The Friendship Practice
Friendship is not something that falls into your lap. It’s something you practice.
Friendship can feel harder as an adult. You may want more connection, but feel unsure how to start or what to do next. The Friendship Practice helps you make friends and feel more connected in everyday life.
The real problem
Friendship can slip when life gets busy.
You may miss having people you can call. You may miss seeing people often. You may miss feeling known.
You can meet someone and enjoy talking to them. You can try to become friends and not get a response.
That can feel lonely and confusing.
What I do
Making and keeping friends takes time and practice.
As adults, we have less free time and more things pulling at us. Friendship can get pushed aside, even when it matters a lot.
The Friendship Practice helps you make time for friendship, take the next step, and stay connected in real life.
We make time.
Friendship needs room in real life. We look at what can realistically fit into your days, your energy, and your current season.
We make a plan.
We turn good intentions into action steps: reaching out, inviting, following up, reconnecting, or deepening a friendship that already matters.
We practice.
It’s more than knowing. It’s about doing, showing up, practicing, and putting in the time to build friendships you can carry through life.
About
I believe that friendship is one of the things that makes life feel like we’re fully alive.
I’m Carole Stromboni. I split my time between Hawaii and Paris, and friendship is one of the most important parts of my life.
I believe that, at the end of a life, what stays with us is not the money we made, the clothes we bought, or the furniture we owned. What stays are the people: who we traveled with, who we had great meals with and watched funny TV shows next to, who we called, who showed up, and who made ordinary days feel special.
Living between continents has taught me that friendship does not happen by accident. I am really good at keeping long-distance friendships alive, reconnecting with friends when we lose touch, and making new friends wherever I am.
My work has always been about helping people turn good intentions into concrete action. I am the author of Innover en pratique (Innovation in Practice), published by Eyrolles, a leading French professional publisher. I also hosted a 77-episode podcast on innovation, change, and how people move forward.
I also founded Bonjour Pickleball, where I write about pickleball trips in France, places to play, and the people you meet through the sport. It’s another way I think about friendship: through shared experiences, new places, and communities that can start around a court.
The Friendship Practice brings those threads together: relationships, action, follow-through, and the belief that a full life is built through the relationships we foster.
My approach is practical and there will be action steps for you to take. It’s more than knowing, it’s about doing. Showing up. Practicing. And putting in the time to build friendships that you will have the rest of your life.
The practice package
4 private sessions
Sessions are held online and are 45-60 minutes each.
This is for adults who genuinely want to make friends and keep them. New spots open one at a time, and early list members are contacted when space becomes available.
Free 7-day challenge
Look at your friendship life before trying to change it.
For 7 days, you get one short email a day. You can also use a private page to keep notes as you go.
The challenge helps you see what is already there, what feels hard, and what you may want to do next.
- Your current friendship map
- What feels missing or frustrating
- Your own friendship principles
- The expectations you carry into friendship
- Your main insight from the challenge
No payment is required. Confirm your email and start the free 7-day Friendship Challenge.
This is coaching-related educational content. It is not therapy, mental health care, or crisis support. If you feel unsafe, call or text 988 in the U.S. In immediate danger, call 911.
Not sure where to start?
Find your friendship challenge.
Five questions. A specific starting point. No email required.
Friendship guides
Read before you overthink.
How to make friends as an adult
A practical guide to meeting people, following up, and helping early connection turn into real friendship.
How to follow up after meeting someone
What to say, when to say it, and how to suggest a next step without it feeling forced or awkward.
Why do friendships fade
Why adult friendships quietly dissolve, and what makes the difference between the ones that last and the ones that don't.
What is friendship coaching
What friendship coaching is, what it is not, and how to know whether it might be useful for where you are right now.
FAQ
Common questions
How long does it take to make a friend as an adult? +
Research shows it takes roughly 50 hours of shared time to move from acquaintance to casual friend, and around 200 hours to build a close friendship. Those hours don't come from intensity; they accumulate through repeated, low-stakes contact in the same recurring contexts. The Friendship Practice helps adults build the structure where those hours can form naturally.
Is this therapy? +
No. The Friendship Practice is coaching, not therapy, mental health care, diagnosis, or crisis support. The work is practical: real-life friendship practices, clearer choices, and action steps between sessions.
Is this for women only? +
No. This program is for adults of any gender who want to foster more meaningful friendships.
What happens after I start the free challenge? +
You confirm your email and receive one short email a day for 7 days. You can also use the private page to keep notes as you go. After the challenge, I’ll send a short follow-up about The Friendship Practice.
When do I pay for coaching? +
The free challenge does not require payment. Payment happens only if a coaching spot opens and you decide to book the 4-session package. A full refund is available before your first session. See the Refund and cancellation page for full details.
What if I am in crisis? +
This program is not crisis support and is not the right fit if you feel unsafe or at risk of harming yourself or someone else. If you are in the U.S., call or text 988 for immediate support. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.