Living Abundantly in the Sharing Economy: A Voice of Experience

“I ask the groups that hire me to pay me what feels good and right and fair to them, an amount they can afford, and that they can give joyfully… I basically trust them. And it works out really well.” Freelance group facilitator Tree Bressen has made her livelihood in the sharing economy for over a decade. She has also participated in a neighborhood Gift Circle and an online version called Kindista. In these, people put out what they have to offer, and make requests of what they need. Her personal stories reveal how the circles not only facilitate exchanges, but build relationships. Dave Pollard, author of howtosavetheworld.ca, makes presentations on the sharing economy. He has been inspired by Janelle Orsi’s book The Sharing Solution. She frames four levels, from casual and spontaneous, to simple agreements, organizations like a tool library, which might have many players. Dave says sharing can start with something as simple as a potluck: “Invite all your neighbors and chat about what other neighborhoods are doing. I’ll bet something will catch.”  [treegroup.info, shareable.net, kindista.org]