#28 How to Find Your People with Friendship Expert Shasta Nelson

Why is making new friends as adults sometimes harder than we expect?

Most women don't struggle with friendship because they're bad friends.

They struggle because adulthood changes the very conditions that friendships need to grow.

Between careers, marriage, children, moves, caregiving, and life's inevitable transitions, many women quietly find themselves surrounded by people—but missing the deep connection they crave.

In this heartfelt conversation, Bonnie Habyan sits down with friendship expert, speaker, and bestselling author Shasta Nelson to unpack why adult friendships feel so different, what causes meaningful relationships to slowly fade, and, most importantly, how we can intentionally build the kind of friendships that enrich our lives.

At the heart of the conversation is Shasta's powerful Friendship Triangle—three essential ingredients every healthy relationship needs: positivity, consistency, and vulnerability. Together, they provide a simple but transformative framework for understanding why some friendships flourish while others slowly drift apart.

Bonnie and Shasta also explore the challenges many women face as they navigate major life transitions, relocate to new communities, balance marriage with personal friendships, step into leadership roles, and cope with the loneliness that can quietly accompany success. Throughout the conversation, Shasta offers practical, research-backed guidance that reminds us friendship isn't something that simply happens—it's something we intentionally cultivate.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

Why adult friendships naturally become more difficult than childhood friendships

How the Friendship Triangle of positivity, consistency, and vulnerability creates lasting connection

Why loneliness is often about lacking depth—not lacking people

How major life transitions quietly cause friendships to drift