Why is it so hard to make friends as an adult—aren’t we supposed to know who we are by now?

When professional makeup artist Cami Talbot left the Mormon church at 14, she lost more than her religion—she lost her childhood tribe. Years later, an unexpected encounter with a stranger would challenge everything we assume about how adults make new friends.

But this conversation starts somewhere even more personal—the face in the mirror. Your face. After 15 years working as a makeup artist, Cami has noticed that what women dislike about their appearance sometimes has very little to do with beauty, and more to do with the features—and stories—we inherit. If your mom was always critical of you and you have her same eyes, do you see yourself or her when you look in the mirror? If your father was distant but you have his nose, is it really your nose you don't like—or the absent feeling it reminds you of?

Self-esteem, confidence and even the grace we give ourselves are deeply connected to how we think we look. And some of that may be tied to the relationships we had with our parents.

How much of who we think we are actually belongs to us?

This conversation explores what happens when we begin questioning the identities we inherited—from our parents, our religion and our past—and how changing the way we see ourselves can change the friendships we lose, the ones we keep, and the new ones we're brave enough to make.

Connect with Cami:

Website (https://www.camianntalbot.com/)

Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/camianntalbot)

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/cami.talbot/)

Learn more about The Best Friend Project:

https://thebestfriendproject.co

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Take the Friendship Survey:
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Questions? Hello@TheBFProject.com

Chapters:

00:00 – Cold Open

01:20 – Why Even the Most Beautiful People Struggle to Feel Enough

07:29 – Why We Need to Be Our Own Best Friend First

11:22 – The People Who Miss Someone but Won’t Make the First Move

17:29 – What If Another Woman’s Beauty Didn’t Threaten Your Own?

23:08 – Leaving the Mormon Church at 14 and Finding Her Own Way

33:59 – The Note That Started a Nine-Year Friendship

41:30 – Are We Too Quick to Walk Away?

45:39 – The One Thing Women Need Most From Their Friendships

50:01 – What If We Started Going to Therapy With Our Friends?

50:18 – The One Conversation You Might Need to Have Before It’s Too Late

Coming Next Week:

Rachel goes solo for Episode 20 of The Best Friend Project, reflecting on what she’s learned and why social media relationship experts may be doing more harm than good.

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