Update (March 15, 2021): The complete lineup of the incredibly talented and exciting Speakers & Workshops scheduled for the 6th Annual Georgia Tiny House Festival, which is being held March 20-21, 2021, in Conyers, Georgia.
2021 Georgia Speakers:
John Kernohan
Sat (1PM)
Sun (11AM & 2PM)
John Kernohan is the Founder and Chairman of the United Tiny House Association. He and his beautiful wife, Fin, have been living the past 8.5+ years in their DIY, 304sqft tiny home known as Beloved Cabin and together they have created their 16-acre tiny house homestead community in the woods of Georgia. John and Fin are the creators and owners of the World-famous 148sqft towable Tiny Firehouse – Station No. 9 and founded the Tiny House Rescuers. John is a leading advocate & expert on zoning and coding in how it relates to tiny house; a DIY & off-grid expert; an outdoorsman; and successful businessman (John retired at the age of 49 after selling his medical research laboratory). John and Fin can be seen on HGTV’s “Tiny House Big Living”, the DIY Network, TODAY, The Rachael Ray Show, AOL’s “Dream Big-Live Small“; and on many news outlets around the World. John and Fin are also the authors of “Tiny Talks: Communicating BIG with Love & Laughter”. Additionally, John and Fin own a 14’ yurt, a second towable 125sqft tiny house on wheels, a skoolie-in-progress conversion, and are building a tree house on their Georgia homestead.
2021 Georgia Speaker:
Jessica Rambo
Sun (3PM)
Jessica is a Marine Corps veteran and has been pursuing her dream of traveling with her herd, and providing art to the veteran community. Jessica uses her ten years of service in the Marine Corps to inspire her work and her passion to continue to serve. She has traveled the globe in search of adventures that capture the essence of hardworking service members and a diverse range of cultures, and is now ready to take her family along for the ride. Driven by the passionate belief that every veteran deserves a safe space for families to come together and bond, Jessica and her family have collectively created Painted Buffalo Studio to bring art to the veteran community. The Rambo Family converted a 1997 Blue Bird school bus into a full time tiny house on wheels and traveling studio, which they moved in on August 1, 2019. Full-time bus dwellers include, Jessica (Mom), Liam (9 yrs old), Skyler (13 yrs old), Bella (Service Dog, Black Lab), Atlas (Blue Heeler), Sushi (Turkish Van Cat), Smokey, (Domestic Short Hair) and a leopard gecko named Lemon.
2021 Georgia Speaker:
Brenda Mason-Parmelee
Sat (3PM)
Brenda Mason Parmelee of SmallerLivingHugeLife is a Smaller Living Advocate, Public Speaker, Best Selling Author, and Downsizing Consultant. She downsized from 3100s.f. to 310s.f. in 31days to her mostly off-grid converted motor-coach 5+ years ago. Brenda knows regardless of the size of your home, “You also can Create Your Clutter Free Home Oasis!” She has been there, done it, talks it, lives it… and now shares with you how to do it too. According to Brenda, “While you have to do the work, it helps to have a friend and a community to come along side you to encourage you as you take the next right steps. I’m excited to be that friend!”
2021 Georgia Speakers:
Daniel Messick
Sat & Sun (11AM)
Meet Daniel & Rachel Messick! Over the past 2 years, Daniel and Rachel have converted their van TheMessiJourney (aka – Banana Van Adventures) four times in cost effective ways. It has been known across the community as “the swiss army knife” of vans. Their mission on the road was to empower people to regain the confidence they had as youths and simplify their lives to focus on what really matters. They have traveled 38 states and 4 countries in the van! Last year they lived in Guatemala for 5 weeks in the van to obtain a certificate to teach English across the globe. That plan has been put on hold due to COVID-19, so they are now taking their passion for DIY Empowerment and setting up shop in Oregon. They will be doing everything from full builds to consultation in efforts to help others bring their tiny house dreams to life!
2021 Georgia Speaker:
Rickey Irvin
Sat (10:15AM)
Rickey Irvin is 60 years old and has been disabled for over 7 years. He was diagnosed with mixed connective tissue disease 5 years ago, had a heart attack and a stroke, and was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demylinating polynuropathy… and most impressively, Rickey lives full-time in his DIY skoolie.
2021 Georgia Speaker:
Suzy Beckwith
Sat (11AM)
Seven years ago Suzy was 49 and built her own DIY tiny house with the help of a few friends. Suzy has lived full-time in her tiny house since day one. She is the park manager of a tiny house community in Leesburg (Florida) for the last 3 years and has been a speaker at numerous tiny house events. You can following Suzy at GO LIV TINY.
2021 Georgia Speakers:
Mikee & BeBe
Sat (4PM)
BeBe and Mikee are a mother and son that have been full time on their skoolie for two years. BeBe retired in 2017 and purchased an RV to revisit many of the national parks she camped at as a youth with her family. Mikee had dreams of building a tiny house in Asheville NC. Every time BeBe would come back to visit NC numerous things needed repair. In 2019 the RV was hit from behind and the propane tank imploded completely destroying the RV. They found their Black Magik Bus in a search for safety and unexpectedly finding a family as well.
2021 Georgia Speaker:
Jennifer Fuist
Sun (10:15AM)
Create Passive Income with Tiny Houses
Sun (2PM)
Interested in making serious $$ while also having an incredibly fun time? John and Fin Kernohan will be sharing how in a short period of time they are earning thousands of dollars each month as a passive income. Whether or not you have a tiny house or any other livable structure, whether or not you have land to host on, you too can become a host, or co-host, of a unique structure and experience how wonderfully fun it is being an AirBnb host… or Super Hosts like The Kernohans. Do you have empty land, but no unique structure? Do you have a unique structure, but no land? No problem… John and Fin have solutions to these issues. The Kernohans will be sharing their secrets, successes, failures, and how they solved an issue of hosting unique short-term stays in an area that originally did not allow short-term rentals. If easily earning extra income and having memorable experiences are your thing, then you won’t want to miss this fun and informative presentation. You can check out The Kernohans’ short term rentals HERE and also at Beloved Cabin Tiny House Homestead & Stay.
ASTM Standards for Tiny Houses on Wheels
Sun (11AM)
The FIRST TIME EVER international effort for the establishment of Standards for Tiny Houses on Wheels is currently underway… and you can be part of this historic initiative. Join John Kernohan, Chairman & Founder of the 39K+ member United Tiny House Association, to learn of this AMAZING undertaking being spear-headed by Janet Thome and the 501c(3) Tiny House Alliance USA. Come learn why this is important for the future of tiny house movement, who is involved, who is trying to under-mind this effort, and how you to can join this initiative to be part of the committees working for positive change.
Zoning: Legal Tiny Living IS in Your Hands
Sat (1PM)
John Kernohan will be sharing on zoning, the legalities of living tiny, and how you too can live, and afford, your tiny dream… whatever yours may be! Come listen from someone who actually does live his tiny dream, along with his wife Fin, on their own land… and who have done so LEGALLY for the past 8.5+ years. Learn how you too can become an advocate for legal tiny living, not just for yourself, but for the tiny house community on a whole. Your tiny dream is in your hand!”
2021 Georgia Homeowners Q&A Panel
Sun (1PM)
Listen and learn from those who actually walk the tiny walk – and not just talk the talk. The owners of skoolies, van conversions, tiny houses, and other modalities of micro homes shares their experiences, expertise, adventures, trials, tribulations, and accomplishments in a humorous, personal, and inspirational sharing of themselves followed by a Q&A session.
