I’m playful and strong-willed, ambitious and thoughtful. Much like an ocean I tend to go lots of different ways at once, sometimes doing too much where my waters look choppy, and yet when that chaos turns into a swell, my energy cannot be stopped. 
And those strong waves usually have to do with the subject of community.
Shasta Nelson, CEO of GirlFriendCircles.com
My Passion for Community: Whether it’s inviting a small group of friends over for dinner, starting a local spiritual community where we practice acceptance, forgiveness and other group experiences that grow us individually, facilitating speed-friending events where strangers become friends, speaking and teaching on what it means to “belong,” or writing and coaching on showing up as our best self in our relationships– I love the theory and the practice of how important friendships are to our lives.
To that end, I’m the author of the forthcoming book, Friendships Don’t Just Happen! The Guide to Creating a Meaningful Circle of GirlFriends (Turner Publishing).
My Experience: My training includes a Masters Degree in Spiritual Growth and a bachelors degree in Communication; plus a decade of experience in short-term counseling, coaching leaders and teams, speaking at international motivational and teaching venues, organizing events and retreats; managing a multi-million dollar company and starting 2 non-profits. Additionally, I firmly believe that my most significant training comes from the ups-and-downs of life—both my own transitions in jobs, schools, long–term travels, issues with self-identity, losses of relationships, divorce and re-marriage, and the stories from dozens of others who have trusted me into their hearts in some of life’s most vulnerable moments including births, “coming-out” experiences, marriages, divorces, family pain & deaths.
My company, GirlFriendCircles.com: Developed from the needs I saw in my life coaching clients, I launched GirlFriendCircles.com in 2008 as a resource to women in cities across the U.S. to provide an online tool to help women expand their circle of local friends. So much of our well-being depends upon our relationships, not just with the one significant other, but more profoundly, with our sense of being known, supported and loved by our girlfriends.
My Blog: This blog is the place where I muse, dream, teach, share and learn with you about how important our friendships are and how we can continue to invite more of that health & happiness into our lives.
I also write a weekly column for Huffington Post on female friendship. Please subscribe at either/both locations, introduce yourself and join the conversation!
To connect with me, email me at Shasta @ GirlFriendCircles.com. (Note: customer service questions should be sent to service @ girlfriendcircles.com)
I love the article on needing friends/weight loss and I love the whole idea of this group and say thank you for starting it!
Sherae
Shasta, I love your new website, photo and friendship blog. I recommend you to clients, friends and colleagues all of the time. Wishing you amazing success. You definitely make a difference!
Hi Shasta,
I am so glad I’ve joined GFC, and I enjoy reading your blog. Thank you for being an inspiration and making a difference in many women’s lives! Warm regards, Sue Fuchs
Amazing article on Orpah today. I can’t believe how many times I hear other women berating women who are successful. I just wonder how powerful and happier we would all be if we stuck together, helped one another, and made each other feel wonderful.
Glad to have found your website. I’ve said to my husband there should be sometging like this. Making new friends has been hard for me. One big reason is other women (mothers) seem to lack the ability or desire to make any room or commitment in their lives for friendship, at least with me. I have pushed myself, tried to reach out, but more often than not the other women doesn’t reciprocate at all. Or says something like, “I’m swamped this week, I’ll call you next week” and then I never hear from her.
I get that eveyone’s busy, stuff happens, and I don’t exepct the friendship to be 50-50.
But unlike yoga, friendship takes 2 to tango, and I’m tired of putting in the time and energy and not getting anything back.
Thanks
Jennifer C
Jennifer– so glad you found the blog! Welcome! And you are so right… it does take two to Tango. May you keep taking “dance classes,” improving your own skills while seeking other women who not only know how to reciprocate but also know the value behind it. Welcome to the journey!
Same here. If you’re lonely “reach out,” as Ann Landers would say. But what if they don’t reach back? It is tiresome to work at friendship when the payoff is so small. And with me, I am not that good a talker, so what am I to do?
Thanks for the share!
Nancy
Hey Shasta,
What’s the best way to contact you?
Best Regards,
Andrew Gale
I wrote you an email so you should have it in your inbox.
hi Shasta – I am trying to contact you for a quote on a piece I am writing for a UK lifestyle magazine. Would you be able to contact me? I would love to have a quick chat with you if possible- deadline is Friday so ideally before Thursday evening! Very best, Clover
shasta@girlfriendcircles.com