How to Be Social, Selective, and Simple with Ryan Nicodemus – SASM 113

Ryan Nicodemus and Joel Zaslofsky Combined Picture

Would it be too simple to call this episode a social circle and paper towel throw down?

Whatever you call it, it's a high energy transfer from me and my guest – Ryan Nicodemus – to you.

If Ryan's name sounds familiar, it's probably because you've heard of The Minimalists before – of which Ryan is one half alongside Joshua Fields Millburn. He's an integral part of the bestselling author team, a dude who's wildly passionate about mentoring, and isn't afraid to speak his mind in any environment (or about the environment).

He's been featured in some of the biggest publications in the world, and when he and Joshua aren't creating great videos with their TEDx Talks, they're talking about the #1 indie documentary of 2016 that they helped to co-create, Minimalism: A Documentary about the Important Things.

Press play and simply enjoy this one!

You're about to Learn ...

  • A surprising path from minimalism into environmentalism.
  • Why Ryan doesn't do anything for anyone else on the Internet before 12:30 p.m.
  • Three circles of relationships and how they can guide who to connect with.
  • How Ryan asks (and gets) people to respect his daily commitments.
  • Why Ryan loves mentoring and the impact it's had on hundreds.
  • How to turn reading or typing slow into a creative outlet of other kinds.
  • Why some people are 100% confident that human-caused global warming is a fact.
  • How to help save billions of paper towels (hint: shake and fold).
  • How a S.W.A.T. team kicking in his mother's home door helped him turn away from drugs.

Resources and Items Mentioned in This Episode

Timestamps and Topics

  • [05:47] Ryan's seeds of awesomeness and some early childhood challenges
  • [13:47] Hollow relationships and hanging out with people who aren't your people
  • [18:07] How to gently defer new relationships to focus on your existing ones
  • [22:30] How Ryan asks (and gets) people to respect his daily commitments
  • [27:13] Why mentoring is so central to Ryan's life and service to others
  • [36:33] How to connect with intentional people around you with The Minimalists meetup groups
  • [42:20] The big environmental questions Ryan's asking himself and others
  • [49:27] How Bandit Coffee is being intentional about sourcing and using their goods

Awesome Ways to Subscribe to the Show

Smart and Simple Matters: Creating Community, Simplicity, and Authenticity with You
Smart and Simple Matters: Creating Community, Simplicity, and Authenticity with You
Joel Zaslofsky: Community Animator, Connector, Multipotentialite, Podcaster, and Spreadsheet Guy

Joel Zaslofsky – your community-animating, convention-challenging show host – taps into all his powerful (and often quirky) strategies in a diverse mix of conversations and solo episodes. For example, you'll get chats with TED Talk hotshots like Andy Puddicombe on meditation, experts like Tsh Oxenreider on gratitude, humble influencers like Joshua Becker on minimalism, or Paleo superstars like Mark Sisson on Primal-living. The show has 100,000s of downloads because listeners love to deeply explore the slower side of life, simplicity through mindfulness, and intentional living … among other things. Do you need help with your "stuff," personal relationships, or your relationship with money? Do you enjoy nerdy riffs about spreadsheets or casual references to 1990s music? Subscribe to Smart and Simple Matters now and download this popular, groovy show.

I'm Grateful for Your Reviews!

If you enjoyed this specific episode or the Smart and Simple Matters show in general, I always appreciate an honest iTunes review right here. Every single rating and review is a huge help, lets others find the show more easily, and generates a ton of gratitude!

Here are the four quick steps to leave an iTunes review (assuming iTunes is already installed):

  1. Click here to visit the Smart and Simple Matters iTunes page.
  2. Click the blue button on the left labeled "View in iTunes" below the show cover art.
  3. When iTunes loads, click the navigation tab labeled "Ratings and Reviews" and then click the "Write a Review" button underneath the "Customer Reviews" heading.
  4. Write a review with whatever title you like, whatever length you have time for, and give the show an honest rating. If you don't think it deserves five stars, don't give it five stars.

Thanks again for your time and attention! And if you have someone or something you’d like me to cover on an upcoming show, tell us in the comments below.

Want Another Way to Connect?