If we want to help Gen Z thrive, we can’t just encourage connection—we have to help them experience relationships built through shared life.

In Part 2 of our Increased Connectedness conversation, Andy and Kelly sit down with Shane Sullards—entrepreneur, adventurer, and Eagle Ranch alumnus—to explore how community is actually formed and why struggle often plays a key role in deepening it.

Drawing from his own story, Shane shares how his time at Eagle Ranch transformed his life. As a teenager facing deep pain and isolation, it wasn’t independence that changed him—it was consistent, caring community. Through relationships that refused to let him withdraw, he began to experience hope, healing, and a new sense of belonging.

That experience continues to shape how he lives and parents today.

Shane challenges the idea that connect ...