The Art of Reconnecting: Friendship, Growth, and Community at Podfest

Jen Hardy [00:00:08]:
Greetings, fabulous friends. Today, I wanna share a personal story and excitement, and that’s why we have Disco today. I am so excited because this week, I’m going to Podfest. Now Podfest, If you don’t know, it’s a big podcasting conference, and it’s the 6th time that I’ve gone, and it is, Oh my gosh. To me, it’s like Christmas because I get to go and see all my friends and talk about all things podcasting, and it’s just Incredible. And so I wanted to talk about it because as I’m getting ready, I’m realizing that, Yes. I’m gonna learn a lot about podcasting, and I’m gonna learn a lot about tech and all this stuff, but the main thing that I’m getting out of this is the relationships that I have with my friends there. Because it’s not just about the event itself, but it’s about rekindling those friendships And the beauty of those connections that we have that go stronger that with time.

Jen Hardy [00:01:07]:
Right? Especially as we get older, we realize How important these friendships are. And, you know, I just wanted to to talk about How important it is that we we think about the friends that we have. You know, those kind of friends that you don’t necessarily see them Every day or every week, but you can meet up with them once every year or 2, and it’s like you were never apart. And my friends at Podfest are like that. Oh my gosh. I just last year’s Podfest was this incredible reminder to me about the art of reconnection because We moved where we are now just before, you know, the terror of 2020, and it’s taken us a while. It’s 2024 now To really get like, not motivated, but really get connected. And we’re trying to get connected locally still.

Jen Hardy [00:02:02]:
It’s It’s taking a lot longer, and I don’t know why. But when I go back to Podfest, I realize, okay. Wait a minute. I do have So many friends, and they’re all over the world. And they may not be able to come by and bring me a casserole if I’m having a really bad week, But they are the kind of people who truly do help when something happens. In fact, I just was talking to a friend of mine who had a fire in her house a month after the last Podfest. And it was the people from there that were the ones that were sending her things and helping her out, and It’s just so incredible. So I just wanted to talk about this and the connection and the friendship and Not just with Podfest because especially if you’re not a podcaster, you’re not going, but what is it in your life that can bring you this joy and excitement and thrill and Friends.

Jen Hardy [00:02:54]:
You know, I I found that the things that you go to and you stay at, right, where you’re spending the night for several days or more. You know, where people see you at the beginning of the day, they see you at the end of the day. They see you not just in your pith picture perfect Hair and makeup. Right? When you’ve gotten ready, you go out for a couple hours, you go home. No. People at something like this, they see the good, the bad, and the ugly. You know, you hang out in everyone’s room when the makeup is off and you do all these things, and I’m just wanna encourage you to find your people. There are so many people that are lonely right now and sad and frustrated, and it’s just so important that we find these friends.

Jen Hardy [00:03:40]:
And, you know, when we’re in our fifties or sixties or nineties, we know that friendship doesn’t require constant contact because At this point, it’s about the quality of our connections, not the frequency. You know, when you’re in high school, if you don’t see somebody for a couple days, they’re dead to you. You know? It’s totally different. Where we are now, totally different thing. Right? And it’s really neat when you haven’t seen someone for a while to see how much they’ve grown since your last Meeting. Right? And it’s it’s nothing short of inspiring to me. When I haven’t seen these friends for a year, We get back together, and we talk about what we have been doing, and it’s so motivating. And our discussions go so far beyond podcasting.

Jen Hardy [00:04:21]:
We talk about our personal growth. We’ve talked about the things that we’ve experienced together and apart, and we share the lessons we’ve learned about life with each other, And we grow in so many different ways. And every year, because we go, you know, once a year, new faces come into our circle, And we get to welcome those people and extend our community of friendship, which is, oh my gosh, so incredible. Because the 1st time you go, you know, you meet a few people, and then the next time you meet a few more and a few more, and the new bonds Formed over our shared interest and mutual respect start feeling as comfortable and familiar as the older ones. And, You know, I might meet a few people on the side, and my other friends might meet a few people. And then we introduce each other, and we all come together. And I don’t know. It’s just this giant love fest, but not in a creepy way.

Jen Hardy [00:05:14]:
And I don’t know. I just In the excitement, I thought I wanted to record myself being this excited and sharing it with you and encouraging you. If you are in podcasting or want to be in podcasting, come to Podfest. I can get you a ticket. My husband and I are volunteer coordinators, and we can get people tickets for volunteering, and that is really exciting. And there’s so many things that are part of it. Oh my goodness. And like I said, just not the podcasting.

Jen Hardy [00:05:42]:
There’s the tech, and there’s the friendships, and there’s all the things. There’s learning about life and Leadership and all kinds of stuff going on. And in the middle of all of that hustle of learning about all the podcasting tricks and trends, and There’s this comfort in there about with our shared interests and our friendships. And, You know, when you have to walk into something, a big group thing for the 1st time, it’s intimidating. You know? Especially something like this where there’s Literally thousands of people. And you think, oh my gosh. Will I fit in? Will anyone like me? Will I stand out? Then imposter syndrome starts Taking over. Right? And do I even belong here? And things like that.

Jen Hardy [00:06:26]:
But, you know, I know that people say that this isn’t a thing. But For me, you really have to fake it till you make it. You just put on a brave face and you walk in there and knowing that you belong because you belong anywhere you go Unless it’s at a really scary dangerous place. You don’t belong there. Don’t do that. But, you know, you do, and it’s It’s really, really fun. And so no matter what it is that you’re into and you’re you’re passionate about, I just wanna encourage you today to find your tribe, find your group, find your connections, find your people. And if you have that, Reach out to one of them today.

Jen Hardy [00:07:08]:
Reach out to one of the people from that group and just say, hey. And just say, hey. I was thinking about you today, and I can’t wait for whatever it is. You know? And ask them how they’re doing because It it’s funny how it works out where when I reach out to somebody just randomly, it always turns out that there was a reason, and it wasn’t really random after all. That either I needed to hear something that they had to say or they had to hear something that I had to say. You know how that goes. And so I just want to encourage you Encourage you in the middle of the chaos and the to do list and the have to’s and the dishes And laundry that never end because you’re eating off the plate and wearing the clothes as you’re doing the things. There’s so much more to life than that, and I want you to have it too.

Jen Hardy [00:07:59]:
So go out there, reach out to somebody who’s in a group like that, or Sign up to go somewhere or email me. Say, hey. I want a ticket to Podfest, jen@jenhardy.net, or You can go to the website jenhardy.net/contact and contact me there. And speaking of friends, If you know a woman who is very lonely, who maybe she can’t get out a lot or she’s lost a lot of people in her life and she Just needs connection. I have started this new thing that’s absolutely incredible. And I’m so, so passionate about it too, and it’s called Jen’s Friends. And what Jen’s Friends is is a daily video email. It’s about 2 to 3 minutes, and I just pop into people’s inbox, and I’m your new inbox Bestie.

Jen Hardy [00:08:48]:
I love that. And, you know, when my mom was alive, she loved getting these encouraging emails. And they’d have little quotes or a little picture, And she would forward it to me, and she would feel so special that she got them, when in fact, thousands of people got them. But it just made her feel So special. And I thought, what if I could take that a step further? Because I’ve got all this incredible equipment, and I can go in and talk to people and say, good morning, beautiful. If no one said this to you yet today, you are an amazing person because, You know, some people don’t have that. I’m blessed. I’ve got my husband.

Jen Hardy [00:09:25]:
I’ve got my younger kids here. You know, most people my age don’t have The younger kids and I get all those hugs and everything, but some people don’t. And so I want to be that person. I can hug you virtually, But I can tell you all kinds of things. So if you know anyone who could use that, again, jenhardy.net, but this time, it’s /friends. Easy to remember, jennhardy.net/friends. Check out Jen’s Friends. There’s actually an introductory video, kinda gives you an idea what it’s like, And I’d love to see you there, and I’d love to see you at Podfest.

Jen Hardy [00:09:59]:
I’d love to see you in person at the beach. I just am feeling all the love and all the excitement, And thank you so much. I’d also love that you’re willing to spend your time with me because, you know, you could spend your time absolutely anywhere, And you chose to do it here. So thank you very much. Stay tuned, and stay fabulous.