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PODCAST

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple Strategies Podcast with Nate Birt

Perennial Pen is a podcast for people who miss deep conversation and still believe the best questions in life deserve more than a rushed answer. I"m Nate Birt, and each episode is an invitation to slow down, pull up a chair, and listen in on the kinds of stories, memories, and life lessons that usually don"t come out unless somebody makes the time and asks with care. We"ll talk about family, faith, regret, joy, keepsakes, growing older, what lasts, and what we hope the people we love will remember

society & culture relationships

All Episodes

39:13

#21: 'The Thing That Has Never Failed Is to Listen...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/10/05

Some family stories survive because one person finally thinks to ask the right questions. That's what happened to Lisa from Florida, our very special guest on this episode. Lisa's story-preservation process started with a beloved family cookie: thin, crispy chocolate spice cookies made each year by Hansi, a relative whose life had been shaped by the Holocaust and subsequent immigration to Venezuela. Lisa loved those cookies as a child. Years later, when Hansi was elderly, Lisa asked how she made

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42:35

#20: 'Which Option Is Going to Bring Me the Biggest...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/09/30

Debbie from Scotland spent more than 24 years in social work, built a family, moved countries and made some enormous life decisions along the way. Yet some of the most important changes in her life began with a question many of us rarely consider asking: Which option is going to bring me the biggest joy? For Debbie, choosing joy doesn't mean pretending difficult things aren't happening or expecting ourselves to feel happy all the time. It means learning to listen to ourselves, recognize what we

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39:11

#19: 'If You Want to Change Your Community, I'd Start...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/09/21

David from Missouri has spent much of his life learning that seemingly ordinary experiences can lead us to moments of clarity and purpose years later. For him, that's meant turning lessons from childhood into practical acts of neighborliness. As a neighboring advocate, author, and teacher, David's leadership has sparked a nationwide movement committed to helping people strengthen local connections, foster regular acts of neighborliness, and combat pervasive isolation and loneliness. Those early

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52:57

#18: 'Everyone Has a Different Mental Model of This...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/09/14

Ed from Georgia has spent much of his life helping people solve business problems, navigate uncertainty, and move forward with greater clarity. But in this episode, he shares something more personal: how his journey of getting to know himself more honestly, especially in midlife, helped him build stronger relationships with the people he loves most. In this episode, I talk with Ed about what it means to "know thyself" in a way that is practical, humble, and deeply human. I really appreciate Ed's

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38:42

#17: ''You're Driving Down The Road 100 Miles An Hour...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/09/07

Ryan from Illinois has spent much of his life moving between newsrooms, mountain towns, rural communities, nonprofit work, and the world of regenerative agriculture. But in this episode, he shares something even more personal: the lessons he would offer his younger self about discomfort, trade-offs, community, empathy, and learning to make peace with the life you're actually building (rather than all the speculative futures you daydream about but might never actually experience). In this episode, I

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40:32

#16: 'Being You Is Enough'

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/08/31

Natalie from England has spent more than 30 years helping people share their stories. But in this episode, she shares some of her own: stories of caring for her father through Alzheimer's, supporting her stepmother through motor neurone disease, walking through years of uncertainty with her son's health, and slowly rebuilding her life after seasons that left her exhausted. In this episode, I talk with Natalie about what happens when life forces us to stop, reassess, and ask what we're really

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48:12

#15: 'The World Can Give You So Much More Than You...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/08/25

Alba's life has taken her across countries, cultures, and seasons of deep personal reinvention. After immigrating to the United States from Russia and building a life in San Francisco, she found herself during the COVID pandemic asking a difficult question: What am I doing here, and what actually makes me happy? In this episode, I talk with Alba about what happened when she chose to let go of the apartment, the car, the extra belongings, and the fear that had kept her in one place. What began with

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37:28

#14: 'If You Help One Person, Then Your Life Mission...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/08/17

Some stories begin with a grand plan. Others begin with a pair of old running shoes pulled from the back of a closet. In the second half of my conversation with Jim from Missouri, we move from the rural communities he has spent decades writing about to the deeply personal ways he has learned to keep moving through uncertainty, heartache, pain, and possibility. If you haven't yet heard Part 1, I hope you'll go back and listen. There, Jim shares the lessons he inherited from his father, the broken

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40:12

#13: 'Mere Mortals Have Done Some Amazing Things'...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/08/10

A bright yellow car with black racing stripes arrived in Jim's yard on a chain. It didn't run, its engine had once caught fire, and its rusted hood revealed its well-worn condition. Then Jim's father offered him a simple challenge: "If you can get it running, it's yours." In this episode, I talk with Jim from Missouri about the lessons hidden inside of broken cars, the value of hard work, how to face uncertain crossroads in life, incredible family stories, and the importance of being willing to

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52:12

#12: 'Never Let Your Circumstances Dictate Who You Are'

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/08/03

Veronica Taylor's life began in the violence and uncertainty of war-torn Nicaragua. Years later, after fleeing to the United States with her family, she found herself living out of a car in San Francisco as a teenager, navigating poverty, danger, fear, and survival. In this episode, I talk with Veronica about how those early experiences shaped her understanding of resilience, self-respect, empathy, and peace. What struck me most is not only what Veronica endured, but how intentionally she has worked

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42:36

#11: 'I Was the Kid Reading a Book at Recess'

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/07/27

What does a childhood in Colorado, a stack of freshly printed high school newspapers, a dream of becoming a war correspondent, a life rooted in faith, and a small Missouri farm have to teach us about memory, meaning, family, courage, and calling? In this episode, the tables are turned. My friend Kevin Payne interviews me — Nate Birt — about the story behind my own life, work, family, and the beginnings of Perennial Pen. Kevin and I first met years ago through the agriculture and ag tech world, later

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46:23

#10: 'Love Is The Ultimate Powerful Source In The World'

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/07/20

What do a childhood memory, a grandmother's unconditional love, a theater stage, a trip across Europe, and the hero's journey have to teach us about mortality, confidence, art, courage, and belonging? In this episode, I talk with Patty from California about the experiences that shaped her life as an artist, teacher, actor, novelist, and storyteller. She shares how her grandmother boosted her sense of confidence and how she discovered the power of art to convey experiences for which we lack words

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42:58

#9: 'Find Something Every Single Day That You Can...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/07/13

What do a Journey song, a counselor's question, a mother's unconditional love, and a sunflower turning toward the sun have to teach us about resilience, purpose, mental health, and hope? In this episode, I talk with Kevin from Raleigh, North Carolina, about the experiences that shaped his life and calling — including being diagnosed with depression and an eating disorder at age 12, learning to "change the station" inside his mind, and discovering that our hardest chapters can sometimes become a way

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41:43

#8: 'It Was Like I Hit A Wall, But Instead Of Falling...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/07/06

What happens when you reach the point where you know something has to change? In this episode, I talk with Jamin from Missouri about a recent turning point in her life—one that began with exhaustion, anxiety, and the feeling of hitting a wall, but gradually opened into healing, boundaries, purpose, and a renewed connection with the natural world. Jamin shares honestly about learning to say, "This is who I am," and about the role nature has played in helping her breathe, listen, reflect, and come

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41:24

#7: Politics Professor: 'Science Does Not Make Us...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/06/29

What stories shape the way we see the world — and what stories might help us build something better? In this episode, I talk with Ronnie, a self-described "recovering academic" from California, about science, politics, human behavior, sustainability, and the stories we tell ourselves about what is possible. Ronnie spent decades teaching and studying politics, energy, resources, and global systems, but over time, his thinking shifted from purely rational explanations toward a deeper appreciation for

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39:40

#6: 'You Are Not Stuck Until You Stop'

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/06/22

What do a grandmother's red dress, a muddy river lot, and an old International Travelall have to teach us about confidence, hard work, connection, and legacy? In this episode, I talk with Amy from Iowa about the life lessons she learned from her grandparents — lessons that have shaped the way she leads, works, serves, and shows up for the people around her. Amy shares the story of her grandmother walking into a room in a red dress and teaching her that if you choose to be somewhere, you should know

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39:30

#5: Discover Your Narrative Worth: 'What Someone Will...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/06/15

In this episode, I talk with Toby from California about friendship, identity, aging, and the conversations that help us become more fully known. Toby introduces us to the Australian idea of mateship: the kind of trusted connection where someone has your back, listens without judgment, and offers honest perspective when you need it most. From there, we explore what Toby calls narrative worth—the fuller story of who we are beyond job titles, résumés, and the narrow ways we often introduce ourselves

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42:04

#4: 'Life Is For You To Be Happy, And For The People...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/06/08

In this episode, I visit with Nerma from Puerto Rico about entrepreneurship, motherhood, resilience, and the courage it takes to build a life that reflects what matters most to each of us. Nerma shares how becoming a mother led her to pursue entrepreneurship--not as a glamorous escape, but as a practical way to create flexibility, stability, and dignity for her family. Along the way, she learned hard lessons about leadership, mistakes, team building, and the responsibility of helping others pursue

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33:07

#3: 'Be Grateful For Every Day That You Have, Because...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/06/02

In this episode, I talk with Jay, a Washington state-based Vietnam War veteran, longtime benefit auctioneer, entrepreneur, and comedian whose life has been shaped by gratitude, endurance, and the healing power of laughter. Jay shares the sobering lesson he learned as a young helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War: Every day is a gift, and none of us knows how much time we have. That experience has stayed with him ever since, and it eventually shaped the way he approached work, family, risk,

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37:20

#2: How to Achieve Your Lifelong Dream of Becoming an...

Perennial Pen (What Matters Most): A Silver Maple... ·

2026/05/25

What happens when a childhood dream waits quietly for decades—and then finally gets its chance? In this episode, I talk with Mace from Missouri about writing, history, friendship, and the long road between wanting to do something meaningful as an author and finally beginning the journey. Mace grew up on a small farm in northeast Kansas, spent much of his career telling the stories of farm families and rural America, and later turned a sixth-grade dream of becoming an author into a new chapter of

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22 results

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