Walking with Joy: The Neighborhood Project That Started with a Dog

Turns out my dog is better at making friends than I am.

Walking with Joy began when I realized that while I was busy checking my phone during our daily walks, my pup was actually connecting with every person we passed. So I put the phone away, started paying attention, and discovered my neighborhood is full of incredible people with amazing stories.

Now our walks include impromptu interviews with anyone willing to chat. The crossing guard who knows every kid's name and their favorite snack? Legend status. The barber who's been cutting hair on the same corner for twenty years and has the neighborhood gossip network down to a science? Pure entertainment gold.

I share these conversations on Instagram with #walkingwithjoy because, frankly, everyone needs to know that the most interesting reality show is happening right outside their door.

The concept is stupid simple: Walk your dog. Talk to people. Share the good stuff. Repeat.

Your dog is already the perfect wingman for making neighborhood connections—they just needed you to catch up to their social skills.

Join the movement of people who've discovered that the best conversations happen when you're holding a leash.

#walkingwithjoy - Because your neighborhood is more interesting than your feed