Serenbe Stories

Latest Episodes:

For Edgar Guillory, Hospitality is Everything Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

Even though Edgar Guillory has worked for the Inn at Serenbe for less than two years, it’s almost impossible to imagine a time before him. As Director of Guest Experience, Edgar kickstarted The Inn’s concierge program, bringing an already high standard of service to an entirely new level of hospitality. In fact, he is so overwhelmingly popular with our guests that he’s mentioned by name in pages of online reviews - including the reviews generated by AI.

For this interview, HR Director Stephanie Coyne is back to chat with Edgar about learning the hospitality ropes (occasionally the hard way) in his native Mexico, why he almost ignored Serenbe’s first attempt to reach him, and his personal philosophy for exceptional customer service.

Shownotes

Key Words: Hospitality, Customer Service, Concierge, Inn at Serenbe, Serenbe, Boutique Hotel

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

20 Years of Community with Steve Nygren Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

As we kick off the 10th season of this podcast, Serenbe is hitting a major milestone - 2024 marks 20 years since Serenbe’s groundbreaking, when the very first homes were being built and the first residents were taking a chance on a very new and evolving type of neighborhood development. In this episode, Monica and Steve take a trip down memory lane, discussing what the world looked like in 2004, the earliest days of the green building movement, and some of the major milestones that influenced Serenbe’s path forward. We also discuss the way the community itself has evolved over the years - and what the next 20 years have in store.

Shownotes

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Introducing Season 10 of Serenbe Stories Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

Serenbe Stories will be back on Monday, March 18th for our milestone TENTH season and we couldn’t be more excited. In this upcoming season, we’re sharing more stories about the people that make Serenbe such a lively, interesting, and dynamic community. Hear from Steve Nygren about how Serenbe has grown in the 20 years since breaking ground, from residents who have uprooted their busy lives to move here and slow down, visiting artists who enrich our everyday experiences, and so much more.

You can catch up on the first 9 seasons of Serenbe Stories anywhere you listen to podcasts and be sure to join us on Monday, March 18th, as we kickoff Season 10. Subscribe and follow so you never miss an episode. Thanks for listening to Serenbe Stories.

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Embracing Wellness and All Things Serenbe with Frank & Christine Egan Nov 20, 2023

Show notes

Serenbe had been on Frank and Christine Egan’s radar for years before they eventually uprooted their busy lives on Long Island and moved all the way down to rural Georgia. However, when you hear their full story, it’s not all that surprising that this is where they landed. In addition to running a successful orthodontics practice, Frank and Christine have been longtime advocates for local food, sustainable living, and a balanced approach to wellness that includes lots of time spent outdoors.

In this episode, we chat about Dr. Frank’s new orthodontics practice in Mado, Christine’s inspiring approach to health and wellness, and the way that they’ve embraced all things Serenbe.

Show Notes

Key Words: Health, Wellness, Local Food, Organic Agriculture, Local Farm, Eat Local, Breast Cancer, Cancer Survivor, Sustainable Living, Sustainability, Solar Energy, Geothermal, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Nature Based, Hiking, Trails, Orthodontist, Orthodontics

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

The Calm Force Behind the Inn & Farmhouse w/ Juliann West Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Juliann West first heard about Serenbe in 2014 when her brother and sister-in-law tried convincing her to move here; however, at the time, she didn’t think she would ever leave her adopted home of Seattle or the Pacific Northwest. Flash forward to 2018 and Juliann found herself back in Serenbe’s orbit, this time as the newly appointed General Manager at the Inn and Farmhouse, a demanding role that she handles with incredible calmness and composure. In fact, it’s not uncommon to hear “Juliann is the best” multiple times a day from multiple departments around Serenbe.

This week, Stephanie Coyne is back to chat with Juliann about her approach to team building, her calm, cool, and collected demeanor, and the type of employee that tends to thrive in Serenbe.

Show Notes

Key Words: Serenbe, Hospitality, Hospitality Industry, Food & Beverage, Pacific Northwest, Community, Biophilia, Biophilic Design

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

George Cohen’s Road to Recovery & Serenbe Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

George Cohen was just starting out in the mortgage business in 2013 when a family friend connected him with Serenbe Real Estate. However, his journey to becoming a full-fledged resident didn't happen overnight. It was a few years later, after overcoming personal challenges and embracing sobriety, that George immediately connected with key members of the community who played a pivotal role on his road to recovery.

In the years since, it’s safe to say that George has become so much more than Serenbe Real Estate’s preferred lender. He’s a staple of the community, who you’re likely to bump into when he’s out walking the dog, co-captaining one of our sports leagues, or playing guitar in everyone’s favorite local band. And in true Serenbe fashion, George and his wife Katrina have moved homes multiple times within the community. In this episode, we’re joined once again by guest co-host Micah Adler to explore George’s path to Serenbe, unveil the origin stories of nicknames like El Toro and Dickie Robes, and hear why he loves working with new clients who are so excited to move here.

Show Notes

Key Words: Mortgage, Mortgage Lender, Sober, Sobriety, Recovery, Athletics, Community Sports, Band, Local Band, Guitar, Serenbe, Serenbe Real Estate, Community, Biophilia

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Intergenerational Living & Aging in Place w/ Steve Ngyren Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Serenbe Stories, we’re sharing an interview that Steve Nygren gave on the Glowing Older podcast, alongside their host Nancy Griffin. Serenbe has big plans to break ground on a state of the art aging-in-place campus, designed to take down the barriers that often leave older generations siloed away from the greater community. This campus will have no gates, no locked away areas, and interestingly, no age restrictions. It will also be located in the heart of Serenbe’s Mado hamlet, connected to shops and restaurants, the new Acton Academy school campus, and plenty of health & wellness businesses and services.

In this interview, hear about Steve’s approach to aging in place, intergenerational living, and how it all ties back to his biophilic vision for the community.

Show Notes

Key Words: Aging, Intergenerational Living, Aging in Place, Senior Living, Wellness, Blue Zones, Biophilic Design, Biophilia, Serenbe, Community

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Changing Careers & Changing Your Life with Serenbe CFO Gil Mathis Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Serenbe’s HR Director Stephanie Coyne is BACK for her first official Serenbe Stories takeover, where we’re putting the spotlight on our amazing employees. In today’s episode, Stephanie is catching up with Serenbe’s CFO Gil Mathis, who lives and works in the community. Gil and his wife Jeny - both longtime and beloved fixtures in the community - first discovered Serenbe while looking for a way to mix up their typical vacation routine. What they found changed their lives. After a few visits and a fateful trip to the real estate office (it’s hard to resist) Gil left his corporate finance job and took a role with Serenbe Real Estate before transitioning into his current position as Chief Financial Officer.

In this conversation, Stephanie chats with Gil about his family’s journey to Serenbe, his love/hate relationship with our sports leagues, his deep appreciation for an excel spreadsheet, and so much more. This one you don’t want to miss.

Show Notes

Key Words: Serenbe, Community, Career, Career Transition, Real Estate, Trivia, Sports Leagues, Excel, Family

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Kids, Dogs, & Designing A Life-Well Lived with Vern Yip Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

You might recognize today’s guest, Vern Yip, from shows like Trading Spaces, HGTV’s Design Star, and Deserving Design. He also runs his own design studio in Atlanta, designs a line of dog and kid-friendly furniture, has published multiple books on how to maximize your home - and he still has more TV and book projects in the works. Vern actually wrote his master’s thesis on New Urbanism, so Serenbe has been on his radar since its earliest days. After many years of spending time in the community, Vern and his husband Craig decided to make the leap to living here part-time and they’re currently building a beautiful home to retreat to with their children and seven - yes, seven - dogs.

In this episode, Monica is joined by special guest host Garnie Nygren, to catch up with Vern about how his love of animals led him to meeting his husband, his journey to Serenbe, and why he finds so much joy in the community here.

Show Notes

Key Words: Design, Interior Design, HGTV, Architecture, Vern Yip, Serenbe, New Urbanism, Community, Animals, Pets, Pet Adoption

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

Unveiling Serenbe’s Thin Places with Dr. Phill Tabb Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

If you’ve listened to Serenbe Stories for a while, then our guest today, Phill Tabb, will need no introduction. For those who need a refresher, Phill Tabb is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at Texas A&M University and has been involved with Serenbe since its earliest days, creating the community’s masterplan using the principles of sacred geometry. He is the author of numerous publications including Serene Urbanism: A Biophilic Theory and Practice of Sustainable Placemaking, and Biophilic Urbanism: Designing Resilient Communities for the Future. His latest is Thin Place Design: Architecture of the Numinous. This fascinating new study examines the qualities that make certain places extraordinary, magical, and profound. In this episode, Monica and Steve catch up with Phill about the emotional responses to thin places, the transformative experiences we find in nature, and the thin place experiences he has had right here in Serenbe.

Show Notes

Thin Place Design: Architecture of the Numinous by Phillip James Tabb
Serene Urbanism: A Biophilic Theory and Practice of Sustainable Design by Phillip James Tabb
Biophilic Urbanism: Designing Resilient Communities for the Future by Phillip James Tabb
Thin Places, Sacred Architecture, and Biophilic Patterns with Dr. Phill Tabb (Biophilic Solutions Podcast)
Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner
Rachel K. Garceau
Nygren Placemaking

Key Words: Thin Places, Phill Tabb, Serenbe, Awe, Serenity, Emotion Wheel, Dacher Keltner, Biophilia, Biophilic Design

The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.

Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!

Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.

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