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Friend Forward

Friend Forward

Danielle Bayard Jackson | Female Friendship Expert & Relational Health Educator 268 Episodes Aug 20, 2026

This is a podcast for modern women looking to understand the complexities of female friendship. Hosted by Danielle Bayard Jackson, a female friendship coach and educator, Friend Forward provides research, strategies, and tough-love truth to answer questions about navigating relationships with other women. Each week, new insights are shared on how to create and maintain better female friendships.

Episodes

The 3 Pillars of Social Capital (And Why It's Not the Same as Friendship)
The 3 Pillars of Social Capital (And Why It's Not the Same as Friendship) Aug 20, 2026 22:08 Social capital helps the quality of your friendships, and your friendships impact the quality of your social capital.Social capital is all about the value you get (and give) in your social network. And regardless of how introverted or extroverted you are, it's something we all need.TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE:In this episode of the Friend Forward podcast, we'll look at:the three components of social ca
The art of the "platonic wingwoman": Helping your friends make friends (Solo episode)
The art of the "platonic wingwoman": Helping your friends make friends (Solo episode) Aug 14, 2026 15:20 Platonic wingwomen are the backbone of society.Some people are reluctant to introduce their friends to one another, but society thrives on it. While it can be nerve-wracking to mix friend groups (we've covered this in a previous episode-- see below), it's a skill we should all have.In this episode, Danielle shares 4 steps to becoming a charismatic and effective wingwoman for your friends.🎧 BUT WAI
How is the "ambition paradox" impacting your friendships? -- A conversation with Dr. Anne Welsh, author or Ambitious Mother
How is the "ambition paradox" impacting your friendships? -- A conversation with Dr. Anne Welsh, author or Ambitious Mother Aug 6, 2026 22:28 How motherhood changes your closest friendships, with Dr. Anne WelshYou're crushing it at work, you're showing up for your kids, and you're trying… really trying… to also be a good friend. But the pursuit of excelling in all three keeps leaving you depleted and falling short across the board. And that picture of the village you keep seeing everywhere? The tight-knit crew of women who are all magic
Should your friends like all your posts on social media? With JoJo Venant
Should your friends like all your posts on social media? With JoJo Venant Jun 25, 2026 30:32 You noticed she didn't share your last post. She liked her post but not yours. She hasn't watched your stories in weeks, but she's clearly online. And now you're spiraling, trying to figure out what that says about your friendship. Sound familiar?In this episode, Danielle sits down with licensed mental health counselor JoJo Venant to unpack the very real strain social media puts on women's friends
Set these friendship goals before the summer ends
Set these friendship goals before the summer ends Jun 12, 2026 28:05 There's a psychological concept known as "the fresh start effect", and it can be helpful as you set your friendship goals for the summer. You've been wanting better friendships for a while now, but you're not quite sure where to start. We'll walk you through an exercise that includes more than 8 examples of connection goals you can set this season.🎧 BUT WAIT… THERE'S MORE.This week's Office Hours
Why your friends' dating advice might be hurting you, with Yue Xu & Julie Krafchick
Why your friends' dating advice might be hurting you, with Yue Xu & Julie Krafchick Jun 4, 2026 26:02 As much as we'd like to think our romantic relationships exist apart from our friendships, the research says otherwise. Your friends' opinions can determine whether a couple stays together, influence the values they hold in the relationship, and even shape the kinds of arguments they have. And that influence starts long before a woman is partnered; it starts while she's still dating.In this episod
When female friendships get complicated in the workplace (and what to do about it), with Brooke Taylor, author of "Healing the Success Wound"
When female friendships get complicated in the workplace (and what to do about it), with Brooke Taylor, author of "Healing the Success Wound" May 28, 2026 19:24 How to navigate friendship at work without losing the relationship, with Brooke TaylorShe's your lunch buddy, your Slack confidante, your person at work. But what happens when boundaries get blurry, or you start sensing competition where there used to be camaraderie? Workplace friendships between women are some of the most meaningful connections we form as adults, and some of the most complicated
Why “going analog” isn’t enough to make new friends: the rise of curated socializing
Why “going analog” isn’t enough to make new friends: the rise of curated socializing May 21, 2026 15:40 You've seen the articles. You've heard the discourse. People are pulling away from the digital sphere and opting for in-person connection instead: ditching dating apps, skipping the DMs, going analog. Google searches for "matchmaker near me" and "dating coach" are higher right now than they've been in the past ten years. But here's the part that isn't getting enough attention: how people are makin
When his lack of friends becomes your problem: how the male loneliness epidemic affects women’s friendships
When his lack of friends becomes your problem: how the male loneliness epidemic affects women’s friendships May 14, 2026 28:35 Everyone's talking about the male loneliness epidemic. But after six years of hosting this show and seven years of coaching women through their friendship issues, Danielle has noticed something that doesn't get nearly enough attention: men's friendship struggles don't stay contained. They spill over: into your energy, your guilt, your decisions about who you spend time with, and how much of yourse
The grief of outgrowing a friendship because of misaligned values, with Gina Moffa
The grief of outgrowing a friendship because of misaligned values, with Gina Moffa May 7, 2026 22:55 She's the same person you've loved for years… until suddenly she isn't. Maybe it was a comment that stopped you cold, or the slow realization that the worldview you thought you shared has been cracking underneath you for a while. How do you stay connected when you can no longer relate?Danielle sits down with therapist and author Gina Moffa to talk about what happens when a friendship splits over v
4 things I no longer believe about friendship (because learning THIS research changed my mind)
4 things I no longer believe about friendship (because learning THIS research changed my mind) Apr 30, 2026 22:51 You've probably had at least one friendship belief you were sure about… until life proved you wrong. Maybe it was the idea that your two best friends are all you need, or that men just "do friendship better," or that conflict is the beginning of the end. These beliefs feel true until they don't.In this solo episode, Danielle gets personal about the friendship beliefs she once held that have comple
Why some women rush platonic intimacy in new friendships, with Minaa B.
Why some women rush platonic intimacy in new friendships, with Minaa B. Apr 23, 2026 20:37 You finally meet someone you click with. You've got things in common, the conversation flows, and suddenly you're ready to tell her everything. But that hunger for closeness in a new friendship can actually push people away before the relationship has a chance to build.In this episode, Danielle sits down with therapist and author Minaa B. to explore why so many women rush platonic intimacy, what h

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