Belongfulness: The creative ways people are building community and re-weaving our social fabric

Overcoming social anxiety and opening up to new connection with Ani Castillo, author and illustrator

Author of the wonderful books Ping and Spark, and the new book People are My Favorite Places, Ani Castillo shared her personal journey overcoming social anxiety, the role of religious communities, the power of inner dialogue, and much more.  Watch the full interview here or listen on your favorite podcast platform here. Overcoming social anxiety to build connection Social anxiety is more than just shyness; it can be a crippling condition that prevents people from forming meaningful relati...

Learning how to be hopeful with Kathryn Goetzke of the Shine Hope Company

Is hope something we need to be taught? Kathryn Goetzke, leading hope researcher and founder of The Shine Hope Company, unpacks the science behind cultivating hope and resilience in the face of adversity. In this conversation, we explore Goetzke's deeply personal journey, her research into America's hopelessness crisis, and practical strategies to design a more hopeful daily life. Watch the full interview here or listen on your favorite podcast platform here. Learned hopelessness and learn...

Eco Evolution: The unofficial hub of Norwalk, plus connecting over sustainability with Brad Kerner (AKA the Eco Dude)

I recently spoke with Brad Kerner, founder of The Eco Evolution market and cafe in Connecticut. Brad started his shop as a pandemic career shift, drawing on his background in behavior change to promote sustainability. Though retail proved more challenging than expected, he remains dedicated to his mission. We discussed Brad's emphasis on facilitating connections in his community-oriented space. He shared his vision to transform the shop into a vibrant 'third place,' though organically attra...

Bringing people together through playful connection, plus finding your weirdos with Stefano Sacchi of Epic Llama

Stefano Sacchi, founder of Epic Llama, designs playful experiences to inspire human connections. Stefano has dedicated his work to creating inclusive spaces that break down barriers and allow people to authentically interact. I was struck by his belief in the duty creatives have to put themselves out there, shine their unique light, and inspire others. Stefano embodies the spirit of building community by bringing people together for meaningful shared experiences. Catch the interview by sea...

Street therapy, immersive art installations, and post-its in the subway station with Matt Chavez

Matt Chavez is co-founder of Listening Lab, a project aimed at encouraging community interactions and sharing of personal stories through mixed-media installations. He's perhaps best known for Subway Therapy, an immersive public art project initiated in the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Public Participation: The project featured 2,000+ anonymous sticky notes posted by commuters on the walls of NYC's Union Square subway station. After arriving in NYC, he started a project...

Storytelling our way to deeper connections with Rachel Saslaw of StoryTell NYC

Once upon a time... I interviewed Rachel Saslaw, founder of StoryTell NYC. Rachel started StoryTell as a way to cultivate more meaningful connections and vulnerability through personal storytelling. She shared insights on how to build community, the role of traditions, and balancing in-person and virtual events. Our conversation explored how we can foster deeper human connections amid the isolation of modern life. Rachel offered wisdom on bringing people together through food, technology-fr...

Storytelling our way to Deeper Connections with Rachel Saslaw of StoryTell NYC

Once upon a time... I interviewed Rachel Saslaw, founder of StoryTell NYC. Rachel started StoryTell as a way to cultivate more meaningful connections and vulnerability through personal storytelling. She shared insights on how to build community, the role of traditions, and balancing in-person and virtual events. Our conversation explored how we can foster deeper human connections amid the isolation of modern life. Rachel offered wisdom on bringing people together through food, technology-fr...

Celebrating culture by making dumplings together with Lenny An of Dumpling Discussions

What better way to bring people together than dumplings? Lenny An's Dumpling Discussions give people a simple invitation—come enjoy fabulous dumplings!—while also offering something deeper: an opportunity to have conversations about potentially challenging topics. From an Instagram post inviting folks to his next event: I’ve always wanted to create a space for people to talk candidly and honestly about topics that may be hard to approach. What better way to do this than alongside one of my...

Celebrating Culture by Making Dumplings Together with Lenny An of Dumpling Discussions

What better way to bring people together than dumplings? Lenny An's Dumpling Discussions give people a simple invitation—come enjoy fabulous dumplings!—while also offering something deeper: an opportunity to have conversations about potentially challenging topics. From an Instagram post inviting folks to his next event: I’ve always wanted to create a space for people to talk candidly and honestly about topics that may be hard to approach. What better way to do this than alongside one of my...

Giant swing sets and the queso dip recipe that can save the world with Meghan Talarowski of Studio Ludo

"If we can play together, maybe we can talk about the harder stuff too." Meghan Talarowski of Studio Ludo With her nonprofit studio, Meghan designs playgrounds, studies play behavior, and advocates for public play spaces—which makes her the perfect person to work on North America's largest swing set. 📕 Read the full recap here: https://belongfulness.com/giant-swing-sets-your-three-hidden-sense-and-the-queso-dip-recipe-that-can-save-the-world-with-meghan-talarowski-of-studio-ludo 🎧 Get the...

Recalibrating Your Connection to Yourself plus Survivor Nights with Jacey Adler of Recalibrate

I met Jacey at an event hosted by David Nebinski, as he recorded a live episode for his Portfolio Career Podcast. After I learned of her own show, Recalibrate, and some of her personal stories of finding community and belonging, I knew I had to record a conversation with her. Watch the full interview on YouTube here. THE PANDEMIC IS STILL AFFECTING US This is a sentiment I continue to see coming up for folks: "I know that period of quarantine and isolation was a couple of years ago now,...

Recalibrating your connection to yourself plus Survivor Nights with Jacey Adler of Recalibrate

I met Jacey at an event hosted by David Nebinski, as he recorded a live episode for his Portfolio Career Podcast. After I learned of her own show, Recalibrate, and some of her personal stories of finding community and belonging, I knew I had to record a conversation with her. Watch the full interview on YouTube here. THE PANDEMIC IS STILL AFFECTING US This is a sentiment I continue to see coming up for folks: "I know that period of quarantine and isolation was a couple of years ago now,...

Volunteering for introverts + why your town needs its own mushroom festival with RuthAnn Deveney

RuthAnn had been living in Kennett Square, PA for seven years before she started finding real connection to the town around her. It started with her church, where she learned of volunteer opportunities in the area. That led to her working at the library, where she could restock books in peace—and, over time, get to know both the staff and the patrons. RuthAnn's tricks for remembering names: Repeat their name back to them after they say it Ask them about one thing they're really into Af...

Volunteering for Introverts + Why Your Town Needs Its Own Mushroom Festival with RuthAnn Deveney

Dr. Josh Packard of Springtide Research

"We believe no young person should have to answer life’s important questions alone."   Dr. Josh Packard is the Executive Director of Springtide Research, which has produced some important research into belonging among 13-to-25-year-olds.    Springtide: https://springtideresearch.org   More on Josh Packard: https://twitter.com/drjoshpackard   Book: Belonging: Reconnecting America’s loneliest generation  https://springtideresearch.org/product/belonging-reconnecting-americas-loneliest-gene...

Kat Vellos of We Should Get Together

Kat is rad! She's got an incredible perspective to share on how to foster real friendships.  Check out her site and book: http://weshouldgettogether.com  Learn more about my work to help people find and foster belonging everywhere: http://tonybacigalupo.com