Tiny House Podcast

#172 The End? Or a Hiatus? Tiny House Podcast Season Finale by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#171 Doing Well Doing Good For Veterans with Gabrielle Rapport by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#170 Talking The Tiny House Evolution with Jewel Pearson by Bigfoot Podcast Network

In over a year we’ve heard some interesting things. But this show takes the cake. We didn’t know the state of Washington is offering tiny house certifications specifically for tiny houses built in Washington. Wow. That’s total news to us. Thankfully, Cosme Hernandez from Tiny House Cribs joined us on our show to edumacate us. Cosme launched his company last year stemming from his personal life living minimally since he was 14. Cosme has done his homework out of necessity. With the massive shakedown of the tiny house builder community, he’s going to need all the understanding he can get. Sounds like he has.

#168 Tiny Houses As A Side Hustle With Sean O'Neil by Bigfoot Podcast Network

Getting a late start to a growing industry (is it still growing?) isn’t always a bad thing. When Jason decided he was not going to take another job after ten years being a stay at home dad, he decided instead to put his carpentry skills to work. As a tiny house builder. His first creation is called Tiny Terrapin. He envisioned the new owner traveling, like a turtle, with its home on its back. The tiny house movement is seeing a strange cycle these days, with events hosting lower turnouts and builders going bust. That doesn’t confront Jason. He believes he offers something unique in his attention to quality, materials and, of course, his creation.

#166 At Home On The Farm, The Winery And The Brewery With Joel Holland by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#165 The Most Fantastic Things Are Things That Just Pop Up With Zach Yeager by Bigfoot Podcast Network

Carolynn started life as a professional, but now has become a rural activist as a result of her intimate travels spurred at first by school kids. Armed with a charming micro van conversion, and directions from students in Oregon, she headed from Stumptown east to find out about small town America. Unexpectedly, she fell in love with one particular location, Mississippi. So much so that she’s going back. What she discovered changed her mind about “the south.” Now she’s wishing more of her liberal friends could learn what she’s learned. For Americans in the south are pretty much like every other American: they just want to be understood. And respected.

This show, one of our latest after a long hiatus (hey, that rhymed), started clunky. But then Mike and Shannon started talking about their 10-year love affair with a Polaris 42 –– a speedy rustic, traditional sailboat they intended in sailing the world on...but ended up living in, tied to the dock, for 10 years. AAARRRG. While they didn’t fulfil their long-held dream (which still festers unfulfilled below the surface), they did benefit from wonderful small-space living epiphanies, epiphanies which still hang with them today. They say everyone has fun until someone gets hurt. That’s exactly what happened with Mike, when one day, up atop the boat’s mast, he fell...as far down as the boat is long. We’ll leave the rest of the story for your listening pleasure.

Portlanders Roger and Martha (his current fiance) love Jeff Golblum. They’re hoping Jeff will some day visit their new, caboose-like tiny house, which Roger got up and running in just six months. Roger himself is from England. How he came to the USA is an interesting story...but so is everything else about Roger. Including his love of Jeff Goldblum. And Star Wars. And Painting. One day walking through the iconic Portland neighborhood, called Alberta, Roger was surprised to see so many tiny houses. That led to one thing, which led to another, then another until suddenly...or not so, Roger had a tiny house in his backyard. Seems to us Roger and Martha love hosting people about as much as they love Jeff. Whether those two loves might meet is anyone’s guess, but sure to be a dream come true. Something to keep in mind.

Our guest sometimes come by way of inspiration born on the road. This one is a great example. While driving on our local freeways over many weeks, Michelle noticed something strange happening at a large church along the freeway: Zombie RVs were being resurrected….kind of. That’s until the city got involved. The but intent behind Pastor Matt Huff’s effort was so altruistic (not to mention was addressing a major Portland area problem) that the city another non profit and Pastor Huff’s congregation all got on board to leverage tiny houses to house the houseless. Now, Matt’s conceptions aren’t technically tiny houses, they’re actually selter pods, but he, who’s quibbling when you want to talk with a Pastor who’s got some stories to tell?

We’ve never had an on-air personality on the show. Maybe we should do it more often. Eric Goranson, host of the West Coast home radio show called Around The House With Eric G. Michelle was a guest on his radio show recently and so we thought: “Let’s turn the tables.” We didn’t know what was going to come of this interview, but it actually had quite a few nuggets in it about what to look for in a builder when it comes to not getting screwed, another weigh-in on “screws vs. nails” and ikea: is that really good furniture for a tiny house? Join us as we wax poetically and unapologetically about nuthin’.

Los Angeles denizens Steven and Sarahi were living the American Dream as an accountant and an entertainment industry professional. There parents were excited for them, their friends were all living the same lifestyle. It was a perfect match of desire and fulfillment. But then, a very close friend lost her life. That changed everything for the couple. It made them realize what was really important; really valuable. So they ditched their typical hectic California professional live-to-work lifestyle so they could spend more time. With each other. With their son. Doing things they loved instead of working, paying for a massive mortgage and giving the best days of their lives to their employers. Then they discovered Tiny Houses. The rest is history.

We improvise, that’s what we do! With Shandra Morton & her dog Reno & John & Finn & Sarah Stebbins Gracious. What began as a head-scratching problem turned out to be a wonderful opportunity for us at Tiny House Podcast. When our scheduled guest couldn’t make it, we wondered what would happen if we opened the show to pre-recorded live conversations with our podcast listeners. The result? We were pleased. We think you will be too. Join us as we welcome crazy stories from hither and yon with some of our listeners who were gullible GRACIOUS enough to let us make fun of them!

Sharon Rowe is the founder of Eco Bags, a company she created after being frustrated with all the plastic bags in New York. An actor by education, Sharon attributes much of her success to acting, where improvisation, embracing failure and taking risks are they keys to success. Having put her personal touch on her company for well over 20 years, Sharon not only balances her business with her life goals and also her goals for making the planet a better place. Her new book, The Magic of Tiny Business: You Don’t Have to Go Big to Make a Great Living, shares her path and is inspiring people all over how to start their own Tiny Business. A perfect compliment for people wanting to “go tiny”.

Sharon Rowe is the founder of Eco Bags, a company she created after being frustrated with all the plastic bags in New York. An actor by education, Sharon attributes much of her success to acting, where improvisation, embracing failure and taking risks are they keys to success. Having put her personal touch on her company for well over 20 years, Sharon not only balances her business with her life goals and also her goals for making the planet a better place. Her new book, The Magic of Tiny Business: You Don’t Have to Go Big to Make a Great Living, shares her path and is inspiring people all over how to start their own Tiny Business. A perfect compliment for people wanting to “go tiny”.

#156 Insuring Tiny Houses With Michael Carmona by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#155 Hydrogen Peroxide Takes the Blood Stains Out With Tiny House Builder Cameron Scott by Bigfoot Podcast Network

Holy smokes what an interview. Michael owns 121tinyhomes, a bend-based tiny house company that….well, we were going to write “builds tiny houses” but it seems he and his partner are thinking about other plans with tiny houses. Yes, they do provide customs and shells, workshops and all the other offerings many tiny house builders offer. But Michael comes at the industry with a unique twist. One we seriously appreciate. As for his penis and complexion….well you’re just going to have to listen in.

decided to give interviewing each other a shot, so you get a sense of why the three of us came together in the first place. This is our first installment. And we’re not even sure it’s going to see the light of day. Fun fact: We actually recorded similar shows early on, but guess what? They haven’t seen the light of day either. I don’t even know why I’m writing this...chances are, you’re never going to read it.

We were surprised this episode passed so quickly. Which is always a good sign. Michael Withy made a name for himself in the Occupy movement in Portland, Oregon during its heydays. Remarkably (to us) that notoriety would catapult him into his current line of work: conceptualizing affordable housing communities around the country. Fascinatingly enough, we never got to what Michael does because we were blown away by his stories about what he did. Don’t worry, it all ties together nicely to tiny houses. And as you can tell by the end of the show, we’re going to have to have Michael return to the studio for round two.

We started this show with an joke that had unintentional macabre connections with reality. Once we recovered from that ghastly story, we were pleased to welcome Tiny Innovations principal Jeremy Killian who shared his secrets for succeeding in the Tiny House Movement as one of the preeminent builders. Jeremy should know a thing or two: he has over 200 builds in the works, both commercial and private individual clients seeking his builds, and an amazing business model that has put Tiny Innovations seemingly in the middle of it all that is Tiny...all without having to deal too much with zoning, planning, and many of the other challenges besieging other builders. It was almost as good as the conversation we had after the show. But since we didn’t record that, you’re just going to have to settle for what we did record. Snatch your hammer and beer and enjoy our latest episode.

Tiny houses meets ex-offenders meets the housing crisis. Linda and her husband David, one day went from being entrepreneurs straight into debtor’s prison….literally. But this story ends up positive as the experience lead to David receiving “a calling” to serve those people they found themselves behind bars with. The result? Fresh Start Ventures, a new non profit organized to help ex-offenders avoid returning to prison. What’s really interesting about Fresh Start is they combine their mentoring work with housing...tiny house housing for ex offenders, through an innovative program that uses Tiny Houses as ADUs, community development and mentorship to create better and lasting opportunities for those coming out of prison.

Who on earth goes from a tiny house in Idaho to a nationwide road trip in a tiny travel trailer? Uh, that would be Macy Miller! We caught up with her and her family on a nationwide national park junket to talk about their newest digs, which they rebuilt from the frame up, their road trip and one of the nicest jurisdiction violation conversations we’ve ever heard. Here’s what you get when you pair two architects, two kids, a great dane and a road trip with no definite end: a pack of stories to last a lifetime.

Designer, treehouse builder, creator and fanboy of Buckminster Fuller, Dustin Feider takes advantage of nature’s oxygen-makers to create nothing short of art. Dustin’s designs typically riffs off the “bucky ball” aka the geodesic dome. Primarily his treehouse designs are enjoyed by Californians and range from $10,000 to more than six figures. So where did this passion for trees, oxygen and unusual, artistic structures originate? You’re going to have to listen to the show to find out. But bring a healthy dose of “give us some slack”: We somehow got super-high in this episode and we sometimes make no fucking sense whatsoever…..plus we have a new co-host. No we didn’t shit-can Michelle. How could we do that? http://www.o2treehouse.com

Having BA Norrgard on Tiny House Podcast has been a long-anticipated event here at the studio. She and her new husband John graced us with their presence to talk about their story, how they got into the tiny house movement, what they see as the future of the movement and how they are plugging in to that movement in a way that will be personally profitable. From paralegal to tiny house luminary, BA has had many of her tiny dreams come true. We sat down with her to find out what the future holds for her. http://www.abedovermyhead.com

Janice and Brian are intrepid entrepreneurs who met “in the worst workplace in the world”. That fateful encounter led the two not only into their relationship, but also into two successful organizations, one of which has introduced a brand new teardrop trailer to the car-camping market. Aeroteardrop trailers makes well-built, semi-customizable trailers with so many feature options, your head would spin. One option is a “car-roof tent” designed for the African Plains to keep lions from doing what they naturally do…..eat people. Janice and Brian joined us in-studio to share their story, how they got to where they are and what’s next for this intrepid entrepreneurial couple. Take a listen! http://aeroteardrops.com

Jeremy Weaver from Wind River Tiny Homes quit medical school years ago to pursue a masters degree that emphasized entrepreneurialism. Thus Wind River was born! And now, he’s about to move on from Wind River to pursue other, even more wonderful adventures, including living in a farmhouse he built himself, popping out another baby and, possibly traveling to Africa to do some really fantastic things. But before that, Jeremy joined us on the show to update us on Wind River builds, customers, quality and his own personal journey as an owner of one of the premier tiny house builder companies in the United States. http://www.windrivertinyhomes.com

What a lovely surprise. Our volunteer sound engineer Rick McNerney joined us on the show today. By now you probably know our show is so much better with Rick’s assistance (thanks Rick). What you may not know is we met Rick at a tiny house festival, that we hit it off instantly and, that Rick and his wife are nearly-complete co-building an epic tiny house. We’re still scratching our heads at how this creative guy, with so many hobbies and a 60-hour-a-week job manages to have time to make us sound so good each week. We’re also still scratching our heads about how great this episode was. It was like a chat among friends over beers. Take a listen.

Luke Iseman is one of those people who when he hears “no” he says “hold my beer”. After an appalling realization he and his partner was spending an ENORMOUS amount of their take-home on rent in the Bay Area, Luke got creative. He found a vacant lot he eventually bought, and put a container home on it. Not long after, he had a small colony of intrepid, super-smart, artsy tech people who joined him. Together they thumbed their noses at the area’s stratospheric cost of living….until the city got involved…. That was almost three years ago. Today, Luke has beat the city and is building an impressive business that not only put a (tiny) roof over his head, but also others seeking relief from some of the highest housing costs in the United States. https://boxouse.com

Today we’re doing more off gridding with a heaping dose of authenticity (and facial hair) with Doug from the YouTuber duo “Off Grid with Doug and Stacy”. Omagosh what a show. Doug opened his 600 square foot cabin to us, a cabin he and his wife built all their own, after living as city slickers most of their lives. Having been successful entrepreneurs then getting sick and tired of being sick and tired, they deliberately bought a bunch of land in a zoning and planning district where “we don’t have any of that (planning and zoning) NONSENSE up here” and build their own tiny oasis. It’s complete with all the creatures you might want for feed stock, rain catchment, heat, comfort and...get this NO ELECTRICITY (in the traditional sense). It’s a show worth listening to twice! Sit back and tune in. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChit3QKk051fCsqliwVrbuQ

Andrew Bennett is a craftsman through and through, having roots literally back to the Mayflower. You could almost say he’s kin with Jesus too. Because of the way he lives his life, how he gives unflinchingly to others, and, though he doesn’t like washing feet, he believes things most of us have given up on. “Your best return on investment is through people”: a golden nugget from this master builder who went from remodelling vintage homes to today building teardrop and Shepherd wagons for the tiny traveling nomad. With a crew of three veterans, a wife who uncshools his two kids and his mad skills, Andrew has carved out quite a comfortable little niche for his family, a niche he strongly recommends we all consider as a way of making humanity better than it was when you got here. Check out this week’s podcast. But be prepared to have your life changed. http://trekkertrailers.com

Ahem. We’re still scratching our heads on this show. We’re still wondering how we ended up pulling this one off. Maybe it’s because land use planning and zoning is so endemic to success of tiny houses that, no matter what community you’re talking about, you’re going to come up with interesting subject matter. In this episode we chat with ADU consultant David Wade. He plies his trade in Eugene, Oregon helping local ADU and Tiny House advocates navigate quagmire-like hoops making up Eugene’s land use regulations. David gives tips for other communities doing the same, suggesting that organizing and being vocal are critical to grass roots success. So is knowing who you’re up against: for sometimes, your neighbor may be your worst enemy.

What is Emerson Street House? Well we never really found out because our interview with intrepid Diane Freeney, Wall Street banker turned community advocate, roamed so far from housing and tiny houses, even we lost our way. It was a great conversation nonetheless, ranging from praising President Donald Trump, lambasting the construction trade, solving education in the US, building communities, and most interestingly: how not to build a passive solar home. Join us for one of the wildest conversations we’ve had in a l-o-n-g time. Even we were surprised. It’s a wild and woolly walkabout through what lights Diane’s fire on this episode of Tiny House Podcast! https://emersonstreethouse.com

Luke Kamtz is a bold individual. In 2017 he hung out his (tiny) shingle as the latest tiny house builder, dubbing his company “Kamtz Tiny Houses.” Luke’s courage doesn’t end there, he also believes he can do what few have figured out: make money while building custom tiny houses. Like a little Aussie shrimp, we put Luke on the barbie for a bit and grilled him about why he thinks he can do what few have succeeded in doing. We talked differentiation, construction lessons learned, his first demonstration tiny which has received its share of recognition and reward. Then the conversation turned to the big (tiny) bottleneck: land use planning and zoning. It’s the tiny tech talk episode. http://kamtztinyhomes.com

If there is one company that has the greatest potential of unseating Tumbleweed as the largest, best known company in the tiny house community, it’s tiny house developer Sprout Tiny Homes. Nearly from the get-go, Sprout set their sights not only on the one-home-sale retail market, but also on the larger opportunity represented by full-blown tiny house developments. As a result, they are in the process of developing 200 unit communities, complete with planned community designs promising to significantly increase live-ability and desirability. Alan Kirchhoff, Sprout representative shares both Sprout and his own perspective on living tiny, how tiny homes for the homeless are affecting tiny house reputations, and of course, codes, zoning laws and the economics of building 200 homes at a time. http://sprouttinyhomes.com

#136 Getting Squared With A New Tiny Builder With Scott Wilson by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#135 Navigating to Nowhere? – with Michael Fuehrer Our guest this week proves that you don’t have to be an interior designer to live in a lovely, comfortable, and impressive space on wheels. While attending tiny house events in Washington, Texas, and Florida; Michelle noticed an increasing number of Schoolies joining the party! And, known to go where the party is, Michelle met our guest this week and was immediately comfortable in his space; a renovated school bus. What tiny houses lack in mobility, busses more than make up for! Imagine. Just get in the driver’s seat and GO! What are the unique challenges of driving and parking these funky houses on wheels? What motivated Michael to renovate a bus, instead of an RV? How easy, or hard, are they to drive and heat and occupy? And, what do his parents think? This professor on wheels has a lot to teach us so sit down, be quiet, and take notes. There WILL be a quiz!! www.navigationnowhere.com

What IS a tiny house? Don’t worry, we won’t be arguing the fine points of this concept this week. We will, however, once again be happily welcoming a simple living, tiny space occupying, couple to chat with us about overcoming the challenges of living small and on the road full time. Intrigued? Our guests this week have some really GREAT ideas about how you can too! If not right now, make a plan to listen in later and be sure to check them out on Instagram so you can keep up with where they’re off to next. www.instagram.com/TheFrugalRVer

#133 Into the Great and Tiny Beyond – with Leanne Stephens by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#132 Tiny Houses In The “Other” West – with Renee Randau McLaughlin by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#131 Driving with Style, No CDL Required – with Gregg Shields by Bigfoot Podcast Network

#130 Blue. Beautiful. Tiffany. – with Tim Davidson and Sam by Bigfoot Podcast Network

You’ve heard us talk about downsizing here on the Podcast. Hopefully you’ve learned a bit about organizing, how to get ready to live in a tiny space, and about how to prioritize experiences over life. This week, however, we’re donning the “other shoe” and interviewing someone with experiences in an almost-alternate-world that hopefully you’ll never have to live to see; Hoarding. Our discussion this week with Matt Chan, creator of the famous TV show “Hoarders” gives us a peek into the world of emotional connections to things, how TV shows can actually help people with this addiction-like-connection to their stuff, and a glimpse of the pressure that one has to handle while producing a TV show. Is your pile of stuff in the garage something to be concerned about? Is your Grandma’s obsession with ceramic dolls, an illness worth addressing? We’re not sure. But, maybe Matt’s advice this week can help you assess whether or not a tiny house, or a not-so-tiny dumpster, is your next stop towards living simply. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04DJ3UPe2p8

What’s not to love about a friendship that starts around a propane heater, on a cold Texas evening, fueled by bourbon? This week we’re interviewing the new darlings of the tiny house movement, and recent recipients of the Florida Tiny House Festival “Best Tiny Home” award, Ross Pennington and Sheena Henry. After an unfortunate start to their tiny house journey, they resolved NOT to stop and started over with the tiny house we’ve all grown to know and love! With so many of them, blending into the background, theirs stands front and center stage because, well, they’ve GOT A STAGE!!?? And a hammock, and a HUGE TV, and a well stocked kitchen, and a huge garage door, and the most impressive off-grid setup we’ve quite likely seen yet. So, in case you’re wondering how you might get invited to the tiny house podcast (in addition to having a fun story or award winning tiny house of course) you can always find Michelle at a festival and feed her bacon. And it doesn’t hurt to have easy going pets, beloved “fans”, and an attitude about life that we should all emulate. This week, you’ll smile, you’ll laugh, and hopefully you’ll appreciate why we do what we do. It’s all for the lovely people like Ross, and Sheena, and of course…like YOU! www.methodtonomadness.com

This week, we have another follow-up guest and although she’s a Portland resident, we hardly get to see her. Ironically, Michelle has seen her MORE in other states than our own! But we didn’t let that stop us from practically stalking Lina Minard for another interview. We knew our listeners would want to know….what ever happened to her and her “new” boyfriend? We hear all the time, “I’m thinking of starting a tiny house community, where do I start?” And Lina knows how! What does she think of the advancement, or lack thereof, towards legalizing tiny houses? And “where” is she now? Some days it’s nice to chat with a friend who we haven’t seen in awhile, and today’s conversation feels just like that. No pretense. Just a fun time spent with a nice person, an undying advocate of tiny house people everywhere. You don’t have to live in Oregon to appreciate Laid-Back-Lina and the Niche she’s made for herself in the ever-changing tiny world. www.nicheconsulting.com

Many people think that one must sacrifice the things they love, to live in a tiny house. Or, sadly, that they must sacrifice DOING the thing they love doing, to live in a tiny house. This is simply not true and as our guest this week can attest to; even a multi-course meal is possible in a tiny kitchen on wheels. Our new-tiny-house-friend-and-guest this week, Carmen Rose Shenk, is a chef and an artist and the author of a recent cookbook devoted to sharing her ideas about how to cook amazing meals in minimal space. It’s true. You don’t really need that Robot Jar Opener gadget to make impressive dishes that everyone will swoon over. Carmen’s creations are PROOF that with a few fresh ingredients, a few utensils, and a lot of imagination; artistic and beautiful desserts are indeed possible! If you’re a foodie like Michelle is, we know you’ll love this week’s interview and maybe even come away with a few new ideas for your own tiny house kitchen! www.tinyhousefoodie.com

The Podcast Crew is lucky. We’re lucky that we get to meet, and interview, and promote people who are re-defining the American Dream. We’re lucky that we get to inspire our listeners with the stories of creative and amazing people who have taken control of their lives, who define success on their own terms, and who shun other’s ideas of what “normal” is. And, our teardrop travelling guest this week is no exception. After a long bout of depression, Many Lea found the motivation to change her life doing a simple thing that you yourself have, no doubt, also done. What was it? What inspired her to change her life from that of a bored retail employee, to a brave and creative adventurer? If you’ve had the opportunity to attend one of the recent tiny house festivals you have likely seen her; leather strapped with two cameras, looking for an opportunity to capture this unique movement in living color. If you’ve spent much time on social media, searching for tiny houses, you have no doubt seen her images. Aside from her contribution to the tiny house movement, however; she is also an avid climber, simple life advocate, and lover of all things travel related. This week’s episode is special, as is Mandy, and reminds us once again that life is what you make it and our memories are the best images of who we are, and how we got there. www.mandyleaphoto.com

There are some who think the television shows that feature tiny houses have “ruined” the tiny house movement, inspiring so many to build bigger than they can afford; or need. In reality, however, the TV shows have done more to mainstream tiny houses than any other medium could. They inspire millions and have given golden opportunities to some of our favorite builders. This week we’re interviewing the man leading the charge on the longest running tiny house TV show, John Weisbarth; Host of Tiny House Nation. If you’re a fan, we know you’ll want to listen in this week to hear him share his story about how he became a child actor, how he developed his passion for sports, when he found his calling, his perspective on tiny houses, and his tear filled appreciation for his wife’s support. We’re glad that he finally got the opportunity to join his fans at the Jamboree in Texas, and we know you’ll be glad to know that this STAR OF THE SHOW is as down to earth as one can possibly get. And if you’re not a fan, you will be now! We were really hoping that the man we see on TV is also a nice guy in “real life” and the Podcast Crew is happy to report…yes…yes he is.

Remember the guy who sat by the side of the road, clipping his nails, during our podcast interview? Remember the guy who lived in a dumpster for a year and is actually proud to call himself “Professor Dumpster”? We certainly do and following our first interview with Jeff Wilson, he invited us to “look him up” if we were ever in Austin, Texas. So, Michelle did. And, following her recent visit, she knew she must invite him back to tell the next chapter of the story that is Kasita. Whatever happened to his vision, to his original ideas? Admittedly, Michelle isn’t a high tech junkie, but after having stayed in a tiny house outfitted with the best technology money can buy, she might just convert. How well did the technology contribute to her comfy home away from home? And, what’s next for Jeff and his company that, by comparison, appears to be all grown up now? Tune in this week to find out! Or, better yet, invest in his vision! (I know he won’t mind the shameless plug.) www.kasita.com