They Feed 30 People for $90 (How Cohousing Actually Works)

Architect Charles Durrett reveals the economics and social dynamics of cohousing communities, plus Iceland's revolutionary approach to neurodiverse living where autism isn't a limitation but simply a different way of being.

Guest: Charles Durrett - Principal architect at The Cohousing Company, coined the term "cohousing" in 1985, designed 55+ communities, author of 16 books on community design

Topics Discussed:

How cohousing communities feed 30 people for $90

Why 34 houses share one lawnmower (and it works)

The first U.S. cohousing community 35 years later

Iceland's Sólheimar: 45 neurodiverse, 45 neurotypical residents

Why people with autism drown at 166x the normal rate

"Smiles per half hour" as a community metric

Breaking bread 4-5 times weekly builds community

From isolation to internationally selling artist

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction - Encouraging community for 20 years

00:59 Meet Charles Durrett - Pioneer of cohousing

01:40 The first U.S. cohousing community in Davis

02:36 What is cohousing? Six defining principles

05:00 No hierarchy, all consensus

07:28 Book came out 1988, coined "cohousing"

08:37 35 years later - how is that first community?

10:47 Copenhagen study: Majority of seniors want cohousing

13:45 Personal meetings and interpersonal sharing

15:28 Common dinners 4-5 times weekly

16:26 Cooking rotation - once a month for 20-30 people

17:10 How they feed 30 for $90

20:12 What is a neuro-inclusive community?

23:13 90 people total at Sólheimar

24:02 Started in 1930, Chuck wrote the book

26:04 "Smiles per half hour" metric

29:02 Artists who knew nothing become internationally known

32:13 Financial model for neurodiverse communities

35:12 Why they bought their own swimming pool

38:07 Final thoughts - self-determination is key

41:12 Learning to interview people with autism

Resources:

Website: cohousingco.com

Book: Neuro-Inclusive Community Design

The Psychedelic Renaissance: 6 Leaders on Integration, Ethics & Access

An unprecedented panel discussion featuring six pioneers of psychedelic medicine, moderated by Dr. Richard L. Miller. From underground roots to FDA trials, from ketamine clinics to ibogaine centers, these leaders reveal the challenges and breakthroughs shaping the future of psychedelic therapy.

Panelists: • Matt Xavier - Author of "The Psychedelic DJ," pioneering music curation in psilocybin therapy • Wendy Tucker - Board Chair, Shulgin Foundation, preserving the lab where 200+ psychedelics were created • Sam Mandel - CEO, Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles (35,000+ infusions since 2014) • Tom Feegel - CEO, Beond Ibogaine Center, Cancun (11 MDs on staff) • Dori Lewis - Co-founder, Elemental Psychedelics & Colorado's 2nd legal psilocybin center • Joshua White - Founder, Fireside Project (30,000+ psychedelic support calls)

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction - The tribal nature of healing

02:30 The psychedelic renaissance and 50 years of suppressed science

03:30 Matt Xavier - From DJ to psychedelic therapist

09:59 Wendy Tucker - Preserving the Shulgin legacy

15:05 Sam Mandel - Building ketamine infrastructure 20:29 Tom Feegel - Medical ibogaine treatment

27:24 Dori Lewis - Colorado's legal psilocybin program

31:37 Joshua White - Free psychedelic support for all

40:15 Integration: "Polishing the nuggets" from the journey

42:49 Tom's comprehensive integration approach

47:24 Joshua's personal ibogaine integration story

50:19 Sam on insurance-covered integration

57:49 The ethics crisis in psychedelic therapy

01:00:40 Why facilitators must experience their own medicine

01:06:47 "Good people cause harm" - Dori's crucial insight

01:14:45 Access crisis: How to scale beyond the wealthy 01:19:45 Final thoughts and invitations

Key Takeaways: • Psychedelics are tools, not magic bullets - integration is essential • Well-intentioned practitioners can cause harm without proper training • Touch consent and boundaries must be established before sessions • The field needs peer support models to increase access • Community and accountability prevent isolation and abuse

Resources:

Fireside Project Support Line: firesideproject.org

Shulgin Foundation: shulginfoundation.org

Ketamine Clinics LA: ketamineclinics.com

Beond: beond.us

Elemental Psychedelics: elementalpsychedelics.com

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At age 9, Michael Ostrolenk looked at his overweight, chain-smoking psychiatrist and asked his mother: "He can't help himself. How's he gonna help me?" Then he walked out and never looked back.

Now 54, Michael completes 50-mile rucks with weighted vests and trains Navy SEALs through SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind Academy. After 43 years in martial arts and decades as a performance coach, he's identified why 72% of Americans are failing at health—and it's not about willpower.

In this conversation, Michael reveals:

Why willpower is a terrible strategy for change

The "via negativa" approach that makes failure impossible

His 4-pillar system (physiological, psychological, social, environmental)

Why he gets blood work every 3-6 months (and what markers matter)

The pull-up bar trick that transformed his client's military fitness test

How removing M&Ms matters more than resisting them

The connection between circadian biology and mental health

Why "normalizing pathological behaviors" is destroying our health

Plus: The surprising parting wisdom from someone who trains special operators—and why kindness might be the most powerful intervention of all.

Guest Bio: Michael Ostrolenk is a licensed therapist and Master Coach in Resilience, Leadership, and Elite Performance, with over three decades of experience guiding high performers, special operators, and visionary leaders. He specializes in integrating psychological, physiological, and relational frameworks to optimize human potential. Co-creator of elite training programs with SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind Academy, and affiliated with Apeiron Zoh precision medical clinic in Austin, Texas.

Connect with Michael: Website: https://www.michaeldostrolenk.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelostrolenkresiliencemastery/ Instagram: @mostrolenk Podcast: Resilience Reimagined on Spotify