After 31 years on the East Coast, Lisa Giordano decided (less than a year ago) to make a big move to Austin, Texas, with zero local contacts and a personal challenge to build a community and social life from scratch. In this upbeat conversation, Lisa tells us what really works (and what does not) when you’re starting over single in a brand-new city— or simply trying to make new friends right where you've lived for years. WHAT WE COVER: Admitting you want friends: Why naming the need out loud is ...
Jul 14, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Ever feel that low-level hum of annoyance when a friend casually drops your (good or bad) personal news into the conversation? I have my fantastic "Dear Nina" assistant producer, Rebekah Jacobs, with me this week to crack open a listener's anonymous letter about DISCRETION. Discretion is that gray zone between gossip and harmless chatter. Rebekah and I discuss how much we can expect friends to know intuitively what stays private and what's OK to share. We're not talking about friends who gossip ...
Jul 07, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Ready to see where your friendships stand halfway through 2025? In this solo episode, I (very quickly!) round up the first six monthly challenges. Then I hand you three laser-focused questions to help you reflect, assess, tweak, and strengthen your connections for the rest of the year. Answer the 3 Questions This Week! Block 15 minutes. Jot down honest answers. And bullet points count! LINKS & RESOURCES Join the Dear Nina Facebook Community to discuss wins and struggles from all the monthly ...
Jul 01, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 153
Facing Unfinished Friendship Business When Your Child Hits Social Snags Your child’s social life can stir up every unresolved playground scar you’re still carrying. Licensed clinical social worker and EMDR therapist Beth Segaloff joins "Dear Nina" to talk about separating our past (and present) friendship baggage from our kids’ current experiences. We discuss how kids' realities are so different today and why that small pause before jumping in to “fix” everything is parenting gold. HIGHLIGHTS: W...
Jun 24, 2025•30 min•Season 1Ep. 152
What does it mean to have a close friendship in adulthood? How important is history in a friendship? What does (realistic) quality time with a friend look like when you're no longer in school? Therapist and podcast host, Jazzmyn Proctor, joins me to bust some of the most common myths she sees in her work with clients. This conversation offers a grounded, kind, and honest look at how we can rethink what adult friendship should look like. WE DISCUSS: Why depth doesn’t equal frequency —and what act...
Jun 17, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 151
In this milestone 150th episode of Dear Nina , we’re diving deep into friendship and community with siblings and co-directors Rebecca Davis and Pete Davis, the team behind the Netflix documentary Join or Die: A film about why you should join a club and why the fate of America depends on it. Inspired by the groundbreaking work of political scientist Robert Putnam ( Bowling Alone ), Join or Die explores the powerful link between social connection, the health of our democracy, and our mental and ph...
Jun 10, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 150
Welcome to the Dear Nina Friendship Challenge for June : Ask a friend for a favor. Why? Asking a friend for a favor demonstrates trust and intimacy. It helps your friend feel closer to you merely because you asked, and this will strengthen the friendship. Unfortunately, people really struggle asking for help, even for the smallest of favors. This month I want you to practice this important skill! I also ask you to consider if you struggle asking friends for help because you're afraid people will...
Jun 01, 2025•12 min•Season 1Ep. 149
I sat down with fifth-generation etiquette expert Daniel Post Senning of The Emily Post Institute to explore how classic (and modern!) manners can strengthen and even rescue our adult friendships. We discussed using etiquette for group chat issues, RSVP blunders, office friendship confusion, misuse of AI, bringing up kids' cringe posts, cocktail party escapes, staying friends when your kids' friendship falters, and friendship breakups. You don't want to miss this one! LINKS & RESOURCES Emily...
May 26, 2025•45 min•Season 1Ep. 148
In this short solo episode, I consider why some people hesitate to tell friends about positive events like a promotion, a published piece, or a personal milestone or achievement. Likely due to cultural conditioning, we worry it will come off as bragging. I think it's a missed opportunity to feel closer to friends when all good news is kept under wraps. Not sharing can also have a cost. When friends learn about our news secondhand, it can create distance and misunderstandings. Vulnerability is a ...
May 20, 2025•8 min•Season 1Ep. 147
If you’ve ever reread a text 10 times, filled in every silence with worst-case scenarios, or found yourself leaving too many hangouts with friends regretting what you said, this conversation is for you. Psychologist Dr. Jackie Henry and I discuss tools to stop overthinking your every friendship move and learn to tolerate uncertainty in your relationships. We rarely know what someone else is thinking, and we need to stop assuming we do. Wouldn't it be refreshing to just be in your friendships and...
May 13, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 146
Meghan Keane, author of Party of One: Be Your Own Best Life Partner , says one of the top complaints single people have about their married friends is that they feel like a problem to be solved. Another is that their dating lives are the sole focus of a married friend’s attention. Meghan joins me to unpack “singlism,” the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways society sidelines single adults. We discuss concrete steps couples can use to include their single friends, the reality of friendship after life...
May 06, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 145
Whether you’re hoping to upgrade a casual acquaintance, breathe life into a longstanding friendship, or accommodate a friend whose season of life recently shifted, a venue swap can work magic without big declarations or heavy planning. Welcome to the Dear Nina Friendship Challenge for May : Pick a newer friend or an old friend you'd like to feel closer to and initiate a change in where (or how) you hang out. Do you normally text, but never talk on the phone? Try a call! Do you walk once in awhil...
May 01, 2025•13 min•Season 1Ep. 144
In this powerful episode of Dear Nina , I am joined by bestselling author Harlan Cohen to explore the truth about rejection, risk, and the myths we carry into adulthood about what friendship “should” look like. We dive into the Law of Rejection —a concept that can radically shift how you approach your relationships. Whether you're 18 or 88, accepting that we cannot control how others respond to our desire for friendship will serve you well. Friendship requires some risks, and knowing that reject...
Apr 21, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 143
What happens to our friendships when our phones are always within reach for us to "quickly check something" or "quickly answer a text?" It’s time to be honest about how available we are to everyone else while spending time with friends and how these distractions are harming our friendships. (I include myself in "we!") Is anyone else experiencing smart phone fatigue? I spoke with author, Katherine Martinko , whose book Childhood Unplugged and Substack newsletter, The Analog Family , focuses on ho...
Apr 15, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 142
It's a very special episode of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship dedicated to the much-discussed and debated friendship triangle in White Lotus Season 3 created by Mike White. The friendship trio of Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie has captivated TV viewers for the last two months. Similarly, Rebekah Jacobs (Dear Nina's assistant producer) and I have been texting and talking between episodes. Now that the season finale has aired, we shared all the lessons we think Jaclyn, Kate, and Laurie impart...
Apr 08, 2025•40 min•Season 1Ep. 141
The Dear Nina Friendship Challenge for April is about the sometimes tricky topic of friends' birthdays. The challenge itself is simple and the easiest so far in 2025. I'm encouraging listeners to actively seek out friends' birthdays so you don't have to rely on social media to know the date. Of course the next step is to acknowledge friends on their birthdays, again not only relying solely social media. The rest of the episode explores the emotional complexities surrounding birthdays, comparing ...
Apr 04, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Welcome to Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. I'm your host, Nina Badzin. I've been writing about friendship for over 10 years and podcasting about it for almost four. This episode on how to start a podcast might not be for you. So, send it to your friend who has been thinking about starting a podcast! I break down the process, explaining each aspect from concept, podcast art, music, format, equipment, recording, editing, hosting your episodes, marketing, realistic expectations for your ...
Mar 31, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 139
Your neighborhood community might be the most overlooked place for social connection. However, it’s essential to understand the difference between community relationships and friendships. They are not the same! I’m joined by Seth D. Kaplan , author of FRAGILE NEIGHBORHOODS: Repairing American Society One Zip Code at a Time , to discuss the importance of social health in fostering community connections. We delve into the impact of technology, the decline of neighborhood schools, and policies that...
Mar 24, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 138
Many of us enjoy walking with friends for the mental and physical benefits (or could consider starting with the Dear Nina 2025 friendship challenge ). However, the power of walking with friends is EXTRA inspiring in today’s episode. Leslie Hooton had to learn to walk multiple times throughout her life because of a stroke she had when she was born and numerous surgeries she's endured since. Leslie shares how neighborhood friends each took an assigned day when her beloved gym closed so that Leslie...
Mar 17, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 137
What if you have lots of friends, but nobody feels like your special confidante or the person who would have your back no matter what? The newest letter spotlight episode comes from a listener who signed off as "Too Many Fish in the Sea." She feels lucky to have cultivated a wide community and plenty of friends, but she doesn't feel like she has super close friends. Joining me to answer the letter is my assistant producer , Rebekah Jacobs. Rebekah has been working with me for a while, but I want...
Mar 10, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 136
There are local friends and there are “HYPERLOCAL” friends. This month in the Dear Nina community, we’re focusing on hyperlocal friendships—developing new ones and maintaining the ones you already have in your life. I introduce the March friendship challenge in this episode, which of course you can start any day of ANY MONTH. The challenge this month focuses on hyperlocal friendships, emphasizing the significance of proximity in building connections. I share some personal anecdotes and practical...
Mar 03, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 135
MAKING FRIENDS IN A FANDOM COMMUNITY Fandom, especially very enthusiastic fandom, can provide community, belonging, and friendship. In episode #134 of Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship, I'm joined by Vanderbilt professor, lawyer, author, and joy enthusiast, SC Perot , who shares her story of rediscovering joy after a devastating divorce, highlighting how her newfound interest in Harry Styles and the community surrounding his concerts provided a much-needed escape and a way to connect wit...
Feb 24, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Talking to Friends About Sex at Any Age It's not uncommon to discuss our sex lives with friends during the adolescent and college years. But as we age, it becomes less comfortable. Trust and privacy (of our partner) can be significant barriers to discussing intimate details as well as a fear that friends will judge our issues, desires, and choices. Dr. Arielle Buch-Frohlich , a clinical psychologist specializing in sex and couples therapy, joins me to remind listeners how discussing sex with fri...
Feb 17, 2025•26 min•Season 1Ep. 133
While friendship is an essential type of connection at every age and the one area of personal growth I discuss most often on Dear Nina , today’s guest, psychologist Dr. Adam Dorsay , expands the conversation to the four types of connections we need to lead fulfilling lives. Those four areas are: connection to ourselves, to others, to the world, and to something greater. Dr. Adam, author of Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the 4 Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love , shares the FEED ...
Feb 10, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 132
It's time for the next Dear Nina Friendship Monthly Challenge! The January challenge was to see a friend in person, which meant reaching out to make a plan. The February challenge is to start a ritual/tradition with friends to strengthen new relationships or maintain existing ones. For accountability, report back in the Dear Nina Facebook Group , on Substack , or via email when you've made the plan. It's okay if the plan doesn't happen in February. Just get the planning going! To quote (myself!)...
Feb 03, 2025•34 min•Season 1Ep. 131
Do you know someone who has adopted a "sober curious" lifestyle? Perhaps it's a pivot you've been considering for yourself? The term is usually credited to Ruby Warrington, author of Sober Curious: The Blissful Sleep, Greater Focus, Limitless Presence, and Deep Connection Awaiting Us All on the Other Side of Alcohol . “Sober curious” means you're curious about how much you're drinking and how your health, relationships, and work and more might change without alcohol, even if you don't have an ad...
Jan 28, 2025•28 min•Season 1Ep. 130
It's the middle of January 2025. Right now you might have friends in Southern California who have evacuated from their homes. You might know someone whose house, entire neighborhood, community, and school are gone. And there's often a time in life when you know someone in a health, personal, or other kind of crisis, even if it's not a situation as drastic as this one where it's so many friends, acquaintances, and fellow citizens at once. It can be tempting to say nothing for fear of saying the w...
Jan 16, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 129
You've had a tremendous loss in your personal life and your friends don't know what to say or do: Do you tell them what you need, or do you assume they should know? Here's the more important question---Do any of us know what to say and do in every situation? Probably not. And the truth is, not everybody wants the same thing when they're grieving or struggling. What worked for one friend might not work for another. What's helpful to you, might not work for your friend. This episode is a particula...
Jan 09, 2025•35 min•Season 1Ep. 128
It's the monthly friendship challenge! And it doesn't matter which month you begin. Every social wellness challenge in 2025 WILL improve your friendships because it puts you in charge of your social life. The January 2025 challenge is to see a friend in person this month. Go for a walk, meet for a meal, see Wicked. It doesn't matter what you do as long as it gets you OFF the text thread and out of the social media "like" and "heart" habit as a replacement for true connection. We need to see our ...
Jan 02, 2025•11 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Welcome to the top episode on Dear Nina in 2024—the 14-day friendship cleanse, brainchild Anna Goldfarb whose book, Modern Friendship: How to Nurture Our Most Valued Connections , is a must read for anyone looking to improve their friendships. Don't feel put off by the word, "cleanse." This discussion is about reconsidering how you're approaching friendships and how you're treating your closest friends. (And that particular list shouldn't be too long.) By the end of this episode, you will have a...
Dec 26, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 126
