Show Notes
John Bush has spent years teaching people how to move toward greater freedom and autonomy through his work with Live Free Academy and the Exit and Build program.
John’s ‘Exit and Build’ philosophy centers on moving away from systems he describes as centralized, coercive, and corrupt, and building alternatives rooted in decentralization, voluntary participation, and trust.
In Episode #32 of The Coop, Homestead Living Editor-in-Chief Anna Sakawsky talks with John about what this looks like for people who are already growing food, building local networks, and looking for more independence.
They cover the “inside-outside” approach (taking meaningful steps without having to abandon everything at once) along with land and community, alternative ways of transacting, and the risks of increasingly centralized digital systems.
In this episode, Anna and John discuss:
What “exiting the system” actually means (and what it doesn’t) The inside-outside strategy and why you don’t have to do everything overnight Why land and community are closely connected Building a counter-economy through precious metals, certain cryptocurrencies, and direct relationships How Bitcoin works as a decentralized ledger, and why that matters John’s concerns about central bank digital currencies and financial surveillance Practical first steps for people already moving toward more self-reliance
If you’ve been looking for a clear conversation about building greater independence, this episode offers a grounded place to start.
More from The Coop
Rory Groves has spent fourteen years on a southern Minnesota homestead building a practice of resilience. He’s made his mark asking questions like “How do you build a life that still stands if the job, the market, or the news goes sideways?”
Episode #30 of The Coop is for anyone standing at the edge of a bigger life … and wondering if they have to leap overnight. Homestead Living Editor-in-Chief Anna Sakawsky sat down with Jason Contreras (Homestead Living contributor and the voice behind Sow the Land) to talk about the long road from a standard modern life outside Los Angeles to a working homestead in North Carolina.
In Episode #29 of The Coop, Anna sits down with Anne Briggs (Anne of All Trades … homesteader, woodworker, teacher, and Homestead Living contributor) for an honest conversation about getting things done when your brain, your time, and the farm all pull in different directions.
In Episode #28 of The Coop, Anna sits down with Larry Littrell … urban homesteader, specialized real estate agent, and author of Fresh Starts Old Roots. They have an important conversation about one of the biggest decisions many homesteaders face: whether to stay, move, buy, or sell.
In this solo episode of The Coop, Homestead Living Editor-in-Chief Anna Sakawsky reflects on more than ten years of living this homesteading life and shares the 10 biggest lessons it has taught her. Rather than focusing only on practical skills, Anna digs into the deeper truths that shape a sustainable, meaningful homesteading journey: why mindset matters more than acreage, why starting before you’re ready is essential, and why perfection is never the goal. She talks about the dangers of taking on too much too soon, the value of treating “failures” as lessons, the myth of complete self-sufficiency, and the quiet power of regularly checking your actions against your real priorities.