The Stoic Fellowship Podcast

What did Stoic practice look like when it had a real place in the culture—when people gathered in Athens and Rome to study and live this philosophy together? For facilitators building modern groups, that question is more than historical curiosity: these groups aren’t an established form in our culture, and we’re partly inventing what they look like as we go. In this conversation, scholar and Moder...

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...

In this episode, we discuss: * Why community is irreplaceable for turning wisdom into lived experience * Oblique correction vs. direct confrontation: why the angle matters * Genuine curiosity as a substitute for both politeness and humility * Every facilitator has sacred cows distorting their own web of beliefs * Modeling intellectual humility publicly — more catalytic than any argument * The two...

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 (n...

We talk with Chris Spaleta, co-founder of the Stoa of Ontario, about a number of topics: * Chris's background and how he got interested in Stoicism, including how a group of friends started exploring Stoicism during the pandemic * The format and structure of the Ontario Stoa's online and in-person meetings, including how they use a single quote as a discussion prompt * The benefits and challenges...

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 Stoi...

In this episode, we talk with Aldo Dinucci about the stoa he runs in Brazil, the importance of deep friendships in a Stoic community to support practicing Stoicism, and the different emphasis on the spiritual aspects of Stoicism in Brazil compared with the emphasis on the practical side of Stoicism in the U.S. Topics we cover include: * Aldo Dinucci’s background and how he first became interested...

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 eas...

In this episode, we talk with Greg Lopez about his experiences starting and running various Stoicism groups. Some of the topics we cover include: * How to organize and lead Stoicism practice groups, including Greg’s experiences and tips for success. * The Stoic Fellowship’s role in supporting facilitators of Stoicism groups globally, offering flexibility to each group. * Challenges and solutions f...

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...