The Friend Lab
The Friend Lab is a curious, candid, and sometimes chaotic exploration of what it means to be human together.
Hosted by Liz McKean: coach, hypnotist, yoga teacher, and professional untangler of shame, and Bryce The Third: performing artist, recovery advocate, speaker, author, and all-around creative force; this show lives at the intersection of friendship, growth, and real-life transformation.
Liz and Bryce come from different worlds, but their chemistry is undeniable. Their creative partnership is rooted in honesty, humor, and a shared obsession with understanding why we connect the way we do.
Each episode is a deep dive into the messy, magical terrain of being a person:
•friendships that evolve
•identities that shift
•coping tools that help (and sometimes don’t)
•recovery and what it looks like beyond the clichés
•personal growth that feels exciting one day and overwhelming the next
•the courage it takes to stay authentic, even when it’s uncomfortable
They’ll talk about the things people think about but rarely say out loud: the awkwardness, the misunderstandings, the breakthroughs, the belly laughs, the spiritual moments, the self-awareness spirals, and the quiet truths that change us.
This is not a show about having it all figured out.
It’s a show about experimenting with what it means to belong to yourself and to each other, one honest conversation at a time.
Whether you’re navigating recovery, building healthier relationships, reimagining your life, or just craving a podcast that feels like sitting on the couch with two friends who are delighted to be spending time with you, welcome to The Friend Lab.
Episodes
24 episodes
Friends With Benefits
Ok ya dirty birdy, we're not talking about THOSE benefits! BUT all friendship has benefits - and some are more... material than others. But when does a friendship cross the line from beneficial to... transactional? Well, that's what...
Bringing Your Whole Self: How Showing Up As ALL of You Drives Your Impact
Bryce and Liz have a convo that starts as a catch up and delves into EVERYTHING going on in their lives currently, which begs the question...can we really show up anywhere without ALL of us present in some way??
Being IN The Moment, ADHD Brain, and Your Favorite Color: The Friend Lab was LIVE!
The Friend Lab was LIVE on Substack a few weeks ago, and this is the convo we had! If you haven't already, join us over on Substack for th...
Bryce and Liz Take On The Men's Loneliness Epidemic
Did you know there is a loneliness epidemic among men? Bryce did NOT want to have this conversation, so of course we had to have it. And we're so glad we did, because you a deserve a positive, action-oriented perspective, and that's what we hav...
Is AI trying f**k me??: Is AI a Substitute For Human Connection?
We are tackling the big topics on the Friend Lab! AI- friend or foe to connection, to mental health, to... society? We don't know. But we sure do have opinions! From ChatGPT whispering sweet nothings in our ears, to ours and others'...
The challenges of JOY as an adult...What if instead of preparing for the worst, we imagined the best?
The bad news is, Fruity Pebbles are just colorful rice bits now, and pizza rolls have lost their spark.The good news is, we think we can we retrain our adult brains to center joy, to be in the moment with grace & compassion, and to l...
Liz's Internet Hater, Exploring Intellectual Partnerships, and How We Give and Receive Love in Adult Friendships
Friend Lab fam, did you catch us live on Substack? It won't be the last time so subscribe over there if you haven't yet- we can't wait to connect!On today's episode, we talk about inte...
Outgrowing Your Old Story: What Happens When You Evolve Past Who You Thought You Were?...and wtf does the Kool Aid man have to do with it?
How the evolution of our stories and the way that we tell them change who we are and how we relate to the world...also Kool aid man babyyyy
Talking (literal) Shit With Friends, Gratitude Walks, and Marching Forth
Friends don't make friends feel bad about tummy trouble. In this episode, we relive some IBS childhood trauma and find a way to make it about friendship!We also celebrate March 4th, a.k.a. "March Forth!," we're talking gratitude, spiritu...
How do you know someone's heart? Bryce's 3-step system (that Liz disagrees with)
As they all are, this episode is my fave. Bryce and I are friends on and off this show, so we talk often. And amidst all that talking, we disagree sometimes. And by sometimes, I mean a LOT. We actually disagree at the very start of this convers...
Best Friends are weird, Liz's Starfish Story, and Bryce's comment section
This is a special one. To start, I tell not only THE Starfish Story, but the story behind my connection to the story, and why I believe we are all starfish in this sea of humanity. We all need love and connection- and each other.Did you ...
Is Facebook RUINING Friendship? WTH are Garbage Plates? Coney Dogs Are Probably Better
Maybe we'll chill with the hyperbole in the show titles one day but that day ain't today :) -Bryce
Real Friendship Is Worth The "Double Back"
Friendship and connection are, often at the same time, amazing experiences AND challenging. We doubled back on this episode to dive deeper for each other and for you all and we encourage you to do the same for the people that you care about!&nb...
Valentines Day: Love, Hate and Peeing in The Dating Pool!
Tbh, Liz and I are both married so wth do we know about dating…but love? Now there’s something we’re both qualified to yap about. This is a good one. Press play you love birds ;)- Bryce
The Show "Friends" Got Friendship Wrong AF
Comparing our actual friendships to what we see on "Friends" and "Sex and The City" will probably leave us sad AF. Good thing we can stop that comparison...like right this very moment. Let's talk about it. Also, wtf was up with that "Stranger T...
Liz Goes to improv! Networking SUCKS! Internal Family Systems is...not for family?
I'm literally up the night before this is due to go out to you, our wonderful friends, putting this description together. If you HATE the term "networking", always wondered what it'd be like to randomly join an improv class and/or have absolute...
Checking IN VS. Checking ON Your Friendships
Check in on your friends today! I will too. Even if it moves my cheese. (Listen in for too many cheese puns.)We love ya.-Liz
So..Liz Hit a Car + Other Stories of Self Compassion
It's not as bad as the title suggests. Just listen to the damn episode lol- Bryce
Why Adult Friendships Require The Most GRACE
We grown.. Can we really trip if our best friends don't call us back immediately?Maybe lol Listen to this episode to hear what we think-Bryce
New Year, No Hype 2026: Embracing The Momentum You Already Have
Hey friend lab fam, in this conversation Bryce & I reflect on the past year- the seeds planted, soil tended, and growth that we couldn't have predicted. We’re talking about the (slightly unsettling) mix of hope, pressure, reflection, and im...
The Perfect Episode to Play on the Way to a Holiday Party
It's the holidays, be merry blah blah blah. Liz I and I chat about whatever we want in this episode to remind you that it's ok to be whoever you are, HOWever you are this season.Happy Holidays! - Bryce
Beyond Motivational Quotes: What Real Friendship Requires
Find The Friend Lab on Instagram, and (coming soon), join the community on
Making Friends Without Losing Yourself: Connecting Without Needing Approval
In this episode, Liz McKean and Bryce The Third take listeners behind the scenes of how The Friend Lab came to be, from early awkward misunderstandings to an airport meet-cute, from the “do we even know what we’re doing?” moments to the ...
Thanksgiving Season and Showing Up For the Relationships that MATTER
In this FIRST episode of The Friend Lab Liz McKean and Bryce The Third take listeners behind the scenes of how The Friend Lab came to be, from early awkward misunderstandings to an airport meet-cute, from the “do we even know what we’re ...