In this episode of Unexpected Advice, Esther Angell is joined by her friend and former colleague Michelle Scobie (whose career spans SAP, Dell, Microsoft, and Cargas) for a real conversation about something many of us forgot how to do after the last few years: show up with intention.

Michelle shares practical, approachable ways to reconnect with friends, build community in a new place, and get past the fear of “bothering people.” From using simple openers at networking events (compliments, comments, and finding a “tag team” buddy) to staying connected long-distance by picking up the phone, she breaks connection down into small, doable steps.

They also talk about how social media can create a false sense of closeness, why relationships need consistent nurturing, and how your network matters not just for friendship, but for career resilience too - especially in a world of layoffs and rapid change. Michelle closes with tactical advice for job seekers, including leveraging LinkedIn intentionally, leaning into referrals, and building skills that aren’t going away (hello, AI).

If you’ve been feeling disconnected, lonely, or just out of practice… this episode is your reminder: Just show up.

You can learn more about Unexpected Advice by visiting https://insightfullycurious.com/unexpected-advice-podcast