stranger turned friend 💌

Hi friends! Lots of life has passed, and I hope you're doing well. This episode may seem like a conversation about art and creativity, but it's really an experiential and spiritual jazz session with Day To Have a Day creator, Adam Ripley. Each of his silly little comic perfectly captures a shred of the human condition and you can't help but go into a deep reflection after coming across...

Hi friends!! I know we're already at the end of January... but happy 2025 :) Thanks Nate for being my first stranger-turned-friend of the year 😌 Even though we recorded this during Thanksgiving last year, the message is perfect to welcome the year ahead. Listening to this conversation was like drinking a warm cup of tea. I hope you enjoy it too 🎙️ Here's 5 LOVELY things we talked about:...

Hi friends! Here's an end of year episode for ya'll :) Stranger-turned-friend, Madison, joins us on the pod today. We chat about her ADHD diagnosis and journey towards sobriety, becoming more self-aware and stepping away from toxic friendships, and doing things for their own sake. My favorite thing about her is how open she is in following what lights her up. She loves learning about skincare, wri...

Hi friends! My next stranger-turned-friend, Elias, is a quiet and introspective lover of music. We talk about Elias' experiences as a music student in Finland (he's a drummer boy!) and how My Chemical Romance helped him accept himself as he came to terms with his gender identity and struggles of body dysmorphia. We also explore how becoming more aware of our reactions helps us to be kinder people,...

Hi friends, I got new mics! I've always wanted to record conversations on walks and park benches in public, so I picked up two wireless mics. Anyway, this is the first conversation I've recorded with my favorite person, Paola, and it's also her birthday today!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY I LOVE YOU ♥️ We always have the best chats, especially on our random long walks around the city so I figured...

Howdy stranger-turned-friends 🤠 This was a fun episode to record. Please welcome Ken, a sea sailor who lives by his own rules. How rare is that? Ken went on a solo trip to a small town in Finland when he was 18 and loved it so much, he promised himself he would move here. And he did. He zigged when everyone else zagged and took a path less travelled - a life that led him out to sea. We talk all a...

Hi friends, In the 2nd episode of ANALOG, I have the wonderfully self-aware and curious stranger-turned-friend, AccidentalCISO, on the pod. He is a former Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who burned out after working in a toxic tech career for years. Itching to build a slower life for himself and his family, AccidentalCISO finally started his own consulting firm and now works from an RV,...

Hi friends! I'm starting a fun little set of episodes called ANALOG. I've recently been getting into the slow life and have been intentionally seeking out likeminded peers who want to have a chat about it :) Here's the first one with the very lovely Ben Quam. We talk all about: 🌞 Analog activities - music, listening to records 🌞 Ben's past as a DJ and how he learned to be in tune...

Hi friends! I'm excited to share this conversation with stranger-turned-friend, Kevin, with ya'll 😌 I admired Kevin's immense curiosity and gratitude for life. I remembered leaving the chat feeling so inspired to go on adventures and pay more attention to the world around me 🤓 In this conversation you'll enjoy 3 BIG things: - How to love learning: Kevin's motorbike accident r...

Hellooooo friends :) I had the lovely pleasure of chatting with Adam, who tuned in from the comfort of his front yard as he slow cooked some pulled pork for Super Bowl Sunday. If only you could see the look on his face - sun shining on him, birds chirping in the background - it was pure bliss and peace. Our conversation was honest and heartfelt as Adam shared his life story about being homeless an...

Hi friends, One day in July 2023, I stumbled on a reddit post of someone pouring their soul out, talking about how they transformed their life through small, incremental changes. They started from rock bottom - trauma, nihilistic depression, the whole nine - and was at a point where they had to find a way to... live. I was so compelled to know their story that I messaged them. And that kids, is ho...

Hi pals! Excited to share this personal conversation with stranger-turned-friend, Ross :)   We talked all about: *Ross' (slightly turbulent??) relationship with God growing up as a Catholic *His experience with rejecting everything - God, religion + trying to uncover what he actually believes in? *How to stay rooted in reality and centre yourself *Our approach to life *Ross' parenting advi...

wowie, can't believe it's been 2 months. I hope all 4 of you have been doing dandy :) here's a lovely conversation with stranger-turned-friend, Darren! we talk about things that bring us joy and make us feel alive in this one. enjoy!! Till next time,  Gladys 💌 Come say hi (I answer everything!) : Instagram - @strangerturnedfriend Email - strangerturnedfriend@gmail.com Twitter - @stran...

Hi friends :) I hope you're having a lovely, lovely sunday. In this episode, stranger-turned friend, Kale joins me from Melbourne as we reminisce and marvel at his: - Reoccurring sci-fi dream - Childhood skateboarding days - Love for surfing (and his dad!) - Job as a free range dad (lol) - Daughter's curiosity and love for books - Love for making music - Dope tattoos and so much more 🔮. G...

Hoooowdy ya'll. Coming at you with a chill chit chat session with stranger-turned-friend, Eric :) We winded through a whole range of topics: - Eric' dragon boating hobby - Experience flying planes - Fears - Personality tests - Reminiscing Eric's (rough) childhood in Chicago and so much more 🔮. Grab a hot cup and cozy up, friends. Can't wait for ya'll to dig into this. Thanks E...

Hi pals! It's sunday, and you know what that means. Another banger of an episode. One of the big joys of chatting with strangers on this podcast is having the space to allow serendipity to do its thing. Sometimes, the conversations are deep, dark, introspective, and insightful. Other times, it's lighthearted, random, and delightful. I think this episode has a gentle blend of both. Anyway,...

Hi pals! Happy sunday 🌞 I come bearing this gift of an episode that is sure to rock your lil noggin' off. I loved loved loved chatting with Josh. He's so thoughtful, so inquisitive, and so self-aware. And I had the pleasure of meeting him in London back in June - it was wonderful getting to catch up with him! Josh splits his time between being an emergency medicine doctor and a medical le...

Massi is on a quest (see what I did there?) to help you to love yourself a little bit more, one introspective card at a time. She is the creator of Quest of, a delightful deck of self-reflection cards, that encourages its players to sit down and be present with themselves. How often do we make time for that anymore? I'm so glad I got to spend an hour with Massi, chatting all about her path in...

What a hiatus! So much happened in the last 3 months boy oh boy. Aaaaand I'm back with a full spirit, ready to take on the world. One episode at a time. Which brings us to this week's lovely stranger-turned-friend, Rene. We chat all about: *Rene road tripping across America during COVID *Coping with feelings of wanderlust *Using flight time to journal, read, and enjoy music *Holding onto a...

Hooowdy! Stranger-turned-friend, Amanda, joins the pod this week. This episode is all about self-love. Amanda suffers from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and has been battling with the physical and mental pain that comes with it for most of her life. As you listen to the episode, she opens up about her tough yet rewarding journey towards embracing her body and mind, building self-love, and leani...

Hellooooo! Stranger-turned-friend, Robyn, joins the pod this week. I've become internet friends with Robyn for a while now, and we finally got to chat with each other after so long! And what a delightful episode this was :) Idk how else to say it, but Robyn's like the human version of warm glow (you'll get what I mean when you tune in!) We talked all about: 1. How Robyn became more in...

Hey gang! Hope your week's been super fine :) This week, I'm pulling this super underrated episode from the dusty old archives for ya'll. It was a special conversation for me, something about it just felt like home. An honest chat with stranger-turned-friend, Mertyl, about coping and letting go of trauma in a dysfunctional family, best therapy advice, resiliency, and kindness. Grab a h...

Hi pals! Stranger-turned-friend, Adam, joins the pod. And man oh man, what an explosion of ideas this episode is!! We chatted about all things spiritual, everything from our thoughts on the concept of awareness, compassion, mindfulness, and more. Feeling very lucky to be a part of this conversation.  Here's a sneak peek:  *Re-experiencing my home country, Singapore *Awareness, self-ident...

Hi pals! This is Part 2 of Behind The Scenes, where I share some of my thought process as I build this podcast. If you missed it, here's Part 1 :)  Krishna reached out to me on Instagram and told me he wanted to start a podcast but didn't know where to start. This sparked a 2 hour brainstorming session that I initially didn't feel the need to post but listening back, there were a couple golde...

Hi pals! This week's episode is a little bit more intimate than the rest. Because... it's all about me, myself, and I. It's rare that I do it but this opportunity came up when a dear listener, Krishna, reached out to me on Instagram and told me he wanted to start a podcast but didn't know where to start. This sparked a 2 hour brainstorming session that I initially didn't feel the need to post but...