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Hosted by Alex Alexander · 🇺🇸 US · EN-US · 186 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Tired of hearing “just put yourself out there” when it comes to friendship or community? Same. Friendship IRL is the podcast that skips the fluff and gets real about what it takes to build meaningful adult friendships and lasting support systems. Whether you're struggling to make new friends, maintain old ones, or just want people in your life who really show up , you're in the right place. Each week, host Alex Alexander brings you honest conversations and tangible strategies to help you connect— for real . You’ll hear stories from everyday people (plus the occasional expert), learn what’s working in modern friendships—and what definitely isn’t—and walk away with ideas, scripts, and action steps you can actually use. Think of it like a coffee date with your wisest, most encouraging friend—the one who tells the truth and hands you the playbook. 🎧 New episodes drop every Thursday. 💬 Want to share your frie
Alex Alexander hosts Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes, a society show with 186 episodes published.
Have you ever left a hangout with a friend and felt like 95% of the hangout was normal, but the other 5% was just… off? Maybe it was a comment that surprised you, or a value that seemed to come out of nowhere. And sudden
There is something dreamy about the idea of living close to your people. Imagine all of the spontaneous walks, casual dinners, and “come over, I’m on my couch” friendship vibes that so many of us crave. Today I’m talking
There’s a specific kind of loneliness that I don’t think enough people talk about — the loneliness you feel EVEN when you have good friends. In this episode, I’m talking about why you might feel lonely, and I’m breaking
Why does connection, caregiving, parenting, friendship, and community feel so hard right now? Author Stephanie Malia Krauss is here to talk about the “weather” we’re all living in right now: we’re overtapped, overworked,
My book is finally out in the world. This week, I'm taking you behind the scenes of the 6-year journey that became Are We Friends Yet? — from a food blog and a 40-page e-book idea, to a 120-page Word document, a friendsh
What do you do if a friend tells you something deeply personal? Maybe they're getting divorced, or they’re pregnant but haven’t publicly announced it. This week, I'm sharing a friendship boundary that Michael and I have
Friendship apps have a reputation for being awkward. They're "not how real friendships happen.” But what if that's not true? When Hayleigh Hayhurst moved to Seattle knowing almost no one, she found herself craving deeper
Why does one friendship feel effortless while another feels tense, draining, or rigid? In this episode, I’m diving into a concept I think about constantly: friendship culture. The unspoken norms, expectations, habits, an
Divorce is one of those life moments where everyone has an opinion, a reaction, or a face they make when they’re told – which is, much of the time, not very helpful. … So what IS helpful? That’s what today’s guest, Oona
Have you ever tried to make a new friend and felt like you were stalling out between the “acquaintance” and “friend” stages? Maybe this person was on the edge of your life for months, and yet, nothing ever changed: you s
Here you are, leaving that friendship hangout frustrated again. You swear you’ll tackle the issue at the next meet-up, but then, time goes by. You’ve pushed the problem aside. Until it happens again. And again. Suddenly,
Bad vibes. Frenemy. Fake friend. Toxic friendship. We have an entire vocabulary for when friendships aren’t working, but I think certain words and phrases often oversimplify friendship issues – and ultimately end up cost
To me, writing a friendship manual for neurodivergent people seems kind of mind-bending. How do you encapsulate the beauty and diversity of ALL our brains in one book? And yet, today’s guest, Caroline Maguire, has done j
Does talking about one person to another make you a bad friend? For quite some time, I’ve been considering the role of gossip in friendship. I’ve reflected on my own patterns and beliefs, and I’ve thought hard about wher
For years, Erin Snow was a trauma-informed legal advocate for domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking survivors, so she understands well the cost of having nowhere safe to say what’s true. When she got divorced,
Fitting social gatherings into busy lives often isn’t easy, but let me remind you of their value: One of the longest studies on human connection found that adults who went to social gatherings regularly reported reduced
Have you ever felt like you have nobody to call, and wondered: how did I get here? Where are my people? Maybe you’d been focusing on your career and lost touch with your friends. Maybe a big life transition has made you
Like it or not, AI is becoming part of our world in countless capacities – including navigating friendships. Today’s guest is Connor Joyce, a senior user researcher on the Microsoft Copilot team who has been working in t
Ever feel both happy and also … a little jealous when a friend shares good news? I experienced this dichotomy the other night, when my friend shared a success. I found myself performing enthusiasm while dealing with conf
While brainstorming episode ideas, I sometimes search Google Analytics to see what people are asking. Here’s what I found this week: How do I ask someone to hang out without making it weird? Turns out, millions of people
Oona Metz
licensed independent clinical social worker, certified group psychotherapist, author
1 appearance on this show
Colette Jane Fehr
licensed couples therapist, relationship expert, author
1 appearance on this show
Caroline Maguire
ADHD coach, social emotional learning expert, and author of Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults
1 appearance on this show
Erin Snow
1 appearance on this show
Connor Joyce
researcher, author of Bridging Intention and Impact, influencer · Microsoft
1 appearance on this show
Michelle Valiukenas
storyteller, activist, mom · Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation
1 appearance on this show
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Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes is hosted by Alex Alexander. The show is categorised under society (culture) and has published 186 episodes.
Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes has published 186 episodes.
Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes regularly covers society, culture, relationships. It sits in the society category, with a culture focus.
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Episodes of Friendship IRL: Real Talk About Friendship, Community, and What It Actually Takes average 46 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
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