Show Notes
Friendship is one of the most powerful forces shaping our lives—and our health. Friendships become harder to maintain as life evolves, especially during major transitions like retirement. Losing work friends is normal, yet few realize how new connections can be cultivated. Our guest today highlights why identity shifts can, perhaps counterintuitively, create oppotunities to build new friendships.
My guest today is Janice McCabe, is a sociologist at Dartmouth and author of Making, Keeping, and Losing Friends. Her research, mainly on college campuses, illuminates key principles of forming friendships like the hidden structures that shape our friendships.
In this conversation, we explore how anyone—at any stage of life—can become more intentional about building meaningful connections.
Why friendships are essential for long-term health and well-being
The two biggest drivers of friendship formation
Why proximity matters more than we realize
Three types of friendship networks
The difference between fading friendships and breakups
If you’re approaching retirement or navigating a major life transition, understanding these patterns can help you design a richer and more connected life.
Janice McCabe joins us from New Hampshire.
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Bio
Janice M. McCabe is associate professor of sociology at Dartmouth College and the Allen House Professor. She is the current president of the Sociology of Education Association and the author of Making, Keeping, and Losing Friends and Connecting in College: How Networks Matter for Academic and Social Success.
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For More on Janice McCabe
Website
Books
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Mentioned in This Retirement Podcast Conversation
I Study Friendship. Here’s How You Make Lasting Friends.
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Retirement Podcast Conversations You May Like
How to Make New Friends in Retirement – Dr. Marisa G. Franco
Our New Social Life – Natalie Kerr & Jaime Kurtz
The Good Life – Marc Schulz, PhD
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About The Retirement Wisdom Podcast
There are many podcasts on retirement, often hosted by financial advisors with their own financial motives, that cover the money side of the street. This podcast is different. You’ll get smarter about the investment decisions you’ll make about the most important asset you’ll have in retirement: your time.
About Retirement Wisdom
I help people who are retiring, but aren’t quite done yet, discover what’s next and build their custom version of their next life. A meaningful retirement doesn’t just happen by accident.
Schedule a call today to discuss how the Designing Your Life process created by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans can help you make your life in retirement a great one — on your own terms.
About Your Podcast Host
Joe Casey is an executive coach who helps people design their next life after their primary career and create their version of The Multipurpose Retirement.™ He created his own next chapter after a 26-year career at Merrill Lynch, where he was Senior Vice President and Head of HR for Global Markets & Investment Banking.
Joe has earned Master’s degrees from the University of Southern California in Gerontology (at age 60), the University of Pennsylvania, and Middlesex University (UK), a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and his coaching certification from Columbia University.
In addition to his work with clients, Joe hosts The Retirement Wisdom Podcast, ranked in the top 1% globally in popularity by Listen Notes, with over 1.6 million downloads. Business Insider recognized Joe as one of 23 innovative coaches who are making a difference. He’s the author of Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy.
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Wise Quotes
On Life Changes & Friendships
” We’re changing and we’re growing throughout our lives, and there may be times that we change with our friends, and so our id
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