Simple, Radical, Local: Steve Nygren on His New Book “Start In Your Own Backyard”

If you’re a longtime listener , you already know that Serenbe is more than just a place - it’s a nature-based model for living that inspires others to challenge the status quo, embrace optimism, and reimagine their communities. And along the way, many people discover they’re reinventing themselves, too.

Steve Nygren would be the first to tell you he’s learned a great deal over his 20-year journey as an “accidental developer.” Now, he’s sharing those insights in a new book, Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where We Live with Radical Common Sense. It’s a call to action for anyone looking to create meaningful change no matter how small their sphere of influence may seem. The book offers a blueprint for building sustainable communities where wonder lives in the everyday and people of all ages can thrive.

Steve’s ideas and solutions aren’t complex or costly. They’re grounded in simple, yet radical, common sense.

In this episode of Serenbe Stories, Steve and Monica sit down to explore what inspired him to write the book, why local solutions matter more than ever, and the guidance he’d offer to anyone who’s feeling stuck or searching for a fresh path forward.

Shownotes

• Pre-Order Start in Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where We Live With Radical Common Sense by Steve Nygren
• Subscribe to Steve Nygren on Substack
• Are You Ready for Radical Common Sense? By Steve Nygren (Substack)
• Serenbe Events Calendar
• Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

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