How to Make Friends as an Adult with Sarah Grieco Artwork

Friends with Benefits

Welcome to Friends with Benefits, the business podcast about revenue-generating partnerships.

Not "business time" with friends.

This podcast is for those looking to build professional relationships that last and add tremendous value to your company and maybe even, you personally.

Join hosts Jason and Sam Yarborough, who happen to be married, as they talk with some of the best in the industry.

We will be tackling topics like what good partnerships looks like, how relationships can build immense value for your business, and why even though strategy, pipeline, and growth are the goals, it all comes down to relationships. Let’s face it, business is done person-to-person.

Discover how personal connections transcend the boundaries of business time. Come hang out with us for inspiring stories, actionable strategies, and valuable insights that will empower you to forge meaningful partnerships in today’s competitive landscape.

Because we all know, business time is personal.

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Friends with Benefits

How to Make Friends as an Adult with Sarah Grieco

July 07, 2026 • Sam and Jason Yarborough • Season 3 • Episode 27

0:00 | 1:03:18

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Making friends as an adult is awkward, but it gets a lot easier when you stop waiting for it to just happen.

This week, we’re joined by Sarah Grieco for a conversation we’ve been having a lot lately, but this time with actual research, frameworks, and tactical advice behind it. Sarah has spent years moving cities, starting over, building community from scratch, and studying what it really takes to make and keep friends as an adult.

We get into why friendship feels so much harder in this stage of life, how to be more intentional about the kind of friends you’re looking for, and why curiosity is one of the most underrated tools for connection. Sarah shares her ARE framework for starting better conversations, why rejection usually has nothing to do with you, and how small rituals, follow-ups, voice memos, walks, coffee dates, and shared spaces can turn casual connections into real community. This one is practical, honest, and a little uncomfortably relatable.

What you’ll learn:

How to make new friends as an adult without overthinking or making it weird
Why curiosity, consistency, and follow-up are essential for building deeper relationships
How to turn existing connections into real friendships through small, intentional rituals

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:45) Meet Sarah Grieco

(04:59) What moving cities teaches you about friendship

(07:23) Ask these three questions before making friends

(10:16) Why different friends serve different parts of life

(12:57) Why men have a harder time connecting

(17:14) How to deepen the friendships you already have

(21:47) How to ask someone to be your friend

(26:40) Why curiosity makes friendship easier

(32:04) Complimenting can open the door

(40:10) Friendship rejection is rarely about you