Hey Friends,
I recently had the pleasure to join the Mindform Podcast to talk about authentic community and land stewardship. You can listen to the podcast via the Spotify & iTunes links below. I also wanted to share some of my story and key lessons from the conversation with you, as it touched on a lot of the currents and threads relevant to those looking to build communities, retreat centers, as well as homes and lives abroad. You can find the full post after the podcast section.
Mindform Podcast #039: Building Sustainable Communities
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In this episode, Frank Lawton speaks with Edward Zaydelman — community builder, retreat center consultant, and core member of the nonprofit Leap Forward. Edward shares his personal journey from New York nightlife and Burning Man to building intentional communities in Costa Rica. He recounts the rise and fall of his first eco-retreat center and the profound lessons learned about sustainability — not just ecological, but emotional, relational, and spiritual.
The conversation dives deep into the invisible structures that make or break communities — values alignment, communication, integrity, and psychological safety. Edward emphasizes the importance of slowing down, rewiring the human mind, and doing inner work in tandem with outer change. Drawing from his work at Leap Forward, he illustrates how authentic growth emerges in community, not isolation. Together, they explore how our world is at a tipping point — and how small groups of committed people can lay the groundwork for a wiser, more integrated future.
Where This Adventure Began…
My path into community started in high school and college. I spent years producing large events in the US and learned how to bring humans together in experiences where they came alive. I began to see how communities form around shared values and visions (as well as electronic music and libations). Then one year without warning, my grandfather got cancer and passed rapidly. My family knew things needed to change, and we leaned hard into health. We changed our lives inside out from the food we ate, to our work and lifestyle. We learned what it costs to clean your body and mind in a big city and how rare it is to find places that support real change. Those threads of community experiences, transformation, and health, pulled us towards looking for a place to support that lifestyle for ourselves and others.
When we looked for a home base, we traveled everywhere with a list of key values, and then Costa Rica came on the radar. A stable democracy, high literacy, no army, clean food, incredible nature - and OMG the people were the most kind-hearted and helpful humans I’ve ever met. It became the canvas to paint our family dream. My dad left his job, I left mine, and we began building a wellness and longevity center and residential community. For a while it worked. Until it didn’t.
The center and my marriage both hit a wall. I was running too hot and carrying too much. This was not the life I imagined, and the house of cards came crashing down one day. Looking back now - Thank God! I needed that pause from the universe. I couldn’t keep up the mirage, I couldn’t keep raising money and hosting group after group. A hotel partner stepped in during the period when I could not sustain the operation, financially or energetically and took over. And me? I went on a long walk-about and later decided to support people with their projects vs build my own. That decade long experience now shapes how I work with people looking to build land projects of any kind. There was a price I paid, a cost that was beyond money, and I try hard to help others avoid the mistakes I made as well as learn from the wins. From relationships, to finances, health, impact on your life and others - this is serious stuff that is not taught in school, and definitely not on your Pinterest vision board.
If you decide to do this, buckle-up - it’s not a journey for the faint of heart! I love my work as a sherpa, but Everest kills people every year, and so I have to be honest. There are enough people who want to sell you something, and will sugar coat the fuck out of this process. I don’t—I can’t, after what I’ve lived over these last 20 years in this line of work and life!
Communities & Eco-villages: some things I wish people told me…
Where do projects actually fail? Usually with people, not construction. Co-founders split. Investors bring terms that do not match the heart of the project. Financing gets heavy and creates years of stress. Money carries culture. Every dollar has a DNA. If you ignore that, it will shape your project silently. My work is often about seeing these dynamics early, then building strategy, relationships, and operational solutions so the founders are in good shape. Otherwise the vision turns into a hustle that is hard to stop. Invest in systems, people, and culture over shiny amenities. Set a clear vision, and expect a long runway.
Another trap is believing resilience comes from walls and gates. A group buys land, carves up lots, and calls it an eco-village. This happens all over Costa Rica. The map and website looks great. But what makes a place healthy is not the subdivision layout. It is the invisible structures: shared values, clear agreements, integrity, and transparent communication. Humans are still learning how to cooperate at the level these projects require. This is why inner work is not extra. It is the infrastructure. See more about this subject on LeapForward.us.
Community, to me, looks like a circle of people who practice life together. We do not have to live on the same land to hold each other to our truth, or chant over a fire in circles burning paper with our deepest shadows. The mirror is what makes growth real and the active care to engage each other, is what makes a friendship substantive (in my opinion). When we bring that level of honesty and practice to land-based projects, the visible structures stand a chance because they are built on a foundation of real integrity and lasting interdependence.
Key Takeaways
Build the invisible first. The relationships between all stakeholders including nature is critical. Make agreements explicit, keep accountability real, and create safety via a transparent and authentic communication.
Right-size the dream. Buy and build at a scale you can truly steward. Avoid financing and scopes of work that lock you into chronic stress.
Be honest about money. Capital has its own unique DNA. Choose sources and terms that fit your values and be careful when partnering.
Design for human sustainability. Clarify roles and cadence so founders don’t burn out. Remember you’re operating a “restaurant with beds.”
Expect a real runway and be patient. Plan for a minimum of three to five years to reach stability in anything you want to create.
Resource Section: Dear Future Human
In many newsletters and emails, I’ve share a lot of valuable insights and lessons from Leap Forward and it’s founder Ronit Herzfeld. If you are interested in the subject matter of authentic community, resilience, and the future of humanity…
Check out: Leap Forward & Dear Future Human.
To Your Thriving Life,
Edward Zaydelman
Live the Possibility
@edwardzaydelman / Pinterest / YouTube
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