SLP 128 Women's Retreats for Strong Communities

03/08/18 • 38 min

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Claudia, Bonnie, and Marianne exploring the importance of women's retreats and how to create a business which promotes happiness and fulfillment for all involved.

Claudia is a clinical psychologist and Bonnie worked as a Hospice Nurse, is a Homeopath and a Nutritionist.

Both wanted to create a business that included a lot of laughter and fun. And what could be better than a women's retreat?

But it is not all about having fun. The connections women (and men) can and will make at retreats are an important part of creating a network of support we all need to live a happy life.

In the interview, Claudia and Bonnie are sharing a lot of tips on how to create a similar event anywhere.

However, if you are in the San Diego Area, check out Full Moon Retreats and join in.

Bonnie Bertano, CEO, is a 10th generation California-born native. She’s the mother of two amazing humans, devoting many years to full-time parenting while also working part-time so she has a deep understanding of work-life balance and self-care, having learned the hard way. Bonnie worked as a nurse then became certified in nutrition and homeopathy, selling herbs and homeopathic remedies at an integrative pharmacy. She offered educational workshops, published a beautiful cookbook, and managed a wellness center of holistic practitioners. Bonnie loves yoga, rowing crew, eco-friendly products, integrative medicine, healthy food, and great friends.

Claudia Franzosi, CEO, MFT, MPEC, was raised in Italy. As soon as she graduated from the university, she danced with wolves for a bit, learned and forgot Thai (the language), Tai Chi (the martial art), shamanism, and rock climbing in the Alps, and then settled in San Diego, California. She is a Psychologist in Italy and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Master Personal and Executive Coach in California. She has been in private practice since the year 2000. Claudia is a serial entrepreneur, musician, and visionary, constantly cooking up some new idea or adventure. Her last one took her around the world in 7 months. She called that a “sabbatical.” We call it “play,” something we are very fond of at Full Moon Retreats.

www.facebook.com/fullmoonretreats

Visit the Sustainable Living Website

Claudia, Bonnie, and Marianne exploring the importance of women's retreats and how to create a business which promotes happiness and fulfillment for all involved.

Claudia is a clinical psychologist and Bonnie worked as a Hospice Nurse, is a Homeopath and a Nutritionist.

Both wanted to create a business that included a lot of laughter and fun. And what could be better than a women's retreat?

But it is not all about having fun. The connections women (and men) can and will make at retreats are an important part of creating a network of support we all need to live a happy life.

In the interview, Claudia and Bonnie are sharing a lot of tips on how to create a similar event anywhere.

However, if you are in the San Diego Area, check out Full Moon Retreats and join in.

www.facebook.com/fullmoonretreats

Visit the Sustainable Living Website

Previous Episode

SLP 127 Building a Tiny House - Tips from a Professional Builder

Ryan Ott is a professional builder and has helped many people to fulfill their dream or a tiny house. In this interview with Guest CoHost Emily Gerde, we learn about the cost involved to build a tiny house and much, much more. If you are dreaming to own one in the future, this interview will prepare you to ask all the right questions and make a plan before you spend any money. Best to do it right from the beginning.

Visit our website for more tiny house information and lots of Sustainable Living info.

Ryan Ott is the owner of Midwest Tiny Living LLC. Based in Minnesota, Ryan brings a lifetime of experience and experiments to the tiny house community. His approach is to custom build homes for the clients he serves which helps them make the transition in a way that works best for them. This technique, he feels, is the best way to ensure a successful transition from living in large rooms to living in a large world.

We discuss all things tiny houses including pricing, planning, building, and parking. Ryan gives us an insider view of tiny house building and inspires us to think about the tiny house movement as a bigger goal of home ownership. Ryan gives practical advice on how to plan efficiently and what to consider before finalizing your design. He does a great job explaining the difference between RV’s (which I accidentally call mobile homes), and tiny houses. From insulation to size and practicality, Ryan gives us the insight you need to make an informed decision about building a tiny house. With personal experience in living in a tiny house and camper, I can attest to his assessment of the pros and cons to both.

We dive into what it takes to make a tiny house and why prices vary from state to state. There is a growing confusion with tiny houses prices with most information coming from tiny house television shows. Ryan gives a step-by-step explanation of the cost of materials and how quickly they add up but also assures potential tiny homeowners costs can be decreased easily with used materials, sweat equity, fewer windows, smaller trailer and used appliances. He encourages you to build to the 98% of your life, by making sure your daily needs are met. He gives a great example of a bathtub being an unnecessary item if you take a bath twice a year or a huge kitchen if you only seat more than a few people on holidays. His practical planning advice will assure you design the tiny house that best fits your needs and wants.

Financial freedom is a big part of the discussion as we discuss how tiny houses will save you a lot of money in the long run with no mortgage, small utility bills and low maintenance costs. Tiny homes are one piece of the puzzle for finding new ways to offer affordable houses. This may require some trailblazers to get zoning regulations changed in their area, as well as finding ways to build them up to a specific code to allow more parking spot options. When it comes to parking Ryan believes we all deserve to follow our dreams and live where we want to live and thrive.

You can find Ryan on his website at

https://midwesttinyliving.com/optin-17461619

You can also find him on Instagram and Facebook @Midwesttinyliving

Next Episode

SLP 129 Two Girls in a Tiny House

Stephanie Kubes is a single mom who is a Certified Veterinary Technician and spent 5 years planning and researching for her build before proudly becoming a Tiny Homeowner in the fall of 2017. She and her 5-year-old daughter now live in their tiny home, The Willow Tree, and refer to themselves as Two Girls and a Tiny. Stephanie began as a client with Midwest Tiny Living but quickly evolved into the Project Manager for the company. She plans to transition her career full-time into helping build Tiny Homeowners!

In our discussion, Stephanie describes her inspirations for building a tiny house, which focuses on the desire to acquire home ownership. Going with the flow during your design and build can save you a lot of stress, according to Stephanie’s experience. Asking for help was an essential piece on her journey. She reveals her secret to finding a parking spot and how she made a place to call home happen for her.

Stephanie talks about key design features and that your design ultimately comes down to your needs. She also emphasizes having some foresight in your design by trying to think about what the future may bring so your design can grow with you and your dreams. Her larger bathroom was an essential part of her build, along with a very functional kitchen. She also did an amazing job bringing nature and lighting to her house with an emphasis on big windows.

Her biggest take away from the experience is not to be afraid to ask for help. There are so many amazing people in the tiny house community, as well as friends and family who are more than willing to help.

You can find Stephanie on social media @twogirlsandatiny on Instagram and Facebook, or on her webpage, www.twogirlsandatiny.com

Get a video tour through The Willow Tree with tips and tricks for tiny house living

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPv-DbT0uuk

Visit The Sustainable Living Podcast's website at http://sustainablelivingpodcast.com/

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