Podcast Episode #573: The Fourth Turning Is Here: Navigating Crisis With Community And Capital – Neil Howe
Episode #573: Dentist Freedom Blueprint Podcast
The Fourth Turning Is Here: Navigating Crisis With Community And Capital – Neil Howe
We’re not just navigating market cycles—we’re living through a historical turning point. In this conversation, David Phelps sits down with generational historian and economist Neil Howe, co-author of The Fourth Turning, to unpack what’s actually happening beneath the surface of today’s economic, political, and cultural instability. Rather than forecasting fear, Neil provides context—explaining why long periods of stability breed complacency, why trust in institutions breaks down, and why agency and community suddenly matter again during crisis eras.
This episode reframes uncertainty as orientation, not panic. Neil walks through how Fourth Turnings have unfolded throughout history, what tends to collapse—and what eventually rebuilds. From inflation as a policy tool to the return of community, authority, and shared purpose, this conversation challenges listeners to stop outsourcing responsibility and start preparing intentionally. If you’ve sensed that the old rules no longer apply but haven’t known how to respond, this episode offers a grounded framework for navigating what comes next with clarity instead of fear.
Minute Markers:
00:00 – Intro
01:19 – Why this conversation matters now: stability, dependency, and complacency
03:40 – Understanding the Fourth Turning and why we’re already in it
07:54 – Breakdown of trust, polarization, and institutional strain
10:55 – Inflation, debt, and why governments act differently in crisis eras
18:01 – Equality, populism, and the reshaping of political coalitions
21:57 – Survival vs. preparation: rebuilding agency before crisis hits
27:23 – Inflation as a tool, not a failure, during systemic resets
35:24 – Protecting net worth when government priorities shift
41:43 – Community, preparedness, and why neighbors matter again
50:53 – What we’ll likely misunderstand about this era when we look back
Featured on the Show:
Neil Howe: Website | LinkedIn
Book: The Fourth Turning by William Strauss & Neil Howe
Book: The Fourth Turning Is Here by Neil Howe
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In this episode, we finish up the second part of my interview with Rob Swanson and his eight rules of investing. (If you haven’t listened to part 1, be sure to go back and give that a listen before jumping into this one.) Today, we pick up where we left off, covering rules four through eight and talking about everything from decision-making to cash flow and risk reduction.
Listen in as Rob shares his incredible insight and experience in real estate and investing to give us a few rules that help make our decisions and investments more solid. You will hear about the importance of looking at margins before buying and what boxes need to be checked when it comes to predicting a solid income stream. Rob also discusses how to define and mitigate the different risks involved so that you can come out on top.
Alastair MacDonald is a private advisor to established entrepreneurs, investors, and business owners, as well as a TEDx speaker who lectures on economic, social, and financial forecasts. Join me today to hear part two of our conversation at the Freedom Founders Mastermind, where we dive into the concept of certainty, how to hedge against a volatile economy, and why the abdication model is no longer one that works.
Listen in to learn the reasons why Alastair is not worried about consumer price inflation (and what he’s really worried about instead) and why the 401(k) is not always the investment that it is made out to be. You’ll learn why he is most concerned about the issue of division and polarity in the Western world, why your business is your best asset in a volatile economy, and how you can maintain its viability to weather the most intense economic storm.
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