Where my relationship journey really began

Hi Friends,

I recorded a short 12-minute podcast this week that felt like one of the most personal things I’ve shared in a long time.
🎧 You can listen to it here, but I also wanted to share the heart of it with you in case you're more of a reader than a listener.

You see, I’ve always known that relationships were at the center of everything I do... On stage, in business, and in life. But for years, I believed that passion came from my success in real estate. It wasn’t until a mentor asked me “What’s the story you’re not telling?” that I realized the real story started decades ago.

I was an only child. A latchkey kid. I came home every day to an empty house, made myself a plate of Triscuits and cheddar cheese, turned on the TV for background noise... and, honestly, for friendship.

I didn’t have a word for it then, but I was lonely.
Unseen.
Uninvited.
Unvalued.

And when you grow up without something, you fight like hell to make sure you never go without it again.

That’s why I care so deeply about human connection. It’s why I don’t do surface-level friendships. It’s why I remember the details, why I make people feel known, and why I’ve built an entire body of work around intentional relationships. Because I know what it feels like to go without.

Here’s the question I left listeners with, and now I want to leave it with you:

👉🏼 How many people in your life feel truly known by you?
Not how many people you know.
How many people feel seen, heard, and valued because of how you show up?

If that question stirs something in you… I invite you to give this short episode a listen.
🎙️ Click here to listen​

And if it resonates, would you forward it to a friend who needs it too? This message isn't just mine anymore, it's ours. And in a world that feels more connected but lonelier than ever, we need it.

With gratitude,
Barb 💕