What if friendship is the real key to finding love? This week, Maria sits down with author and connection coach Shari Leid, who shares the unbelievable story of being found as a baby in a cardboard box and how that shaped her mission to fight loneliness and seek connection. After a recent divorce and cross-country move, Shari reveals how traveling to all 50 states to share meals with strangers led to her "Flip the Box" philosophy: turning isolation into connection. They break down her 3 connection power tools , plus real-life icebreakers that actually work at events! Then, they tackle a listener question from a 33-year-old in Chicago feeling left behind by married friends and give practical advice on building a new social circle from scratch! Check out her book Table for 51: Lessons Learned from Sharing Meals Across America by Shari Leid today!

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