Have you ever scrolled through Instagram seeing friend groups on vacation together, celebrating everything as a unit, and genuinely wondered, "How do they all live in the same city? How did they find each other? And how can I find my people?"
Maybe you've moved somewhere new and you're still making small talk with acquaintances months later. Or you're tired of being the one who always has to reach out first, scheduling friend dates 30 days in advance like business meetings. If you've ever felt like everyone else has their tight-knit friend group figured out while you're still searching for yours, you're not alone.
In this episode of Girls Night, Stephanie sits down with entrepreneur and community builder Liz Forkin Bohannon to talk about how to build the kind of intentional community we're all craving — even when you're starting from scratch.
What You'll Learn:
- Why most Americans have friendship completely backwards (and the mindset shift that changes everything)
- The four pillars of building lasting community that actually work in real life
- Why you need to commit to consistency BEFORE you feel connected (not the other way around)
- The "look for the losers" strategy that's more effective than trying to break into existing friend groups
- How Liz went from knowing zero people in Portland to living next door to her best friends
- The practical steps they took to buy property together and create intentional community
- How to have difficult conversations that deepen trust instead of damaging relationships
- The science behind why friendship is literally a matter of life and death (the data will shock you)
You'll relate to this episode if you've ever: felt like everyone else has their friend group figured out while you're still searching, moved somewhere new and struggled to build meaningful connections beyond small talk, or wondered if deep adult friendships are actually possible outside of college.
We cover everything from why Americans live in isolation to practical steps for building community, from the loneliness of moving to a new city to creating support systems that last through every life stage.
Stephanie shares about living nine minutes from her best friend in Spain and how it's revolutionizing her perspective on proximity and friendship.
Liz vulnerably walks through her journey from complete isolation growing up to now sharing property with multiple families in Portland, proving that intentional community isn't just a dream — it's totally doable.
Resources Mentioned:
→ Love Your Single Life course for navigating singleness with confidence
https://stephaniemaywilson.com/single...
→ Just Married course for newlyweds building strong foundations
https://stephaniemaywilson.com/justma...
→ Becoming Mama course for intentional motherhood preparation
https://stephaniemaywilson.com/becomi...
→ Help finding (and affording!) a great therapist
https://stephaniemaywilson.com/counse...
Connect with Girls Night:
🎧 New episodes every week
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
📱 Follow Stephanie on Instagram
/ smaywilson
📱 Follow Liz on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/lizbohannon/?hl=en
💌 Weekly newsletter with exclusive content
https://stephaniemaywilson.com/email
🌐 Show notes and resources
https://www.girlsnightpodcast.com/
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