Energy costs are rising, and it’s not just about paying more for groceries. With more extreme weather events and outdated infrastructure, energy demands are up. But long-duration energy storage could be the solution to making energy more affordable and reliable.

In today’s episode, I'm talking to Julia Souder, CEO of the Long Duration Energy Storage Association. Julia explains how long-duration storage works and how it can help us store excess energy for days, weeks, or even months. She also covers how this technology can lower costs and keep power flowing when things like storms knock out the grid.

We also discuss the role of regulations, how long-duration storage can improve grid stability, and why it's such a game-changer for communities and businesses. Julia shares her insights into what’s happening now, both in the U.S. and globally, and what the future of energy storage might look like.

You’ll learn

1. How long-duration storage can lower energy costs for consumers.
2. Why energy storage is essential for grid stability in extreme weather.
3. What materials are used in long-duration storage
4. How regulations affect energy prices and how policies can help.
5. Why a mix of state and federal policies is key for storage expansion.
6. How consumers can advocate for energy storage in their communities.
7. How countries like Australia and South Africa use long-duration storage
8. What the future holds for home-based energy storage solutions.

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Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Julia Souder:

LinkedIn: https://be.linkedin.com/in/juliasouder

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

Website: https://www.bradleyschurman.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

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Where you live isn’t just a backdrop to your life. It shapes how long you live, how healthy you are, and what opportunities come your way. Across the United States, life expectancy can vary by decades simply based on zip code, revealing a powerful but often overlooked truth: place matters more than we think.

Joining the discussion is Ryan Frederick, author of Right Place, Right Time, who introduces the concept of “place planning.” Drawing parallels to financial planning, Ryan explains how being intentional about where and how you live can set you up for a longer, healthier, and more connected life.

We examine how geography influences health, wealth, relationships, and long-term wellbeing. From disparities within cities to broader regional shifts driven by demographics, economics, and policy, we explore why place is one of the most consequential decisions we make, often without intention.

You’ll learn

1. How zip code shapes lifespan, health, and opportunity
2. Why places drive habits and behavior more than willpower
3. What place planning is and why it matters in a longer-life era
4. How community, health, environment, and money intersect
5. Why chasing affordability can create long-term costs
6. How demographic shifts will redefine where people live
7. What signals reveal whether a place is rising or declining

Mentioned in the Episode:

Ryan Frederick’s Book, Right Place, Right Time: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Home for the Second Half of Life: https://a.co/d/j62274L

Subscribe to Bradley’s Newsletter:

Join (for free) the only newsletter breaking down global demographic trends into actionable strategies for your business and your community.

Subscribe here → https://populationnext.substack.com/

Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Ryan Frederick:

Website: https://www.ryanfrederick.life/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanefrederick

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

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For adult children, the responsibility of financially supporting aging parents can feel overwhelming. In today’s episode, author and financial expert Beth Pinsker joins me to talk about the challenges that come with these life-altering transitions in families.

Beth shares her experience caring for her mother and the lessons she learned about abrupt shifts that happen when a loved one’s independence is compromised. You’ll learn how to recognize early signs that indicate a need for help, and most importantly, how to prepare for the inevitable.

We talk about the staggering financial implications of caregiving, particularly in situations where a long-term illness like dementia strikes, and the often-overlooked need for insurance, inheritance planning, and open family discussions about money.

You’ll learn

• How to recognize early signs that your parents need more help
• Why it’s crucial to have tough conversations about finances early
• Steps to preparing for financial and emotional caregiving
• How Medicaid works (or doesn’t work) for long-term care facilities
• Why early intervention reduces the caregiving burden
• How family dynamics affect caregiving and inheritance planning
• Factors to consider when choosing long-term care insurance
• How to handle complex conversations about inheritance

Subscribe to Bradley’s Newsletter:

Join (for free) the only newsletter breaking down global demographic trends into actionable strategies for your business and your community.

Subscribe here → https://populationnext.substack.com/

Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Beth Pinsker:

Website: https://bethpinsker.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bpinsker

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethpinsker_ny

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

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We’re living in an age engineered for ease—one-click shopping, predictive feeds, and tools that anticipate our needs before we articulate them. But creator and strategist Eugene Healey argues that this frictionless world is quietly reshaping how we think, create, and participate in culture. What happens when we stop seeking, choosing, or struggling and let algorithms decide for us?

Eugene explains how the removal of friction encourages passivity, narrows discovery, and weakens our ability to form original perspectives. With AI accelerating that trend, he warns that meaning and creativity now depend on something machines can’t replicate: a practiced, human point of view.

We explore how these shifts intersect with generational change, economic stagnation, the future of knowledge work, and why older and younger cohorts experience this transformation so differently. Plus, we unpack the cultural cost of efficiency and why reclaiming struggle may be essential for what comes next.

You’ll learn

• Why a frictionless world makes us more passive and less intentional
• How big tech’s design logic reshapes discovery, culture, and behavior
• What AI can’t replicate without human context and perspective
• Why creative advantage now comes from viewpoint—not technical skill
• How generations diverge in defining success amid rising economic pressure
• Why older adult marketing misreads independence and aging
• What multigenerational living reveals about shifting values
• Why cultural “softening” may push society toward safer, narrower experiences

Subscribe to Bradley’s Newsletter:

Join (for free) the only newsletter breaking down global demographic trends into actionable strategies for your business and your community.

Subscribe here → https://populationnext.substack.com/

Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Eugene Healey:

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/elkhealey

Substack: https://eugenehealey.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eugbrandstrat/

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

Subscribe:

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Can we truly live forever? And if we could, would we want to? In this episode, Joshua Herring, CEO of the Longevity Science Foundation, explores the complex realities of longevity science. As advancements in medicine push the boundaries of lifespan, we must ask if simply living longer is enough.

Joshua raises critical questions about access, equity, and the actual cost of immortality. Is it all about the science, or do we still need to pay attention to the basics of nutrition, exercise, mental health, and sleep? We also discuss why millennials are facing rising cancer rates and the misinformation around longevity products.

Join the conversation as we explore how to balance lifespan with healthspan, ensuring that our extra years are not marked by chronic illness and suffering, but by vitality and joy.

You’ll learn

• The critical difference between lifespan and healthspan
• Why basic habits like clean water and exercise are still key to longevity
• Why extending life without health is a dealbreaker
• How millennials are facing a rise in cancer rates and what it means for longevity
• The importance of diversification when it comes to your health
• What’s next in personalized medicine for longevity
• How sleep, alcohol reduction, and a healthy social circle are key to longevity

Subscribe to Bradley’s Newsletter:

Join (for free) the only newsletter breaking down global demographic trends into actionable strategies for your business and your community.

Subscribe here → https://populationnext.substack.com/

Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Joshua Herring:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-herring-2a6099185

Website: https://longevity.foundation/

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

Disclaimer:

This episode features a discussion on sensitive topics related to sex, pornography, and the tech industry. The views expressed by our guest are personal and intended to provoke thought and discussion. Listener discretion is advised.

Sex education is broken, and it's time for a change. In an age where internet porn is often the default sex education, the real world of human connection and consent is left in the shadows.

Cindy Gallop, the founder of Make Love Not Porn, has spent 17 years fighting to bring transparency, authenticity, and education to a topic that is too often shrouded in shame.

In this episode, Cindy shares her unique mission to dismantle the stigma surrounding sex and promote healthy, real-world sexual education. We dive into the challenges she faces with Silicon Valley’s double standards, her battle for funding, and the profound social impact of educating young people about consent, intimacy, and communication.

Cindy's work is reshaping how we think about sex education, and her new project, Make Love Not Porn Academy, promises to change the narrative for future generations — starting with those most at risk: our children.

You’ll learn

• How the porn industry became the default sex education tool
• The role of real-world demonstrations in teaching healthy relationships
• Why Silicon Valley's hypocrisy is hindering progress in sex education
• How Make Love Not Porn Academy plans to transform global sex education
• The social implications of AI-driven porn and its impact on young people
• What parents can do today to have sex conversations with their children
• How funding female-led projects could lead to a safer, healthier internet

Subscribe to Bradley’s Newsletter:

Join (for free) the only newsletter breaking down global demographic trends into actionable strategies for your business and your community.

Subscribe here → https://populationnext.substack.com/

Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Cindy Gallop:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindygallop

Website: https://makelovenotporn.tv/

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

Subscribe:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman?sub_confirmation=1

South Dakota has more jobs than people. That's not a crisis—it's a design challenge.

With an unemployment rate hovering around 1.8%, South Dakota proves that growth without workers forces innovation. The state is rewriting the playbook on recruitment, retention, and regional resilience—not through subsidies, but through culture.

In this episode, Jesse Fonkert, Director of the South Dakota Trade Council, reveals how a state with a population of less than 1 million competes globally by prioritizing people over policy, freedom over tax breaks, and bold partnerships over bureaucracy.

South Dakota isn't waiting for people to show up. It's building the kind of place they'll choose to stay!

You’ll learn

• Why 1.8% unemployment creates better problems than 8%
• How "concierge programs" turn newcomers into long-term residents
• The childcare-workforce paradox and South Dakota's balancing act
• Why automation isn't killing jobs—it's saving rural economies
• How a bottom-five exporter plans to dominate international trade
• What public-private partnerships look like when government stays lean
• What other states can learn from South Dakota’s approach to growth

Subscribe to Bradley’s Newsletter:

Join (for free) the only newsletter breaking down global demographic trends into actionable strategies for your business and your community.

Subscribe here → https://populationnext.substack.com/

Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Jesse Fonkert:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessefonkert

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

Subscribe:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman?sub_confirmation=1

Longevity isn’t a biohack—it’s social by design. Countries like Japan, Singapore, and Spain prove it: make connection the default and people live longer, healthier, and with more purpose.

In this episode, Ken Stern (Healthy to 100) shows how social infrastructure—third places, walkable blocks, and intergenerational programs—adds healthy, productive years at any age.

You’ll learn

• Why social connection can outrank diet and exercise for longevity
• How nations design communities for healthy aging
• The surprising power of intergenerational ties
• How Singapore and Spain create measurable “social health”
• What the U.S. can copy now—and practical steps you can start this week

Viewer challenge: Pick one weekly ritual to add connection (coffee walk, Sunday dinner, volunteering, a class). Comment with your pick—I’ll feature a few next week.

Mentioned in the Episode:

Ken’s Book, Healthy to 100: How Strong Social Ties Lead to Long Lives: https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-100-Strong-Social-Lives/dp/1541705017

Subscribe to Bradley’s Newsletter:

Join (for free) the only newsletter breaking down global demographic trends into actionable strategies for your business and your community.

Subscribe here → https://populationnext.substack.com/

Order Bradley’s Book:

The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny: https://a.co/d/gmG6t2P

Get in Touch with Ken Stern:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sternken

Get in Touch with Bradley Schurman:

Website: https://populationnext.substack.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bradleyschurman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigschur/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyschurman/

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