balance finding joy in the present moment and working towards your big life goals? Do you think we need to reach a crisis point in order to reevaluate our lives? Or is there a way of manufacturing that awakening without hitting rock bottom? How did you learn to make

One question we get asked a lot at Slow Home HQ is how can we find our passion and make it our work. It’s something so many of us grapple with, which is why we’re so excited to have Blaire Palmer on the show today. Blaire is an ex-BBC journalist turned business owner, who under the moniker A Brilliant Gamble works to help people unpick the industrial-age conventions of work and find a fulfilling way forward that works for them. In her chat with Brooke, Blaire shares her own story and the shifts she’s made to the way she works, how we can redefine work and the way we do it, the power of bringing humanity to your job, and the brilliant gamble of selling her house and travelling with her daughter for 7 months. Questions featured in this episode: You’ve spent the past few years unpicking the industrial age conventions of work: What are they? When did you start to question these conventions? How do we start to shift the system? How can we redefine what success looks like?  What was th

Hello, and welcome to season 3! We‘re thrilled to be back, and even more thrilled to share today’s conversation with slow fashion expert and advocate, fibre artist, writer and crafter Katrina Rodabaugh. She and Brooke talk all things slow fashion: why Katrina got started, how her fashion-fast experiment became her lifestyle, the art of mending, creating systems and networks for thrifting and more. They also talk social media and the importance of ‘showing the cracks’, the trade-offs of going slow, and how to start slowing down your wardrobe. It’s an incredibly inspiring and practical conversation, and we hope you enjoy! Questions featured in this episode: What did your fashion fast initially look like? What surprised or challenged you in that first year? Was the idea of convenience something you had to overcome? You also grow and forage dye plants on your property and the colours you create are incredible – is this something new for you? Do you think there was a stigma att

Oh hello there! In this sneaky episode Brooke and Ben pop in with a mini-hostful and an update on what’s been happening over the past few weeks. Plus there's talk of what's on the horizon (lots of good stuff).   First of all they've got a huge thank you to give all our listeners for the understanding, encouragement and patience they've received as they took a wee break to tilt into finding a new rhythm for life in Oz. They also talk about what they’ve been up to, how they’ve been feeling since they got back home, and then go on to share what’s coming up for the next season of the show.  So listen in to get the goss and stay tuned for Season 3, which will be in and around your earholes on Thursday 25th July! See you then friends.Support the show.

We’re going out with a bang this week, ending season 2 with a hostful full to the brim with your amazing questions. It’s been a while between catch ups, and Brooke and Ben kick off by answering the question of the season – when are they coming home? Are they ever coming home? You’ll have to listen to find out! As well, they talk about everything from goals to their proudest moments, what they want to bring into their lives next and what they want to let go of, how to stay slow on a commute and more.  Thank you so much for joining us for Season 2, we’ve loved hearing your thoughts and hope you’ve enjoyed all the chats. We’re taking a few weeks off, but will be back for Season 3 on the first Thursday in May. Until then, take care! Looking for more Slow? Find show notes, resources and links at slowyourhome.com/season2/ Follow us on Instagram @slowhomepod Sign up for our love letters Join the Slow Experiment Club over on Patreon Or leave a rating or review in i

Platonic sparks fly in today’s episode, when Brooke sits down with Meg Berryman of Beyond Being Well. Meg is a women’s coach, mum, yoga teacher, empowerment educator and fabulous no-BS human. We couldn’t wait to have her on the show to talk about her work and especially the link between making changes for ourselves and making changes for the collective, which is something Brooke has felt herself being pulled toward more and more. Meg talks about the journey from wellness to wholeness to igniting social change – a shift from self to collective focus. She touches on the importance of discovering what wellness is to us as individuals, connecting to the body, why we need compassion in the face of patriarchy and capitalism and so much more. This conversation was truly effortless but engaging, and we hope you enjoy! Questions featured in this episode: What does wellness mean to you? How can people can start to explore what wellness looks like for them? Do you think it’s a counter

Welcome to this week’s poggie! Today Brooke talks to zero-waste blogger and YouTuber Christine Liu of Simply By Christine. Christine is not only a great source of practical information in the low-waste world, she also talks about her experience in her previous job at Cisco where she was instrumental in organising the Green Team network. This initiative brought sustainability to the workplace, and is a great example of how to create real-world, community-based change in our own lives. Christine shares how the Green Teams initiative started small and then grew throughout the entire organisation, as well as the impact it had on her own efforts to live more sustainably, as well as those of her colleagues. Christine also talks about her low-waste wedding and the challenges of owning a pet while living sustainably. Questions featured in this episode: What is a Green Team? Why and how did you start it? Do you have any suggestions for where people can start making changes in their own workplace? Where did your

Today Brooke shares her conversation with the delicious and delightful Rebecca Sullivan. The two first spoke on the podcast back in 2017, and since then Rebecca has published four (!!) books, with another on the way, and moved from an apartment in Adelaide to a closed loop eco-farm in the Clare Valley. There’s just a bit for the two to catch up on, so we thought it was about time! Rebecca reflects on the challenges and joys that living on the land have brought so far, how paying attention to nature and slowing down have come hand-in-hand, living with fear, failure and taking risks and the aim of her new work: reconciliation on a plate Questions featured in this episode: What’s the transition been like as you moved to the farm, from theory to reality? How do you think about your own environmental impact? What does it practically look like to live in a circular (closed-loop) house? What was the seed for the idea of Warndu - both the company and the book? Looking for more Slow? Find show notes, re

This week Brooke is joined by early-childhood educator April Hepokoski for a fascinating discussion about all things child-led and nature-based learning. April is the founder and teacher at The Little Barnyard Preschool in Duluth, Minnesota, where she centres learning around being outside in nature every single day. April also founded a zero-waste living group on her local community, where she shares tips and tricks for living with less waste as well as lobbying the city council to make changes in her town. There are so many parallels between slow living and the approach of nature-based learning, and April is a prime example of someone taking action into their own hands in every aspect of her life. We hope you enjoy this inspiring (and practical) chat about learning, nature and grassroots change. Questions featured in this episode: When did you first become interested in zero-waste living? How did you structure a localised zero-waste living group? What is the philosophy or mission of The Little Barnyard Pres

This week’s Brooke sits down for a heartfelt discussion with Jojo Hogan: founder of the Slow Postpartum movement, yoga teacher, aromatherapist, massage therapist and doula. Jojo has been working with expectant mothers for many years, and now specialises as a postpartum doula, providing much needed support to mothers after giving birth. There are so many beautiful intersections between slow living principles and the postpartum care practices that Jojo provides and educates around, and especially considering her own experience as a new mother, Brooke was so excited to have Jojo on the show. Brooke and Jojo talk about the pillars of postpartum care that cultures around the world share, the importance of deciding your parenting values before baby arrives, how women can create their own villages to support them after birth, and ways to bring more slow and presence to a stressful time. Questions featured in this episode: When did your own journey of slowing down and simplifying begin? What prompted it? When

This week we welcome back listener chats, as Brooke sits down to talk with Xan Holyoak. Xan is a listener of the show, a writer, a single parent and a slow living and nature loving woman. She first reached out to us after the nature experiment last year, and the more Brooke learned about her story, the more she wanted to share Xan’s wisdom with our wider community. So here we go! In today’s chat Xan and Brooke talk about when she first started to slow things down, why she started writing about it on her blog, how her life changed after her husband suddenly passed away in 2015 and how she lives slowly now as a single, working parent. There’s a wonderful thread throughout the conversation of the importance of values, journaling and boundaries, and we hope you enjoy. Questions featured in this episode: Where did your journey to slow living/simplifying start? Why did you start your blog? Tell us about the way life changed after your husband died in 2015. How do you make everyday work, as a sing

Welcome to season 2 of the Slow Home Podcast! Today Brooke sits down with goals coach, co-founder of Rock Your Bliss and incredible public speaker/human Jacki Carr. Brooke did some work with Jacki last year before embarking on the Slow book tour and it had the most enormous impact on her time on the road. So she was determined to chat with Jacki this season, and especially at this time of year, as there’s so much buzz about resolutions, goals and general New Year vibes, which is all Jacki’s passion. Brooke and Jacki cover so much in this conversation, talking all things resolutions, change, defining and committing to goals, values, balance, community and how to use social media as a tool for connection rather than a crutch, by consistently returning to your values. Questions featured in this episode: How do you help people define their values? How do you encourage people to keep re-centering on their values even when life happens? Have you intentionally developed a crew of people in your corner t

Welcome to the fifth and final episode of the Summer Series (/Winter Warmies!) For all of January, we’ve been bringing back the best of 2018, re-sharing some of our favourite episodes to keep you company on the beach (or the slopes!) Last but not least, this week is our episode with the awesome Jocelyn Glei, writer and creator of the podcast Hurry Slowly. Now seemed like the perfect time to feature Brooke’s chat with Jocelyn, as they focus on the relationship between technology, work, life, slow and creativity, as we all get back into the swing of work after the holidays. Jocelyn shares so many great resources with us, and we hope you find something to explore from this episode. Head over to http://slowyourhome.com/234/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post. And we’ll see you in February for the new season of the show! ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a review in iTunes or head over to the Patreon p

Welcome to the fourth episode of the Summer Series (/Winter Warmies)! For all of January, we’ll be bringing back the best of 2018, re-sharing some of our favourite episodes to keep you company on the beach (or the slopes!) This week we’re heading back on the road, with Brooke’s conversation with friend of the show Tsh Oxenreider on the Slow Book Tour. This was a live recording at an event in Austin, Texas, featuring a lovely audience full of great questions that Brooke and Tsh got to answer. The two of them also spoke about what slow living looks like for them in real life, their thoughts on balance, what they see minimalism and simplicity morphing into in the age of social media and so much more. It’s an inspiring chat, so we hope you enjoy! To read more about the episode, head over to http://slowyourhome.com/251/ for all the links and resources mentioned, as well as the full blog post.  ==== If you're enjoying the show and want to know how to best support it, leave a rating or a

Welcome to the third episode of the Summer Series (Winter Warmies!) For all of January, we’ll be bringing back the best of 2018, re-sharing some of our favourite episodes to keep you company on the beach (or the slopes!) Today we’re highlighting one of the most-loved episodes of last year - when Brooke interviewed Ben about his slow living journey. What started out as a chance to turn the tables and switch the spotlight ended up being a deeply personal and raw conversation. Ben talks about how he went from working a stressful, corporate job to being self-employed, and how he continues to make choices to live a slower life. So many people connected with this episode, which is why we decided to include it in the Summer Series. If it resonates, we’d love for this to start a new conversation about slow with your loved ones. It’s the perfect time of year to check in and examine your priorities for 2019, so we hope this helps! To read more about the episode, head over to http://slowyourhome.