How To Avoid Burnout by Bringing Joy Into Your Advocacy

How To Avoid Burnout by Bringing Joy Into Your Advocacy

Author: Strong Towns January 13, 2026 Duration: 23:26
Strong Towns Chicago learned that fun isn't frivolous — it's essential for sustainable advocacy. Leader Alex Montero shares how the Local Conversation group uses urbanist comedy, neighborhood tours, and social events to keep volunteers energized and engaged while winning real policy changes. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES Want in on the action? Find a Local Conversation near you! Alex Montero (Linktree) Strong Towns Chicago (Linktree) ‍Norm Van Eeden Petersman (LinkedIn) Do you know someone who would make for a great Bottom-Up Revolution guest? Let us know here.   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

There’s a quiet shift happening in neighborhoods and city halls across the continent, a push to rethink what makes a place thrive. The Bottom-Up Revolution, from the team at Strong Towns and hosted by Tiffany Owens Reed, dives into that shift by sharing real stories from within the movement. Instead of grand top-down plans, this podcast focuses on the tangible, often overlooked work of everyday people who are rolling up their sleeves to foster economic resilience right where they live. Each conversation explores the practicalities-how someone identified a small, solvable problem in their community, the steps they took to rally their neighbors, and the challenges they faced turning an idea into reality. You’ll hear about the messiness of local advocacy, the importance of building connections to create lasting influence, and the personal lessons learned along the path to a stronger town. It’s a resource for anyone who believes change starts on their own street, offering not just inspiration but a sense of shared struggle and possibility. Tune in for a candid look at the grassroots work that’s quietly reshaping our cities and towns, one concrete action at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Bottom-Up Revolution
Podcast Episodes
How One Tiny House Helped Shift Boise’s Housing Rules [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:14
After the recession upended her architecture career, building a tiny house on wheels helped Macy Miller recover financially and dramatically lower her housing costs. She shares what that decision has opened up for her fa…
Walking, Visibility, And One Mom’s Fight For Safer Streets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:50
After seeing a neighbor struck by a car — again — Abigail Hoiland set out to make people walking impossible to overlook. She shares how Stop Umbrella works on real crosswalks and how one quirky tool can spark bigger conv…
How One Ballot Initiative Could Legalize Affordable Starter Homes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:12
Andrew Mikula is leading a grassroots campaign to put affordable housing on the Massachusetts ballot in 2026. The initiative would legalize single-family homes on smaller lots. Today, he shares how he's building a broad…
How Do You Build Safe Streets in Car-Dependent Places? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:06
Columbia, South Carolina, is the 12th deadliest metro for pedestrians in America. Columbia resident Regan Freeman is working to change that, as the director of a statewide pedestrian and bicycle safety nonprofit. Regan e…
How Floor Plans Drive Families from Cities (and What Helps Them Stay) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
Most city apartments are designed for roommates, not families with babies. Bobby Fijan, co-founder of The American Housing Corporation, explains how floor plans force parents out of cities — and how to help young familie…
Bringing the Strong Towns Conversation to a Growing City [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:21
Nick Frevold launched a Strong Towns Local Conversation in Huntsville, Alabama — and found more demand than he expected. He shares what it took to get started, build relationships, and turn concern into real momentum. AD…
Is Crowdfunding A Good Way To Fund Local Projects? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:11
What if your neighborhood could raise the money it needs without waiting for grants or traditional funding? Kathleen Minogue, founder of Crowdfund Better, explains how crowdfunding builds financial resilience while stren…
The Best Street Safety Win Is One Nobody Notices [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:05
Some of the most important street safety victories don’t make the news. After a personal tragedy, Josh Stewart devoted himself to making streets safer. Today, he shares hard-earned lessons about how change really happens…
Can Free Range Parenting Work in the Modern City? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:26
When a nine-year-old rides the subway alone, is that neglect or normal childhood? Lenore Skenazy, a speaker, writer, and reality show host who was once dubbed "America's worst mom," makes the case for why kids need more…
How Small Projects Can Expose Big City Problems [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:20
Jennifer Truman didn’t set out to be a housing or transit advocate, but after running into the same problems while designing small projects in Raleigh, North Carolina, she started asking bigger questions. In this episode…