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.

This episode began as a conversation about male friendships—but it unfolded into something much deeper.

Belonging researcher Nic and psychotherapist Matt Hussey explore how our early childhood shapes our understanding of connection, the invisible social scripts men and women inherit, and why so many adults are quietly suffering from a profound lack of friendship. From the loneliness inside romantic relationships to the transformative power of a neighborly chat, this is a deeply human discussion about what it means to truly belong.

Friendship Breakups. Emotional Loneliness. Healing Without Words. In this episode, belonging researcher Nic and ecotherapist Natalia Szyszka guide you through the quiet, often overlooked pathways back to connection after a friendship ends—through trees, water, wind, and stillness. This is not a conversation about plants. It’s a conversation about belonging, grieving, and reconnecting to something that won’t abandon you.

Whether you're in the middle of heartbreak, burnout, or just feeling socially untethered, this episode offers an invitation: what if nature was the most trustworthy friend you’ve never turned to?

[01:00]You’re Not Depressed—You’re Grieving a Life That Can’t Love You Back

What if what we call sadness is just an unmet need for connection—with the world itself?

In a world obsessed with progress, we’ve lost sight of the emotional cost of disconnection. If you're feeling lost after a friendship ends or a life transition, this segment reframes emotional pain as evolutional wisdom—and offers a radically grounding perspective.

[07:00]Nature Isn’t “Nice”—It’s Necessary

The mountains, the ocean, even the wind—these aren’t metaphors. They’re medicine.

We challenge the idea that peace comes only from people or therapists. There is ancient biological memory inside you that knows how to feel safe—this conversation will help you find it again.

[14:00]The Tree Doesn’t Judge You, and That’s Why You Heal

Could nature offer the emotional safety many relationships can't?

Natalia shares how non-human connection can ease emotional pain after rejection, loneliness, or rupture. This is not detachment—it’s reconnection on different terms. If you’ve been hurt by someone close, this will help you feel seen and less alone.

[19:00]Urban Loneliness Is a Design Flaw, Not a Personal Failure

Why we should stop blaming individuals for feeling isolated in environments built to disconnect us.

Learn how to rethink your mental health not as a personal weakness but as a natural response to unnatural conditions. This will give you language—and agency—to seek healing in radically different ways.

25:00]Friendship Isn’t Always Human: Relearning How to Feel Accompanied

Could walking through a forest replace a coffee with a friend? Not quite—but almost.

If you’ve lost a connection and feel unsure how to begin again, this segment offers a gentle roadmap to co-regulation, self-reflection, and belonging without performance. A powerful segment for anyone healing from disconnection. [32:00]Don’t Just Heal—Reclaim Your Place in Something Bigger

How letting go of being the “main character” creates freedom, not loneliness.

The final portion introduces practices you can use right now—walks, rituals, even how you listen—that reduce pressure, increase presence, and invite new relationships (with people, places, or the planet). You'll leave this episode not just with calm, but with clarity.

🔗 Share this episode with someone who:

• Is grieving a lost friendship or relationship

• Feels disconnected and doesn’t know how to begin healing

• Lives in a city and is quietly burning out

• Needs to remember they belong—even in silence

Friendships end. And unlike romantic breakups, we don’t have a script for how to do it right. So we ghost. We drift. We pretend nothing’s wrong—until one day, we realize we haven’t spoken in years.

In this raw, unfiltered episode, we tackle:

✔ **The 7-Year Friendship Rule**—Why half your social circle naturally fades (and why that’s okay)

✔ **The "Rejectability" Mindset**—How being open to rejection (or doing the rejecting) frees you from people-pleasing

✔ **The Art of the Clean Breakup**—How to end things with integrity, not resentment

✔ **When to Walk Away vs. When to Fight for It**—The difference between a friendship worth saving and one that’s run its course

Why Listen?

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a fading friendship—or been blindsided by a "we need to talk"—this episode gives you the **tools to let go with dignity** and the **courage to start fresh**.

Backed by real-life stories, psychological insights, and hard-won wisdom.

Hit play if you’re ready to stop drifting apart—and start breaking up like an adult.

Most friendships are great, but a few are not. Ever felt stuck in a friendship that drains you? Research shows we lose half our social circle every 7 years—but what if you’re holding onto the wrong people?

Why Listen?

If you’ve ever felt torn between loyalty and self-preservation, this episode gives you the clarity to evaluate, release, and rebuild friendships that truly align with who you’re becoming.

Are you ready to face the hard-hitting questions to test the real strength of your friendships and the your motives on why to you want to end them?

Learn how to spot empty words and recognize true support. As well as other powerful self-reflection tools to decide whether a friendship is worth keeping. Find out how to make tough decisions with confidence and without guilt.

In this self-leadership episode, we dive into:

✔ The Michelangelo Effect: How the right friends sculpt your best self (and how the wrong ones chip away at your confidence)

✔ The 3 Pillars of Friendship: Proximity, time, and energy—why some bonds thrive while others fade

✔ The Brutal Truth About Friendship Drift: How to let go without guilt when people outgrow each other

✔ A Hard-Hitting Self-Test: If your friend couldn’t speak, would their actions still make you feel loved?

Hit play if you’re ready to stop people-pleasing and start cultivating friendships that actually fuel your growth.

Discover how to navigate the natural evolution of friendships without guilt or regret. Learn to embrace change and make room for deeper, more meaningful connections.

Find out how the right friendships shape your best self—and how the wrong ones can quietly erode your confidence. Learn to recognize who truly uplifts you.

Understand the hidden forces that make or break friendships. Gain clarity on why some connections thrive while others fade—and what you can do about it.

Are you ready to face the hard-hitting questions to test the real strength of your friendships and the your motives on why to you want to end them? Learn how to spot empty words and recognize true support. As well as other powerful self-reflection tools to decide whether a friendship is worth keeping. Find out how to make tough decisions with confidence and without guilt. Show Notes: Evaluating Friendships – The Uncomfortable Truths

[00:00:00] "Half Your Friends Will Be Gone in 7 Years—Are You Ready to Let Go?"

Discover how to navigate the natural evolution of friendships without guilt or regret. Learn to embrace change and make room for deeper, more meaningful connections.

[00:02:30] "The Michelangelo Effect: Are Your Friends Sculpting You or Cracking YouFind out how the right friendships shape your best self—and how the wrong ones can quietly erode your confidence. Learn to recognize who truly uplifts you.

[00:03:30] "Proximity, Time, Energy: The 3 Pillars of Friendship—Is Yours Built on Sand?"

Understand the hidden forces that make or break friendships. Gain clarity on why some connections thrive while others fade—and what you can do about it.

[00:07:18] "She Said, 'You Left Me, So I Moved On'—The Brutal Truth About Friendship Drift"Learn how to handle the painful but necessary process of friendship endings. Discover how to let go with grace and avoid resentment.

[00:13:33] "If Your Friend Couldn’t Speak, Would Their Actions Still Make You Feel Loved?"Are you ready to face the hard-hitting questions to test the real strength of your friendships and the your motives on why to you want to end them? Learn how to spot empty words and recognize true support. As well as other powerful self-reflection tools to decide whether a friendship is worth keeping. Find out how to make tough decisions with confidence and without guilt.

Is AI our friend? Or might it 'steal us' from our friends? Rethinking Connection, Health & Tech Dependency

Is AI just a tool—or is it becoming a stand-in for our friendships, health systems, and emotional needs?

In this episode, Nic Scholtysik sits down with global health researcher Jess Haney Lavelle to explore how artificial intelligence is already reshaping the way we think, feel, and connect. They dig into the emotional and ethical implications of conversational AI, the hidden costs of convenience, and how tech might be making us lonelier—even when it pretends to be our “friend.”

Expect big questions, honest doubts, and a critical lens on whether AI is serving us—or we’re serving it.

SHOW NOTES:

[03:22] The Myth of AI as a Replacement for Human Thinking

- Why believing AI can replace human thinking is a dangerous misconception.

[05:45] The Power of AI as a Thought Partner

- How can AI be used to enhance your thinking and feeling processes?

[08:10] The Pitfalls of Humanizing AI

- Why does treating AI like a human lead to over-reliance and missed opportunities?

[12:45] AI and Emotional Awareness: The Key to Authentic Work

- How can AI help you become more emotionally aware and authentic in your work?

[15:00] The Art of Letting AI Prompt You: A New Approach to Creativity

- What is the art of letting AI prompt you, and how can it enhance your creativity?

[19:45] The Future of Work: AI as a Collaborative Tool

- What does the future of work look like with AI as a collaborative tool?

[24:30] The Role of AI in Enhancing Human Connection

- How can AI enhance human connection and foster deeper relationships?

[29:00] AI and the Evolution of Leadership

- How is AI transforming the role of leadership in organizations?

[33:45] AI as a Catalyst for Personal Growth and Resilience

- How can AI serve as a catalyst for personal growth, resilience, and self-improvement?

[38:15] Balancing AI and Human Interaction for Authentic Connections

- How can we balance the use of AI with human interaction to maintain authentic connections?

[42:45] The Ethical Considerations and Future of AI in Friendship and Collaboration

- What are the ethical considerations of using AI in friendships and professional relationships, and what does the future hold for AI and human collaboration?