Friend Forward

In the market for new friends? In this episode of the Friend Forward podcast, friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson shares 4 phrases to avoid. ---- Buy your copy of "Fighting for our Friendships" and read it with your book club or women's organization! Order your copy here . ------ Want to become a friendship coach? We're designing a high-level certification program. Learn more by emailing us...

In this episode, you'll hear 3 women speak about the friendship issues they experienced and how shaking off the embarrassment of pursuing support for their relational health made a huge difference. ---- ANNOUNCEMENT! Doors for the 16-week Friendship Elevated Group Coaching Program JUST OPENED. Enjoy 20% off registration when you sign-up before August 18 . Join us as we come together in an intimate...

In this episode, host and friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson discusses the idea that being a good friend to some might mean being a bad friend to others. She explores four points to consider when choosing which friendships to prioritize: being a good friend is relative, time is a limited resource, only 50% of friendships are reciprocal, and some people may be displeased with your choices. S...

Sometimes life's circumstances become so overwhelming that you find yourself withdrawing from friends. During your "hibernation" period, you hope that they'll stick around without getting upset, losing interest, or questioning the friendship. So what exactly is a hibernation friend and what can we do to ensure that we have the kind of friendships that make it through? -- In this episode, Danielle...

In this week's episode of the podcast, Danielle Bayard Jackson-- host and friendship expert-- shares how she discovered she's in a new friendship season, and what she's doing to build more active friendships. To experience your own "aha" moments, take your friendship inventory buy clicking this link and using code "summersale" to enjoy 30% off within the next 7 days: https://www.betterfemalefriend...

It can be intimidating to go out into the world and enjoy new experiences on your own. But what are the benefits? And are there strategies to help you to enjoy the experience? In this episode of the Friend Forward podcast, friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson offers three mindset shifts that will embolden you, followed by 6 tangible tips for engaging more confidently. ----- Join us in DC for...

What is social health, and how can you improve it? Today we're speaking with Harvard-trained social scientist Kasley Killam who's been studying social health for ten years. Her new book, The Art and Science of Connection , is the world's first book on social health, and we're going to get clear on why this is an actual domain of our overall health. Spoiler: It can't be solved by just talking to yo...

As a single woman who is actively dating, it can be tough to get adequate support from your friends. Sometimes they mean well, but the things they say and do can feel dismissive or insulting, and that can begin to create a certain emotional distance that's hard to recover from. That's where dating expert Lily Womble comes in. In Lily's new book "Thank You, More Please", she breaks down how women c...

After a brief hiatus, we're back and ready to hit you with some fresh content to kick-off the summer! In this episode, we share an excerpt from our interview with Anna Goldfarb ( @annagoldfarb ), journalist and author of the new book Modern Friendship. We also chat a bit about the "Fighting four our Friendships" book tour. Three of the last four stops were sold out! But we're only halfway done. Co...

We recently posted this video to TikTok, and there were women in the comments who said they don't want friends... many of them specifically lamenting the perils of being friends with other women. What do we say to those who are feeling that way? And for women who ARE feeling that way: what would it take to have you change your mind? In this episode of the Friend Forward podcast, we share responses...

The American Time Use Survey finds that the average amount of time Americans spend with their friends each week has dropped significantly. In this episode of the Friend Forward podcast, host Danielle Bayard Jackson-- female friendship expert and educator-- shares what the research says about spending time together. She also shares her personal three-month experiment of trying to triple her time wi...

Sometimes it can feel like there are so many "girl codes" to memorize along our journey toward connection with other women. But after six years of studying the research on women's conflict and cooperation, host and female friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson noticed three themes that continue to emerge. She synthesized what she's learned and created an original framework called The Three Affi...

Would you ever pay someone to be your bridesmaid? And how would you feel if you were a bridesmaid at a wedding and you learned that a fellow bridesmaid had been hired to stand beside you? And finally, what reasons would a woman even have to pay for an extra bridesmaid? Today, on the Friend Forward podcast, our resident friendship expert is joined by Jen Glantz, writer and an official bridesmaid fo...

Oftentimes when we hear people speak of "vulnerability," we picture an image of someone tearfully sharing about their childhood or expressing heavy feelings. But there are other ways to show vulnerability that can help you grow closer to friends that don't involve sharing secrets or having an emotional breakdown. If you've committed to being a bit more vulnerable in your female friendships, this e...

It’s been a few weeks since you first noticed a pattern emerge in one of your friendships. You’ve been trying to convince yourself that it’s not a big deal and that it’s not even worth addressing, but over time you’re realising that your silence on the issue is costing you in more ways than one.   In today’s episode of the Friend Forward podcast, our resident friendship expert Danielle Bayard...

The research on women's friendships finds that women tend to greatly value "mutual prioritization" in our same-sex friendships. So when we discover that we're NOT our bestie's bestie, it can be a major gut punch.   In today's episode of the Friend Forward podcast with host Danielle Bayard Jackson, female friendship expert, you'll learn three guiding questions to ask to help you manage feeling...

You’re walking home from a friend’s party when you begin to replay a conversation you had with someone you met and, as you recall the way you dived right into personal life details within the first three minutes, you’re wondering if you overshared…   Other people might regret opening up in that way but not you, because you often say - if it’s not a deep friendship, then I don’t want it - but...

You’re out shopping and you see a group of four women walk by, sipping on coffee, pushing their carts and laughing at something together, and you feel a little sting. You’re wondering if you’ll ever experience that group dynamic again the way you did when you were younger, and you’re secretly wishing that you had a solid friendship group, in the way so many other people seem to.    In to...

You’re walking home after a coffee date with a new friend and begin to reflect on the time that you spent together. You really like hanging out with her, but you realize that she doesn’t share anything about herself with you, at least not anything personal, and come to think of it, you have another friend who’s the same…  In this episode of the Friend Forward podcast, our resident friendship...

Here, on the Friend Forward podcast, we’ve explored the issue of friendship at the intersection of our romantic relationships in a myriad of different ways, but today on the show we are specifically exploring the question of, how do your friendships impact your marriage?   This is a question that’s been top of mind for our resident friendship expert, Danielle Bayard Jackson, since reading Rha...

A recent survey of 13,000 recipients found that 44% of people have reduced the time they spent with a friend because they didn’t like her partner.  So what can you do if your best friend and your partner don’t get along? If you’re feeling stuck in the middle, then this episode is for you.  Today I am joined by Ore Agbaje-Williams, author of the book, “The Three Of Us”, which is the book...

For women, is romantic love more valuable than platonic love? And if so, what role does our culture play in influencing the ways that we prioritize these relationships? Today, on the Friend Forward podcast, we are rebroadcasting an episode that first aired three years ago, because it is one that is so powerful and still so relevant to share around this Galentine’s Day. In this conversation, our re...

These days, when somebody says that they have a “hot take”, it can, especially on social media, be a way of being purposely controversial and going against the grain to create some spicy content that elicits comments, likes and engagement.    However, when it comes to friendship, there is sometimes a discourse around particular topics that leans a certain way, and our resident friendship...

Welcome to "Girl Problems" a bi-weekly segment from the Friend Forward podcast, coming to you every other Tuesday.   Today’s episode addresses a listener’s friendship question regarding the notion of guilt. Our listener is currently undergoing a friendship transition, where she is stepping back from a friendship she no longer feels aligned with. Whilst she is happy to let this relationship di...

The word “accountability” is used pretty often both on social media and in real life situations, but what does it really mean, and how does it play out with regard to friendships?   You may be able to recall a time when you attempted to hold a friend accountable for a decision she had made, and been met with annoyance, anger and even withdrawal, leaving you wondering if you should have just k...