Episode 31

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Published on:

1st Apr 2021

Making Friends as an Adult and When You feel Alone with Adam Smiley Poswolsky

I jumped into the diner booth with author and entrepreneur, Adam Smiley Poswolsky! His newest book, Friendship in the Age of Loneliness is coming out in May but before we got to that you know we had to talk about our late-night food preferences. He gave a shout-out to El Farolito in San Francisco and we also bonded over the fact that pineapple has no place on pizza. He then told me wow the nickname “Smiley” happened to him. We discussed his assorted dreams around being a writer and winding up as a film major at Wesleyan University. Smiley had a number of jobs/careers that he tried and none of them felt right so he decided to create his own lane as an entrepreneur. I loved hearing him talk about learning to see opportunity instead of adversity in front of you. Figuring out that you do not need to wait for permission – there are many paths to success if you keep putting yourself in the way of opportunities. We then discussed how to find friendship in the age of loneliness and why finding it matters. He reminded me of the always startling statistic that social relationships are the largest determiner for how long you will live… more than health and genetics. We talked about how awkward making friends as an adult is and Adam ended by sharing some quick tips for how to help.

About the Guest: 

Adam Smiley Poswolsky is a millennial workplace expert, motivational speaker, and author of The Quarter-Life Breakthrough, The Breakthrough Speaker, and Friendship in the Age of Loneliness. Smiley regularly speaks at Fortune 500 companies and has advised heads of state and foreign leaders about millennial talent, multigenerational engagement, and fostering belonging in the digital age. Smiley’s TED talk on “the quarter-life crisis” has been viewed over 1.5 million times, and he has spoken in front of fifty thousand people in twenty countries. Smiley’s work has been featured in the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, Fast Company, CNN, and the World Economic Forum, among many other outlets. Smiley is a 13-time camp counselor at Camp Grounded: Summer Camp for Adults. FUN FACTS: Nickname Smiley since freshman year of high school. Favorite food: bagels with lox and cream cheese. Quirk: I love rom coms.

 

Connect with Smiley and learn more:

Website: smileyposwolsky.com

New Book: smileyposwolsky.com/friendship

IG/Twitter: @whatsupsmiley

LinkedIn: Adam Smiley Poswolsky

 

About the Host: 

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:   

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh!  

I host my own events multiple times a year. They are 2-day events called Living Imperfectly Live (and sometimes they are 1-day virtual events). They are a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community on the pursuit of badassery. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live. 

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is alligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.

 

Let’s Be Friends on Social Media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamestrobo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamestrobo

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrobilotta/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JamesRobilottaCSP

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/JamesTRobo


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About the Podcast

Diner Talks With James
Conversations That We Never Want to End, With Friends We Never Want to Leave
Remember the last time you and few close friends stayed up too late at the Diner because no one wanted to leave? You didn’t need that grilled cheese with a side of pancakes but damn if it didn’t hit the spot! You laughed until you cried or cried until you laughed. Regardless of which lead to what, you left feeling a little more thoughtful, grateful, and actually full. Those are the best conversations we have in our lives, and the reason why Diner Talks with James exists. I’ll be your bearded bespectacled host, James Robilotta. I’m an author and professional speaker who talks to willing and unwilling audiences on the role that authenticity and vulnerability must play in life and business. I am a life coach with a Masters in counseling and 16+ years of improv comedy experience. Most importantly, I am a fellow human being with a fervent curiosity for others’ passions, relationships, insecurities, ambitions, patterns, and food quirks. So, come join me in The Diner. Slide into the booth, place your order, and tell me a story.

About your host

Profile picture for James Robilotta

James Robilotta

Friends! Here's a somewhat stuffy bio of me:

I am an author, professional speaker, coach, host, and entrepreneur. My first book, Leading Imperfectly: The value of being authentic for leaders, professionals, and human beings, is available wherever people buy books. I speak internationally to willing and unwilling attendees about authenticity, vulnerability, and leadership. My clients include American Express, General Electric (GE), Accenture, Yale University, The Ohio State University, and many others. As a speaker, I am doing the two things I loves the most: making people think and making people laugh!

I also occasionally host my own event multiple times a year called: Living Imperfectly Live. It is a space where humans from every walk of life can come together to be part of a community in the pursuit of getting out of their own way so they can live a great story. The goal is to help attendees start living the life we say we want to live.

Alas, you're here because of an idea I had a number of years ago and didn't think I was good enough to pull it off. I finally acted on it and alas Diner Talks with James was born! As you can see from what I do in my professional life, Diner Talks is aligned with everything I believe in and teach. If this wasn't dry enough, and you would like to know more info about my speaking, events, or coaching feel free to check out my website: JamesTRobo.com.