An alternative to college: Matt & Maxim Smith on The Preparation

For many, four years of college amounts to nothing but a mountain of debt, a lot of unproductive time, and a sense that promises have been broken. What if there was another way?

In this episode, Collapse Life host Zahra Sethna sits down with Matt Smith and his son Maxim Smith to discuss their new book The Preparation, co-authored with investor and adventurer Doug Casey.

On the surface, it’s a guide for young men seeking an alternative to university or dead-end jobs. But the deeper framework — hands-on cycles of experience, skills-building, and developing a personal code — applies to anyone looking to step off the conveyor belt and deliberately design a life of competence, courage, independence, and meaning.

Key topics discussed:
• Why higher education leaves so many unprepared for real life
• The role of rites of passage and virtue in becoming an adult
• How Maxim “beta-tested” The Preparation program — from EMT training to wildfire work and sailing the Strait of Magellan
• Why families must treat preparation as a shared journey, not an individual burden
• How accountability, reflection, and structure transform character

Related links:
Get the book: https://amzn.to/4m6JpYg
Join the book chat: https://www.collapselife.com/t/book-chat
Follow Maxim: https://www.maximsmith.com/
Follow Matt: https://substack.com/@crisisinvesting
Doug Casey’s Take Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEJR3OAeHBNz7aGtFRZXArQ

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