What if just four minutes a day could change the way you make decisions, navigate relationships, and understand yourself?

In this episode, we talk with Laura L. Rubin about the transformative power of journaling ... not as a “nice-to-have,” but as a tool for clarity, confidence, and connection.

From processing conflict to making life’s biggest decisions, Laura shares how putting pen to paper helps quiet the noise and bring you back to what’s true.

We explore:

• How journaling helps you move from reactivity to clarity
• Why self-connection is the foundation of all meaningful relationships
• The simple 4x4x4 method to make journaling stick
• And the mindset shift that can change how you show up in your life

This conversation might just inspire you to pick up a pen—and finally listen to yourself.

What if oversharing isn’t something to fix, but something to use?

This week on The Connection Code, we’re joined by Leslie John. She's a behavioral scientist, Harvard Business School professor, and author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing

Together, we unpack one of the biggest myths about connection: that saying “too much” is a social mistake. Leslie explains why what we call oversharing is often just … sharing and why it’s one of the most powerful tools we have to build trust, deepen relationships, and move from acquaintance to real friendship.

We talk about:

• The science behind self-disclosure and why it literally activates the brain’s pleasure centers
• The “overshare hangover” (and why it’s usually misleading)
• How to go from small talk to meaningful connection without making it weird
• What crying at work actually communicates (and how to handle it)
• The difference between TMI (too much information) and TLI (too little information)
• Why the biggest regrets in life often come from what we didn’t say

Plus, we share our own stories of oversharing gone right (and wrong), and what it really looks like to build connection in real time.

If you’ve ever walked away from a conversation thinking “did I say too much?” this episode might change how you see it forever.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Leslie John's Website: https://www.proflesliejohn.com
• Arthur Aron’s “36 Questions That Lead to Love”
• Leslie's book, Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing

What happens when you take 16 strangers, sit them down at one table, and design every moment for connection?

This week on The Connection Code, we sit down with Shreena Amin and Chef Nicolai Mlodinow, the founders of Class Act Dining—a Chicago-based, 16-seat communal dining experience built to bring people together through food, storytelling, and intentional design.

What started as a scrappy, post-pandemic dinner party in an apartment has evolved into a full sensory experience. Today, Class act engineers connection with cocktail hour, a shared table, and a nightcap.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why connection doesn’t just happen, it’s created
• What a dinner table can teach us about belonging
• The surprising ways strangers become friends (even skeptics and introverts)
• How storytelling, space, and even menu design shape human interaction
• And the deeply personal “why” behind building a business centered on connection

From childhood memories of gathering around food to the vulnerability of not always feeling like you belong, this episode goes far beyond dining—it’s about what we’re all craving: to feel seen, included, and part of something.

Because sometimes, the shortest path to connection… is a seat at the table.