32. The Power of Connection in Friendships & Long-Lasting Relationships with Erwin Valencia

Hey, Brave Table fam! We have an exciting episode for you this week with my Filipino soul brother, Erwin Valencia. Erwin is a wellness and high-performance expert (currently working as the Wellness Lead for the New York Knicks!), a coach and mentor, and the founder of Gratitude Gang—an NFT collective—as well as the Grasshopper Project—a non-profit mentorship program dedicated to inspiring future masters in the world of movement.

Yes, he definitely wears many different hats! But the common throughline with Erwin in all these endeavors (and the thing I admire him for the most) is his superpower when it comes to creating and nurturing communities and building long-lasting, meaningful friendships & relationships. 

In this episode, he tells us how he does it and why it’s vital to your overall happiness and success. 

What you’ll get out of this episode… 

- Why relationship-building should always prioritize quality over quantity

- Advice for people who struggle with cultivating friendships and relationships

- How to be intentional about meeting new people and the friendships you build

- Ways to authentically and fully show up for your people

- Starting friendships from the heart and pure intention to keep them thriving

- Looking at your family traditions and values as a guidepost for how you connect with others

- How nurturing and valuing your friendships and relationships sets you up for success in life

- Stories about Erwin’s global adventures and the people he’s encountered along the way (and how he keeps in touch with them—sometimes even decades later)

Erwin’s love of all things exploration and celebration are deeply rooted in his childhood, growing up in a compound in the Philippines, where community meant everything. He would go to his grandmother’s house every day for breakfast—fostering the importance of connection from a young age—and read her encyclopedias, inspiring him to one day leave the Philippines and explore the world. It was also in these formative years Erwin discovered his love for dance. Us Filipinos are always throwing a party (and know how to do them right!), putting on shows during gatherings, and entertaining a crowd. 

The common thread Erwin found among his passions was people. He loved meeting new people, supporting them, and making them feel loved. From a curious and loving Filipino boy to the global icon he is today, Erwin attributes the success and joy he's experienced on his journey to one simple thing: being surrounded by the right people and taking care of them—no matter how busy life gets. 

The past few years have been a challenging time for many in relationships. Lockdowns and border closures had us cut off from people we love, and we have let many relationships go by the wayside. So I want you to ask yourself: when it comes to the friendships and people you value, are you properly taking care of those relationships?

If not you’re not sure, Erwin has some advice to share as a master of community and a super nurturer, and the good news is—it doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated or a big deal! We are all craving connection right now, and we can find it if we start to take the time to look for it. Tune in to hear his powerful stories of the people he’s met along the journey, how he makes sure he shows up for his people, and why long-lasting, healthy relationships are something we all need to prioritize. 

If you liked this episode, make sure you also check out… 

- Erwin’s Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/erwinbvalencia/ 

- This article that shares more about Erwin’s story https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/filipi