Hi. I'm Alex.
Alex Alexander is a Connection Strategist and author of Are We Friends Yet?. She helps people build the support systems they actually need through small, repeatable actions that fit real life.
Since 2020, she’s been teaching her frameworks through her podcast Friendship IRL (80K+ downloads) and her book Are We Friends Yet?. But the truth is, she’s been doing this work for decades. Long before it became her profession. Friends, colleagues, and even strangers have been telling her for years that something she casually mentioned changed how they show up in their connections.
Her approach is different: most speakers in this space talk about belonging as a feeling. Alex talks about it as a system: repeatable habits, practical infrastructure, and measurable support networks. She doesn’t pathologize, moralize, or overwhelm. She gives structure.
Her podcast listeners don’t just consume content… they act on it. They gather friends for listening parties that turn into two-hour conversations. They write in about finally saying “yes” to that last-minute dinner invite from a neighbor. They stand up at their birthday dinners and teach her frameworks to rooms full of people as they express their heightened gratitude for their friendships. Mental health professionals refer clients to her work. And event planners reach out unsolicited asking her to speak to their communities.
Your audience won’t just feel inspired. They’ll walk out of the room already seeing their relationships differently. That shift happens before they even leave. The systems she teaches accelerate it from there.
About time you start acting like it.
After an hour with Alex, Your Audience will:
- See the relationships they already have differently. Most people walk in thinking they need to build connection from scratch. They walk out realizing they had more support than they thought.
- Understand why their support system feels fragile... and that it's not their fault
- Learn how small, consistent actions create lasting connection. Not goals, but systems that fit real life.
- Leave with 2-3 frameworks they can use that week. Not someday, this week.
- Realize that connection impacts everything else... their health, their work, their resilience, their ability to handle whatever life throws at them.
- Feel empowered to act proactively in their relationships. Probably for the first time.
Don't wait another month to book.
Featured in
Alex's keynote
Flagship Keynote
The Support System Playbook
Because no one can do life alone, but most people were never taught how to build the system that proves it.
60 MINUTES | INTERACTIVE
Based on the frameworks in Alex’s book, Are We Friends Yet?
Most people know connection matters. What they don’t have is a system for building it: one that works inside the life they’re actually living.
In this keynote, Alex Alexander doesn’t just talk about the importance of relationships. She reframes the way we think about them, and gives your audience a repeatable, actionable framework they can use long after the event ends.
This talk does three things:
1. It reframes the problem.
Loneliness isn’t a personal failure. It’s a systems problem. Alex helps audiences see that the reason connection feels hard isn’t because something is wrong with them. It’s because no one ever taught them how to build and maintain a support system on purpose.
2. It gives them new eyes.
Using her original Wheel of Connection framework, Alex walks your audience through a new way to see the relationships they already have, and spot the gaps they didn’t know were there.
These are the same frameworks she lays out in Are We Friends Yet?, so the work keeps going long after she leaves the stage.
3. It hands them the playbook.
Through her Roots of Friendship framework, Alex gives every attendee a concrete, flexible system for strengthening their relationships… built for real life, not idealized versions of it.
Your audience will leave with more than inspiration. They’ll leave with a plan.
What makes this different:
This isn’t a “feel good and forget it by Monday” keynote. Alex teaches actual infrastructure. The kind of systems that make people text a friend they haven’t talked to in months on the drive home. The kind that make someone finally invite their neighbor over for coffee. The kind that turn “I should reach out more” into “here’s exactly how I’m going to do that.”
Event planners report that this talk changes how attendees treat their relationships for weeks and months after, because Alex doesn’t just inspire connection, she teaches people how to build it.
Perfect for: Corporate well-being events, women’s conferences, leadership retreats, higher ed programming, association events, ERGs, masterminds, healthcare and nonprofit audiences
Workshops
Alex’s workshops are designed to pair with the keynote or stand alone. Each one goes deeper into a specific piece of the support system puzzle, giving attendees hands-on time with the frameworks and personalized action plans.
Want the full transformation? Book the keynote plus breakout sessions. Your attendees get the perceptual shift in the keynote, then hands-on time to ask questions and find deeper understanding of the frameworks and how they show up in their own lives. They leave with a new understanding of their own support system and a common language that allows them to take intentional action, not just a speech they’ll forget by Monday.
Each workshop is tailored to a specific outcome. Choose based on what your audience needs most:
From Friendly to Real Friends
Tap Into the Collective Power of All Your Connections
60 MINUTES | INTERACTIVE
“I don’t really have any friends.”
I hear this phrase constantly. And I always let it sit for a moment. Because what usually comes next is: “Well… I have my coworker, but they aren’t a real friend… right?” Or: “I’ve known my neighbor for a decade, but… they aren’t a real friend.”
We’ve been taught to think about relationships in silos. Close friends over here, family over there, coworkers in a separate box. But real support doesn’t work that way. Connection is cumulative.
In this hands-on workshop, Alex walks attendees through her Wheel of Connection and Roots of Friendship frameworks to help them see the connections that already exist, explore how they might deepen those connections if they want to, and find peace with the value those relationships are already bringing to their lives.
Attendees walk away with:
- Language for defining the relationships in their life and understanding how to maintain or deepen them
- A new lens for recognizing connection opportunities in everyday life
- Clear identification of where their support system is strong and where to invest next
Best for: General audiences, women’s organizations, higher ed, wellness events
The Habits Behind Repeatable Belonging
Build Friendships Through Small, Consistent Actions
60 MINUTES | INTERACTIVE
We talk about friendship like it’s about big gestures, deep vulnerability, and quality time. But the friendships that actually last? They’re built on tiny, repeatable actions most people never think about.
The text you send on a Tuesday. The 5-minute phone call while you’re walking the dog. The “thinking of you” message that takes 30 seconds. These aren’t the friendship moments we celebrate… but they’re the ones that build lasting connection.
In this workshop, attendees examine their current friendship habits, identify what’s actually working (and what’s just guilt), and build a customized action plan of small behaviors they can start immediately. No personality overhaul required. No adding hours to an already-packed schedule. Just strategic, sustainable habits that fit real life.
Attendees walk away with:
- A personalized Friendship Action Plan they can implement this week
- A menu of small, daily connection habits to choose from based on their life and energy
- The confidence that building friendships is a learnable skill, not a personality trait
Best for: All audiences. Especially effective for corporate well-being, women’s events, and higher ed
Mapping Your Personal Support System
See the Full Picture of Who You Have, and What’s Missing
90 MINUTES | INTERACTIVE
Most people have no idea how much support they actually have until a catastrophic event happens. Suddenly friends-of-friends are dropping off dinner, coworkers are checking in, neighbors are taking the trash to the curb. The support was always there. They just couldn’t see it.
And here’s what that invisibility costs: people spend decades with their nervous systems in overdrive, trying to hold everything together alone. They take fewer risks. They don’t ask for help. They operate like they’re on their own even when they’re surrounded by people who would show up.
This workshop makes the invisible visible. And when people finally see the full landscape of their support system, something shifts. They move through their days with more ease. More confidence. More reassurance that if they took a risk, had an accident, or needed a hand, someone would show up.
This is a working session. In the first 45 minutes, Alex walks attendees through the Wheel of Connection framework and how to use it as an audit tool. Then in the second half, the room comes alive. Every attendee is building their own personalized support map, but it’s not silent individual work – it’s collaborative, energetic, and full of real-time questions.
Alex coaches the entire room through the process. Attendees compare notes with each other, debate where people fit, and ask questions out loud: “Does this person count as a friend or an acquaintance?” “Where does my sister-in-law fit?” “I have three people in this category but none in that one… what does that mean?” Alex answers in real time, helping everyone understand how the frameworks play out in their actual lives. By the end, everyone has a completed, customized Wheel of Connection that shows exactly where their support is strong and where the gaps are.
This isn’t conceptual. It’s tactical. Attendees don’t just learn the framework. They leave with their own personal blueprint.
Attendees walk away with:
- A completed, personalized Wheel of Connection (not just the concept - the actual map of THEIR relationships)
- Real-time coaching on where specific people in their life fit
- A clear action plan for filling gaps and strengthening existing connections
Best for: Corporate teams, leadership groups, ERGs, association events – any audience that wants dedicated work time, not just learning time
Support System Audit + Reset
Redefine, Audit, and Build Your Support System
HALF DAY | INTERACTIVE
This is the full immersion. A comprehensive audit of everything influencing your support system and a concrete plan to rebuild what’s not working.
Over the course of a half-day, Alex guides attendees through five critical areas most people never examine together:
Time & Energy: Where connection actually fits in your life (not where you wish it fit)
Boundaries: How to protect relationships instead of avoiding them
How You Show Up: The friendship beliefs and patterns you inherited, and whether they’re actually serving you
Who You Have: A full relationship audit using the Wheel of Connection
What Happens Next: Building sustainable habits that don’t require a personality transplant
In each segment, Alex debunks common friendship myths, introduces practical frameworks, and gives attendees dedicated work time to apply them to their own lives. This isn’t a lecture. It’s a working session where everyone leaves with a personalized 90-day blueprint. Not aspirational goals, but actual systems they can implement immediately.
Attendees walk away with:
- A complete support system audit showing exactly where they are now
- Clarity on the myths and beliefs that have been holding them back
- Boundary-setting tools for healthier, more sustainable relationships
- A personalized 90-day action plan with specific habits and systems to implement
Best for: Retreats, leadership development programs, corporate offsites, women’s conferences, wellness events. Any setting where you have dedicated time for deep work
How to Book Alex:
Keynote Only
60-minute flagship talk (The Support System Playbook).
Keynote + Workshop
Keynote plus one 90-minute deep-dive session.
Bundled pricing availableKeynote + Half-Day Intensive
Keynote plus the full Support System Audit + Reset.
Bundled pricing availableFull Event Arc
Keynote plus 2–3 breakout workshops across your multi-day event.
The most cohesive attendee experienceWorkshop Only
Any 90-minute or half-day workshop as a standalone session.
Mastermind / Retreat Kickoff
Alex opens your retreat with a reframe on connection that sets the tone for the entire weekend.
Connection MC
Alex weaves connection reframes and micro-tools into every transition — turning the spaces between sessions into the most memorable part of your event.
Custom
Let's design something specifically for your event.
All formats available in-person, virtual, or hybrid. Available nationwide and internationally. Travel expenses additional.
WHICH TALK IS RIGHT FOR YOUR EVENT?
Still not sure? Let’s build something custom.
Event Planner FAQs
What’s included in each package?
It depends on what you book, but here’s what’s always included: stage time (keynote and/or workshop sessions), a sound check before we go live, and I’m always happy to do a meet and greet before or after. Honestly, meeting people is my favorite part of the job.
For multi-touch packages (keynote + workshops or full event arcs), we’ll also have an additional pre-event call to customize the content for your specific audience.
Do you customize for our audience or industry?
YES. After nearly 200 podcast episodes and years of coaching people across industries, I’ve gotten really good at talking about connection in different contexts: corporate teams, women’s organizations, higher ed, healthcare, nonprofits, you name it. The frameworks stay the same (because they work), but the examples, language, and application shift based on who’s in the room. We’ll have a conversation before the event so I understand your audience’s specific challenges and can speak directly to them. For a corporate client I might focus on finding the value in your coworker connections, whereas in a women’s event I might focus on how women are often the connectors holding their communities together and leave them feeling like they need to give themselves a pat on the back for how much work they’re doing in the connection department… and that that work matters. Every talk is customized to match the audience, with very little effort on my part. I’m used to discussing different facets of connection thanks to my hundreds of hours behind the mic of the Friendship IRL Podcast.
What tech/AV do you need?
- Microphone (handheld or lavalier, either works)
- Clicker for advancing slides (please make sure it’s in range while I’m onstage)
- Projector/screen for slides
- No audio, video clips, or wifi needed. I keep the tech requirements minimal so we can focus on the actual content.
Do you offer virtual options?
Absolutely! After 5+ years as a Toastmaster and nearly 200 podcast episodes, I’m very comfortable delivering virtually. The frameworks translate beautifully to virtual formats. I just adjust the interaction style to keep energy high through a screen.
How far in advance should we book?
Ideally 3 to 6 months out. That gives us time to customize the content for your audience and make sure the date works. That said, if you’re on a tighter timeline, reach out anyway. I’ve made last-minute events work and I’m happy to explore what’s possible.
Do you sell books at events?
Yes! Are We Friends Yet? is the perfect actionable take-home for your attendees, or a great giveaway if you want to provide copies. I’m happy to sign books before or after the event (again, meeting people is my favorite part).
Bulk discounts are available. Let’s talk about how you’d like to incorporate the book into your event experience.
What are your travel requirements?
Standard business travel: roundtrip flight (if applicable), ground transportation to/from airport and venue, and hotel accommodation (usually the night before if it’s an early morning event).
I travel light and I’m easy to work with. After 10+ years as an event planner, I truly understand how many details you’re juggling on your production schedule with a team of vendors. I’m ready to talk shop with the AV team, can problem solve like a battle-tested event pro. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to think of myself fully as the talent (unfortunately for me). I go into every event knowing what would have made my life easier as a planner, and that’s what I hope to do for you. I’m still part of the vendor team… just in a different capacity nowadays.
What’s your cancellation/rescheduling policy?
Life happens. If you need to reschedule, let’s talk as early as possible and we’ll figure it out together.
Do you offer in-kind or reduced-fee speaking for nonprofits?
Yes. I reserve a limited number of speaking slots per year for nonprofit organizations, community groups, or mission-driven events that align with my work on connection and social wellness.
Slots for 2026 are currently open. If you’re a nonprofit or community organization and think this could be a fit, reach out and let’s talk about your event and audience. I’ll prioritize organizations working with underserved communities, mental health initiatives, or groups addressing social isolation.
Note: In-kind slots book up quickly, so if you’re interested, don’t wait.
Beyond the stage
Want to extend Alex’s impact beyond the event itself?
Bulk Book Orders
Send every attendee home with Are We Friends Yet? Signed copies and bulk discounts available.
Request a Quote →Licensed HR Materials
Bring Alex's frameworks into your organization's ongoing programs with licensed materials and facilitator guides.
Learn More →Private Podcast Series
Custom episodes for your team. Ongoing coaching, delivered right in their earbuds.
Learn More →More Ways to Partner
Brand partnerships, podcast sponsorships, and more. Explore every way we can work together.
See All Options →Interested in any of these? Let’s talk about what makes sense for your organization.
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