Oh, hey! Start Here.
#1 Request I get is a community space. So, join the chat. Say Hello. Post a thread. This is meant to be your space as much as it is mine.
Hi! I’m Alex Alexander, host of the Friendship IRL Podcast and author of Are We Friends Yet? (releasing in 2025). I never intended to do this work (talking all things community, connection and friendship), but it found me anyway. You see, I grew up in a pretty terrible family-of-origin situation, so my options were either to go it alone or get creative in building the connections I needed. Instinctually, I built a family out of friends. People started asking me to share how I was able to build such close friendships and a far-reaching community - and now here we are.
1. Welcome + What To Expect Here
Hey friends!
Welcome to The Less Lonely Club! This is a space for people who are done waiting for connection to magically happen. You are ready to start taking intentional action to build the friendships, community, connections, and village you desire… but HOW? That’s what we talk about here - HOW are we building what we need?
How this Space Can Help
1. Community Space!
Finally, a space where it’s not just me talking! The number one request I have from Friendship IRL listeners is a community space. So, join the chat. Say Hello. Post a thread. Respond to someone’s message. This is meant to be your space as much as it is mine. No question is silly, too big, or too small.
2. Weekly Wins/Ughs (Every Tuesday)
Every other week, we’ll alternate between community wins and “ugh” moments - because connection isn’t just about the highlight reel. We need to talk about the full range of feelings that come up in our friendships, communities, and connections. Sometimes messy, sometimes beautiful, always real.
And here’s what’s exciting - I know many of you are used to listening to me every week, so I’m including an audio version! You can choose how you want to tune in! Prefer reading? The entire article will land right here in your Substack. Rather listen? I’ll include the audio version right in the post. Listen while running errands one week, read the next while sitting in a waiting room.
Want to be featured in The Less Lonely Club? Send me your wins or ughs however you want! No fancy submission form needed. Comment here, DM me, email me, send a voice memo - whatever works for you. Your stories are what make this community special.
3. Weekly “Let’s Get Into It” Chat (Every Friday)
I’ll post a conversation topic so we can “get into it” and by that I mean: crowdsource ideas and share stories. Some example topics: Favorite low-cost ways to hang out with friends? Holiday traditions with friends? Do you have a best friend (and do you want one, if you don’t)? Are you talking money with friends? (and how is that going?)
Overall, my entire goal of this space is CONVERSATION. I know it can be lonely out there to be going against the status quo and really trying to build those deep, supportive, show up for you IRL friendships, so this is your space to talk about the ups, the downs, and the brilliant ideas so that we can all learn from each other.
2. Do These 3 Things First
✅ Say Hi in the Chat– Introduce yourself. Share a friendship story, a friendship struggle, or add to a question someone else has shared. Check in on this week’s “Let’s Get Into It: Topic and give your thoughts.
✅ Check Out This Week’s Win/Ugh! These are real stories from TLLC community members about their friendship wins and struggles. I post this column every week. You can find the entire archive here.
✅ Hit Play on a Podcast Episode- 145+ episodes of the Friendship IRL Podcast are ready for you to binge! Where to start? Pick your own adventure: The most foundational episodes OR the most popular episodes. Can’t go wrong either way.
3. What You’ll Get Here
Subscribers:
Weekly wins + ughs from real people (with my commentary)
Community Chat! Crowdsource ideas from other people who are also prioritizing connection in their life in our weekly “Let’s Get Into It” conversation thread.
Friendship IRL Podcast Round-Ups - So you can find exactly what you need deep in the archives
Future Plans for Paid Subscribers:
Virtual Book Club for 'Are We Friends Yet?' after its release.
Deeper dives in Ask Alex and upcoming live chats
4. Best Posts to Start With
Itching to get started, but only see a few posts? HOLD UP. There is so much content for you to binge! In fact, while I’m building out more Substack content, you have 145+ podcast episodes waiting for you! (Probably more by the time you are reading this.) But that is a lot of episodes to sift through (hence the themed round-ups), but for now start with these episodes:
4 Foundational Friendship IRL Episodes
1. What is a Friend? And the 4 Types of Friends We All Have [Episode 3]
2. Digging Into the 3 Types of Friendship Roots [Episode 12]
3. Celebrating 100 Episodes – Plus, an Extensive Look at the Wheel of Connection [Episode 100]
4. You Say You Want a Village … But Do You? [Episode 110]
Prefer to start with the most popular episodes?
5. What’s Next?
Subscribe (if you haven’t already). Jump into the chat. Hit play on an episode of Friendship IRL. Keep an eye on your email and in this space for new weekly wins/ugh.