Social Health: Does Friendship Matter More Than Fitness? | Emily Paulsen & Florence Wlodarski

We talk a lot about physical and mental health—but what about social health?In this episode, Emily sits down with Florence Wlodarski, co-founder of Parallel Social Club, to explore why social wellbeing is a crucial (yet often overlooked) part of our lives. Florence shares how adult friendships impact everything from our happiness to our longevity, and why creating deep, meaningful connections is both possible and necessary—especially for those living a childfree life.They dive into the loneliness epidemic, the science behind friendship and health, and how we can all cultivate intentional relationships that enrich our lives. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, looking for new friendships or hoping to deepen existing ones, this conversation is an invitation to rethink how we connect—with others and ourselves.Florence also shares the story behind Parallel Social Club: a growing community for adults living a kid-free lifestyle who want more than small talk and surface-level connections. From Find Your Five dinners to curated events around LA, she’s helping people gather with purpose and discover their own version of a fulfilling social life.Key Takeaways:What Social Health Really Means: It’s not about how many friends you have—it’s about the quality of your connections and how supported you feel.The Loneliness Epidemic Is Real: From the U.S. Surgeon General to Harvard’s longevity study, the science is clear—deep relationships are vital to your wellbeing.Why Adult Friendships Feel So Hard: Without built-in “social containers” like school or parenting groups, many adults feel disconnected—and childfree adults often feel this even more.Intentional Friendships Take Effort: Social health, like physical or mental health, requires consistent investment. It’s not passive—it’s something we can practice.Find Your Five: The people you spend the most time with shape your energy, mindset, and joy. Florence shares how to cultivate deeper connections—with structure, curiosity, and care.The article Emily referenced in this episode can be found here:  https://longevity.stanford.edu/lifestyle/2023/12/18/how-social-connection-supports-longevity/—Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are . She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way. Learn more about Emily on her website: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com  And connect with her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiouslifeofachildfreewoman/ —The guest on this episode is Florence Wlodarski, the Co-Founder of PARALLEL, a social club based in Los Angeles, building community for those living the kid-free lifestyle, focusing on spurring meaningful connections, lifelong friendships and personal growth over shared experiences. Florence has a Masters Degree in Social Work and has an extensive professional background in bringing people and organizations together through community engagement and government relations strategies and has worked to build partnerships between Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofits and government agencies for more than 20 years. Today, Florence is here to talk about the vision behind PARALLEL and the importance of social health, especially for those who are childfree. Learn more about Florence and Parallel Social Club on their website:website -- parallelsocialclub.com And connect with her on socials: Instagram -- instagram.com/parallelsocialclubFacebook   - facebook.com/parallelsocialclub

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