Let's Get Down to Business

Letting go of limiting beliefs

I was making $180k a year as a full-time Senior Software Engineer. I never had to worry about meeting our basic needs, got to enjoy some bougie comforts in a lovely house with a view of Puget Sound, and was building up wealth in savings, stocks, and retirement funds.

View from our back porch in Olympia, WA

Then the pandemic hit. I was already working remotely, so money was still fine. But the cracks in the system started growing, our family relationships were strained, tech worker burnout turned up the heat, and I realized how empty and broken “the American Dream” was.

So I moved my kids back here to the Ozarks to be close to family. I sold my stocks, cashed out my retirement funds early, and took about 6 months away from work to heal myself and my children.

All the while, the inspiration for BioHarmony started making its way into my consciousness.

Inspiration for BioHarmony

I started picking at the cracks in our systems, and got a glimpse of what lies Beneath the Pavement.

  Everyone deserves health and wellness
                 CoOperation is so much better than competition
     We are too detached from nature
           My heart breaks for our marginalized communities
                       Domes are awesome

And somehow, I landed on Regenerative Intentional Communities

BioHarmony EcoVillages

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In my youth, I ran away from masculinity in fear of the toxic masculine traits I saw embodied by my peers. In recent years, I have had to re-balance and embrace the healthy aspects of my masculinity so that I can lead, heal, and teach my family.

In much the same way, I ran away from money in fear of the toxic traits it was attached to in our C@pItali$t systems. I have been using private software contracting to make just enough money to meet our basic needs. With the time I don’t spend working, I have been healing my family, growing dreams of BioHarmony, networking with the Regenerative movement, building Open-Source tools, and investing in my community.

The Plan

BioRegional Data APIs

Ozarks Area Community Congress

The minimal contract work hasn’t kept up with long-term expenses like medical bills and transportation costs. I have not pursued monetizing BioHarmony besides being open to donations. But it isn’t working. We now have thousands of dollars in debt, are co-living with family, and feel so far away from having the resources to make our BioHarmonic dreams come true. It is time to re-balance again. This time, my relationship with money.

One of BioHarmony’s tag-lines has been to “Escape from C@pItali$m.” I haven’t figured it out yet. There are days when our van breaks down, or unexpected medical expenses hit when I still feel trapped.

Escaping from C@pItali$m

I see a future state where we’re free, living in a regenerative community overflowing with natural abundance and utilizing co-operative social structures. As much as I have tried to avoid it, that future state requires money to be built on time.

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At one point, I ran across the quote:

The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house.

At the time, I thought it meant that we can’t use corporations, business, or money if we want to tear down the oppressive C@pItali$t institutions. But I hadn’t read the source material myself, and now I have a new understanding of this quote.

The “master’s tools” are not money and business structures. The “master’s tools” are oppression and extortion.

I don’t need to dismantle the master’s house. I need to build a house for his slaves so that they can be free, and the master’s house can be left to rot.

Building a house is expensive. While I am aiming to reduce those costs with our Domesteading experiments, it is still not cheap.

Introduction to Domesteading

And in this analogy, the “house” we’re building for the master’s slaves is actually a network of villages. It is going to require money.

So, this is me — opening back up to money. It is not evil. It is a tool. It allows us to move energy and build beautiful things.

We have created an LLC. We will be putting together a business plan and sharing it here. Then we’ll be looking for investors. I am going to try using Kiva — a platform to crowdfund 0% interest loans for purpose-driven projects.

I’ve never done this before, but it feels like what needs to be done if we’re going to out-build the collapse. I am also open to other ideas. Feel free to drop a comment if you have suggestions.

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If you like what we’re trying to build, and don’t want to wait for the Kiva investment round, we are still accepting support here on Substack, GoFundMe, and GitHub Sponsors.

And of course, sharing any part of our blog or journey with others who might resonate is a great way to help us too.

I am praying for 2025 to be a year full of Joy and Abundance for all who are living in love. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that covers all of my subscribers.

For all who are not living in love, a year of introspection and transformation. The rest of us are eagerly awaiting your arrival.