Gents Weekly: Friendship
Issue #13: The manliest newsletter on the internet • April 6, 2026
Welcome to issue #13 of The Gents Weekly, a newsletter for the modern man.
Every Monday, you’ll receive a weekly roundup of inspiring ideas + products to help you become a better man.
Brought to you by the men of Gents Journey — Dean Bokhari, Stephen Seidel, and Matt McManus.
Let’s dig in…
📝 THE MESSAGE
A timely piece from the gents.
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Friendship
Today, we’re tackling one of the hardest things to do in modern life: Making friends as an adult.
When you were a kid, making friends was easy. You just walked outside to recess, saw someone on the swings, and asked to play.
In high school and college, proximity did all the heavy lifting for you. If you shared a dorm room, you became friends.
But as an adult, that proximity disappears.
Work gets demanding. You get tired. You go home, watch Netflix, go to sleep, and slowly but surely, your social circle starts to shrink.
If you want to build a thriving network of friends as an adult, you’ve got to understand one core problem: Everybody is playing defense…
Everyone’s sitting on their couch, looking at their phones, waiting for somebody else to initiate.
Everyone wants to be invited, but nobody wants to do the inviting…
If you want to create and cultivate real friendships, you’ve got to stop being the Invitee and start being the Convener.
Being a “Convener” doesn’t mean you need to host a grand, massive dinner party.
It simply means getting in the habit of initiating and hosting.
And the simplest way to become a Convener is to stop waiting for the perfect moment and start inviting people to “tag along” for things that you’re already doing.
Grabbing coffee on Saturday morning? Invite someone to tag along.
Going for a hike? See if the new girl at the office wants to tag along.
Hittin’ the gym? Get the jacked dad’s number at your kid’s school—and see if he wants to tag along (and maybe spot you) when you hit the gym tomorrow.
These are all incredible opportunities to build real and lasting friendships.
And all you need to do is take an existing habit and open the door for somebody else to… tag along.
Try this:
Identify a potential friend. Think of one potential friend in your periphery—a loose tie you’d like to get to know better. This could be a coworker, an acquaintance, another parent at your kid’s school, that gal you see every time you go to Barnes & Noble - anyone!
Send a tag-along text. Grab your phone right now and send them a casual, low-pressure invitation to something you are already doing.
Use this formula: “Hey [Name], I’m planning to go [Activity] on [Day/Time]. No pressure if you’re busy, but let me know if you want to tag along.”
Example: “Hey Brad, I’m hiking an awesome trail at the Santa Rosa Plateau on Saturday morning. No pressure if you’ve got something else going on, but let me know if you want to tag along!”
If they say yes, you’ve initiated a new friendship. If they say no, it is completely fine—because you were going hiking anyway.
— Dean Bokhari
Co-founder, Gents Journey
Share this with a friend who could use it.
📰 THE MOMENT
Sh*t that’s happening now, ICYMI
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This Week’s AI Prompt: Friendship
Let’s play a game: Can you make one new friend this month?
Here’s the challenge: most guys haven’t made a real friend in years.
You’ve got coworkers. Gym acquaintances. People you follow on Instagram. But a real friend? Someone you’d actually call when life gets weird? Someone who knows your story and still wants to hang out?
That’s rare.
So this week, we’re turning friendship into a game. The goal? Make one new friend in the next 30 days and level up one friendship you already have.
Sound easy? Then why haven’t you done it yet?
This prompt helps you play the friendship game like you mean it—with a strategy, a scoreboard, and actual moves to make.
THE PROMPT:
Copy everything below and paste it into ChatGPT or Claude:
I want to play a friendship game this week. Help me audit my current friendships, identify what's missing, and create a game plan to make one new friend and strengthen one existing friendship.
Help me:
1. LEVEL 1: Map out my current friendships (The Inventory)
- Who are my closest friends right now?
- When was the last time I had a real conversation with each of them (not just texting memes)?
- Who would I call if I needed to talk through something hard?
- Who do I actually want to spend time with vs. who I feel obligated to see?
- Score my friendships: How many are surface-level vs. deep? How many are active vs. fading?
2. LEVEL 2: Identify what's missing (The Gap)
- Do I have friends I can be vulnerable with, or just guys I joke around with?
- Do I have friends who push me to be better, or just people who agree with everything I say?
- What kind of friendship am I craving that I don't currently have?
3. LEVEL 3: Figure out why I'm stuck (The Blocker)
- What's my actual barrier? Time? Fear of being the guy who reaches out first? Don't know where to start?
- Am I waiting for friendships to happen, or am I actively trying to build them?
- What excuses am I making that are keeping me on the sidelines?
4. LEVEL 4: Make one new friend in 30 days (The Quest)
- Where could I meet someone? (Gym, work, hobby, online community, local event, etc.)
- What's one way I could turn an acquaintance into a real friend?
- Give me 3 "friendship moves" I can make this week to start building a new connection
5. LEVEL 5: Strengthen one existing friendship this week (The Side Quest)
- Who's a friend I've been meaning to reach out to but haven't?
- What's one conversation I've been avoiding that I should have?
- Give me one specific action I can take in the next 7 days to go deeper with someone I already know
Turn this into a game for me. Give me clear moves, a timeline, and a way to track progress. Make it fun. Make it actionable. Don't let me off the hook.
Here's where my friendships stand right now: [Describe your current friend situation]
Here's what I think is holding me back: [Be honest about your barriers]
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The AI is going to turn friendship into a game with levels, quests, and clear moves to make. It’s going to give you a scoreboard so you can actually see your progress.
By the end, you’ll have:
A clear inventory of your current friendships (and where they stand)
A 30-day quest to make one new friend
A side quest to strengthen one existing friendship this week
Specific moves to make (not vague advice)
WHY THIS MATTERS
Friendship isn’t just “nice to have.” It’s essential. Men with real friendships are happier, healthier, and live longer. Men without them? Life gets harder.
But here’s the good news: you can level up. You can make new friends. You can strengthen old ones. You just have to stop waiting and start playing the game.
That’s what The Journey Deck is for. That’s what this community is for. That’s what this prompt is for.
Run this prompt. Play the friendship game. Build your crew.
Drop one “friendship move” you’re going to make this week. Let’s see who levels up the fastest.
— Matt McManus
Co-founder, Gents Journey
👊 THE MOVES
Media for men.
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Watch | The Hidden Power of Grief
Be sure to subscribe to our Gents Journey YouTube channel.
(Watch the video above first.)
One day, it all falls apart.
The home you built.
The life you thought was steady.
The routines that made everything feel safe.
What pulled me through was friendship.
When I relocated cross-country to care for my mother while she battled illness, I had no close friends, no colleagues nearby, no lifeline. My world shattered. I felt grief, isolation, and the floor falling out beneath me.
But then I remembered the lessons she taught me—presence, connection, and the joy of small moments. I reconnected with old friends. I rebuilt my community. I reclaimed my power by owning and sharing my story.
Reconnect to your meaning.
Rebuild the bonds of community.
Reclaim your purpose and power.
Friendship became my bridge through grief. Without it, I would be in a much darker place.
Friendship of Gents Journey
From that struggle, Gents Journey was born.
A safe space for men to be seen, to be honest, to share the parts of themselves the world often ignores. Because in every story, in every hero’s journey, there’s a friend who reminds them of their greatness.
We are a product of the five people we spend the most time with. Our connections define us. We need friends, not just for celebration, but to help us see our own strength when we’ve forgotten it.
Here’s a question to consider welcoming back into your life from our Journey Deck: What don’t people get about you?
Step into Friendship
Try asking “What don’t people get about you?” the next time you’re at the coffee shop, the grocery store, or a drive-through.
Congratulations—you’ve just made a new friend.
Now, introduce yourself in the comments below. Share a little about who you are.
Step out of the darkness.
Step into friendship.
Step up for yourself.
We built this community to be a place to share, level up, and forge new friendships, and it would mean a lot to hear your story.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s be friends.
— Stephen Seidel
Co-founder, Gents Journey
🔗 MEANINGFUL MENTIONS + MAGIC LINKS
Fun stuff you’ll dig about our theme of the week.
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💻 REAL MEN HAVE A COACH IN THEIR CORNER
Stop playing small, step into the man you know you are.
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We’re looking for ten men who want coaching and guidance to level up in life + work. If that’s you, fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch.
Until next week,
—The Gents
Inspired? Share this newsletter with another Gent you think it could help.