By James Morgan, Founder of Buddys
In the last few years, we’ve all experienced a lot of change and uncertainty. The pandemic forced us to change how we interact with one another and formed barriers to face-to-face conversations that challenged human connection in a variety of ways.
Founding Story
Four years ago, my wife and I lost our one-year-old son James. It was sudden and without explanation. One day he was there and the next he was gone. Buddys was born from our desire to turn this pain into purpose.
We went to therapy and spoke with counselors. Looking back, the connection and support we had around us was what helped us move forward. For me, having someone who had gone through what I was going through and hearing them talk about their experience and what helped them gave me so much hope.
We decided to create Buddys to help as many people as possible to find that same shared connection. It’s comforting to know that no matter where you are in the world or what time it is, you can connect with someone who has a similar story. You may wake up in the middle of the night with negative thoughts swirling around in your head. When everything appears to be going wrong, the ability to reach out to someone on the spot and feel heard is extremely powerful.
A few years later, our story took another turn. We found ourselves wanting to give back to our son and to his legacy. We wanted to be to others what our community was to us— a symbol of hope.
Knowing that your pain serves a purpose, I discovered, lessens the pain even more. When you go through something like this, it’s easy to beat yourself up and go down a dark path in search of an explanation for your pain. However, if you turn it into something positive, you’ll find a reason.
Find one. Be one. Find solace in the company of others who have been where you are and can help you see the light in the darkness. Be the person whose story inspires others to find hope.
Make Connections
We understand that making connections online can be intimidating. “I don’t even talk about it with my closest friends,” you may be thinking, or “I don’t feel comfortable sharing my story with strangers.” These are some of the reasons why we’re always working to make your Buddys experience as customizable as possible.
Your Profile. Your Choice.
The best way to get the most out of Buddys is to make sure to complete your profile. Then, depending on your preference, you can adjust your sharing settings. The app is designed to facilitate authentic connections by grouping users into communities based on their profiles.
The search feature is another great way to find and connect with other Buddys. It allows you to look through the app for Buddys who have gone through a similar experience, and you can then message them directly. Note that this information is all based on their profile, which is why the more complete your profile is, the richer your experience will be.
At Buddys, we believe this is critical to help connect people on a deeper level. When you have something in common, it’s easier to be vulnerable and encourage genuine conversations. People naturally gravitate toward others who are similar to them, regardless of age, location, culture, taste, or life experiences.
We Care About Your Safety
Safety was one of the big things for us when we were building Buddys, and we have tools in place to help with that.
- Two-factor authentication during onboarding.
- All interactions are native to the Buddys App.
- Ability to report inappropriate content/users. Our team takes this seriously and reserves the right to close an account if deemed necessary.
- The choice to remain anonymous.
A Peek Into The Future
There are a lot of exciting things in the works. We’re developing new features that will improve the user experience and reduce friction points in the app. We’re also adding resources from licensed professionals who speak to the various communities’ topics.
This community means a lot to me and I’m committed to assisting Buddys in their time of need. Some people aren’t ready to share their stories, and that’s okay. Whether it’s a personal check-in, a community chat, a private chat, or professional advice, I believe the bottom line is that we all need an outlet. And that’s where Buddys comes in.
I’ve always said that if Buddys helps just one person, it’s a success. Personally, I consider it a success because it allows me to share what we’ve experienced and gone through. And knowing that we’ve built a community of hundreds of people looking for hope and comfort in what they’re going through is encouraging. I just want to continue to give as much content and resources to them as possible.
