
Self Directed
Self Directed - A Podcast on Life, Learning, and Raising Free Thinkers. Hosts Cecilie and Jesper Conrad, full-time travellers since 2018 and parents of four, invite a new guest on the podcast every Thursday.
Episodes
130 episodes
124: Jennie Germann Molz | The World Is Our Classroom: Extreme Parenting and the Rise of Worldschooling
Sociologist Jennie Germann Molz joins the podcast to discuss her book The World Is Our Classroom: Extreme Parenting and the Rise of Worldschooling. Jennie is a professor at the College of the Holy Cross whose research explores mobility...
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Season 1
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Episode 124
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52:34

123: Corianda Shepherd | Creating a Worldschooling Community in Spain
After her eight-year-old son was expelled from school in the UK, Corianda Shepherd and her partner Joel left behind a life that no longer worked. They moved to rural Spain, bought the first house they saw, and slowly built Shepherd’s Rest—a wor...
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Season 1
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Episode 123
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1:04:53

122: Kute Blackson | The Magic of Surrender: Ego, Intuition, and the Power of Trust
What if the real magic happens not when you push harder, but when you let go? We explore surrender as a powerful, often misunderstood key to living a fuller life.Kute Blackson is a transformational teacher and bestselling author of The M...
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Season 1
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Episode 122
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58:33
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121: Lenore Skenazy | Free Play: The Lost Key to Childhood Development
In this episode, we explore how modern culture has stripped childhood of the freedom it needs to thrive—and what can be done to bring it back. Our guest is Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids and co-founder of the nonprofit Let G...
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Season 1
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Episode 121
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37:12

120: Anna Vestlev Sandfeld | Why We Choose Unschooling
What happens when your child simply won't fit inside society's educational box? When Anna Vestlev Sandfeld realized her son didn’t fit into the structure of kindergarten—and likely never would fit into traditional school—she and her...
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Season 1
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Episode 120
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49:50

119: Amir Nathoo | Outschool: Passion, Not Curriculum, Is the Future of Education
Outschool founder Amir Nathoo explains why education built on passion—not curriculum—may be the only way to truly prepare kids for a rapidly changing world. We talk about his shift from traditional schooling in the UK to building Outschool, how...
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Season 1
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Episode 119
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28:15

118: David Cole | Questioning Normal – Our Offbeat Life as a Full-Time Traveling Family
Ever wondered what life could look like if you broke free from the conventional 9-5?David Cole and his family sold their home in Chicago in 2019 and haven’t stopped moving since. Cecilie and Jesper talk with him about how they made the s...
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Season 1
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Episode 118
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41:05

117: Dr. Cam Caswell | Why Control Fails and Connection Works with Teens
Dr. Cam joins us to discuss parenting teenagers and why efforts to control them often create more distance. She explains how control can undermine trust and why focusing on connection leads to better results.We discuss the difference bet...
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Season 1
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Episode 117
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49:29

116: Jacob Nordby | Rethinking Freedom: Purpose, Ritual, and the Value of Being
In this conversation with author and speaker Jacob Nordby, we explore the paradox of freedom in modern life. Is it simply doing whatever we want—or does real freedom require something deeper?While many consider freedom to be about...
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Season 1
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Episode 116
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1:15:08

115: Yasmin & Andy | Beyond Boundaries: One Family's Journey from England to Jungle Living in Belize
Yasmin and Andy left a comfortable life in the UK to join a small off-grid community in the jungles of Belize.Fifteen years after cycling through Central America, Yasmin and Andy returned—this time with three kids and a desire for a diff...
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Season 1
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Episode 115
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57:56

114: Amanda Diekman | Radical Acceptance and Low Demand Parenting
In this episode, we speak with Amanda Diekman about how her parenting changed when her six-year-old son went into autistic burnout. He lost verbal communication, stopped eating most foods, and couldn't follow basic routines. Faced with a crisis...
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Season 1
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Episode 114
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50:18

113: Luz Olid and David Caballero | Education Evolution: Beyond Traditional Schooling
Luz and David from Evolving Education left careers in biotechnology to explore and document alternative education models worldwide. Frustrated by rigid schooling systems, they traveled to over 170 learning centers to understand how children lea...
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Season 1
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Episode 113
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51:13
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112: Iris Chen | Untigering: From Control to Connection – Peaceful Parenting for the Tiger Parent
Iris Chen, author of Untigering: Peaceful Parenting for the Deconstructing Tiger Parent, shares how she shifted from a strict, high-expectation parenting style to a trust-based approach.Raised in a Chinese-American household, Ir...
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Season 1
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Episode 112
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57:02

111: Anne Kirketerp | Craft Psychology: The Link Between Crafting & Wellbeing
The moment you carve, knit, bake or start folding paper, something remarkable happens in your brain. The anxious spiral of thoughts quiets, stress hormones recede, and you enter a state that Dr. Anne Kirketerp calls "meaningful self-forgetfulne...
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Season 1
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Episode 111
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1:12:54

110: Asger Leth | Beyond the 9 to 5 – Finding Freedom & Creating a Space for Deep Conversations & Real Connections
What does it mean to truly connect in a world that’s becoming more digital by the day?Asger Leth is a Danish filmmaker, writer, and creative visionary known for his documentary and feature filmmaking work. He gained international ...
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Season 1
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Episode 110
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1:06:35
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109: Dennis Nørmark | Are We Really Free? Pseudo-Work & Unfreedom: How Work & Society Keep Us Trapped
Much of modern work is defined by routine, efficiency targets, and the need to appear productive. But how much of it is actually necessary? Dennis Nørmark, Danish anthropologist, author, and speaker, argues that a significant part of tod...
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Season 1
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Episode 108
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57:12

108: Manisha Snoyer | Unschooling, Community & Rethinking Education
Traditional education often fails to nurture curiosity, creativity, and deep engagement. In this episode, we explore a different path—one that is flexible, self-directed, and built around each child’s unique interests. We discuss homeschooling,...
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Season 1
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Episode 108
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1:01:32
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107: Jessica Joelle Alexander | Danish Parenting Secrets: Raising Happy & Confident Kids
What makes Danish parenting unique, and how does it raise happy, resilient kids? In this episode, we talk with Jessica Joelle Alexander, bestselling author of The Danish Way of Parenting, about Denmark’s highly regarded child-re...
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Season 1
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Episode 107
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1:28:28

106: Essie Richards | Breaking Free: Unschooling and Reimagining Education in the UK
How can unschooling create a safe and empowering educational path for children? In this episode, we talk with Essie Richards about her transformative journey from traditional schooling to unschooling in rural Cornwall, UK. Essie shares how her ...
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Season 1
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Episode 106
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1:01:19

105: Sugata Mitra | How Learning Emerges Naturally Through Self-Organizing Systems
Sugata Mitra is a renowned educational researcher and innovator best known for his revolutionary "Hole in the Wall" experiment, which demonstrated the incredible capacity of children to teach themselves when provided with access to technology. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 105
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1:07:59

104: Dola Dasgupta | Unschooling in India: Embracing Choice and Navigating Challenges
How does homeschooling fit into India’s diverse cultural and educational landscape? In this episode, Dola Dasgupta shares her perspective on the challenges and freedoms of homeschooling and unschooling in a country where formal education is hig...
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Season 1
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Episode 104
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47:07

103: Peter Gray | Rethinking Education: The Power of Play and Self-Directed Learning
Together with Peter Gray, we explored the concept of self-directed education. Peter Gray emphasizes the importance of play and independence in children's learning. The discussion highlights the shortcomings of the traditional sc...
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Season 1
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Episode 103
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1:31:09

102: Naomi Fisher | Changing Our Minds: How children can take control of their own learning
Naomi Fisher is a clinical psychologist, writer, and speaker with a focus on self-directed learning, unschooling, and child development. A mother of two, she draws on her professional expertise and firsthand parenting experiences to challenge c...
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Season 1
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Episode 102
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48:18
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101: Jacob Nordby | Embracing Change and Creative Living through Self-Discovery
Jacob Nordby grew up in a strict Christian cult, isolated and homeschooled. He’s an author, creative guide, and advocate for living authentically. Jacob Nordby’s story is one of transformation; he shares how he found freedom and pu...
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Season 1
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Episode 101
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52:37
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100: Amrit Sandhu | The Power of Consistency, Meaningful Conversations, and Gratitude.
We celebrate our 100th episode by welcoming back our first guest, Amrit Sandhu, for a journey through our podcasting evolution. Reflecting on early challenges and triumphs, Amrit shares insights on how consistency and passion can elevate creati...
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Season 1
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Episode 100
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1:07:43
