Podcast Summary: The Bobby Bones Show – "Leaving It All Behind for a New Life"

Host: Granger Smith
Guests: Jeremy and Melissa
Release Date: February 3, 2025

In the episode titled "Leaving It All Behind for a New Life," Granger Smith welcomes guests Jeremy and Melissa, creators of the podcast and family vlog "New World, Old Soul." They delve into their transformative journey from conventional lives to embracing homesteading and self-sufficiency in the serene landscapes of Northern Idaho.

1. From Conventional Life to Pursuing a Dream (00:10 - 03:15)

Granger initiates the conversation by expressing admiration for Jeremy and Melissa's venture into simple living and innovative lifestyles. He remarks:

"You’re doing things that people only dream about doing. First of all, respond to that. Like, what does that mean when I say to you, how do you feel when I say you're living a lot of people's dream?"
[00:10] – Granger Smith

Jeremy responds by highlighting the surreal nature of their journey and the divine guidance they've felt:

"For us, all of this really has been a dream come true... it's been a tremendous blessing."
[01:47] – Jeremy

Melissa adds context to their previous conventional lifestyle:

"We lived very conventional lives before... Jeremy was a police officer and didn't love that because it was just this daily grind."
[02:19] – Melissa

2. The Catalyst: Transitioning from Law Enforcement to YouTube (04:16 - 08:31)

Melissa recounts the initial motivation behind their shift:

"I saw him start to almost despise the job... I thought, well, we can't have cattle and chickens are kind of gross. We did a couple hundred chickens and we thought. So I started raising rabbits."
[04:16] – Melissa

Despite Jeremy's skepticism about the viability of their rabbit videos:

"I thought it was crazy... but we enjoyed doing it."
[06:13] – Jeremy

Their content began to gain traction unexpectedly, leading to monetization opportunities:

"By the time we went back, we had YouTube asking us if we wanted to be monetized... it just kind of took on a life of its own from there."
[07:03] – Jeremy

3. Embracing Self-Sufficiency: Moving to Northern Idaho (08:31 - 12:20)

The decision to relocate was influenced by a retirement plan and a desire for safety and self-sufficiency:

"We had a retirement plan of retiring in Idaho because we just thought it was a beautiful area and we felt that it was a very safe area to do the whole homestead."
[08:31] – Melissa

They faced the challenge of moving to a remote location, 30 miles from the nearest gas station, during the early stages of the pandemic:

"We called it the promised land. And we just... we both felt like that's what we were supposed to go do, but it was insane."
[09:18] – Melissa

4. Building and Sustaining the Homestead (12:50 - 16:18)

Melissa discusses their journey towards self-sufficiency, including building their own home and establishing sustainable systems:

"We built the overwhelming majority of it... we put up all the walls and did all the Sheetrock drywall."
[15:18] – Jeremy

They currently rely on solar power to enhance their sustainability:

"Our big infrastructure project this year is going to be a big solar array... solar for us ultimately is going to be the ticket."
[16:00] – Jeremy

5. Navigating Challenges: Homeschooling and Daily Obstacles (16:27 - 20:42)

Homeschooling their four children posed unique challenges, balancing education with their new lifestyle:

"We started homeschooling... my daughter, I didn't want to put her in the system because... I thought this doesn't fit all kids."
[12:50] – Melissa

Jeremy shares the family's struggle with unconventional living conditions, such as handling a composting toilet system:

"It was a five-gallon bucket system... we had to dispose of everything on the far end of the property."
[19:52] – Jeremy

Melissa emphasizes the importance of prioritizing their children's well-being over maintaining the vlog:

"We're not going to make memories through the lens of a camera. I want to make sure that I'm making memories for myself."
[31:18] – Melissa

6. Reflections on Technology and AI Relationships (24:29 - 29:08)

The conversation shifts to the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on human relationships. Granger posits:

"People will develop relationships with these AI personalities, and this will be a huge demise to the human population."
[25:19] – Granger Smith

Jeremy and Melissa express concern over AI's role in society, viewing it as potentially detrimental:

"I think it takes away from everything it is that I desired for myself and my kids."
[28:53] – Jeremy

Melissa critiques prominent tech figures' influence on AI development:

"Are we not questioning what his actual motives are?... Meta. Are we not worried about this for the human race and for the human soul?"
[26:10] – Melissa

7. Balancing Vlogging with Family Life (30:39 - 34:42)

Jeremy and Melissa discuss the delicate balance between content creation and maintaining authentic family experiences:

"It's all about boundaries and balance... cameras take away from everything I desired for myself and my kids."
[33:15] – Jeremy

Melissa shares an anecdote about prioritizing real-life moments over creating content:

"Our kids were standing there, like, staring at us argue over the happy dance... the dance is dead."
[31:56] – Melissa

8. Listener Engagement: Addressing Relationship Issues (34:55 - 44:43)

Granger introduces a listener question from Samantha about repairing a strained friendship. Jeremy and Melissa offer heartfelt advice:

"It is worthwhile to put in that effort to maintain those relationships or repair those relationships because ultimately that's all we have in the end."
[36:16] – Jeremy

Melissa adds:

"Probably look at what caused those little irritations in the beginning and whether or not your friendship is compatible."
[36:16] – Melissa

They discuss the challenges of apologizing without self-justification, emphasizing personal responsibility in mending relationships.

9. The Reality of Stress and Contentment (42:31 - 45:07)

The guests reflect on the inevitability of stress, regardless of one's environment:

"Our stresses are so insignificant to so many others, but we have, you know, just some self-imposed stress."
[42:31] – Jeremy

Melissa concurs, highlighting that personal expectations often drive stress more than external circumstances:

"I think we do a lot of it to ourselves with our own self-imposed deadlines and schedules and expectations."
[43:14] – Melissa

10. Homeschooling Advocacy and Child Development (46:43 - 50:24)

Melissa passionately advocates for homeschooling, emphasizing its benefits over conventional schooling, especially for boys:

"Kids are built so differently, especially little boys... the classroom environment... was designed for little girls."
[46:43] – Melissa

She contrasts their approach with traditional education systems, promoting a more liberated and curiosity-driven upbringing:

"Our nine... he's really into engineering and rockets and he's all over the place. When he tries to talk to another 10-year-old about it, they'll be like, you're weird."
[49:44] – Melissa

11. Closing Thoughts and Future Engagement (50:28 - End)

Granger expresses admiration for Jeremy and Melissa's journey and openness:

"Thank you guys so much for sharing incredible wisdom. And it's just, I love the journey you're on."
[50:49] – Granger Smith

The episode concludes with a light-hearted exchange and a nod to future interactions.

Notable Quotes:

• Granger Smith ([00:10]): "You’re doing things that people only dream about doing."

• Jeremy ([01:47]): "It's been a tremendous blessing."

• Melissa ([12:50]): "We started homeschooling... I thought this doesn't fit all kids."

• Granger Smith ([25:19]): "People will develop relationships with these AI personalities, and this will be a huge demise to the human population."

• Jeremy ([28:53]): "It takes away from everything I desired for myself and my kids."

• Melissa ([46:43]): "Kids are built so differently, especially little boys... the classroom environment... was designed for little girls."

Conclusion:

In this compelling episode, Jeremy and Melissa share their inspiring journey of leaving behind conventional careers and lifestyles to embrace a life of self-sufficiency, homesteading, and content creation. They candidly discuss the challenges and rewards of their choices, offering valuable insights into balancing personal dreams with family responsibilities. Additionally, their reflections on technology, especially AI, and its impact on human relationships provide a thought-provoking perspective for listeners contemplating similar life changes.