We all say psychological safety matters. But most of the time, we treat it like a seatbelt — something we only talk about when things go wrong. What if it’s actually the engine?

In this season’s anchor episode, I bring together two themes that have shaped the entire journey so far: friendship and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs). What if friendship isn’t just personal but structural? What if our ability to be good people with each other is exactly what’s missing from the high-minded frameworks of leadership and change?

This episode is not about offering yet another blueprint. Instead, it's a challenge — and an invitation — to rethink what we mean when we talk about “inner development.” You’ll hear about:

• Why psychological safety often fails to translate into culture

• How friendship might be our most underused tool for trust, flexibility, and long-term collaboration

• The tension between intellectual ideals and lived human experience

• What it really means to become “better people” — together

It’s honest, reflective, and a bit disruptive — just the way I like it.

🎙️ Come think with me. Then tell me where I’m wrong — or right. Because good friends do that too.

In this vulnerable and truth-telling episode, Nic Scholtysik (belonging researcher) and Natalia Szyszka (psychotherapist) talk about the unique texture of expat friendship: urgent, sometimes deep, often short-lived — and always shaped by the invisible emotional labor of starting over. This episode is a must for anyone living abroad, working in HR, or supporting globally mobile talent. We unpack why expat friendship feels different, what grief hides behind even a “good relocation,” and how connection can be made more sustainable across cultures.

Shownotes:

• [00:03:21] – Why expat friendships start fast — and often end just as fast

• [00:09:21] – “You’re not depressed — you’re grieving the life you chose not to live.”

• [00:17:10] – The cultural ‘codes’ of friendship and how they vary country to country

• [00:23:45] – Why loneliness persists, even with a social life

• [00:28:02] – What HR and leadership usually miss in onboarding international talent

• [00:35:27] – How to offer empathy without pity or overstepping

• [00:41:50] – What rituals, habits, and ‘sameness’ can do for stability abroad

• [00:49:03] – Identity loss, partner dynamics, and emotional exhaustion in new countries

• [00:58:33] – Hopeful ways to reframe disconnection, without rushing the process

You used to feel close. Now it’s all surface-level check-ins and recycled stories. And you know: if we don't turn this around now, we won't be friends much longer anymore.

This episode is your invitation to stop pretending and start rebuilding real connection. I sat down with my sister—not as family, but as a friend—to see what happens when you drop the small talk and hold space for what’s actually there. It’s quiet, raw, and sometimes awkward—and that’s exactly the point.

Plus: you can grab the exact questions I used to go deeper.