50 WTF?!

Reflecting on friendships: making, maintaining and missteps.

After returning from a month-long hiatus – and another month to get round to editing this episode Karl got a job!) – we discuss what we been up to, including trips to Portugal and the Alps. We then dive deep into the topic of friendships, sharing personal experiences and stories on how hard it can be to make and maintain friends, particularly when you hit midlife. 

We cover work friends, hobby friends, fleeting friends, female friends and lifelong friends.

We also explore the challenges of friendship within work contexts, communication breakdowns (ghosting anyone?), and the importance of shared experiences to build deeper connections. 

Finally we reflect on the qualities that make valuable friendships and the importance of having difficult, but necessary conversations – especially for men.

00:00 Introduction and Catching Up
00:11 Travel Stories and Experiences
01:46 Discussing the TV Show 'Friends'
02:48 Podcasting and Audience Engagement
04:20 Snack Time and Reveals
05:23 Challenges of Making Friends in Midlife
11:07 Work Friendships and Business Partnerships
21:44 Defining Company Values
22:14 Balancing Family and Business
22:58 The Happy Startup Journey
23:25 Qualities in a Friend
24:44 Honesty and Integrity in Friendships
26:30 Regrets and Lessons Learned
27:19 Communication Breakdown
31:06 Lifelong Friendships
38:25 Energy and Connection in Relationships
41:18 Wrapping Up and Reflections

Links:
- Mark Steadman https://www.hellosteadman.com/services/
- Friends https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/70153404
- The Happy Startup School https://thehappystartupschool.com/

What is 50 WTF?!?

We are two men in midlife. We have a lot in common but live very different lives.

Laurence is happily married with 2.4 kids and a white picket fence. Karl followed a different path and didn't get married, have kids or put down roots (but he gets to go snowboarding when he wants).

Together we explore what life on the other side of the fence is really like. What can we learn from each other? What advice can we give each other?

We'll invite guests to reflect on their life to date and consider what they want the second half of their life to look like.

We’ll touch on some big topics but with lots of LOLs, a few beers and who knows, maybe even some tears.