Mindset coach and friendship expert Shari Leid is tackling the loneliness epidemic one meal at a time, and sharing her journey in her new memoir, Table for 51: Lessons Learned from Sharing Meals Across America.
Leid, a former litigator-turned-mindset coach, is the author of the Friendship Series — The 50/50 Friendship Flow (2020), Make Your Mess Your Message (2021), and Ask Yourself This (2022) — and has been interviewed on major networks, written for Real Simple, Women’s World, and Shondaland, and has been selected as a speaker for TEDxEustis 2025.
Through her coaching practice, An Imperfectly Perfect Life, LLC, Leid shares the transformative power of genuine friendship, and helps people rediscover the joy of connection, from one-on-one sessions to national speaking engagements. For her 50 States Project, Leid set out to share meals with strangers across the country, and turn them into friends, and she shares her journey in Table for 51.
The book shows how simple acts like sharing food with others can build bonds and break isolation, leading to profound conversations, surprising unity, and a deeper understanding of belonging.
Leid offers insights and advice on making friends as adults, combatting loneliness, finding common ground, and building connection skills. She shows that people can create meaningful connections at any stage of life, across cultural, social, and political divides, and equips the next generation with tools for authentic relationships.
Now, Leid is challenging others to rethink labels, embrace diversity, and build connections where they’re least expected through her #FlipTheBox movement.
“In life, we are only as good as the dear friends we keep,” says Jon Jay Harris, a communications and public relations professional known for sharing inspirational quotes on social media.
In the modern world, where digital interactions are the norm, loneliness is becoming one of society’s greatest challenges, making authentic connections more important than ever, according to Leid.
Table for 51, released Feb. 18, is now available online from Simon & Schuster and at other major booksellers.
