The Stoic Fellowship Podcast

In this episode, Greg Sadler discusses:* Talking about Stoicism vs. actually practicing it — a real risk for stoas* Check-ins: committing to one change before the next meeting* Pre-meeting coffee for newcomers to set right expectations* Smaller groups need creative solutions for competing member interests* Libraries: underused, free, and grateful for the foot traffic* Succession planning so your group outlives your individual efforts* Co-facilitators catch blind spots and prevent leader burnout* “Pseudo-academic” mode: the enemy of personal transformation* Ending meetings well matters as much as starting them* Group therapy creep — and why to explicitly address it* College partnerships: ready-made audience, rotating new members, free space* Regional stoic groups could benefit from far more cross-pollinationGregory Sadler is the founder of ReasonIO, a speaker, writer, and producer of popular YouTube videos on philosophy, and an APPA-certified philosophical counselor. He served as editor of Stoicism Today from 2016-2022, is a member of the Modern Stoicism team, and is a co-founder of The Stoic Heart. He earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and has taught philosophy courses for 27 years. You can find his online classes in the Study With Sadler Academy. He also teaches as an adjunct at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and occasionally at Marquette University. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoicfellowship.substack.com

In this episode, Phil Yanov shares his "10 commandments" for growing your stoa effectively. Phil hosts Conversations with Modern Stoicism and has many years' experience running and growing local groups. The "commandments" are: * Thou shalt cultivate culture before numbers * Thou shalt grow through personal invitation, not mass proclamation * Thou shalt honor the sacred progression of group size (noting key sizes: 5, 9-12, 20-30 people) * Thou shalt maintain unwavering constancy in gathering (persistent, predictable presence) * Thou shalt embrace the tools of organization (like Luma, MailChimp, Eventbrite) * Thou shalt guard the gates of membership with wisdom (sometimes asking people to leave) * Thou shalt nurture the self-sustaining flame of culture (where group members enforce group norms) * Thou shalt balance the eternal with the novel (maintain core rituals while introducing some new elements) * Thou shalt confront discord with courage and clarity (address problems immediately) * Thou shalt remember the ultimate purpose of your gathering (help people transform themselves, be a guide not a sage) For more about Phil, visit https://philyanov.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoicfellowship.substack.com

We talk with Michael Maune, co-founder of the New England Stoics and board member of The Stoic Fellowship, about his experiences running a stoa and his advice for stoa facilitators. Topics we cover include:* Michael's background and journey to discovering Stoicism, including his experience with OCD and how Stoicism helped him.* Michael's involvement in organizing and running the New England Stoics group, including the types of exercises and activities they do.* The challenges of leading a Stoic group, such as maintaining consistent attendance and engagement. Michael shares advice on things like having regular meetings and balancing the workload among leaders.* The Stoic Facilitation Guide that Michael has been working on, which covers strategies for facilitating Stoic discussions and managing group dynamics, like dealing with digressions.* Practical examples of how Michael and the groups he's been involved with have applied Stoic principles to personal challenges like addiction and interpersonal conflicts.* The importance of creating a supportive environment in Stoic groups to encourage sharing and accountability around people's practices.* Michael's reflections on what Stoicism means to him personally and advice for those new to Stoicism.The guides Michael mentions for running stoa meetings, organizing a Stoic practicum, and more can be found on The Stoic Fellowship's resources page at https://stoicfellowship.com/resources/stoicism-resources.html. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoicfellowship.substack.com

In this episode, we talk with Mauricio Garita about the large stoa he runs in Guatemala in partnership with a local bookstore. Topics we cover include:* How Mauricio discovered Stoicism during an existential crisis in 2016 and became a coach and philosophical counselor focused on Stoicism.* The challenges he faced when first starting a stoa in 2021, including lack of discipline and making it easy for people to attend.* The successful formula Mauricio developed in 2024 for running the stoa, including partnering with a bookshop, using a dissertation format, and creating an environment for deeper engagement.* Mauricio's approach to managing a large stoa group, including incorporating one-on-one interactions, being humble and prepared to handle serious topics, and creating an inclusive environment.* The importance of addressing tough subjects like anxiety, depression, and addiction.* The usefulness of The Stoic Fellowship resources and Mauricio's suggestions for leveraging technology and learning from others' experiences.* Mauricio's future plans, including expanding content in English and upcoming book projects, as well as his overall vision for the stoa.To find out more about Mauricio and his stoa and other projects, visit vivirmejor.substack.com (mostly in Spanish) or on Instagram @mauricio.garita. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoicfellowship.substack.com

We talked with Massimo Pigliucci about his experiences organizing and running various Stoic groups, or “stoas”, including The Global Stoa and Stoic Camp. Among the topics we covered:* The various online and in person Stoicism groups he’s led* An advantage of online groups for some people* Stoic Camp — an annual, intensive, 3-day Stoic retreat in the Hudson valley* His upcoming seminar in Paris on anger* The proper role of stoas in the modern world* His advice for how stoas can engage in political issues without descending into partisanship* How to facilitate discussions of personal issues* Handling people’s common misunderstandings of Stoic terms* Epictetus vs. Socrates as role model for stoa facilitators* Doing practices with his groups beyond just having discussions* When people in a stoa would benefit from therapy* How Stoicism would have evolved if it hadn’t been interrupted by Christianity* The future of stoas over the next 50 or so years* Whether stoa facilitators should “proselytize” StoicismMassimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. Massimo publishes a regular column in Philosophy Now entitled “The Art of Living.” His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press). Massimo’s forthcoming book is Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (The Experiment).You can find more information about Massimo on his website. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stoicfellowship.substack.com