Stories of Selling Human Stories of Selling Human Why Principles of Friendship Are Underestimated in Business - Dr. Miriam Kirmayer, Clinical Psychologist, Keynote Speaker - Sell By Being Human

Episode 146

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Published on:

19th Aug 2025

Why Principles of Friendship Are Underestimated in Business - Dr. Miriam Kirmayer, Clinical Psychologist, Keynote Speaker

Summary:

Today I sit down with Dr. Miriam Kirmayer, a renowned expert on friendship and human connection, to discuss the importance of building meaningful relationships in the workplace and how we underestimate principles of friendship. As she likes to say, "We overestimate the amount of both energy and discomfort that can come from reaching out, initiating plans, And we underestimate the amount of pleasure, joy, meaning, and impact that can come from both deep conversations and also frankly, casual moments of chit chat, whether that's with strangers or a quick reconnect with an old or long lost friend.

Sometimes people compartmentalize their "work friends" or business friends with their personal friends and Miriam teaches us how principles of friendship can help you in sales.

Key Discussion Points:

The role of friendships in enhancing workplace productivity and engagement. Overcoming myths about workplace friendships and their impact on professional success. Practical strategies for fostering genuine connections with colleagues and clients. The balance between professional boundaries and personal connections.

Guest Bio: Dr. Miriam Kirmayer is a clinical psychologist and leading voice on the science of friendship. Her work has been featured in major publications like The Atlantic, BBC, and Psychology Today.

Key Moments:

  1. [00:02:15] - Introduction to Dr. Miriam Kirmayer and her expertise in friendship and human connection.
  2. [00:10:30] - Discussion on the importance of building friendships at work and their impact on productivity.
  3. [00:18:45] - Overcoming common myths about workplace friendships.
  4. [00:25:00] - Practical strategies for fostering genuine connections with colleagues.
  5. [00:35:20] - The balance between maintaining professional boundaries and personal connections.
  6. [00:45:10] - Dr. Kirmayer shares personal stories and insights from her research.
  7. [00:55:30] - Closing thoughts on the value of human connection in professional settings.

Resources:

Visit Miriam's website for more insights and resources on building connections. Connect with Miriam on LinkedIn and Instagram for personal updates and tips.

Subscribe to the "Sell By Being Human" podcast for more episodes on leveraging human connection in sales and business.

#WorkplaceWellbeing #HumanConnection #FriendshipAtWork

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About the Podcast

Sell By Being Human
We all want to be heard, seen, and understood. This podcast shares stories of how all humans sell just by being great humans.
I believe that all people want to be heard, seen, and understood. But how do we get people to hear, see, and understand us effectively? Salespeople train themselves on techniques to do this but there are people doing it well without the word sales showing up anywhere in their job title or job description. This podcast is designed to help us hone our human skills, understand subtle similarities between non-sales people and salespeople, and show how we can learn from both groups the next time we need to create change and sell by being human.

You will learn from people throughout all walks of life. Nurses, coaches, janitors, event planners, HR executives, and architects. Just to name a few. We'll contrast them with trained sales people to show similarities and differences. There's an art to human connection and sales. We all do it differently and we can all learn from our every day human interactions.

Please contact me and let me know who you see in your life selling by being human! I want to shine a light on them.

alex.smith@docebo.com
@asmith202
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcsmith/

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Alex Smith

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