The riches are in the niches

It's easy to strike up a conversation with people who share your interests

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
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

(00:24):
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

(00:45):
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

(01:05):
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,

(01:31):
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.

(01:57):
A librarian might have information on community resources. The guy
at your running store can point you to running clubs.
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

(02:17):
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

(02:39):
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

(03:04):
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.

(03:34):
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

(03:56):
favorite shows. Thank you.