Seated with Strangers

Shivawn Mitchell

What happens when you put three strangers together to discuss social norms, culture and more? Tune in as we invite our guest to navigate these conversations as we offer you music and food to pair with after the show.

  1. Navigating the Loneliness Epidemic in Adulthood with Shivawn and Shenelle

    12/19/2025

    Navigating the Loneliness Epidemic in Adulthood with Shivawn and Shenelle

    In this episode of Seated With Strangers, host Shivawn and guest Shenelle discuss the loneliness epidemic, exploring personal experiences of moving to a new city, building community, and coping with feelings of loneliness during the holidays. They delve into the complexities of friendships across different life stages, the importance of communication, and the various types of loneliness. The conversation emphasizes the need for community, support, and understanding in relationships, while also addressing the challenges of being an introvert in social settings. Ultimately, they encourage listeners to embrace curiosity and adventure in their lives to foster connections.Chapters 02:56 Building Community in a New City 06:04 Navigating Loneliness During the Holidays 08:58 Friendship Dynamics and Life Stages 12:00 Understanding Different Types of Loneliness 14:53 The Impact of Hyper Individualism on Relationships 30:11 The Burden of Being a Friend 39:02Introversion vs. Extroversion: Finding Balance Did you enjoy this episode? Let us know by leaving a rating and review on Apple  or Spotify. It'll take less than a minute. Want in on our community with other strangers & experience our popup dinner parties join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠list⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email meet@seatedwithstrangers.com for brand partnerships and business inquires. Follow our Producer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shivawnmitchell

    42 min
  2. Friendship Etiquette with Porlan Cunningham and Shivawn Mitchell

    10/16/2025

    Friendship Etiquette with Porlan Cunningham and Shivawn Mitchell

    On this episode of the Seated with Strangers podcast, host Shivawn Mitchell and guest Porlan Cunningham discuss the nuances of friendship etiquette, particularly in the space of adult friendships. They explore the importance of intentionality, communication, and setting boundaries while navigating new friendships. The conversation also touches on the challenges of making friends as adults, the dynamics of work friendships, and the role of social media in maintaining connections. Additionally, they address a listener's question about the appropriateness of using AI-generated messages in sensitive situations like bereavement. Overall, the episode emphasizes the significance of being intentional and communicative in building and maintaining meaningful friendships.Want to support us beyond the podcast? Did you enjoy this episode? Let us know by leaving a rating and review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It'll take less than a minute. Also, please take a moment to share what you'd like for us to cover next on the show. Request a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want in on our community with other strangers & experience our popup dinner parties join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠list HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email collaborate@shivawnmitchell.com for brand partnerships and business inquires. Follow our Producer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seatedwithstrangerspod/

    44 min
  3. Celebrating Success: Are We the New Mean Girls? With Shivawn, Brandy + Erica

    11/21/2024

    Celebrating Success: Are We the New Mean Girls? With Shivawn, Brandy + Erica

    In this episode of Seated with Strangers, hosts Shivawn and guests Brandy Anderson and Erica Linney discuss are we getting comfortable with being mean girls? Does our representation in media shape an individuals' sense of identity and belonging, particularly for marginalized groups. This podcast episode highlights several key points that underscore how mean girls impact us in media and real life. During this episode we covered: 00:02:13 - Giving Flowers to Each Other 00:03:56 - The Era of Mean Girls in Media 00:04:08 - Feeling Seen in Media 00:10:00 - Are We the New Mean Girls? 00:13:03 - Jealousy and Scarcity Mindset in Media 00:19:08 - Keyboard Warriors and Online Behavior 00:26:56 - Learned Behavior and Social Media Negativity Want to support us beyond the podcast? Did you enjoy this episode? Let us know by leaving a rating and review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. It'll take less than a minute. Also, please take a moment to share what you'd like for us to cover next on the show. Request a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want in on our community with other strangers & experience our popup dinner parties join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠list HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email collaborate@shivawnmitchell.com for brand partnerships and business inquires. Follow our Producer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seatedwithstrangerspod/

    28 min
  4. Low Maintenace Friendships with Shivawn and Whitney Hall

    09/23/2024

    Low Maintenace Friendships with Shivawn and Whitney Hall

    In this episode of Seated with Strangers, hosts Shivawn and Whitney Hall delve into the concept of friendships, particularly focusing on the idea of low-maintenance friendships. They explore how modern life, characterized by busyness and the influence of social media, has led to a decline in the quality and depth of friendships. During this episode we covered: 00:13:47 - Low Maintenance Friendships: Pros and Cons00:20:30 - Social Media and Friendship Dynamics 00:23:01 - Self-Centered Culture and Its Impact00:30:04 - College Friendships vs. Adult Friendships00:33:02 - Future Loneliness and Friendship 00:42:11 - Balancing Boundaries and Vulnerability 00:45:02 - Personal Journey in Friendship Want to support us beyond the podcast? Did you enjoy this episode? Let us know by leaving a rating and review on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠. It'll take less than a minute. Also, please take a moment to share what you'd like for us to cover next on the show. Request a⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want in on our community with other strangers & experience our popup dinner parties join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠list HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email collaborate@shivawnmitchell.com for brand partnerships and business inquires. Shop our Merch or Send our Producer a cup of coffee to keep her going here Follow our Producer Twitter: https://twitter.com/shivawnadrienne Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seatedwithstrangerspod/

    57 min
  5. Ambition over Friendships with Shivawn, Melissa and Dominicka

    08/31/2024

    Ambition over Friendships with Shivawn, Melissa and Dominicka

    During our podcast episode, Ambition over Friendship Shivawn had the chance to sit down with two strangers Melissa and Dominicka to sort out are we selfishly ambitious leaving our friendships, relationships and community to fend for themselves. Melissa is a pro makeup artist located in the 757 area of Hampton Roads. She’s been in business for ten years as an entrepreneur with some of her work has been worn by top women entrepreneurs who were featured on shows such as Good Morning America and Women Evolve. Dominicka is a self-published Author of her first book entitled “Purposefully Single” a thirty-day devotional for single women to walk in purpose with God. Dominicka can also be found traveling with her camera close by capturing all the moments. During this episode we covered [00:17:13] Ambition and self-celebration, [00:21:37] false comparisons on social media, [00:32:17] selfish ambition and loneliness, [00:36:18] struggle with societal expectations and [00:38:06] pursuing dreams requires persistence. I found that we lingered on the discussion about [00:25:19] friendship. Priorities and where did things fall in our list of hierarchy. Want to support us beyond the podcast? Did you enjoy this episode? Let us know by leaving a rating and review on ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠. It'll take less than a minute. Also, please take a moment to share what you'd like for us to cover next on the show. Request a⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠. Want in on our community with other strangers & experience our popup dinner parties join the ⁠⁠⁠⁠list HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email collaborate@shivawnmitchell.com for brand partnerships and business inquires. Shop our Merch or Send our Producer a cup of coffee to keep her going here Follow our Producer Twitter: https://twitter.com/shivawnadrienne Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seatedwithstrangerspod/

    43 min
  6. You Can't Keep Hiding. It's Time with Shivawn.

    08/20/2024

    You Can't Keep Hiding. It's Time with Shivawn.

    In this episode of Seated with Strangers, host Shivawn opens up the new season coming from behind the camera. To share her personal journey and experiences with Seated with Strangers. Through the podcast, she brings strangers together to have conversations about topics that are often overlooked in daily interactions. By creating a space for open dialogue and vulnerability, it's Shivawn's goal to facilitate connections that go beyond superficiality. What was discussed on the episode? 00:00:32 - Meet Your Host00:06:47 - Avoiding Pedestals and Sabotage00:07:53 - Importance of Healthy Communication00:10:20 - Origin of Seated with Strangers00:16:10 - The Loneliness Epidemic00:21:00 - What to Expect This Season00:22:38 - How to Get Involved Want to support us beyond the podcast? Did you enjoy this episode? Let us know by leaving a rating and review on ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠. It'll take less than a minute. Also, please take a moment to share what you'd like for us to cover next on the show. Request a⁠⁠⁠ podcast episode here⁠⁠⁠. Want in on our community with other strangers & experience our popup dinner parties join the ⁠⁠⁠list HERE⁠⁠⁠. Email collaborate@shivawnmitchell.com for brand partnerships and business inquires. Send our Producer a cup of coffee to keep her going here Follow our Producer Twitter: https://twitter.com/shivawnadrienne Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seatedwithstrangerspod/

    25 min
5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

What happens when you put three strangers together to discuss social norms, culture and more? Tune in as we invite our guest to navigate these conversations as we offer you music and food to pair with after the show.