Friendship Matters

About Friendship Matters

Join your hosts the Coach (Donna Brighton), the Doctor (Russell Greenfield, M.D.) and the CEO (Lisa Grimes) where we explore the science, skills, and stories behind thriving relationships at work and beyond. Brought to you by The Friendship Institute. Our mission is to help people improve / enrich existing friendships and create / build rich new ones.

Publisher

Donna Brighton, Russell Greenfield, MD, and Lisa Grimes

Category

business · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

8 May 2025

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

55 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Deborah Grayson Riegel on Who Helps You Bounce Back?

   When something you hoped for falls apart, what helps you try again? SEASON 6: Friendship Authors. Episode 7 Failure can feel like evidence that we are not capable enough, especially when we turn one disappointing outcome into a story about who we are. In this episode of Friendship Matters, Donna and Lisa talk with Deborah Grayson Riegel, author of Aim High and Bounce Back, about changing our relationship with failure. Deb explains why resilience includes making room for disappointment, learning from what happened, and letting other people support us along the way. In this conversation, you'll hear: Why failure can feel personal, and how to treat it as information instead of identity. How small experiments can help you build the courage to try again. Why rushing past grief can make it harder to move forward. Deb's three steps for bouncing back: ground, gather, and go. How to ask for help clearly and offer a friend the kind of support they actually need. Why listen? If you are carrying a disappointment, avoiding a risk, or wondering how to help someone through a hard season, this conversation offers a more humane way forward. You do not need to have your feelings sorted out before you reach for a friend. And you do not have to find your next step alone. Friendship Matters Guest Deborah Grayson Riegel is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and consultant who has taught leadership communication for Wharton Business School, Duke's Fuqua Business School, Columbia Business School's Women in Leadership Program, and the Beijing International MBA Program at Peking University. She writes on leadership communication and presentation skills for Harvard Business Review, Inc., Psychology Today, Forbes, and Fast Company, and has been featured in Bloomberg Businessweek, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Deborah's clients range from Amazon, Blackrock, and Google to J&J, NASA, and The United States Army. She is the author of "Aim High and Bounce Back: A Successful Woman's Guide to Rethinking and Rising Up from Failure", Go to Help: 31 Strategies to Offer, Ask for, and Accept Help" and "Overcoming Overthinking: 36 Ways to Tame Anxiety for Work, School, and Life". You can find her online at www.deborahgraysonriegel.com ©Friendship Institute 2026 The Friendship Matters™ podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the guidance provided by medical professionals directly involved in your care. Do not use information shared on the podcast for the diagnosis or treatment of any type of health problem. Because we care about your wellbeing, please raise any health concerns immediately with your personal medical providers.

2. 

   21 Sept 2026

   Technology That Brings Us Back Together with Pete O'Dell

   What if the technology blamed for making us lonelier could help us build real friendships again? SEASON 6: Friendship Authors. Episode 6 Loneliness and social isolation affect millions of people, yet simply understanding the problem has not brought us closer together. In this episode of Friendship Matters, Donna Brighton and Dr. Russ Skinner talk with serial entrepreneur and Dying for Friendship and Community coauthor Pete Odell about using technology as a catalyst for real human connection. Pete challenges the idea that digital companions can replace human relationships and shares a more hopeful possibility: technology that helps people discover shared interests, gather in person, reconnect with old friends, and form relationships that extend beyond a screen. In this episode, you will hear: Why loneliness is not only a personal struggle, but also a serious public health and economic issue How convenience, social media, and changing social habits have weakened our ability to meet people and build friendships Why AI should serve as your wingman, not become a substitute for a real friend How shared interests can make it easier to move from strangers to acquaintances and eventually to friends Why reconnecting with an old friend may be just as valuable as trying to make a new one How the Friendship Event Kit helps people connect before reunions, workplace gatherings, neighborhood events, conferences, and other group experiences How organizations can strengthen employee relationships, belonging, retention, and collaboration by helping people discover what they share beyond work Why privacy matters when technology is used to support personal relationships What individuals, employers, communities, and government can do to help rebuild our social muscles Why listen to this episode? Many conversations about loneliness explain the problem without offering a practical way forward. This episode offers both hope and action. It will help you think differently about technology, networking, and the small choices that allow friendship to grow. Whether you want to create a more meaningful gathering, strengthen relationships at work, reconnect with someone from your past, or make it easier to meet new people, you will leave with practical ideas for turning connection from a good intention into something you actually do. Friendship Matters Guest Pete O'Dell is the Chief Executive Officer of www.Perdata.ai (http://www.Perdata.ai), a startup addressing the worldwide loneliness epidemic by helping people meet other people in real life based on shared interests and passions.  He serves as a Director of Swan Island Networks, a global open-source intelligence provider he helped found after 9/11.  He has four years of military service in the United States Army and has a BA and MBA in Business. He's a fanatical global fly fisherman, bourbon lover and a poor golfer.  His new book co-authored with his co-founder Johan Wikman is Dying for Friendship and Community: Two old friends attack loneliness. https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterlodell/ https://www.friendshipevent.com Pete@perdata.ai Book: Dying for Friendship and Community: Two old friends attack lonelinesss Kit: www.friendshipevent.com - full digital kit for events up to 100 participants ©Friendship Institute 2026 The Friendship Matters™ podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the guidance provided by medical professionals directly involved in your care. Do not use information shared on the podcast for the diagnosis or treatment of any type of health problem. Because we care about your wellbeing, please raise any health concerns immediately with your personal medical providers.

3. 

   7 Sept 2026

   Adam Christing on What Laughter Reveals About Your Friendships

   What if the way to feel closer to someone is to laugh with them? SEASON 6: Friendship Authors. Episode 5 In this episode of Friendship Matters, Lisa talks with comedian and author Adam Christing about the role humor plays in friendship. Adam shares why a shared laugh can build trust, make it easier to be ourselves, and help someone feel seen. You do not have to be a comedian to create those moments. Adam believes each of us has a "laugh language," a natural way of bringing joy to others. In this conversation, you'll hear about: Why laughing with someone strengthens connection, while laughing at them can cause harm. How inside jokes become a language shared between friends. Why listening matters as much as timing when you use humor. How laughing at your own mistakes can give others permission to be themselves. How to recognize your own laugh language and notice what delights the people you care about. Why leaders can use humor to invite participation and help people feel at ease. Why listen? This episode offers a fresh way to think about friendship. Humor is more than a reaction to something funny. Used with care, it can be an invitation: I see you. I enjoy being with you. You can be yourself here. Adam offers simple ways to bring more of that feeling into everyday conversations. Friendship Matters Guest Adam Christing brings people together with humor and heart! He is a laughter expert, popular keynote speaker, and award-winning event emcee. Adam has delighted more than two million people across 49 of the 50 U.S. states and internationally. He serves as President of CleanComedians.com and is a member of Hollywood's world-famous Magic Castle. Featured on Harvard Business Review's IdeaCast and over 100 top podcasts and TV programs, Adam inspires leaders to empower their teams with positive humor and authenticity. Adam's new book is The Laughter Factor: The 5 Humor Tactics to Lift, Link, and Lead (Penguin Random House). Where to find Adam Adam Christing | Inspiring Speaker & Event Emcee (https://adamchristing.com/) LinkedIn DON'T MISS... The Laughter Factor Book – Written by Adam Christing (https://thelaughterfactor.com/) ©Friendship Institute 2026 The Friendship Matters™ podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the guidance provided by medical professionals directly involved in your care. Do not use information shared on the podcast for the diagnosis or treatment of any type of health problem. Because we care about your wellbeing, please raise any health concerns immediately with your personal medical providers.

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Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

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Guest appearances

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