The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

When life falls apart, learning doesn’t have to. In this heartfelt conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with Christine Alexander of Wonder and Wildflower to talk about a season of homeschooling marked by deep challenges—job loss, a cross-country move, and a year without any seatwork. And yet, in the middle of that chaos, something beautiful happened: connection deepened, resilience bloomed, and the kids kept learning in unexpected, life-giving ways. This episode is a reminder that the hard seasons are not wasted. Whether you’re homeschooling, parenting, or simply trying to do the next right thing, Christine’s story will encourage you to trust the process, let go of perfection, and embrace the sacredness of simply showing up. It’s the perfect companion to Ginny’s new book Homeschooling: You’re Doing It Right Just by Doing It, which is now available wherever books are sold. ** Learn more about Christine and all she has to offer here Get your copy of Homeschooling, You're Doing It Right Just By Doing It here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Acuff has joined The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast six times—and every time, he’s delivered unforgettable encouragement, truth bombs, and just the right amount of hilarious honesty. In this special summer edition, we’ve pulled together his greatest hits. These aren’t just highlights—they’re life-giving reminders about courage, purpose, parenting, progress, and the myth of perfection. From “auditioning goals” to “measuring against zero,” this episode is full of practical mindset shifts and soul-deep encouragement you’ll want to replay again and again. You’ll hear stories that will make you laugh (yes, including the Skittles), advice that will challenge how you view success, and truths that will help you step forward—even when it’s messy. Whether you’re walking through a season of regret, recalibration, or just trying to show up well for your people, this episode will meet you right where you are. Because as Jon says, "The try is an invitation to get better over time." Let’s start again—together. ** Learn more about Jon Acuff and everything he has to offer here If you're wanting more Jon Acuff encouragement check out all six full episodes below: 1. 1KHO 75: I Want My Family to Get the Best of Me, Not the Rest of MeIn this heartfelt episode, Jon Acuff discusses the importance of being intentional with family time, ensuring that loved ones receive our best efforts rather than what's left over. He shares insights from co-authoring a book with his daughters and emphasizes the value of presence in parenting. 2. 1KHO 111: How to Make it Past Quitter's DayJon Acuff explores strategies to maintain motivation and overcome the common pitfalls that lead people to abandon their goals early in the year. He provides practical advice on setting achievable objectives and sustaining momentum beyond January. 3. 1KHO 191: Make Your Best Moments the Rule, Not the ExceptionDelving into self-improvement and creativity, Jon Acuff discusses how to make meaningful goals a consistent part of life. He offers insights on turning dreams into actionable plans and emphasizes the importance of being present to create lasting memories. 4. 1KHO 237: From Regret to Resilience: Overcoming Lost TimeIn his fourth appearance, Jon Acuff shares insights on navigating regret and cultivating resilience. He discusses how to move past missed opportunities and focus on building a purposeful life through intentional actions. 5. 1KHO 345: If You’re Not Fighting For Your Kids, What Are You Saving Your Fight For?Jon Acuff discusses his book How Teens Win and shares insights on helping teens discover their potential. He emphasizes creating personalized scorecards, finding success beyond comparison, and the importance of parents engaging in meaningful conversations with their teens. 1KHO 417: Raising Steady Kids in a Shifting WorldJon Acuff offers practical tools for parenting with timeless truths amidst modern challenges, emphasizing the importance of honesty, hard work, and meaningful relationships in raising resilient children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this unforgettable episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Ginny Yurich welcomes author and Yale Law graduate Mary Marantz for a conversation that is as heart-wrenching as it is hope-filled. Mary shares her journey from a trailer on a mountaintop in West Virginia to the halls of Yale, weaving together stories of dirt-stained roots, childhood magic, absent parents, and the quiet faithfulness that carried her through. With honesty and insight, she explores the deep longing to belong, the ache of being underestimated, and the way small acts of consistency can carve out a whole new life. Together, Ginny and Mary uncover the quiet brilliance of repetition—the daily showing up, the unseen sacrifice, the uncelebrated grit. This episode is a moving reminder that you don’t need to go big to matter. You just need to keep going. The power is in the small things—on repeat. ** Get your copy of Underestimated here Get your copy of Dirt here Learn more about Mary and all she has to offer here A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them ALL out below:  Geviti: Visit ⁠https://www.gogeviti.com/1000hoursoutside⁠ for 20% off your first three months of membership! Active Skin Repair: Visit ⁠www.ActiveSkinRepair.com⁠  to learn more about Active Skin Repair and their commitment to 1% for the planet and use code: 1000hours to save 20% on all Active Skin Repair products Select Quote: Head to ⁠www.selectquote.com/1000hours⁠ to learn more.  Crowd Health: Learn more at ⁠www.joincrowdhealth.com⁠ and get started today for just $99 per month for your first three months by using code 1000HOURS.  BetterHelp: Visit  ⁠www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS⁠  today to get 10% off your first month. Fay Nutrition: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOFayNutrition⁠ to see if you qualify for a dietitian for $0 CRU: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOCru⁠ to sign up for a $24 monthly gift, and receive a free copy of Until The Streetlights Come On Reliefband - Get 20% off plus free shipping at ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOreliefband⁠  Quince - Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOQuince⁠ and get free shipping and 365 day returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Angela Hanscom, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook, highlights the dire consequences of restricted movement in modern childhood. She advocates for outdoor play as essential for children’s neurological and emotional development, arguing that activities like climbing and spinning are vital. Hanscom stresses that daily outdoor movement can be transformative, linking it to improvements in mental health and joy. Her insights urge parents and educators to prioritize unstructured play and rethink traditional approaches to child development.

Life is already complicated—dinner doesn’t have to be. In this refreshingly down-to-earth conversation, Ginny Yurich sits down with Emily Ley, bestselling author, planner designer, and creator of The Simplified Cookbook, to talk about what it really takes to make family life easier. Emily shares her journey from climbing the corporate ladder to launching a wildly successful business that helps women ditch the overwhelm and embrace simplicity—starting with dinner. From “stupid easy” recipes and genius hacks like perpetual grocery lists to the power of deciding once (hello, pizza Fridays!), Emily offers practical tools that make daily life feel lighter and more joyful. But this episode isn’t just about food—it’s about freeing up time and headspace to focus on what really matters. Emily and Ginny dive into the beauty of assembly meals, why three out of four goals is enough, and how Substack has become a space of encouragement for overwhelmed moms. Whether you’re trying to simplify your meal routine, build meaningful family traditions, or just find permission to let go of perfection, this conversation is your breath of fresh air. ** Get your copy of Emily's new cookbook here Learn more about Emily and all she has to offer here A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them ALL out below:  Geviti: Visit ⁠https://www.gogeviti.com/1000hoursoutside⁠ for 20% off your first three months of membership! Active Skin Repair: Visit ⁠www.ActiveSkinRepair.com⁠  to learn more about Active Skin Repair and their commitment to 1% for the planet and use code: 1000hours to save 20% on all Active Skin Repair products Select Quote: Head to ⁠www.selectquote.com/1000hours⁠ to learn more.  Crowd Health: Learn more at ⁠www.joincrowdhealth.com⁠ and get started today for just $99 per month for your first three months by using code 1000HOURS.  BetterHelp: Visit  ⁠www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS⁠  today to get 10% off your first month. Fay Nutrition: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOFayNutrition⁠ to see if you qualify for a dietitian for $0 CRU: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOCru⁠ to sign up for a $24 monthly gift, and receive a free copy of Until The Streetlights Come On Reliefband - Get 20% off plus free shipping at ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOreliefband⁠  Quince - Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOQuince⁠ and get free shipping and 365 day returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if doing less was actually the key to doing what matters most? In this powerful episode, Ginny Yurich sits down with Technicolor Woman author Courtney Smallbone for a raw, hope-filled conversation about legacy, identity, and the cost of burnout. Courtney shares how embracing rest, resisting cultural pressure, and choosing a slower path has helped her build a family life rooted in purpose. Together they explore what it means to finish well, how generational impact begins long before our kids are born, and why sometimes it’s better to leave things undone than to come undone. From midwives to homesteading, touring the world to quieting the noise, Courtney offers a compelling vision of motherhood, womanhood, and calling. With wisdom drawn from Scripture, Hebrew word origins, and real-life experience, she encourages listeners to reclaim their identity and rhythm—away from hustle and into wholeness. This conversation is a needed reminder: your ordinary life, lived with intention, can change everything. ** Get your copy of Technicolor Woman here Learn more about Courtney and all she has to offer here A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them ALL out below:  Geviti: Visit ⁠https://www.gogeviti.com/1000hoursoutside⁠ for 20% off your first three months of membership! Active Skin Repair: Visit ⁠www.ActiveSkinRepair.com⁠  to learn more about Active Skin Repair and their commitment to 1% for the planet and use code: 1000hours to save 20% on all Active Skin Repair products Select Quote: Head to ⁠www.selectquote.com/1000hours⁠ to learn more.  Crowd Health: Learn more at ⁠www.joincrowdhealth.com⁠ and get started today for just $99 per month for your first three months by using code 1000HOURS.  BetterHelp: Visit  ⁠www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS⁠  today to get 10% off your first month. Fay Nutrition: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOFayNutrition⁠ to see if you qualify for a dietitian for $0 CRU: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOCru⁠ to sign up for a $24 monthly gift, and receive a free copy of Until The Streetlights Come On Reliefband - Get 20% off plus free shipping at ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOreliefband⁠  Quince - Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOQuince⁠ and get free shipping and 365 day returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if education wasn’t about grades or transcripts—but about becoming the kind of person who can figure it out? In this powerful and timely episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast, Matt Beaudreau returns for a second time to help launch Ginny Yurich’s brand new book, Homeschooling: You’re Doing It Right Just by Doing It, which he proudly endorsed. Together, they dismantle the conveyor belt model of schooling and offer a radically freeing alternative: when parents grow, kids grow. Matt shares stories of teens building real-world skills, chasing big goals, and thriving outside of traditional timelines—often without ever taking a test. He and Ginny explore meta-skills, modeling, self-reliance, boredom as a gift, and why success without peace is failure in disguise. This is not just a podcast episode—it’s a rallying cry for parents to trust themselves, grow boldly, and reclaim childhood. ** Learn more about Apogee and all they have to offer here Get your copy of Homeschooling, You're Doing it Right Just by Doing It here A huge thank you to our sponsors! Check them ALL out below:  Geviti: Visit ⁠https://www.gogeviti.com/1000hoursoutside⁠ for 20% off your first three months of membership! Active Skin Repair: Visit ⁠www.ActiveSkinRepair.com⁠  to learn more about Active Skin Repair and their commitment to 1% for the planet and use code: 1000hours to save 20% on all Active Skin Repair products Select Quote: Head to ⁠www.selectquote.com/1000hours⁠ to learn more.  Crowd Health: Learn more at ⁠www.joincrowdhealth.com⁠ and get started today for just $99 per month for your first three months by using code 1000HOURS.  BetterHelp: Visit  ⁠www.BetterHelp.com/1000HOURS⁠  today to get 10% off your first month. Fay Nutrition: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOFayNutrition⁠ to see if you qualify for a dietitian for $0 CRU: Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOCru⁠ to sign up for a $24 monthly gift, and receive a free copy of Until The Streetlights Come On Reliefband - Get 20% off plus free shipping at ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOreliefband⁠  Quince - Visit ⁠https://tinyurl.com/1KHOQuince⁠ and get free shipping and 365 day returns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maggie Dent, a prominent parenting author and speaker from Australia, known as the 'queen of common sense parenting', brings her insightful perspective to the discussion. She emphasizes that childhood is not a race and challenges the modern pressures of early academic achievements. Maggie advocates for the importance of unstructured play, nature, and allowing children to develop at their own pace. She discusses how risk-taking in play fosters resilience and highlights that nurturing environments are crucial for children's emotional growth. Tune in for a refreshing take on parenting!

Joel Salatin, a farmer and author known for his work at Polyface Farms, shares his insights on homeschooling and family values. He recounts the bold decision he and his wife made in the 1980s to homeschool their children, despite societal stigma. Through everyday tasks like gardening and cooking, he highlights how these experiences build competence and self-worth. Salatin's inspiring stories remind us that education doesn't have to follow a conventional path. Instead, fostering independence and practical skills can lead to thriving, confident individuals.

Tauren Wells, a celebrated platinum-selling recording artist and author of "Joy Bomb," discusses finding joy in the ordinary. He shares how Jesus’ teachings in the Beatitudes invite us to transform struggles into opportunities for deeper joy. Our obsession with curated happiness is critiqued, emphasizing the true essence of joy that comes from humility and communal trust. Wells also reflects on parenting, spiritual growth, and the significance of embracing imperfections as pathways to purpose, highlighting the power of nature in nurturing resilience.