The Economics of Well-Being

Paul Dunny joins me today from Dublin, Ireland to discuss our recent well-being and happiness survey of Ireland (both Northern and the Republic) which was conducted in April 2021 during the Covid 19 pandemic. Paul is head of CRM and Retention with Mediahuis (Independent News and Media) which is Ireland's largest digital and print media outlet. Paul had approached me several months ago asking if I might conduct a national well-being and happiness survey for his digital media firm. I was thrilled since this would be the first opportunity to test the Soul Print of Well-being Survey I had developed and been testing over the last 2 years. The Ireland survey was conducted over a 15 day period in April 2021 with remarkable results and an excellent response rate of nearly 2500 Irish from both the North and the South.  The results showed that there was a very small gap between life satisfaction of Northerner vs the Irish in the South; the people in the North were slightly happier than the South but their trust for government was much lower. Most surprising was the high level of trust and sense of feeling welcome and belonging to their local neighbourhoods and communities. The value of assessing the perceptions of mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being was clearly demonstrated in this important project that we hope others will model elsewhere around the world. The results of the survey will be published soon on Independent.ie platform. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Today, June 21, 2021, is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, In celebration of this important day, I'm joined by Jodi Calahoo-Stonehouse, a Cree and Mohawk woman, who is running to be the first female indigenous leader of the Assembly of First Nations.  Jodi shares her vision and hopes for Canada, for both indigenous and non-indigenous peoples.  As part of her campaign, I've helped Jodi launch a national Indigenous Well-being Survey that anyone can take to express their views on the future of indigenous peoples in Canada and get a sense of indigenous people's well=being. Here is the link to the survey. https://forms.gle/NZxsoXES2iC2LsQg6 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Esther Robles (originally from Mallorja, Spain) and Dominique Conterno (originally from Paris) discuss their co-creation of the Conscious Enterprises Network what they have learned in their respective corporate lives as the path forward for conscious leadership. This is a remarkable wide-ranging conversation that spans subjects from Rudolph Steiner, the ancient and lost civilizations of Atlantis and Lumeria, to humility as a characteristic of wise leadership, corporate sociopaths, and ultimately the future of humanity based on love, joy and play. Dominique Conterno is the Co-Founder of Conscious Enterprises Network. After spending over 30 years working in the engineering and Information Management industries, he decided to quit corporate life and invest in his own company and life mission. Based on his experience at successfully delivering major projects and services to multinationals and governmental departments, Dominique learned a lot about the world's dark ways. Being a visionary, both in technologies and spirituality, he has grown many insights about the human condition in a society unfit to support fundamental changes.  Being a decent chess player, this has helped him to develop since childhood a logical and highly creative mind. His spiritual insights also gave him the capability to understand spirituality in a very dynamic manner and develop his theory of the nature of consciousness and the purpose of creation. The culmination of his journey led him to create Conscious Enterprises Network community, which is dedicated to connecting conscious leaders worldwide to co-create a new paradigm. Dominique was born in Paris, France, which he left to start a journey into the unknown at a young age.  He has traveled mainly in Europe, the USA and Mexico. He currently lives in Bristol, England. Esther Robles is the Co-Founder of Conscious Enterprises Network. She has 17 years of logistics, data management and wellbeing experience, working for international corporations and individuals. In these years, she was responsible for many successful projects. She excels at emotional intelligence and wellbeing related disciplines that has allowed her to grow insights into society's human conditions. Esther studies different holistic practices such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Chinese Medicine, and Qi Gong. Esther is a great inspiration force for anybody who meets her. She has a boundless enthusiasm for conducting what she feels is right for others. Esther believes that only when we join forces and work together in communities dedicated to serve others a ripple quantum effect can be created and actual change in society can be seen. She was born and raised in Spain but soon she got the travel bug and left her beautiful island to conquer Europe and learn about other cultures. She has lived in 5 different European countries, loves to speak different languages and dreams to become citizen of a planet without boundaries. In her spare time, she spends time being in one with nature exploring new territories and developing herself.  She currently lives in Malmo, Sweden. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Rosie von Lila works at the intersection of finance, public policy, and human flourishing. Rosie von Lila and I in conversation about this remarkable woman's vision of what is possible when we orient our economies and lives towards human flourishing. We discuss how her experience with Burning Man has shaped how she interacts with the world. We also discuss how the landscape of the institutional investing world is changing and what this means for society. What is the cost of the American caste system to civilization? Rosie shares what Burning Man has taught her about our potential for human flourishing. We explore her ideas of regenerative economics and regenerative businesses, How have both capitalism and socialism failed us in so many ways? How can human flourishing become a new economic platform? Finally, we discuss what Rosie is up to now, what she might do if she were the US President and her forthcoming book on human flourishing. Rosie serves as board member of New America Alliance, a national advocacy organization serving diverse and women investment fund managers. She is passionate about investing across numerous asset classes, including public equities, crypto currencies, and real estate. Rosie has attended Burning Man 19 times, and has advised and worked with Burning Man headquarters since 2013. She is currently a correspondent for the Burning Man Live podcast. She is the author of a framework for engaging people and building cultural and business ecosystems. Through her von Lila Framework for stakeholder engagement, she has been invited to be a guest at the US Pentagon and a guest lecturer at the US National Defense University. She is frequently invited to participate in strategic discussions and action groups focused on inclusion, cognitive diversity, and collaboration. Rosie lives in Brooklyn and New York’s Hudson Valley. To find Rosie's show episodes, TEDx talk and framework: vonlila.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Graham Boyd joins me today (April 29, 2021) to discuss his insights into theoretical physics, regenerative businesses, the truth about mathematical probabilities, solutions to solving income inequality, the true nature of coin toss statistics, Jack Ma's Love Quotient (LQ) algorithm and other subjects vital to operating an economy of well-being. Graham and I met at Robert Dellner's home in Woking, England 3 years ago. Robert and I have been exploring the creation of well-being-based Impact Investment Funds and management protocols. He is the co-author of a new book "Rebuild the Economy, Leadership and You: A tool kit for a better world" with economist Jack Reardon. Graham has been educated in theoretical physicist in Germany and is a practical business person who believes in the notion of regenerative businesses, integrated spiral dynamics and the wisdom of ecosystems as a model for an economy of well-being. He believes we can rise, phoenix-like, from today’s burning global challenges. He believes that all of us, and our children, can thrive in the coming decades, because we can build a regenerative global economy: an ecosystem of regenerative businesses. Graham is passionate about building business ecosystems that work because everything is whole, from each individual involved through to the entire business ecosystem. Today he applies his expertise gathered across three careers (theoretical particle physics, Procter and Gamble new product management, serial startups) to bring that vision to reality. He helps others incubate regenerative startups and is now starting a seed stage investment fund for ecosystems of regenerative startups.  Graham consults to multi-nationals and start-ups on harnessing conflict to drive their own regeneration. All based on whole incorporation, where all capitals and all stakeholders have an equitable right to engage in governance and an equitable share of the wealth generated. Companies that are whole because every element is present, and every element is whole in itself. Graham was born and raised in Southern Africa, finished his studies in Germany. He has lived and worked in Germany, Italy, Japan, Belgium, China, and the UK. In his spare time he enjoys being in forests and mountains, both hiking and riding. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

April 20, 2021. Dennis Cuku is an engineer, father of teenage children, husband, entrepreneur and speaker who is passionate about self improvement, productivity, mental health and sustainable development. He is the co-founder of the former Mosaic Family of Companies, a knowledge-worker collective designed to effect positive social change through business. He and his former partner dreamed of and manifested The Mosaic Centre for Conscious Community and Commerce, and it was completed in the spring of 2015. The Mosaic Centre in the deep southern district of Edmonton would become the crown jewel of sustainable building in Edmonton, becoming the first Net Zero energy commercial office building in Alberta — an example of Alberta’s oil and gas abundance igniting innovative sustainable projects. As a visionary entrepreneur, Dennis operates on the manifesto that Normal is Broken and that capitalism need not come at the expense of human values, environmental sustainability or personal happiness. Dennis is an animated and stimulating communicator with a zeal for fun, awesomeness and abolishment of status quo. Dennis Cuku is a mechanical engineer by training with expertise in drilling rig design. He served as acting President of Oil Country Engineering which designed and built drilling rigs until the price of oil collapsed beginning in 2015 with the tough love of that market collapse beginning to bite hard in 2016. Dennis knew the writing was on the wall when large rig orders were cancelled. Sadly, he had to let go of his beloved Mosaic Centre and move on to other ventures. He is compassionate by nature with a heart for altruism; Dennis Cuku believes an altruistic approach to business will help society adapt to a rapidly changing world. Dennis understands that in this time of rapid change and disruption our leaders are being called upon to develop healthy workplaces, schools, family units and governments capable of thriving, not just surviving. “There needs to be a humanistic approach to business,” he says. “If we’re going to subscribe to this idea of capitalism, we don’t have to rape and pillage along the way. We can still have free enterprise and we can still have what our planet needs.” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Dr Zach Bush is my next guest on The Economy of Well-being podcast. Zach and I have become good friends during the pandemic of 2020 exploring new exciting ventures that point pragmatically to a flourishing economy of well-being founded on simple principles of restoring the health and vitality of our soils, which in turn will help heal our inner biome (our guts), increasing the strength of our immune systems and ultimately healing our economies. Zach engenders hope and his joyful demeanour is refreshing during these dark times filled with fear. Zach Bush MD is a physician specializing in internal medicine, endocrinology and hospice care. He is an internationally recognized educator and thought leader on the microbiome as it relates to health, disease, and food systems. Dr Zach founded *Seraphic Group and the non-profit Farmer’s Footprint to develop root-cause solutions for human and ecological health. His passion for education reaches across many disciplines, including topics such as the role of soil and water ecosystems in human genomics, immunity, and gut/brain health. His education has highlighted the need for a radical departure from chemical farming and pharmacy, and his ongoing efforts are providing a path for consumers, farmers, and mega-industries to work together for a healthy future for people and planet. His work in for-profit and nonprofit arenas is creating avenues for collaborative action for all stakeholders in our global community for a regenerative future of health for the planet and our children. His work in for-profit and nonprofit arenas is creating avenues for collaborative action for all stakeholders in our global community for a regenerative future of health for the planet and our children. More more information on Zach Bush visit his website https://zachbushmd.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Galven is a Singaporean millennial who grew up in this ‘East meets West’, cosmopolitan, tiny and yet multicultural island city-state of contradictions. Professionally, he represents 34 telecoms companies in Asia Pacific as a corporate innovator, engaged in fields such as 5G, data analytics and immersive technologies. He is also co-founder of Sound of Art, an Asian art platform promoting faith-inspired art and visual culture. He is a keen observer of faith and its role in society, having co-authored Unfolding His Story, a 2015 book documenting the Charismatic Christian revival in Singapore of the 1970-80s and its impact on the nation. As we move deeper into the 21st century, he believes that Singapore again has a critical role to play as a global broker and incubator for new and radical models of doing business with love, grace and honour. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Yasushi Ohki is the founder and director of Green Violin, an Edmonton-based community development company with a remarkable vision for building affordable housing with a well-being impact focus.  As Urbanists, the mission of Green Violin is to improve the well-being of our neighborhoods by building innovative spaces where SUSTAINABLE HOUSING and community come together. We are all about Inclusivity, Earth Friendly Design, and Social Connectedness. We spoke today (April 6, 2021) about his vision for building affordable housing in which you and I as friends, neighbours and investors can support the building of homes that are affordable to the most economically challenged members of our neighbourhoods. Yasushi is a remarkable person and visionary. His model for a new form of affordable housing combines some of the strengths of the Habitat for Humanity program with an investment platform that provides local investors like you to invest our money in real community asset development rather than see our money go to equity markets, stocks, and bonds that don't necessarily benefit our communities.  Yasushi is not your typical property developer. He has adopted a well-being-by-design approach (something I wrote about in my book An Economy of Well-being) to the affordable housing development space. We have worked together in designing investment instruments that would allow smaller amounts of local capital investment to be invested in community asset development that will generate a genuine well-being return on investment that benefits both the beneficiaries of the affordable housing units Green Violin builds but also investors like myself who have been searching for investments that provide tangible and verifiable well-being impacts (a Well-being ROI). Yasushi was raised in Edmonton and has called it home since completing degrees in civil engineering (University of Alberta) and architecture (University of British Columbia). For over 22 years, he has worked in the land development industry, including greenfield development, infill residential construction and project management. Yasushi has also spent a good portion of his professional life in civil service, first in Strathcona County’s Current Planning Department, then in the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Infrastructure, and finally in the City of Edmonton’s Housing and Homelessness Section. In his most recent nonprofit role, he served as Director of Housing at Homeward Trust Edmonton, an organization focused on the homeless-serving sector. Yasushi brings to his work a love of urban design and a keen eye for how people interact with architecture, combined with a sensitivity to the realities of building construction and maintenance. He continues his work in community development with the establishment of a trio of sustainability-oriented organizations: the Green Violin Community Development Company, the Rose Cello Affordable Housing Society, and the Prairie Sky Property Management Corporation. “I am all about Caring and Sharing. I love the indigenous philosophy of One Bowl One Spoon and I too want to make sure that everybody has enough to eat and that we don’t take more than our share, both from nature and from each other." --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Sander Tideman joins my from his home in The Netherlands to discuss a wide range of subjects related to shifting the mindset and consciousness of business and finance towards well-being and what some call consciousness capitalism. Sanders and I first met at his home in Holland where we discussed shifts in economic consciousness with some of Holland's leading thinkers. We subsequently met at the Garrison Institute on the Hudson River in upstate New York at a gathering called Climate, Mind and Behaviour along with other leading economists, journalist, bankers and thought leaders like Paul Hawken (author of the Ecology of Commerce). Sander Tideman is a leadership educator, social & sustainability entrepreneur, author and humanitarian, motivated by fostering the human capacity to address the unprecedented societal and ecological challenges of this age. Sander integrates insights from Eastern philosophy and psychology with Western science and practices of management, business and economics. He has held senior leadership roles himself, in many complex stakeholder fields, co-founded several sustainable enterprises, worked on three continents with leading companies and organizations. Sander’s academic training reflects his interest in East-West integration: he studied International Law at University of Utrecht and International Economic Law at London School of Economics (LSE), while also completing a degree in Asian Legal Systems at the London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). He deepened his understanding of the East by studying Chinese philosophy, language and culture in Taiwan, and Buddhist philosophy in Nepal and India. In his subsequent career as lawyer, banker, social entrepreneur and management & leadership consultant, he developed a theory and practice for sustainability leadership, which he calls Triple Value Leadership. He is currently Executive Director at Garrison Institute International, Senior Faculty at Mobius Executive Leadership in Boston, Faculty Member Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and Board Director at the European Platform for Compassionate Leadership for Climate & Peace (EUPCL) in Luxembourg. Sander authored several books and articles. His work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Economist, NRC Handelsblad and the Journal for Corporate Citizenship.  For more information: www.sandertideman.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Leaha Mattinson is an Edmonton-based health expert and Coach with over 30 years experience counselling, training elite athletes, CEOs, and multi-million dollar business owners. She specializes in coaching her corporate and private clients towards health, self-love and energetic confidence. Including weight-loss, symptoms of illness reversal,  multi-generational family health and relationship restoration. She works with CEOs and senior managers to build leaders, address issues of workplace conflict, and ensure positive change. Born and raised on a farm in Viking, AB, Canada, mother and grandmother she works globally with clients who access her services to become introspective and intentional about implementing positive change. Leaha is courageous urging each of us to find the source of wellness and wellbeing which is found within. Over 20 years ago she lost over 100 pounds and has kept if off and in-spite of being diagnosed with an incurable, chronic, terminal, neurological disease (Huntington's) that affects the brain and progressively shuts down the mind and body she remains symptom free. Leaha is dedicated to both her own wellness and to fully promoting that - no matter what. She believes that we each have moments every single day to practice gratitude and most importantly compassion which leads to happiness within ourselves, love in our families and ultimately a harmonious workplace and world. In her first book Silver Linings: The Essential Guide to Building Courage, Self-Respect and Wellness, Leaha shared how the inheritance of the gene for Huntington's disease--an incurable genetic illness that attacks the mind and body--inspired her to change her life for the better. She is host of Master Your Life which you can find on YouTube. Learn more about Leaha on Linkedin or at https://healthoncommand.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Ray Kurzon is a 72-year old entrepreneurial visionary with 50 years of experience in the restaurant, mining, financial services, timber and wellness industries. Ray is a remarkable human being with a story, like many of us, that some will find hard to believe. He has over 30 years of experience in raising capital in all industry sectors with a particular focus on mining and mining services. His current focus is on a higher purpose in all things that he does. He believes in miracles and momentum. He believes that there are no limitations to what is possible when you put your mind and heart into life. He believes in abundance and 'on one left behind.' Ray believes that time is fiction and that non-attachment leads to unconditional love. Ray shares some of his most recent life journey story from near death to life of unconditional love and purpose.  He joined me on Feb 16, 2021 from his home in Dallas, Texas. Ray is also a power lifter and still goes to the gym daily to pump iron! He is truly an inspiration for many of us who might see the world as a dark and depressing place; he feels that all of us can collectively raise the vibration of this planet through love. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

My next guest is Rose Neufeld, RN, BN, MN Rose is a registered nurse with many years of experience in the health care field and has completed her Master of Nursing degree in Administration at the University of Manitoba. Rose serves as a strategic advisor to communities and organizations on a broad range of health and wellness initiatives. Knowledgeable on provincial, federal and Indigenous government health systems, programs and processes. Collaboration on development of First Nations culturally supportive health care service delivery models. Rose and I have had the honour of working with the Opaskwayak Cree Nation in Manitoba; I serving as economic strategic advisor on building an economy of well-being and Rose with her focus on advising on systems of improving health and well-being outcomes. She began her career as a critical care nurse in a tertiary care hospital in Winnipeg, and followed that with work in northern Manitoba, providing primary and emergent care to clients in remote nursing stations. During this time, she became aware of greater systemic issues that exist in the delivery of health care services to people living in the north, particularly as it pertains to Indigenous people. She also became aware of the social determinants that impact the health and well-being of this population. She credits her many First Nations friends and mentors for their wisdom and patience in sharing their knowledge as she has come to understand the importance of culture in the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. This knowledge has become the basis of her work and significant in the partnerships she has developed. Rose currently works as a consultant with First Nation communities to build and develop improved health care services that focus on improving efficiency in resource utilization and bridging the gaps between federal and provincial jurisdictions. Rose has developed respectful relationships with many First Nation communities and supports their position that communities know what is best for their own families and community members. This has led to her current success in working on several innovative projects and program development. Her focus is to develop new initiatives and work towards system redesign to improve health outcomes for northern Manitoba residents, including First Nations and Metis populations. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Beth Sanders joins me today on The Economy of Well-being Podcast to discuss her ideas for improving city 'nest-making' and well-being across our neighbourhoods. Beth has developed a mastery in municipal strategic planning having recently helped our city, Edmonton, develop a new strategic plan called ConnectEdmonton which sets the direction for Edmonton's future and vision for Edmonton in 2050. Beth Sanders MCP RPP is the author of Nest City: How Cities Serve Citizens and Citizens Serve Cities. She is an award-winning city planner, including the International Integral City Meshworker of the Year in 2013. At 21 years old, Jane Jacobs served as the spark to help Beth find her passion: to learn about, understand and support the relationship we have with cities and with each other in our cities. At city planning school, she began to notice the work that called to her. She has worked for municipalities across Western Canada, including as general manager of planning and development in Fort McMurray, in the heart of the oil sands, when it was the fastest growing municipality in North America in the mid-2000s. In 2007 she founded POPULUS to shepherd efforts to make city habitats that serve citizens well. Beth is a fourth-generation settler of English, Irish and Norwegian descent living in the territory of the Treaty 6 First Nations and the homelands of the Métis people. She makes herself at home in Edmonton, a welcoming city where the first footsteps that marked this place belonged to the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, Blackfoot, Métis and Inuit. Beth believes the following about Social Habits and Cities I walked away from my dream job because I learned that I wanted to be part of an organization — and cities — that explicitly supports employees and citizens to do their best work. I wanted more. I wanted conscious city making. I want to co-create social habitats that foster conscious city making. And so I set up a consulting company and dove in. I responded to the inner call to work differently, and create the conditions for me — and others — to do so. I have beautiful clients who want and ask me to do the work I love to do. I have made time to write and write, to figure out more clearly where this work is taking me. And here I am, with you, to work together to make our cities places that serve us well. To co-evolve together. I believe a city can choose to look after itself and its people. It’s not easy work, and it will never end. It is a call to experience the city as a learning ground, a partner in our evolutionary journey as a species. This is the direction in which I wish to move. Learn more about Beth's work at https://www.bethsanders.ca/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

As a former senior policy advisor to former Alberta Treasurer Jim Dinning in the mid-1990s, I've had experience in helping prepare budgets, budget speeches and performance measurement reports. I've had the honour of serving on the Alberta Audit Committee under Premier Rachel Notley's government. As many of you know, I dream of a day when government's will table capital and operating budgets which are linked to improving the well-being conditions of citizens. I call this Well-being-based Budgeting. On February 25th 2021, the Alberta 2021-22 Budget was table by Finance Minister Travis Toews. The news was grim: a huge deficit and debt levels growing to $100 billion. Budget speeches and budgets predict what may happen tomorrow; they also reflect a desired fiscal future. But like all narratives, they depend on what the authors believe is possible and at best attempt to predict the future. Economists aren't very good at forecasting the future. No one would have known in January 2019 that Covid 19 would decimate our government fiscal conditions. Governments as such operate without a proper balance sheet; there is no full accounting of the state of well-being of the key assets of our province: our people, our relationships, and the state of our landscapes. Failure to account for the state of 'well-being' of these key assets that determine our economic future is simply poor accounting. What if our capital and operating budgets were tied to our genuine wealth and well-being conditions? After all, the word 'wealth' means 'the conditions of well-being' from the 13th Century Old English)? What would a budget say if it aspired to actually improving a common aspiration of 'better well-being' for all Albertans? What might we express as a new path towards improved well-being with the pandemic causing us to pause and count our blessings? In 2019 I prepared (for fun) a fictional Canada 2020 Well-being Budget Speech which many of you liked. It's amazing what is possible to dream about a different approach to budgeting and governance that would be focused on a simple aspiration: better well-being. I would love your feedback and comments. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Chief Larry Sault is the former Chief of the Mississaugas of New Credit and former Grand Chief of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians in Southwestern Ontario, which Six Nations was a founding member. The traditional territory of the Six Nations includes the city of Toronto.  Larry's maternal connection to Six Nations (Iroquois) is from his mother and both great-grandmothers. Through this maternal lineage, Larry is from the Mohawk Wolf Clan. On the paternal Mississauga Nation side, he is from the Eagle Clan. Larry  spent more than a decade in the Silicon Valley in the Financial Services Industry. Larry is a remarkable leader with a 'get-er-done' philosophy to life. "I am a hands-on, ‘get-er-done’ person willing to climb the mountains that are before us. I believe in planning and ensuring we build a strong foundation. I believe in policy and regulatory processes that govern and guide our institutions - BUT our policies should be friendly, allowing for innovation and creativity. I believe in negotiating the best deals possible. But at the end of the day, let’s stop the talking and all the rhetoric, let’s see some production and let’s seize the opportunities that are in our grasp." Larry brings over 25 years of dynamic leadership of working with First Nations in Canada, Native American Tribes in the United States, Arctic Inuit, Maori of New Zealand and Aborigine of Australia. He has held key positions in political leadership, private sector corporations and non-profit organizations. Larry helped co-create Sault Minds a business focused on monetizing the development of First Nations lands, creating commercial innovations unique to First Nations communities, and managing First Nations wealth to the betterment of today, tomorrow and generations to come. The company's business model is to fund and commercialize opportunities unique to Indigenous Peoples and provide the support and infrastructure to go-to-market successfully. You can learn more about Larry's ideas and current work at https://chieflarrysault.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

B. Lorraine Smith joins me today (February 12, 2021) to explore her views and years of experience in the world of corporate social responsibility, sustainability reporting and advising companies globally on pursuing what might be viewed as a future fit for genuine well-being. B. Lorraine Smith is a writer and an independent consultant. She imagines a future where the economy serves a thriving society within a healthy biosphere. She invests her time in making that idea reality. ​As a writer, Lorraine shares her ideas through her blog which introduces different people, places and possibilities that are showing signs of that future emerging today. Lorraine spends her spare time knitting and running super marathons. Running for 4-5 hours at a time has taught her to learn from the lessons of the natural environment around her. Nature has taught her a great deal that the sustainability road is a very long pursuit. As Ray Anderson of Interface once said 'we are only half-way up Mt. Sustainability.' As a consultant, since 2004 she has been working with companies in Brazil, Canada, Europe, the UK, and the US, collaborating with corporate leaders who are keen to shape the next phase of business. Along with working directly with clients, she is also a senior consultant with BuzzWord, an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting and strategy group based in the US. Lorraine is also a member of the Expert Council of the Future-Fit Business Benchmark, an open source tool that quantifies how businesses are contributing to a sustainable future. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Lorraine has lived in Australia, Brazil, Germany, New Zealand and New York City. She currently calls Montreal home. To find out more about Lorraine, visit https://www.blorrainesmith.com/. Her latest newsletter — Calling All Angels — walks us through this world as best I can. Check out the blog for the latest on the shift to the regenerative economy or reach me through any one of the following channels: Website /      https://www.blorrainesmith.com/ YouTube /    Lorraine's Channel  Facebook /    https://www.facebook.com/BLorraineSmith/  Twitter /        @BLorraineSmith mobile /        +1.514-632-4848 Instagram /  blorrainesmith LinkedIn /    https://www.linkedin.com/in/b-lorraine-smith-155a875/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Dr. John Cobb Jr. turned 96. John has led a remarkably long and good life. Born in Kobe, Japan and growing up in Hiroshima he moved back to the US (Georgia) in 1944 before the bombing of Hiroshima. John's love for Asian culture continues in his important work on advancing the ideas of an ecological civilization in Asia and in his home in Pomona, California. John is considered one of the world's foremost process theologians. Highly respected in China, Japan and South Korea for his wisdom and counsel on the notion of an ecological civilization, he was an inspiration to Mayor Park Won-soon of Seoul, South Korea. Both John and I were guests of Mayor Park in September 2019 where we explored the prospects of South Korea adopting the concept of an ecological civilization and my well-being economic governance ideas. It's so important to have elders like John in one's life. I cherish his wise counsel and his encouragement.  He has been my mentor and encouraged me for many years to keep pursuing the truth about economics, money and well-being. John was the inspiration behind the Genuine Progress Indicator and the Index for Sustainable Economic Welfare which was developed along with ecologist Dr. Herman Daly, published in their seminal book on sustainability called For the Common Good (1987). Both John and Herman have inspired my own pursuit of an alternative economics based on well-being and happiness. I first met John (and his son Cliff Cobb) in 1999 while working on the US Genuine Progress Indicator with the US economic think-tank Redefining Progress.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Walter Brueggemann, one of the world's most prolific Old Testament scholars, returns to my podcast to share his wisdom from 87 years of a good life lived with joy. A prophetic voice in the wilderness of our so-called enlightenment, his humour and laughter reminds me of the joy that is always present in the depths of our hearts.  We all need elders in our lives to help us reflect on the many graces we have been given in our lives. An economy of well-being is one in which we listen carefully to our elders before they pass on from this earthly existence. Walter is still writing, his most recent writings can be found on the Church A New.org blog https://churchanew.org/brueggemann?author=5e8395f4103b585101d04954 Enjoy Walter's voice, crying with joy from the wilderness! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message

Edmonton Councillor Aaron Paquette joins me today in a lively and joyful conversation about how Edmonton might orient its decisions and budgeting process towards well-being. Aaron exudes pure joy and hope when he speaks. His passion for life is infectious. A gifted visual artist and father of four, Aaron's indigenous roots gives Aaron a unique perspective in politics and his appreciation for my remarkable home of Edmonton, known to the Cree people as the great 'pehonen' or gathering place on Turtle Island (North America). In the word Edmonton is the Cree word 'monto' meaning 'Great Spirit.' Councillor Paquette is committed to building strong and diverse communities in northeast Edmonton. Prior to his election to Council, Aaron worked as an award-winning Indigenous artist and author. His work can be viewed in museums, schools, hospitals and LRT stations across our city. His novel, Lightfinder, is taught in schools and post-secondary institutions across Canada. He has also worked with local schools in Edmonton’s north side to help create mural projects. His passion for education also led him to work with Alberta Education, various school boards and teachers associations to help develop art curriculum and improve academic achievement. In 2012, he created an education conference to lay new ground for more effective approaches to creating healthy and respectful learning environments for students and teachers. In his role as City Councillor for Ward 4, Aaron sits on Executive Committee, Utility Committee and the City Manager and City Auditor Performance Evaluation Committee. He has sponsored the Council Initiative on Food Security, and has also taken a leadership role working on the Child-Friendly Edmonton, End Poverty Edmonton, Multiculturalism and Urban Isolation/Mental Health initiatives. Aaron lives in Brintnell with his wife Clarice and their four children. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mark-anielski/message