Can your friends actually help you become more successful in life? The answer is a resounding yes — especially when those friendships are rooted in mutual growth, encouragement, and accountability.

In this inspiring episode of The Friendship Tour, I’m joined by my friend Michelle Dallas for a conversation on the principle of “iron sharpens iron.” We explore how the people closest to us can push us forward, help refine our goals, and hold us accountable — all while celebrating what makes each of us unique.

Together, we discuss:

💬 How friendships can motivate us to grow and evolve

⚡ The importance of surrounding yourself with people who challenge and inspire you

👯‍♀️ Why being in community with high-character, high-purpose friends can elevate your life

🌟 Ways to be that “iron-sharpening” friend to someone else

If you’ve ever wondered whether your friendships are helping you move forward or holding you back, this episode is for you.

After the episode, let’s keep the conversation going in the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group. I’d love to hear about a friend who encourages YOU to succeed in life.

Want to hear more from Michelle and other amazing women? Check out the episodes below.

31 | What Do You Do When a Friend Moves Away (other than cry, of course)? - featuring Michelle Dallas

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

37 | GIRL! You Trippin’! How a Friend’s Honesty Helped My Marriage - featuring Alicia Matthews

1. If you love The Friendship Tour, please leave a review and share with a friend.

2. *BE A GOOD FRIEND!*

Have you ever met someone who seemed nice, engaged with her a few times, then something happened that made you think, “NOPE! This friendship isn’t for me.” Perhaps that happened to you. You met, hung out, then nada - you never heard from her again. What happened???

We all have our relationship warning signs or red flags - the things that make us think the relationship just won’t work out. And other people have them, too. And, that’s okay! Those little warning signs are how we protect ourselves from relationships that just aren’t right for us - for whatever reason.

When you see the warning signs, what do you do? Do you try to power through and build a friendship anyway (not advised) or do you move on to someone who might be a better fit for you?

Everyone is different, and everyone has their own relationship warning signs. In this episode, I share five of the warning signs I just can’t ignore when making new friends. You may have a different list, but it IS important to give some thought to which behaviors and habits you will and will not tolerate in a relationship. Then, if you’re serious about making and keeping friends, consider if there’s anything YOU’RE doing that might be a turnoff to others.

Next Steps:

Do you like this episode? Here are two more you might enjoy.

29 | Boundaries - What They Are, Why We Need Them, and How We Establish Them - featuring Ashley Cook

18 | CHEMISTRY! When it Comes to Relationships, You Either Have it or You Don’t - featuring Dr. Bryan Curtis

“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 Eustache

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.

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

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.

Want to Stay Connected? Join the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group! It’s a lot of fun!

2 | Authenticity: The Key to Deeper Friendships, Personal Freedom, and Peace - featuring Alexandria Fichera

9 | Faith-Building Friends - featuring Theresa Johnson

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/.

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!*

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:

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

OTHER NOTES:

*BE A GOOD FRIEND!*

Hey Friends!

This is the final call for the Galentine's Day giveaway!

REMINDER: I'm giving away a $50 Amazon Gift Card as my small way of HAPPY GALENTINE'S DAY.

To make the gift card yours, you'll need to do just a few things:

1. Listen to an episode of The Friendship Tour podcast.

2. Leave a written review.

3. Take a screenshot of your review.

4. Post the screenshot in the Women, Friendship, and Community Facebook group OR send an email with your screenshot to [email protected].

You must enter the contest no later than Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 11:59pm PST.

Good luck!

Cecelia

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]