The Friend Lab

Liz McKean and Bryce The Third

The Friend Lab is a curious, candid, and sometimes chaotic exploration of what it means to be human together. Hosted by Liz McKean: coach, hypnotist, yoga teacher, and professional untangler of shame, and Bryce The Third: performing artist, recovery advocate, speaker, author, and all-around creative force; this show lives at the intersection of friendship, growth, and real-life transformation. Liz and Bryce come from different worlds, but their chemistry is undeniable. Their creative partnership is rooted in honesty, humor, and a shared obsession with understanding why we connect the way we do. Each episode is a deep dive into the messy, magical terrain of being a person: •friendships that evolve •identities that shift •coping tools that help (and sometimes don’t) •recovery and what it looks like beyond the clichés •personal growth that feels exciting one day and overwhelming the next •the courage it takes to stay authentic, even when it’s uncomfortable They’ll talk about the things people think about but rarely say out loud: the awkwardness, the misunderstandings, the breakthroughs, the belly laughs, the spiritual moments, the self-awareness spirals, and the quiet truths that change us. This is not a show about having it all figured out. It’s a show about experimenting with what it means to belong to yourself and to each other, one honest conversation at a time. Whether you’re navigating recovery, building healthier relationships, reimagining your life, or just craving a podcast that feels like sitting on the couch with two friends who are delighted to be spending time with you, welcome to The Friend Lab.

  1. 6d ago

    When Holding Space for Yourself Is All You Can Hold...

    Text us to be featured on the show! Overwhelmed, overstimulated, and still trying to show up for everyone — sound familiar? In this episode, Bryce and Liz get into what happens to your relationships, your body, and your sense of self when too many big things happen at the same time. Liz breaks out in hives. Bryce comes home from a trip carrying more than he expected. And together they unpack what it actually takes to let people check in on you — and why that's harder than it sounds. Topics include: the difference between checking in and checking on, what the reticular activating system has to do with healing, parenting an adult child while still figuring out your own father, and why learning that "you were never safe" can actually bring relief when you're finally ready to hear it. Real talk. No framework. Just two friends figuring it out in public. Follow The Friend Lab on Instagram About Liz McKean: Liz is a hypnotherapist, yoga teacher, and creator of spaces where people can unshame their coping tools and finally feel better. About Bryce The Third: When it comes to the most authentic and impactful voices rising out of Detroit, Michigan, Bryce The Third is a name you can’t afford to leave out. Not just an artist, he’s an emotional engineer with a live show that a mix of performance art, storytelling, high level lyricism and community building. Not only does Bryce have a story to tell, when you witness it, you’ll wanna tell yours  Join The FriendLab Community! → https://substack.com/@friendlabpodcast Call into the show to be featured → https://www.speakpipe.com/TheFriendLabPodcast More about Liz → lizmckean.com Follow Liz on Instagram → @liz.mckean More about Bryce → BryceTheThird.com Follow Bryce on Instagram → @brycethethird

  2. Jul 1

    The Mystery of The "Best Buddy Ever" T-Shirt aka The Risk of Letting People Matter

    Text us to be featured on the show! Bryce receives a mysterious "Best Buddy Ever" shirt in the mail... and has absolutely no idea who sent it. What starts as a hilarious detective story turns into something much deeper. Bryce and Liz explore what it means to let people know they've changed your life while you still have the chance. From moving away and saying "see you later," to teaching in jail, parenting teenagers, surprise birthday parties, and learning to risk vulnerability, this conversation is about choosing connection over self-protection. Because maybe the greatest gift isn't receiving love—it's telling someone they mattered before it's too late. Follow The Friend Lab on Instagram About Liz McKean: Liz is a hypnotherapist, yoga teacher, and creator of spaces where people can unshame their coping tools and finally feel better. About Bryce The Third: When it comes to the most authentic and impactful voices rising out of Detroit, Michigan, Bryce The Third is a name you can’t afford to leave out. Not just an artist, he’s an emotional engineer with a live show that a mix of performance art, storytelling, high level lyricism and community building. Not only does Bryce have a story to tell, when you witness it, you’ll wanna tell yours  Join The FriendLab Community! → https://substack.com/@friendlabpodcast Call into the show to be featured → https://www.speakpipe.com/TheFriendLabPodcast More about Liz → lizmckean.com Follow Liz on Instagram → @liz.mckean More about Bryce → BryceTheThird.com Follow Bryce on Instagram → @brycethethird

  3. Jun 10

    Boundary Setting 101: The Thin Line Between Consideration and Self-Advocacy

    Text us to be featured on the show! How do you show up fully for the people you love without losing yourself in the process? In this episode of The Friend Lab, Bryce and Liz get into one of the most honest conversations the pod has had yet — the real tension between being a considerate person and being a self-advocate. Liz opens up about how recovery literally forced her to break through a lifelong pattern of people-pleasing, and how "life or death" became the threshold that finally gave her permission to choose herself. Bryce reflects on what it means to move through the world rooted in self-inventory — and why staying too long in spaces where you're seen as inconsiderate can quietly erode how you see yourself. They also get into the difference between guilt and shame (thanks, Brené), what it looks like to repair a relationship without abandoning your own truth, and why the messiest, most honest version of growth happens in the brackish water — that murky in-between where the people who challenge you and the people who know you end up in the same place. This one is for anyone who's ever apologized when they didn't need to, stayed silent when they should've spoken, or wondered if caring about others and caring about yourself can actually coexist. Spoiler: they can. But it takes work. Follow The Friend Lab on Instagram About Liz McKean: Liz is a hypnotherapist, yoga teacher, and creator of spaces where people can unshame their coping tools and finally feel better. About Bryce The Third: When it comes to the most authentic and impactful voices rising out of Detroit, Michigan, Bryce The Third is a name you can’t afford to leave out. Not just an artist, he’s an emotional engineer with a live show that a mix of performance art, storytelling, high level lyricism and community building. Not only does Bryce have a story to tell, when you witness it, you’ll wanna tell yours  Join The FriendLab Community! → https://substack.com/@friendlabpodcast Call into the show to be featured → https://www.speakpipe.com/TheFriendLabPodcast More about Liz → lizmckean.com Follow Liz on Instagram → @liz.mckean More about Bryce → BryceTheThird.com Follow Bryce on Instagram → @brycethethird

  4. May 26

    You Can't Snap a Stick and Make Someone Love You : On the movie OBSESSION, consent, and why the messy in-between is the only way real connection actually happens

    Text us to be featured on the show! Bryce walked out of the movie Obsession and immediately needed to talk about it — so naturally, he hit record. The premise: one wish, and someone is magically compelled to love you. Sounds like a fantasy. Turns out it's kind of a horror story. In this episode, Bryce and Liz use that as a jumping-off point to dig into what real connection actually requires — and what gets lost when you try to skip straight to the good part. They get into consent and autonomy in relationships, the difference between being loved and being truly known, and why the weird, awkward, unpredictable in-between is not just part of the process — it is the process. They also get into the full spectrum of connection — from your ride-or-dies to the gym friend who noticed you were gone, to the neighbor you only ever wave at — and why demanding everything from one person might be the thing standing between you and a real community. Plus: parasocial relationships, the highlight reel self vs. the actual self, Liz's third-grade best friend ranking system, and a brand new segment: Buddy Questions. You can't snap a stick. But you can do the work. Welcome to the lab. Follow The Friend Lab on Instagram About Liz McKean: Liz is a hypnotherapist, yoga teacher, and creator of spaces where people can unshame their coping tools and finally feel better. About Bryce The Third: When it comes to the most authentic and impactful voices rising out of Detroit, Michigan, Bryce The Third is a name you can’t afford to leave out. Not just an artist, he’s an emotional engineer with a live show that a mix of performance art, storytelling, high level lyricism and community building. Not only does Bryce have a story to tell, when you witness it, you’ll wanna tell yours  Join The FriendLab Community! → https://substack.com/@friendlabpodcast Call into the show to be featured → https://www.speakpipe.com/TheFriendLabPodcast More about Liz → lizmckean.com Follow Liz on Instagram → @liz.mckean More about Bryce → BryceTheThird.com Follow Bryce on Instagram → @brycethethird

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Friend Lab is a curious, candid, and sometimes chaotic exploration of what it means to be human together. Hosted by Liz McKean: coach, hypnotist, yoga teacher, and professional untangler of shame, and Bryce The Third: performing artist, recovery advocate, speaker, author, and all-around creative force; this show lives at the intersection of friendship, growth, and real-life transformation. Liz and Bryce come from different worlds, but their chemistry is undeniable. Their creative partnership is rooted in honesty, humor, and a shared obsession with understanding why we connect the way we do. Each episode is a deep dive into the messy, magical terrain of being a person: •friendships that evolve •identities that shift •coping tools that help (and sometimes don’t) •recovery and what it looks like beyond the clichés •personal growth that feels exciting one day and overwhelming the next •the courage it takes to stay authentic, even when it’s uncomfortable They’ll talk about the things people think about but rarely say out loud: the awkwardness, the misunderstandings, the breakthroughs, the belly laughs, the spiritual moments, the self-awareness spirals, and the quiet truths that change us. This is not a show about having it all figured out. It’s a show about experimenting with what it means to belong to yourself and to each other, one honest conversation at a time. Whether you’re navigating recovery, building healthier relationships, reimagining your life, or just craving a podcast that feels like sitting on the couch with two friends who are delighted to be spending time with you, welcome to The Friend Lab.