climbing cringe mountain: how to build real community as an adult with maggie hildebrand

This week, we’re joined by Maggie Hildebrand — founder of Connection Collective — and honestly… a bit of a real-life reminder that the life you want might not exist yet because you’re the one meant to create it.After moving from the East Coast to Toronto, Maggie found herself feeling something a lot of us quietly experience but don’t always say out loud: making real friends as an adult is hard. Like… really hard.So instead of waiting for it to magically happen, she did something bold (and slightly unhinged, in the best way): she hosted a picnic for strangers.That one picnic turned into a movement.Now, Maggie runs a full-time community designed to help women build deep, meaningful friendships in a city that can often feel isolating. In this episode, we get into what it actually takes to build connection, why in-person matters more than ever, and what happens when you decide to bet on yourself—even when it’s uncomfortable.We talk about:What it really feels like to start over in a new cityWhy making friends in your 20s and 30s feels so much harder“Climbing the cringe mountain” and putting yourself out there anywayTurning something personal into a business (without losing the heart of it)Taking the leap from a stable career into the unknownWhat it actually means to find your “calling”And why living well might just mean feeling excited about your life againThis episode is for anyone who’s ever felt a little lonely, a little stuck, or like something is missing—and is ready to do something about it.If you loved this episode, please send it to a friend. Or... take this as your sign to make the plan, host the dinner, or send the text.Be sure to follow Maggie and the Collective, and check out their website for upcoming events:@[email protected]://www.connectioncollective.ca/