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

Alex Alexander
  • 4.9 (59)
  • Relationships
  • Updated Weekly

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 friendship win or struggle? Leave Alex a voice message at AlexAlex.chat. Follow along on Instagram or TikTok @itsalexalexander and join the movement to rethink how we build connection, community, and friendships in real life.

  1. 4d ago

    The Urge to Tell Your Life Story on the First Friend Date (And What to Do Instead)

    Have you ever come home from hanging out with a new friend and you spiral, wondering if you shared too much or scared them off? I call this a new friend hangover. And in today’s episode, I want to talk about what happens when we rush into new friendships, especially when we are really, really hungry for connection.  So much of adult friendship advice tells us to open up, be vulnerable, share more, and let people in. I don’t think that advice is wrong, exactly. I just think it’s incomplete. The coffee dates, the shared activities, the silly moments, the tiny details you notice about each other are all part of your friendship origin story, which is where a lot of roots start to grow. In this episode you’ll hear about: How being hungry for connection can make us try to fast-forward a friendship before it has rootsWhy anxious “new friend hangovers” can show up after a hangout you were excited aboutWhy taking pottery classes and sharing recipes can create small intimacies How to think about sharing from a scar instead of a wound when a friendship is still newResources & Links Episode 12: Digging Into the 3 Types of Friendship Roots Episode 74: The Power of Vulnerability In Small Doses Episode 100: How To Use the Wheel of Connection to Strengthen Your Support System Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok! Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out! WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

  2. Aug 6

    What to Say When Someone You Love Is Grieving with Shelby Forsythia

    This episode will completely change how you show up for the people in your life when they are grieving or going through something. Most of us have heard the advice about what to do when someone is grieving: bring the meal, send the gift card, walk the dog, take the kids, run the errand. And those things matter, but knowing what to say is where a lot of us panic. Today I’m talking to Shelby Forsythia, a grief coach, author, and podcast host whose book, Of Course, I’m Here Right Now, gives us actual words to say when we don’t know what to say. After years of working with grievers, Shelby started noticing that people were often telling themselves three stories: I’m crazy, I’m alone, and my life is going to feel like this forever. So she built three phrases to meet those stories. In this episode, we talk about why hurtful words can fracture relationships after loss, why disappearing can be just as painful, and how the right words can help someone feel seen, believed, and less alone inside what they are carrying. In this episode you’ll hear about: Why Shelby believes words are one of the most accessible grief support tools we haveThe 3 phrases that don’t “fix”, bright-side, or rush someone through griefHow someone can be physically present in a friendship but still emotionally vanish from the part of someone that is grievingThe importance of sitting with someone in their “grief house” without trying to drag them into hopeResources & Links Learn more about Shelby on her website, and check out her book, Of Course, I’m Here Right Now. Shelby also references the book, There Is No Good Card For This by Kelsey Crowe and Emily McDowell. Episode 172: Unmuted Rooms and Judgment-Free Listening with Erin Snow Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok! Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out! WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

  3. Jul 30

    Are Birthdays Doing Too Much Work In Our Friendships?

    Have you ever caught yourself on your birthday paying a little too much attention to your phone? Noticing who texted, who posted, who sent a voice memo? What about who just “liked” your Instagram story but didn’t actually say anything? Who remembered, who didn’t, and what all of that might mean about how much they care about you. For most of us, birthdays are one of the only times we explicitly tell our friends how much they mean to us. It’s the one day when all the evidence gets collected: did they remember, did they make an effort, did they show up in the way I hoped they would? And if there aren’t many other moments throughout the year where we are saying these things out loud, then of course the birthday starts to feel loaded. So in today’s episode, I’m talking about how we can build a culture inside our friendships where affirmation, appreciation, and “you matter to me” moments are not saved for one day a year. Your birthday can still be special, but it probably shouldn’t have to carry the full weight of proving where you stand in someone’s life. In this episode you’ll hear about: Why birthdays can start to feel like a friendship test, even when nobody wants them to be oneWhy a birthday text, card, party, or forgotten message can feel so loaded when there is not enough “you matter to me” evidence What story roots have to do with birthday expectations, and why our brains write loud stories about itHow voice memos, shared notes, and friendship check-ins can help build a culture of affirmation beyond birthdaysResources & Links Episode 12: Digging Into the 3 Types of Friendship Roots Episode 37: You Don’t Need to Understand People to Accept Them Episode 70: Separating Our Own Friendship Beliefs from Our Children’s with Pam Howard Episode 179: What Is Friendship Culture? (And How to Shift it Without Blowing Everything Up) Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok! Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out! WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

  4. Jul 23

    Loneliness, Vitality, and the Six Domains of Health with Dr. Alan Rozanski

    It’s impossible to talk about friendship or community without the topic of loneliness.  What is loneliness doing inside the body? How is it affecting our hearts, our brains, our stress hormones, and our actual day-to-day health? That’s exactly what we’re going to explore today with Dr. Alan Rozanski, a cardiologist who has spent decades studying this question: what allows people to truly flourish?  Dr. Rozanski breaks down his six domains of health: physical health, mental vitality, emotional mastery, purposeful living, stress management, and social connectivity. And, of course, social connectivity is what I was most excited to talk about! This conversation gave me a lot to sit with, and I think it might do the same for you. In this episode you’ll hear about: Why the effects of social media can be both a lifeline and the “fast food” version of connectionHow to think about “minimum standards” for friendship, movement, purpose, and emotional well-beingDr. Rozanski’s six domains of health, and the vicious cycle that comes from just one low-ranking areaHow loneliness can become a cue we ignore or try to satisfy in the wrong place (plus, the stat that doesn’t tell the whole story)Vitality, and why it can give us a “North Pole” for understanding what our health needsResources & Links Learn more about Dr. Alan Rozanski on his website. Episode 58: You’re Not Doing It Wrong: Why Friendship Looks Different for Everyone Episode 62: Finding Your Purpose Through Friendship with Mark Delaney of The Purpose Mastermind Episode 125: Super Psyched: The 4 Types of Connection We All Need WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

  5. Jul 16

    When Your Friend Starts Feeling Like a Different Person

    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 suddenly you’re wondering, wait, is this still the person I thought I knew?! That’s what I’m talking about in today’s episode. Notice this isn’t about friendship breakups or big fights. But rather, the strange grief of realizing a friend might be changing in a way that no longer feels aligned for you. I’ll walk through why this can feel so disorienting, how old friendship roots can keep us connected even when something important has shifted, and the 3 options I think you have when a friendship still exists, but the person inside it feels different. This episode is sponsored by Slowly, a digital penpal app used by over 10 million people worldwide! If you’ve been looking for a low-pressure way to connect with someone completely outside your normal friendship circle, this is it. Exchange letters at your own pace, no small talk panic required. Download Slowly free and get 30% off Slowly Plus using my link: https://open.slowly.app/miXL/l8ei5iw6. In this episode you’ll hear about: What those tiny “wait, what?” moments can reveal, especially when most of your friendship still feels normalThe difference between a friend simply changing and a friend shifting in a way that no longer feels alignedHow friendship roots explain why old friendships can feel both familiar and disorienting at the same timeWhen to consider a friendship demotion, a friendship pause, or ending a friendship altogether Resources & Links Order my book, Are We Friends Yet?and get immediate access to the Less Lonely Club Community and the 10-Day Connection Reset Private Podcast. Learn more about The Friendhood on their website and on Instagram. Episode 12: Digging Into the 3 Types of Friendship Roots Episode 45: Friendship Demotions (and How to Build Even Better Friendships) Episode 136: The Surprising Benefits of a Friendship Pause Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok! Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out! WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

  6. Jul 9

    What Actually Happens When You Move Next Door to Your Best Friends? with The Friendhood

    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 with Kelly and Kristi from The Friendhood, a group of four women in Atlanta who actually did it. They didn’t just talk about moving closer to their friends someday — they now live within a block of each other, and their story went mega viral. In this episode, we chat about what it really looks like to live near your best friends: the boundaries, the chosen family dynamics, the hard conversations, the 1:1 friendships inside the group, the joy of being aunties, and why proximity does not mean you are together all the time. In this episode you’ll hear about: How The Friendhood went from 1 friend buying a lot in a new Atlanta development to 4 women living within a block of each otherWhy their chosen family dynamic includes husbands, kids, nephews, and the whole family unitA “yearly friendship check-in” idea that Kelly uses to ask what’s working and what needs supportHow The Friendhood avoids gossip and protects 1:1 friendships inside the larger groupResources & Links Learn more about The Friendhood on their website and on Instagram. Episode 14: How To Join a Friend Group Or Create One Episode 42: Real Talk About Friendship Trios Episode 65: How Jenna Myhre Deyle Moved Across The Country to Live Closer to Friends Episode 100: How To Use the Wheel of Connection to Strengthen Your Support System Episode 149: Why We Should All Want Our Friends to Have Robust Social Lives (Even If It’s Without Us) Episode 176: The Cost of Quiet: How To Stop Avoiding Conflict and Have Those Hard Conversations with Colette Jane Fehr Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok! Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out! WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

  7. Jul 2

    Why You Feel Lonely Even Though You Have Close Friends

    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 it down into a few different reasons. Maybe you don’t feel fully seen, maybe this friendship isn’t the right container for what you’re carrying, maybe life circumstances have changed, or maybe there are quiet expectations that have never actually been named out loud. My hope is that this episode gives you language for what might be happening in one specific friendship, so you have somewhere to start. In this episode you’ll hear about: Why you might feel lonely in a friendship when you’re masking, staying surface-level, or sharing vulnerablyHow to tell when a friendship is not the right “container” for a specific experience, passion, life change, or dream you’re carryingWhy drift can happen when one person changes and the friendship hasn’t caught up yetWhy texts, voice memos, and FaceTimes do not always replace the shared experiences you’re cravingResources & Links Episode 12: Digging Into the 3 Kinds of Friendship Roots Episode 36: How To Feel Very “Not Alone” Episode 74: The Power of Vulnerability In Small Doses Episode 100: How To Use the Wheel of Connection to Strengthen Your Support System Episode 176: The Cost of Quiet: How To Stop Avoiding Conflict and Have Those Hard Conversations with Colette Jane Fehr Episode 179: What Is Friendship Culture? (And How To Shift It Without Everything Blowing Up) WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

  8. Jun 25

    Raised by Community: The Small Moments That Actually Save Kids (and Adults)

    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, overstimulated, and overwrought.  And honestly, when I read that, I felt like she had put language to something so many of us are carrying around without even realizing it. Stephanie and I both know what it feels like to be raised by a community. We talk about the adults who showed up in small ways when we were kids: the friend’s mom who always had a snack waiting, the counselor with animal crackers in her office, the parents who figured out rides, and the people who kept opening doors even when we weren’t ready to tell the truth. This episode is all about the tiny ways people can help us feel human again, and why none of us were ever meant to do this alone. In this episode you’ll hear about: How Stephanie’s “dangerous weather” framework explains the exhaustion so many of us feel right nowWhat Stephanie and I learned from unlocked doors, team jackets, special snacks, and tiny check-insAskables, anchors, and activators, and why kids need more than one caring adult in their livesHow being praised for self-sufficiency, responsibility, and caregiving can become its own kind of trapResources & Links Check out Stephanie’s new book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves In a Changing World. Stephanie’s other books include Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World and Whole Child, Whole Life. WANT MORE? My book, Are We Friends Yet? is here. Order your copy today! Dive into The Connection Reset. A 10-day private podcast to help you see the abundance of connection that already exists in your day-to-day (Yes. Really. I promise you have more than you realize). Start today.

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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 friendship win or struggle? Leave Alex a voice message at AlexAlex.chat. Follow along on Instagram or TikTok @itsalexalexander and join the movement to rethink how we build connection, community, and friendships in real life.

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