The riches are in the niches

0:03Speaker 1:Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's tip is that the riches are in the niches. If you want to connect with more people, you can start by finding those who share your very specific interests. Because having that little thing in common will be a great starting point for deeper friendships. Today's tip was inspired by friendship coach Alexandra Friedman, who was recently featured in an interview with CNBC. She advised that if you want to meet new people and make new friends, go specific. Find people who share your same offbeat interests or who are into something you've been curious about and would like to learn more about. These gatherings are often easier to come into as a new person because you know you will have something in common with the people there. That makes it easier to strike up a conversation. Friedman herself is into something called ecstatic dancing. So she said she goes to ecstatic dance meetups, camps, and teacher trainings. Those places are ripe for making friends. Maybe you are into Labrador retrievers. scrapbooking,

1:31Speaker 1:rock climbing, genealogy, roller skating, weaving, pickleball, or indie films. Use the internet to search for meetups, events, or classes that will attract people with your specific interest. If this isn't fruitful, ask friends for help. Post on social media. Someone knows something. You can ask for professional assistance, too. A librarian might have information on community resources. The guy at your running store can point you to running clubs.

2:05Speaker 1:Identify a few events that seem appealing and then show up. If you truly can't find anything, then maybe you could aim to start something. You can advertise wherever like-minded people would gather. For instance, if you want to be part of a quilting bee, you can start one by advertising it at a local fabric or craft store. Once you are somewhere with people who share your interest, you'll have a ready-made topic of conversation. With anyone at the gathering, a great first question is, how did you get into Labrador Retrievers or scrapbooking or indie films or whatever the topic of the event is? It's wonderful to have friends who like totally different things. That is how we broaden our worlds. But I think Friedman's idea is wise if you want to be systematic about building social connection. the riches are in the niches. Gather with people who you know share a focused interest with you, and friendships may be especially likely to ensue. Or at least, you won't struggle to know what to talk about. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening. And here's to making the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.

3:34Speaker 1:If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at laura at lauravandercam.com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Thank you.