Are we losing the ability to truly talk to each other?
In this episode, I sit down with Nia Badiokova, who is launching Walden Storytelling Night in Utrecht — a live, in-person evening where people share real stories. No phones. No notes. No perfection.
We talk about something that stopped me in my tracks:
Young people communicating by sending reels instead of sharing their own words.
A meme instead of a conversation.
A reaction emoji instead of a response.
Thirty seconds of content instead of seven minutes of courage.
Nia believes we’re losing real human connection — and instead of complaining about it, she built something.
Walden Storytelling Night is her answer:
A room.
A stage.
A fire (figuratively).
And humans telling stories to other humans.
We explore:
• Why storytelling is older than social media (and stronger than it)
• The difference between performance and presence
• Why Toastmasters structure isn’t the same as shared vulnerability
• What it feels like to speak without notes
• Why building something risky is better than waiting for someday
This is the “before” episode — recorded before the first night happens.
Will it work?
Will it fail fast and grow?
We’ll find out together.
But one thing is clear:
If connection matters, someone has to create the room.
Maybe that someone is you.
[ https://youtu.be/-OhoR0wqsnc ]