Danielle Bayard Jackson & Les of Balanced Black Girl Podcast in Dialogue, "Fighting for Our Friendships."

About the Book: 

Why are women's friendships so deep yet so fragile? Friendship coach and educator Danielle Bayard Jackson unpacks the latest research about women's cooperation and communication, while sharing practical strategies to preserve and strengthen these relationships.

Fighting for Our Friendships is one part textbook, one part handbook. Readers will not only learn what the latest research has to say about the mechanics of women's friendships, but they'll walk away with real-life solutions for the most common conflicts that arise in their platonic relationships. Using a combination of psychology, science, narrative, and a few of the author's signature scripts and out-of-the-box exercises, readers will learn:

• The three "affinities" that bring women together (and tear them apart)
• Scripts to navigate nine of the most challenging "friend types" (and how to know which one you are)
• The covert strategies women use to hurt each other (and how to avoid them)
• How to have a hard conversation with a friend (without losing the friendship)
• Surprising ways that women's people-pleasing delays platonic intimacy (and how to stop it)
• How to know if a friendship is worth saving (and what to do to recover)
• How to make (and deepen!)  connections with other women

In a time when we are often encouraged to opt out of friendships at any sign of friction, Danielle Bayard Jackson is showing us how to opt in.

About the Author:

Danielle Bayard Jackson is a former high school teacher turned friendship coach who speaks nationally on the subject of female friendship. Her work and insight has been featured in such outlets as NBC News, Psychology Today, NPR and The New York Times, and she worked closely with Bumble as their resident friendship expert.

Before she began coaching women across the country, Danielle worked as a high school teacher and spent time as an academic department chair in the eighth largest county in the United States. She now uses her education background to deliver practical, research-based strategies for women who are looking for ways to create and maintain healthy female friendships. Her ability to speak to women in various life stages has contributed to the growing popularity of her business, Friend Forward and podcast of the same name.

About the Conversation Partner: 

Les Alfred is an award-winning podcast host, speaker, and content creator. For nearly a decade Les has created inspiring, approachable wellness content leveraging her expertise as a personal trainer, nutrition coach, and certified yoga instructor.

As the host of Balanced Black Girl, a chart-topping weekly podcast, Les facilitates thoughtful interviews and insightful solo episodes exploring the various aspects of life that contribute to wellness. Balanced Black Girl covers everything from wellness, to productivity, to personal finance, to self-care. Her mission is to help others create nourishing habits that help them create necessary space to live their best lives.