The Heart of Friendship | How to Make Friends, Female Friendship, Adult Friendship, Friendship Advice

48 | Making Friends as an Introvert: 4 Simple Tips to Build Meaningful Connections

“How do introverts make friends? They wait for extroverts to find them, like them, and adopt them.”
Funny? Maybe. True? Not quite.
If you're an introvert who craves deeper connection but struggles to initiate friendships, this episode of The Friendship Tour is for you. I share practical, encouraging tips to help introverts build real, authentic relationships—without pretending to be someone they’re not.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why your mindset about introversion is the first and most important shift
The subtle signals you might be sending when it comes to connection
How making the first move (yes, really!) can lead to stronger friendships
Why giving yourself grace is essential in the friendship-building process
Whether you're shy, reserved, or simply someone who enjoys their own company, you can build strong, supportive friendships—on your terms.
🎧 Tune in now for four gentle, doable ways to create the connection you deserve.
After the episode, share your thoughts in the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group.
 
Want More Episodes About Making New Friends? Check out any one of my episodes with a guest! We almost always share how we met and a favorite friendship moment. Don’t feel like scrolling through the episode list? No problem. See the list below for a few episodes about making friends.
 
34 | 5 Tips for Making New Friends
45 | 5 MORE Tips for Making Friends
30 | How to Start and Nurture a New Friend as an Adult - featuring Jenai Eustache11 | How to Make New Friends - Airport Edition - featuring Kinnari Patel*BE A GOOD FRIEND*

47 | If You Love Them, Tell Them

This episode is so simple. If you love them, tell them. Maybe they really need to hear it today. Maybe you really need to say it today. You may not get another chance. You might 1,000 more chances. Say it in ways big and small, and make sure they hear it. I love you. Tell them.

46 | What Are Deep Friendships, and How Are They Formed? - featuring Lisa Clinton

When life gets hard, who do you turn to? When you’re celebrating a big win, who do you call first? If your answer is unclear—or if you’re realizing your circle might not be as deep as it looks—this episode of The Friendship Tour is for you.
Many women crave meaningful friendships but still find themselves feeling lonely, unsupported, or unsure how to truly connect. It’s not just about how many friends you have, but about the quality of those friendships—are they deep, rooted, and dependable?
In this episode, I’m joined by the wonderful Lisa Clinton for an honest conversation about what it really takes to form deep, lifelong friendships. We talk about:
💬 How to break the ice and initiate meaningful connections💡 Where to meet like-minded, supportive women❤️ What deep friendships actually look and feel like🌱 How to grow and nurture those relationships over time
Lisa shares heartfelt stories about how she met her closest friends, including the one simple comment that sparked a lifelong bond. Her wisdom is a powerful reminder that deep friendships aren’t accidental—they’re intentional. And they're necessary.
Whether you're seeking stronger connections or hoping to deepen the relationships you already have, this episode offers practical tips and inspiring encouragement to help you build a community that truly has your back.
Next Steps:
Listen to the episode.
Leave a 5-star review in Apple Podcasts.
Share the podcast with a friend.
Want to Stay Connected? Join the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group! It’s a lot of fun!Want to hear more episodes like this one? See the related episodes below.1 | What is a True Friend? - featuring Lauren Jones Gray
2 | Authenticity: The Key to Deeper Friendships, Personal Freedom, and Peace - featuring Alexandria Fichera
9 | Faith-Building Friends - featuring Theresa Johnson

45 | 5 MORE Tips for Making New Friends

What do you do when you meet someone interesting, cool, or fun - someone who you’d like to be friends with? What are the next steps?
In episode 34, I shared 5 tips for making new friends. Here in episode 45, I’m sharing 5 MORE tips for making new friends. Why? Because friendship is so important! And, despite many of us having hundreds or thousands of social media friends or followers, many of us are still longing for deeper, more meaningful connections in real life.
This episode was adapted from an article I wrote for Just Between Us Magazine several years ago. You can find the full article here: https://justbetweenus.org/christian-relationship-advice/real-friendships/10-tips-for-making-new-friends/.
Want more episodes about making new friends?
11 | Making New Friends-Airport Edition - featuring Kinnari Patel 
30 | How to Start and Nurture a New Friendship as an Adult - featuring Jenai Eustache 
34 | 5 Tips for Making New Friends
Let's keep the conversation going! Join the Women, Friendship, and Community group on Facebook! We'll talk about the The Friendship Tour podcast episodes and all things friendship!
 
*BE A GOOD FRIEND!*

44 | Does Your Friend Need Mental Health Support? Here are 6 Ways You Can Help - featuring Dr. Kandece Skinner

Is your friend just not herself? Does her behavior, sudden distance, or physical appearance have you concerned? Maybe she needs mental health support.
 
Many of us have found ourselves in this situation - where we see that something is different and we genuinely want to help, but we just don’t know what to do. 
 
In this important episode, Dr. Kandece Skinner, a licensed educational psychologist, shares 6 ways you can help a friend who might be struggling. Dr. Skinner also shares 3 things NOT to do when you’re trying to help a friend, including:
 
Do not try to diagnose your friend.
Do not try to fix your friend.
Do not judge your friend.
 
If we live long enough and encounter enough people, we’ll likely need to put Dr. Skinner’s advice into practice at least once or twice. Or, perhaps a loving friend will use this information to help us, if needed.
 
RELATED EPISODES:
29 | Boundaries - What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Establish Them - featuring Ashley Cook
7 | We Were on a Break! How Two Friends Grew Apart…and Back Together (Part 1) - featuring Wendy Alleyne8 | We Were on a Break! How Two Friends Grew Apart...and Back Together (Part 2) - featuring Wendy Alleyne
 
OTHER NOTES:
We have a great group of women in the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group! Join the group to keep this important conversation going.
Don’t forget to leave a written review in Apple Podcasts!
 
*BE A GOOD FRIEND!*

43 | STOP KEEPING SCORE! Aim for Tranformational, Not Transactional Friendships - featuring Stewanna Dasari

Do you find yourself keeping score in friendship? It goes something like this… “I went to her kid’s birthday party, but she didn’t come to my kid's party!” “I scheduled the last brunch meetup, so it’s HER turn to plan something!” Or, perhaps you catch yourself saying, “After all I’ve done for her?!”
 
Are you laser focused on reciprocity in your relationship? If so, it sounds like you have a transactional friendship.
 
While it’s reasonable to expect our friends to celebrate important days and milestones with us and to give as much as we give, reciprocity shouldn’t really be the goal in friendship. Instead, let’s aim for transformational friendships.
 
Transformational friendships help us grow and evolve as individuals. In these relationships, we dig a bit deeper - beyond the give and take - to offer a bit more of ourselves. Perhaps we offer a skill that only we have, a favor that a friend really needs, a word of encouragement so a friend can keep going, maybe a prayer. Perhaps we lovingly offer constructive feedback or carefully worded advice - all designed to help a friend grow. Will we get what we offered back? Maybe, maybe not. Still, we do it out of love. 
 
Join Stewanna Dasari and me for a conversation about transformational vs. transactional relationships.
 
After the show, head to the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group to share your thoughts.
 
*BE A GOOD FRIEND!*
 
Would you like to hear more from Stewanna Dasari? Check out the episode below.
 
40 | Too Busy for Friends? 10 Tips to Help You Stay Connected When Life Gets Hectic - featuring Stewanna Dasari
 
Would you like to hear examples of transformational friendships? Listen to these episodes:
37 | GIRL! You Tripping! How a Friend’s Honesty Helped My Marriage - featuring Alicia Matthews
 
13 | Somebody Prayed for Me - And Those Prayers Got Through! - featuring Ashley Smith
 
9 | Faith-Building Friends - featuring Theresa Johnson
 
Let’s Be Friends!
 
Facebook Community: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast
Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com

42 | HAPPY GALENTINE'S DAY! Let's Have Some FUN! (P.S. - It's a GIVEAWAY!)

HAPPY GALENTINE'S DAY!!!
 
What is Galentine's Day? It's a day that's all about FRIENDSHIP! And, I want to celebrate friendship with all of you - friends near and far.
 
Listen to the full episode to learn how YOU can be part of The Friendship Tour's 2025 Galentine's Day celebration. But don't delay! The celebration ends on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 11:59pm PST.
 
As always, be a good friend!
 
Let's stay in touch!
Facebook Community: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast
Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com

41 | What is Community? It Might be More Than You Think.

What is community? Is it simply a group of people living in the same general area as one another? Is it people who all have something in common, such as a belief system, dialect, or country of origin? Is community even a thing or is it a feeling - a feeling of familiarity, warmth, and fellowship?
 
Perhaps community is all of the above - or maybe it’s none of the above. Perhaps community is whatever you decide it is. It could be the sweet woman in the local sandwich shop who always seems to be working when you want a sandwich, the moms at your kid’s school, or the person in the Facebook group who always responds to your goofy posts. If they can make your day better or worse on a consistent basis, they’re probably part of your community. If they're part of your routine, they're probably part of your community. If they're the people who step up to help you when life gets rough, they're part of your community.
 
We all spend time thinking and talking about healthy families and healthy friendships, but what about healthy communities? We need those, too, to feel less alone and more supported - in the good times and the bad.
 
Join me on The Friendship Tour for an episode about community and why it matters.
 
If you liked this episode, you’ll LOVE the following episodes:
 
Episode 6: Childhood Neighbors Make the Best Friends - featuring Nadeen Gayle
Episode 36: Let’s Talk About Friendship and Community - TOGETHER!
Do you want more of The Friendship Tour?
Facebook: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast
Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@thefriendshiptourpodcast

40 | Too Busy for Friends? 10 Tips to Help You Stay Connected When Life is Hectic - featuring Stewanna Dasari

“I’m just so busy.” It’s something we all say, and it’s something we all hear when we ask a friend how she’s doing. There’s something about our culture that makes us wear this “busyness” as a badge of honor. We’re all supposed to be busy...or at least SAY we're busy.
 
To be fair, there are some people who have extremely busy lives and very little free time after work and family commitments. Some of those women manage to have thriving friendships, and some don’t.
 
On the flip side, some people actually DO have a bit more free time after work and family commitments. And, again, some have thriving friendships, and some don’t.
 
So, what’s the deal?
 
Join me for a conversation with Stewanna Dasari to discuss what it is that has us all feeling so busy, and how we can stay connected with friends even when our free time is scarce.
 
Next Steps:
1. Listen to the episode.
2. Leave a written review.
3. Repeat.
 
NOTE: If you liked this episode, you'll love Episode 4 | How to Keep a Friend Forever - Be Thoughtful! - featuring Moira Ballard.
 
Want More of The Friendship Tour? Let's stay connected!
Email: ccurtis@thefriendshiptourpodcast.com
Facebook: bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast
YouTube: youtube.com/@thefriendshiptourpodcast

39 | TRAILER - The Friendship Tour Podcast with Cecelia Curtis

What's The Friendship Tour Podcast all about? FRIENDSHIP!We talk about making friends, keeping friends, encouraging our friends, having fun with friends, and creating deeper friendships. In short, if it's friendship-related, it's fair game. Let's talk about it ALL so we can create and maintain those meaningful relationships that help us grow as individuals and feel more supported and less alone in life.Join me on The Friendship Tour!
Next Steps?1. Listen to an episode!
2. Leave a written review!
3. Join a great community of women at bit.ly/thefriendshiptourpodcast.