Who We Are Right Now: The Benefits of Making New Friends and Starting Over with Leannda Shearer

Friendship IRL

There’s no better way to test your friendship skills than to move to a new city, and today’s guest, Leannda Shearer, has moved to a new city not once or twice but eight different times!

So, at this point, you could say she’s an expert at building a support system. With each new move, she’s learned that it takes not just the right skillset but also the right mindset to create meaningful connections.

Leannda is also a resilience coach and host of the podcast Rising with Phoenix Grace, and in this episode, she provides amazing tips and tricks on how to make new friends after a move, plus, some of her favorite quotes about friendship.

There’s a lot packed into this episode, and I think these tips apply to anyone who’s trying to make an impact or change in their friendships or community.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• The skillset AND mindset required to make new friends, plus, the benefits of even “surface level” connections (see my Wheel of Connection framework)
• Making friends and “putting things on the wall,” even when you know this place is only temporary (and how to not overthink your connections that aren’t reciprocating)
• How new friends see you for who you are in this moment and not just who you used to be or what you’ve gone through
• Some of Leannda’s favorite places to make new friends, from meetup.com to networking nights to Facebook groups
• Some of Leannda’s and my favorite inspirational quotes regarding friendship, from Heidi Priebe to Winnie the Pooh

Resources & Links:

Listen to Leannda’s podcast, Rising with Phoenix Grace.

Listen to Episode 48 with Michele Reichman and be sure to look at my Wheel of Connection framework.

Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok!

Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!