Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes

Alex Alexander

Podcast

Episodes

Latest Episodes

Becoming a Regular: How Third Places Open the Door to Unexpected Friendships

10/29/2026 • 49 min

If a real third place opened in your neighborhood tomorrow, would you actually use it? And I don't just mean would you walk in. I mean would you sit down next to a stranger, let the conversation go wherever it goes, and leave with a connection you didn't plan for? We talk a lot about bringing third places back, and we should. Ray Oldenburg estimated that the US … Play episode

Cousin, Sister, Best Friend: The Stories Built Into Our Labels
Your Friend Is Carrying an Invisible Backpack (And So Are You) with Stacey…
When Friendship Doesn’t Look Like You Thought It Would
What a Ugandan Village Taught Tom Karrel About Belonging
Financial Literacy as a Friendship Goal & Money Conversations We Should Be…
Bestiemonies, Friendship Vows, and the Ceremony You Didn't Know You Needed…
5 Ways to Shake Up a Stale Friendship
How to Help Your Teen With Friendship Drama with Sheri Gazitt
Disappointment is the Cost of Friendship
How to Make Mom Friends When the Village Doesn’t Just Appear with Molly Me…
The Urge to Tell Your Life Story on the First Friend Date (And What to Do …
What to Say When Someone You Love Is Grieving with Shelby Forsythia
Are Birthdays Doing Too Much Work In Our Friendships?
Loneliness, Vitality, and the Six Domains of Health with Dr. Alan Rozanski
When Your Friend Starts Feeling Like a Different Person
What Actually Happens When You Move Next Door to Your Best Friends? with T…
Why You Feel Lonely Even Though You Have Close Friends
Raised by Community: The Small Moments That Actually Save Kids (and Adults)
THE BOOK IS HERE! Behind the Scenes of “Are We Friends Yet?”
The Secrets We Keep (For Our Friends)
How One Bumble BFF Match Turned Into a Best Friendship with Hayleigh Hayhu…
What Is Friendship Culture? (And How to Shift It Without Blowing Everythin…
How to Show Up for a Friend Going Through a Divorce with Oona Metz
Friendship Stalls: How to Work Your Way From “Acquaintance” to “Friend”
The Cost of Quiet: How to Stop Avoiding Conflict and Have Those Hard Conve…
Why We Need to Stop Using the Word “Toxic” in Regards to Friendship
Neurodivergent Friendships: Self-Advocating, Masking, and Reframing Friend…
Gossip in Friendship: Is It Really as Bad as Everyone Says It Is?
Unmuted Rooms and Judgement-Free Listening with Erin Snow
Why (and How) You Should Start Initiating Recurring Social Gatherings
I Don’t Have Any Friends! (Help!)
Using AI to Navigate and Improve Friendships with Connor Joyce
Jealous of a Friend? Here's What That Feeling Is Actually Telling You
How to Ask Someone to Hang Out (Without Making It Weird)
The 10 Coffee Date Experiment That Changed Her Friendships with Alison Kin…
Group Chat Anxiety (Part 2): What To Actually Do About It
Group Chat Anxiety (Part 1): Why Your Notifications Feel Like Emotional Ho…
Grief and Friendship: Showing Up After Infant Loss with Michelle Valiukenas
An Act of Resistance: Why Getting to Know Your Neighbors Matters Right Now
Too Many Friends? How to Stop Burning Out in Your Relationships
Should the Goal of Your Friendship be to “Never Rock the Boat?”
It’s OK to Get Help With Making Friends (Especially After College!)
[REPLAY] How to Talk to Friends About Celebrating Holidays Together
[REPLAY] How to Stop Dreading Parties and Take Charge of Your Guest Experi…
Narrowing the Liking Gap and Feeling More Confident in Your Interactions
How to Host on Any Budget (and Not Fall Into the Martha Stewart Trap)
The Benefits of Normalizing Not Drinking at Friend Gatherings
Almost Everyone Has Experienced Friendship Break-Up (Twice!) with Meenadchi
It’s Never Too Late to Make Friends

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