77. How to Make Friends and Build Friendships with Danielle Bayard Jackson

Coming up on this episode of Flirtations, we’re talking connection, vulnerability, and the importance of friendship with friendship expert Danielle Bayard Jackson!

Friendships are one of the most essential and beautiful parts of life, yet can sometimes feel complicated, messy, and downright hard to navigate. Don’t worry, we got you!

A few of the questions explored in this conversation are:

Why is it so tough to make new friends as an adult?

How can we move beyond the surface and build real, meaningful connections?

And what does it actually mean to "be yourself" in friendships?

Danielle guides us through these situations and so much more.

We’ll talk about social anxiety and introversion, how to embrace vulnerability with a powerful reframe, and how we can go deeper in our connections.

We also break down friendship dynamics, like what to do about one-sided friendships, the “hibernation friend,” how to handle jealousy or gossip, and even friendship breakups.

Finally, we end with a full circle moment coming back to the theme of connection and how we can all level up our friendship game.

So, whether you’re looking to strengthen your current friendships, make new ones, or simply understand yourself better in the context of connection, this episode is for you.

Let’s do this, Flirties!

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About our guest: Danielle Bayard Jackson is a women’s relational health educator who speaks nationally about the science of women’s platonic connections. She is the director of the Women’s Relational Health Institute and is also the author of Fighting for Our Friendships : The Science and Art of Conflict and Connection in Women’s Relationships.

As a former high school teacher and academic department chair, Danielle now leverages her background in education to study the latest research on women’s cooperation, communication, and conflict. Her expertise has been featured in The New York Times, NBC News, Psychology Today, Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America, and a host of other media outlets.

As a member of the American Sociological Association, Danielle works with both individuals and organizations to share tangible, evidence-based strategies to help women create more satisfaction in their platonic same-sex relationships. Companies like TikTok, the NBA, NFL, and Etsy have all booked Danielle as a speaker to address the topic of connection psychology. She even served as the resident friendship expert and spokesperson for the global app Bumble and its new app Bumble for Friends.

Danielle shares her insight weekly on The Friend Forward Podcast, has several viral videos on Instagram and TikTok, and has written for Insider and Harvard Business Review.

You can learn more about Danielle and her work by visiting www.betterfemalefriendships.com.

About your host: Benjamin is a flirt and dating coach sharing his love of flirting and BFE - big flirt energy, with the world! A lifelong introvert and socially anxious member of society, Benjamin now helps singles and daters alike flirt with more confidence, clarity, and fun!

As the flirt is all about connection, Benjamin helps the flirt community (the flirties!) date from a place that allows the value of connection in all forms - platonic and romantic connection - to take center stage and transform lives for greater healing and ultimately, a deeper connection with the self.

You can connect with Benjamin on Instagram, TikTok, stream the Flirtations Flirtcast everywhere you listen to podcasts (like right here!), and find out more about working together 1:1 here.

💗 Happy flirting!