Noel and Brandon talk about money, friendship, and why splitting the check can somehow reveal everything you need to know about a person. They get into income differences between friends, choosing plans everybody can actually afford, lending money without turning into a debt collector, keeping up appearances, and the pressure to spend just to stay included. Plus, why money gets so awkward when nobody wants to talk about it, when it’s better to be upfront about what you can afford, and the simple rule that you should never lend a friend money you can’t afford to lose.
14 Sept 2026
Frenemies with Mareya
Noel and Maria talk about frenemies, what happens when a real friendship starts to turn competitive, and how to tell when somebody might not actually be rooting for you. They also get into matching energy, putting a friend on a PIP, backhanded compliments, keeping certain parts of your life private, and when it’s better to just create some distance. Plus, friends who keep score, people who are nice one-on-one but embarrass you in a group, and why sometimes you just want your friend to say “congratulations” before explaining everything that could go wrong.
1 Sept 2026
Creative Friends with Olivia
Noel and Olivia talk about growing up as creative kids and turning solitary hobbies into actual careers. They also get into jealousy between artists, unsolicited feedback, sharing work before it feels finished, and whether you should support a friend whose work you privately think is bad. Plus, how to collaborate without fighting over credit, how to stop treating your friends like competition, and the radical idea that maybe being successful and being good are not always the same thing.
29 Aug 2026
Gay Friends with Robert - Good Friend Show with Noel #13
Noel and Robert talk coming out, family acceptance, internalized homophobia, gay men being just a little too competitive, and why so many queer friendships start on dating apps.
They also get into whether you should sleep with your friends, when banter crosses the line into being mean, hooking up within the friend group, keeping different social circles separate, and how to make friends in a new city without losing your mind. Plus, Robert shares the millennial parties he throws for New York’s elder gays who would like to be home at a reasonable hour.
29 Aug 2026
Friend Groups with Brandon - Good Friend Show with Noel #12
Noel and Brandon talk about how friend groups actually form, why airport pickups are the true test of friendship, and how being friends with the group is not always the same as being friends with everyone in it.
They also get into secret group chats, staying neutral when two friends fall out, what to do about the one person everyone is always complaining about, and why bringing your partner into the friend group can become a logistical nightmare. Is having absolutely no friends of your own a red flag?
20 Jul 2026
Choosing Friends with Olivia
Good Friend Show with Noel returns for a new season, The Company You Keep, with Noel and his friend Olivia discussing how friendships form, what our social circles say about us, the value of third spaces, museums, co-working clubs, and whether we choose our friends intentionally or simply keep showing up in the same places. They also help listeners including a man replaced as best man before a wedding, someone jealous of their best friend’s new girlfriend, a friend who gave a brutally honest job reference, and a couple debating whether to exclude someone from a group outing.
16 Apr 2025
Friends and Family w/ Gavon
Gavon inspired Noel to start this podcast — but what happens when the friend who pushed you to speak finally joins the conversation? In the season finale, Noel and Gavon reflect on the times friendship stepped up when family fell short. As two gay men, they share how they’ve navigated complicated relationships with their families, and the unexpected ways friends have offered love, safety, and understanding. They also talk about softening expectations of the families we’re born into, and how chosen family can sometimes meet us where blood cannot.
9 Apr 2025
New Girls in the City w/ Derrick and Olivia
Derrick and Olivia are back, and we’re talking about life in the Big Apple! In this episode, Noel, Derrick, and Olivia reflect on their moves to New York City and how the city changes your approach to friendship. They talk about the hustle of trying to “make it,” the shifting expectations around connection in a place that never stops moving, and how finding your people can make all the difference. From Tinder dates to solo concert adventures, it’s all about learning how to belong in a city that’s always becoming.
2 Apr 2025
Long Lost Friend w/ Mareya
Mareya's back on the show to chat with Noel about "The Lost Years" AKA the 7-year period when they weren't in touch after graduating from high school. In this episode, they reflect on their time apart. They break down the process of finding their way back to each other, the slow rebuilding of presence in each other's lives, and how rekindling their bond also helped them reconnect with their younger selves. They also share tips on reaching out to old friends, using social media to bridge the gap, and embracing the vulnerability that comes with trying to pick up where you left off.
26 Mar 2025
Party Friends w/ Ty
Noel and Ty met through mutual friends but can party friends become real friends? In this episode, they break down the dynamics of nightlife friendships: Are they just for the moment, or can they grow into something deeper? They also talk about Ty’s event series, Ty’s Third Thursdays (or 3T), and how working on it together helped strengthen their bond. Finally, they explore the value of creatively collaborative friendships and ask the big question: Is the party ever really over, or does our definition of fun just change over time?
19 Mar 2025
Hey Neighbor! w/ Olivia
Noel and Olivia just so happened to move into the same building – but how did these two friendly neighbors become true friends? In this episode, they reflect on their early relationships with neighbors as kids, shaped by where their parents chose to live. They then break down the evolution of their own friendship, from proximity to familiarity to the intentional choice to be friends. Finally, they put a digital spin on the idea of neighborhood, exploring how social media can function as a “digital neighborhood,” offering the chance to build familiarity before deciding to make a real connection.
12 Mar 2025
Friendship 101 w/ Miranda
Noel reunites with his college friend Miranda to talk about the unique experience of making friends in university — where proximity makes connections easy, but not always deep. They reflect on how maintaining friendships after graduation requires more intentionality and how they’ve navigated staying in touch while leading busy, separate lives. They also explore the importance of honoring each other’s different paths post-college. Finally, Miranda shares her experience making friends in grad school, and what it means to build connections with people whose lives and perspectives — especially around education — differ vastly from her own.
5 Mar 2025
The Gays Need Friends w/ Brandon
Noel is joined by his friend and mentor, Brandon, to talk about the vital role friendships play in the lives of gay men. They reflect on how Brandon helped Noel envision the kind of life he could have after college, much like the mentor who once guided Brandon into queer community. Together, they explore the importance of found family, the ways friendships become a form of survival, and the challenges of meeting new friends while navigating ego, judgment, and societal hangups around masculinity and queerness. To wrap up, they share the biggest lessons they’ve learned from other gay men.
26 Feb 2025
Work, Bestie! w/ Keith
Noel sits down with his friend Keith to talk about the unique dynamics of workplace friendships. They dive into the pros and cons of bonding with coworkers — the support, the camaraderie, and the challenge of staying true to yourself in environments that often demand a curated professional persona. They also unpack the ways workplace culture can make friendships feel competitive, even when they’re built on genuine connection. Finally, they explore what happens when the job ends — how to stay in touch, when to let go, and why these bonds matter, whether they last or not.
20 Feb 2025
From Bad Friend to New Friend w/ Derrick
In this episode of Noel’s Good Friend Show, Derrick joins Noel to talk about friendships that take a turn for the worse. They share how they met — after Noel took a leap of faith sharing a vulnerable moment, which Derrick met with his own openness. Together, they explore what happens when good friendships go bad, how to navigate the fallout, and whether to reconcile or let go.
13 Feb 2025
What's a Good Friend? w/ Mareya
In the premiere episode of Noel’s Good Friend Show, Noel and Mareya kick things off by reflecting on how they met and their experiences making friends as kids. They dive into the foundations of good friendship—what makes a good friend, what gets in the way, and why friendships matter now more than ever. Wrapping up, they share their hopes for the future of the show and the conversations to come.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
7,345
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
58
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
32
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Guest appearances
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