Nick Richtsmeier’s mic died thirty seconds into this one. We started over. It was a Monday. I’ve been following Nick on LinkedIn for a long time. He’s one of a small number of people there who writes like the platform isn’t watching, and his work on what he calls Trust-Made Growth lines up almost exactly with what I do one person at a time: get your time, energy, and attention back from systems that were built to take them. We talk about why he’s stopped arguing “AI bad, humans good” and started asking a harder question: what if you didn’t have to lean on these systems at all? His answer is small, deliberate, and old-fashioned. Micro-economies. Networks of people two degrees away from everything you need. Businesses that treat the algorithm as a place to meet people, then leave. Some of what we cover: * Why “networks exist but pipelines don’t,” and what that does to your sales strategy if you take it seriously. * The war-on-drugs analogy for AI adoption: by the time someone is outsourcing their thinking, the system around them already failed. * Cultural volatility as the water we’re swimming in, and why pendulum swings don’t mean much when the boat is rocking every day. * Gen Z turning 30 this year and what they will and won’t put up with from brands. * ”Tactical chunking” versus actual strategy, and why the first step (knowing where you are today) takes most leaders forever. * Loneliness, anxiety, and mental overload as the three things nearly every client is carrying, and how anything that pushes against one of them is a win. * His last word on hope: “If you’re looking for it, it’s everywhere.” Nick and I are going to keep talking. Consider this part one. About Nick Nick Richtsmeier is the creator of Trust-Made Growth and the founder of CultureCraft, a strategic advisory firm working with founder-led and relationship-driven companies. He’s spent 25 years at the intersection of culture, commerce, and leadership, long enough to watch the Extractive Game and Trustbroken Economy it created claim otherwise good ventures run by otherwise good people. His new book, The Damn Rules: How Vulnerability, Inefficiency, and Love Liberate Leaders from the Trustbroken Economy, was published September 15, 2026 by Interregna Press. He hosts the Damns Given podcast and newsletter, advises a select number of firms through CultureCraft, and operates Lexicon Farms, an experiential and retreat practice for leaders and communities. Links Damns Given newsletter and podcast: damnsgiven.comTrust-Made Growth community: trustmadegrowth.comCultureCraft: culturecraft.comThe Damn Rules (out now): books2read.com/thedamnrulesMentioned: Ben Smith, Traffic; Cory Doctorow on enshittification. Recorded March 23, 2026. This episode contains some strong language. Be Rebellious ❤️🔥In Solidarity ✊ Nicholas Whitakerrebellioncollective.com If you want to see where your capacity is actually leaking, I built a short diagnostic called the Capacity Audit. Ten minutes. Four variables. Take it at capacityaudit.rebellioncollective.com. If you want to do this work in community, the Rebellion Collective is where we practice it together. rebellioncollective.com/community Thanks for reading Field Notes From The Rebellion! This post is public so feel free to share it. Field Notes From The Rebellion is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Field Notes From The Rebellion at chiefrebellionofficer.substack.com/subscribe
