Koreen Odiney, Founder of We’re Not Really Strangers, On Creating A Global Movement With A Card Game And Instagram Feed, Finding Your Why & Speaking Your Truth

When Koreen Odiney launched the game We’re Not Really Strangers (also known as WNRS, pronounced ‘winners’) in November 2018, she was equipped with a laser-focused ‘why’: “To empower people to make meaningful connections.”

If you haven’t seen the card game, which is highly identifiable thanks to its signature red box and minimalist-yet-strategic design, then you’ve likely stumbled onto one of the Instagram account’s compelling posts. With a current reach of 2.4 million followers (and growing), the @werenotreallystrangers Instagram account’s images have long struck a chord with its followers, as evidenced by the amount of comments in each post. And with quotes like “One day at a time,” “Tell someone how much they mean to you, we all really need it right now” and “I’ve been better,” the account is resonating even more deeply during this climate of uncertainty.

After the murder of George Floyd this summer sparked much needed conversations around racism and unconscious bias, the We’re Not Really Strangers team dropped this quote: “If A Converastion Is Hard, It’s Probably The One Worth Having.” 

Koreen and her team have become known for saying what’s on all of our minds -- without us even knowing it. 

I sat down with Koreen to discuss how the WNRS movement came about, how she creates the threads and questions, and what’s up with her OG Instagram account, @chickenandwaffles. 

 We’re Not Really Strangers Website: https://www.werenotreallystrangers.com

We’re Not Really Strangers IG: https://www.instagram.com/werenotreallystrangers

Koreen IG: https://www.instagram.com/Koreen

We’re Not Really Strangers Tweets: https://twitter.com/wnrstweets

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