Shasta Nelson is the CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com, a female friendship matching site in 35 U.S. cities. She is also the author of Friendships Don't Just Happen! The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of Girlfriends (buy direct). . Find out more about her at her website.

Here are Shasta's tips for taking friendships offline.

Turn Acquaintances Into Friends

"Write down three names of women you wish you knew better and get something on the calendar with each of them."

Host a "Sharing Friends" Dinner Party

"Invite two friends who don't know each other to each invite two friends who don't know each other to a small dinner party where everyone gets to meet some new friends!"

How to Put Shasta's Tips Into Action

• Define the acquaintances in your life. These are people you perhaps see on a regular basis (when you drop the kids off at school, who you say hello to at work, or a neighbor you make small talk with that you don't know very well) and ask them for coffee. Start small, with a half hour or hour conversation, and then build up from there.
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• If you don't click with someone right away, give it some time. Some people become fast friends while others take a while to develop. Don't give up on a possible friend just because you don't click instantly. Sometimes the friendships that take longer to form are the ones that last for the long haul.
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• Think of the "Sharing Friends" Dinner Party like a friendship set up. You'll meet their friends and they'll meet yours. You never know what kind of connections you can make when you do this.

Next week, you'll learn how to get friends involved in activities by catering to their favorite things to do, and playing the "alphabet game" as a way to find new activities.

Week 3 of Boot Camp | Week 5 of Boot Camp>>

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