Friends Who Are Different From You

Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship

Episode #31: Today we’re talking about being friends with people who are different from you. There have been a ton of articles on the topic lately because of a new study about cross-class friendships— just one kind of difference possible in a friendship

I of course could not tackle this topic alone, so I invited the fabulous friendship pair and podcast duo from HerNext Chapter, Stephanie Pierce and Julie Burton.

I’ve seen tons of research over the years on the benefits for society as a whole when everyone isn’t exactly like their friends. This is also common sense! We talked about Stephanie and Julie meeting through a friend who brought them together because of their shared business goals. Their deeper friendship developed over time. And I loved their points throughout the episode that the purpose of their friendship was not to learn about each other or become a "project" or "education" for each other. Yes, they eventually spoke about differences in their experiences and found their lives richer for it, but it was the commonalities that brought them together.
Stephanie is a mom, wife, connector, and coach. After a 24-year career in engineering and HR, Stephanie re-invented her work life to bring her passion for building communities with her HR expertise. This led to the creation of 2 businesses: Stephpierce.com and KJP Consulting.

Julie is a mom, wife, writer, and founder of ModernWell, the first women-centered co-working and wellness space in Minneapolis. She's the author of The Self-Care Solution: A Modern Mother’s Guide to Health and Well-Being.

Find Stephanie and Julie's podcast, Her Next Chapter, anywhere you listen to podcasts!
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