Episode 94: How To Make Friends As An Adult with Friendship Coach Danielle Bayard Jackson

OUR HOSTS: 

Corinne Foxx - @corinnefoxx

Natalie McMillan - @nataliemcm and @shopnataliemcmillan 

What we're drinking: 2020 Storm Sauvignon Blanc 

MEET OUR GUEST: 

Danielle Bayard Jackson - @daniellebayardjackson, @friendforward, and  betterfemalefriendships.com 

ABOUT OUR GUEST: 

Danielle Bayard Jackson is a certified friendship coach and national speaker dedicated to teaching women how to create and maintain meaningful female friendships. She founded Friend Forward, a platform for  teaching women how to create and sustain meaningful friendships. As a member of the American Sociological Association, Danielle uses the latest research to create practical, tangible strategies to help women create more depth in their platonic relationships. 

TOPIC: 

Research shows that your social network expands exponentially until about the age of 25 and then begins to slowly decline as we enter the workforce and settle into adulthood. It can feel difficult and uncomfortable to make friends when you’re not in a classroom or dorm, so we invited Danielle on to talk about how to develop meaningful friendships later in life, as well as maintain connections from childhood and college. She shares how she transitioned from an English teacher to certified relationship coach, and what her time as a high school teacher taught her about friendship patterns. She shares the biggest mindset barriers that she sees when it comes to making new friends, what tends to keep us stuck in our bubbles, and how to use your current network to make new friends. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Confronting the false expectations of what we think friendships should be

• Common challenges when it comes to making a new friend as an adult

• The natural friendship pruning that takes place throughout life

• Putting the effort into staying connected with friends when you feel like you’re drifting apart

• Practicing principles of romantic relationships in platonic friendships

• The difference between making new friends and meeting new people

• Setting up novel, active experiences to do with other people instead of going out for drinks or a meal

RESOURCES MENTIONED: 

• What do you do when you're the friend who's always initiating

• 5 Reasons You Feel Lonely EVEN THOUGH You Have Friends

• Episode 26: Navigating Adult Friendships, How to Set Boundaries, and Break Up With Toxic Friends

• Episode 61: Navigating Adult Relationships With Your Parents

END OF THE SHOW: 

Corinne and Natalie introduce Hotties of the Week: Amy Poehler and Tina Fey

WINE RATING:

2020 Storm Sauvignon Blanc = 8.5 / Amy Poehler and Tina Fey

WRAP UP:

To wrap up the episode, of course we had to play the BFF Quiz. Nat asks Corinne to name one thing that she’s embarrassed to admit she wants to try, and Corinne asks Nat if she’s proud of what she’s doing with her heart and time right now. 

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