In this week’s episode of Friends, Loves, & Life, I sit down with my longtime friend Mike Ryan — a creative force, a sharp wit, and someone I once shared an office with above Akbar in Silverlake. We talk about how we met, the business we built together (a gay men’s hook-up site, back before apps ruled the world), and yes — our daily lunches at El Pollo Loco that somehow never got old.

But this episode goes deeper.

Mike shares, with honesty and clarity, what it was like to come out, and how his relationship with his father — a deeply painful and complicated one — shaped that journey. What struck me most is how he’s now taking those experiences and turning them into fiction: a novel that reimagines the story with heart, creativity, and what-if healing. It’s powerful, and it’s brave.

We also reflect on what happens when friendships shift. After years of working side by side, our lives pulled us in different directions. We lost touch. And yet here we are, reconnecting — laughing, remembering, and talking about the things we maybe couldn’t say back then.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to return to a friendship that shaped you, or how people carry trauma and turn it into something beautiful, this episode is for you.

Give it a listen. And if you enjoy it, please leave a review—it helps more than you know.

— David

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