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You’ve listened, shared, and replayed these episodes of Friendship IRL more than any others — and honestly, I get it. There’s a reason these episodes have stayed at the top. They tackle the stuff we’re all thinking about but maybe haven’t found the words for yet.

1. Social Wellness in Millennials vs. Boomers ​

No shock this episode is the most played because it is a HOT TAKE. I’ve been letting my brain wander about how our friendships and community are impacting the pressures that millennials are feeling when it comes to grandparent life, estrangement, social support, and more. Thankfully, Janelle Marie was down to dive in deep.

What it’s about: Boomers and Gen X generations were told by society that focusing on careers and families would bring fulfillment. The impact? So many of them don’t have a robust social wellness net. This episode explores how this affects the pressure millennials feel in their relationships with parents and in-laws.

Why it resonates: We’re all feeling this generational tension but didn’t have words for it.

​2. The Real Pain of Friendship Breakups with Patrice Poltzer​

You may not have ever heard anyone talk about a friendship breakup until you are scouring the internet for stories after your own, but you aren’t alone. Most people have silently struggled through 1 or more friendship breakups in their life… and they freaking hurt.

What it’s about: Society doesn’t give friendship break-ups the same weight as romantic break-ups, but sometimes they can leave you even more broken. This episode with Patrice Poltzer normalizes the fact that not all friendships last forever.

Why it resonates: The grief that comes with losing a friend is often swept under the rug… but not around here!

​3. The 4 Types of Friends and Why They Matter ​

A foundational episode! Why? Because we are diving deep into my Wheel of Connection Framework. Once you start to see the wheel of connection in your life you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

What it’s about: We’re redefining adult friendship and exploring the 4 types of friends that bring connection, belonging, and everyday value into our lives - from casual “familiar friends” to deeply rooted “present friends.”

Why it resonates: It takes the pressure off trying to make every friendship “best friend” level.

​4. How to Make Friends as A Grown Up ​

One episode to solve one of the most perplexing problems of adulthood? I tried my best, but it must be working because this is #4 on the list. I swear the reason this episode is ranked so high is because everyone must be recommending it to their friends, because when you finish, you’ll take a big sigh of relief and your shoulders will relax.

What it’s about: The REALITY we find ourselves in when seeking friendship as grown-ups. How we do it now is going to be different from how we did it as children, teenagers, and young adults – but in a GOOD way.

Why it resonates: It’s the roadmap everyone’s been looking for.

​5. Friendship Demotions (and How to Build Even Better Friendships)​

Sometimes our friendships get too… big, so this episode is a rally cry for letting our friendships be simpler, more defined, which will in turn make them all the stronger. You’ll see.

What it’s about: Instead of “demoting” a friend, what if we talked about building a better version of friendship for right now? This episode offers 3 “do-the-work” options for when friendships need to shift.

Why it resonates: Permission to let friendships change without guilt.

​6. 5 Mindset Shifts to Build Stronger Adult Friendships & Community​

Wow. Going all the way back in the archives. This was the first episode of Friendship IRL, but years later, it is just as important. So much of the work of making friends is reframing our beliefs… this is a great place to start.

What it’s about: 5 powerful mindset shifts that can help you make friends as an adult, deepen existing relationships, and create a sense of belonging.

Why it resonates: It’s the foundation - everything else builds from here.

​7. The Power of Deep Conversations: What Chris Burnett Learned While Interviewing 70 of His Friends and Family​

Ugh! I loved this episode! I love when real people are out here “doing the thing” and showing us one way we can feel more connected to our people, and Chris is doing exactly that. You don’t have to interview 70 people, but what if this episode inspired you to interview even 10 people in your life? How could that make an impact?

What it’s about: Chris started a personal project to reconnect with people in his life by having deep conversations. To date, he’s recorded more than 70 conversations and turned it into a book, conversations: connecting with people in our lives. [affiliate link]

Why it resonates: It’s a simple but profound way to deepen existing relationships.

​8. You're Not Doing it Wrong: Why Friendship Looks So Different for Everyone​

What is a friend, anyway? This fundamental question is going to have a personal answer, but it’s an important question to ponder because it impacts every interaction you are having and is a guiding light to building the community, friendships and connections you desire.

What it’s about: There is no one answer to what friendship looks like - what works for you might not always be what works for other people, and that’s okay.

Why it resonates: Finally, permission to do friendship YOUR way.

​9. Third Places: Bringing "Living Rooms" Back to Our Communities​

When you dig deep enough you find that so many of the struggles we have with modern friendship are due to structural choices - in this case, the lack of third places. How did we get here? What can we do differently? We start to ponder those questions and I hope this episode sparks more conversation.

What it’s about: The “third place” refers to the place people spend their time after home and work. They’re meant to be community hubs, and their decline explains a lot about why friendship feels harder now. Many thanks to Nathan Allebach for diving into this complex topic with me.

Why it resonates: It’s not just you - the infrastructure for friendship has literally disappeared.

​10. All About Men's Friendships​

The male loneliness epidemic is a hot-button topic nowadays, and while this episode was published before that term was plastered all over the headlines, it might give you a new way to think about this problem. It’s a take that I don’t often hear, which is that men can’t just be sent off to deal with themselves; instead, we need to figure out a way to fold men back into the community as a whole… and that requires all of us.

What it’s about: Studies show that men have nearly the same number of friends as women, but societal pressures to be “too vulnerable” have men lagging in the number of friendships that provide deep care and support.

Why it resonates: It reframes the “male loneliness epidemic” as a community problem, not just a men’s problem.

Want to dive deeper into any of these episodes? You can listen to all 130+ episodes of Friendship IRL wherever you get your podcasts.

And if any of these topics spark questions or “aha moments” for you, jump into our community chat and let’s talk about it!

💬 If this topic resonates and you want to go deeper, come join our community space!​
Inside The Less Lonely Club on Substack, you’ll find more content like this — but the real magic is in the community chat and comment threads where we share IRL friendship moments, crowdsource ideas, and support each other through what’s working (and what’s not).

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