Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Steven has always had friends. He just never had to think too hard about making them.
Marching band, intense jobs, his kids’ schools, and his wife’s social circle all created the conditions friendship needs. But as he nears retirement, those built-in structures are fading.
On this episode of How To, Mike Pesca brings in Dr. Marisa G. Franco, author of Platonic, to help Steven build friendship more intentionally.
They talk about why adult friendship takes more effort than we expect, why repeated contact and vulnerability matter, and why ideas like the “liking gap” and “acceptance prophecy” can make reaching out feel less terrifying.
Steven doesn’t need to become an extrovert.
He just needs to stop treating “I’m not the initiator” as destiny.
full episode wherever you get your podcasts 👉 search How To with Mike Pesca
#HowToPodcast #Friendship #AdultFriendship #Introverts #MikePesca
Steven has always had friends. He just never had to think too hard about making them.
Marching band, intense jobs, his kids’ schools, and his wife’s social circle all created the conditions friendship needs. But as he nears retirement, those built-in structures are fading.
On this episode of How To, Mike Pesca brings in Dr. Marisa G. Franco, author of Platonic, to help Steven build friendship more intentionally.
They talk about why adult friendship takes more effort than we expect, why repeated contact and vulnerability matter, and why ideas like the “liking gap” and “acceptance prophecy” can make reaching out feel less terrifying.
Steven doesn’t need to become an extrovert.
He just needs to stop treating “I’m not the initiator” as destiny.
full episode wherever you get your podcasts 👉 search How To with Mike Pesca
#HowToPodcast #Friendship #AdultFriendship #Introverts #MikePesca
