Friend Forward

Making new connections can be tough. And quick moments of interaction with strangers aren’t the greatest opportunities to make friends. But let's be real, friendships are the essence of a rich and fulfilling life. So how do we get more intentional and step out of our own way? In this episode, we chat with Ashley Kirsner, Founder of Skip the Small Talk, about constructing intentional spaces for peo...

"Girl Problems" is a new segment from the Friend Forward podcast, designed to address the DMs we receive from listeners on Instagram @ daniellebayardjackson and @ friendforward . If you have a girl problem of your won to submit to resident friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson, feel free to visit us on socials, or contact us via our website Betterfemalefriendships.com .   Looking for a meaning...

Pursuing new female friendships may feel like a daunting task for most. The upsides are obvious- expanding your social circle, discovering new interests, and growing as a person. However, for many of us, the fear of rejection and vulnerability can hold us back from reaching out to others and forming new connections.  In this episode, we'll delve into the heart of these fears and explore four commo...

Resident friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson shares an unscripted, unedited, vulnerable message for "Friend Forward" listeners.   Follow along with her and the team at Betterfemalefriendships.com or on Instagram @friendforward .

In this week's "Girl Problems" segment, we respond to an Instagram DM from a young woman who's realized that if her partner popped the question, she wouldn't have any female friends to include in her wedding party. Listen in as resident friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson responds. To those who offered their opinion's on this week's episode via Instagram stories, tune in-- you may hear your...

A ‘people pleaser’ is literally the antithesis of what we all want to be known as. We see how people-pleasers are portrayed in television and film and we cringe at the display of their desire to be accepted and their tendency to somehow, always be available. But it’s often said that the things we most detest in others may be the attributes we wrestle with most knowingly or unknowingly within ourse...

"Girl Problems" is a new segment of the Friend Forward podcast where we attempt to answer the DMs that you send us on Instagram in five minutes or less. Today's message comes from a woman who is struggling to cope with her loneliness. We hope this helps, "G".   Book a private friendship coaching session . Follow us on Instagram . Book Danielle Bayard Jackson -- friendship expert and educator-- to...

Sometimes, it's you. In today's episode of the Friend Forward podcast, resident friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson offers six reasons why you might be the problem in your current friendship. Popular online content focuses on ways that our friends disappoint us, but what happens when we're the source of stress, confusion, and distance?    If it's time for you to finally share your personal s...

What do you do when you've become overwhelmed and overextended? In today's "Girl Problems"-- a new series from the 'Friend Forward' podcast where we answer your personal DMs-- resident friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson answers a question about how to recover when you've packed your social calendar to the brim. To submit your own "Girl Problems" question, visit us at Betterfemalefriendships....

What do you do when you want to take a woman from an acquaintance to a friend? In this episode of the Friend Forward Podcast, resident friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson is offering three charismatic ways to communicate your (platonic) interest. She'll also share the results of a survey she did online so you can see how OTHER women have probably trying to communicate their interest to YOU....

The conversation around jealousy in female friendship is pretty narrow. "Good friends don't get jealous..." And while that's somewhat true, how do we make sense of the times we DO feel a momentary ping of jealousy or envy? In this episode, resident friendship coach Danielle Bayard Jackson explains the difference between envy and jealousy, and then provides three tips on how to manage those emotion...

You know that you want better female friendships next year, but it's not enough to proclaim it-- you need to reassess the mindsets that are holding you back. In this episode, resident friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson uses research from the most respected leaders in the fields of communication, connection, and loneliness, to make the case for leaving these four mindsets behind.   Follow Da...

In this episode of the Friend Forward podcast, we're introducing you to three women who met using Bumble BFF. They'll share their tips for safely leveraging technology for friendship, and how to transfer the relationship from the digital to in-real-life world. We encourage you to look at the women's pictures to really bring this story to life, and then allow it to inspire you to pursue your own fr...

On this week’s episode of the Friend Forward episode, journalist Jordan Davidson sheds some light on the (surprising!) ways that choosing to have/ not have kids inevitably impacts our friendships. In this discussion, we talk about: “Fertility contagion” Reasons more women are choosing not to have children + the fear of being left behind The surprising ways we invalidate our friends’ decisions 4 wa...

If you have a tendency to overshare with new friends, this episode is for you. We'll discuss the real definition of oversharing, three reasons why you're compelled to do it, and what the (inevitable) social consequences are of such a habit.    If oversharing is impacting your ability to make (and keep) friends, you might want to book a one-on-one friendship coaching session (before prices increase...

"Girl Problems" is a new series from the Friend Forward podcast that attemps to answer your friendship questions in five minutes or less. Today, a listener asks about Bumble BFF. She's downloaded the app, but how does she navigate the platform? Since host Danielle Bayard Jackson is the OFFICIAL spokesperson for Bumble BFF (Ayyyy!)), she feels uniquely qualified to offer support. If you've been loo...

Taylor Rae Almonte-Roman is a Brooklyn based Afro-Latina actor, athlete and activist who founded ACTIV-ISM , a wellness company dedicated to providing programs and resources to aide in the fight for social justice. But when she really leaned into activism, she noticed it directly impacted some of her friendships. Today she'll share a bit of her story, and it will offer validation to other women of...

You’ve struggled with it for weeks, but you’re finally ready to come to accept that one of your friendships is over. But how do you begin moving forward? In today's episode, resident friendship coach and educator Danielle Bayard Jackson will share 4 ways to move on from a painful friendship break-up. ** BONUS** Today's episode includes instructions to download a free list of 10 ways to respond whe...

You may have heard women who describe themselves as "high-achievers", and typically, these women have the kind of traits that we all aspire to have: they’re go-getters, they may have a lot of social connections, and they are likely what most would consider to be successful. But when it comes to friendship, there's one way that they are getting it wrong. To help us understand what this is, I’m call...

"Girl Problems" is a new weekly segment from the Friend Forward podcast where we attempt to answer a listener's issue in 5 minutes or less. To submit your issue ( or to sign-up for a full one-on-one session), visit us at Betterfemalefriendships.com .    Follow Danielle on Instagram . Binge Danielle's TikToks .

This week we're sharing voice notes submitted by listeners explaining why they consider themselves "guys' girls", then offering research and insights to explain their perspective. The goal of this episode is to bridge the divide between "girls' girls" and "guys' girls" in an attempt to alleviate some of the hostility and misunderstanding between these two groups. If this resonates with you, come t...

"Girl Problems" is a new weekly mini-segment from the Friend Forward podcast where resident friendship coach and educator Danielle Bayard Jackson attempts to address a personal DM in five minutes or less with the help of fellow listeners. To learn more about friendship coaching (yes, it's a thing!), visit Betterfemalefriendships.com and follow Danielle on Instagram at @ daniellebayardjackson   NOT...

I recently asked 600 women about their friendships. Nearly 30% of those women said that they had a friendships that they were currently considering terminating. If that's the case, we need to spend some time thinking about not only how to do it, but why we're making that choice. To join me in this conversation, Erin Falconer comes to shed some light on the issue. She's a psychotherapist and author...

Welcome to our new weekly segment: GIRL PROBLEMS-- a mini-episode where resident friendship coach and educator Danielle Bayard Jackson will answer a question directly from either our Instagram DM's (@ friendforward ) or emails we receive at Betterfemalefriendships.com. To share your thoughts on today's "girl problem", visit us on Instagram. And to submit a "girl problem" of your own, DM us or send...

How is your "friendship algorithm" secretly impacting your relationship with other women? To help define and unpack the concept, Dr. Marisa G. Franco--psychologist, speaker, and author of the new book "Platonic: How the Science of Attachment can Help you Make and Keep Friends"-- is here to break it all down.   Order Dr. Franco's book here in time for our book club meeting , and then book your one-...