Hey Amanda,
You are in the same position I used to be. I was a classic intorvert. I never used to have many friends, I used to hesitate when people asked me genuine questions, because I had to answer them. Its challenging when your goal is to be able to talk to more people. Let me assure you it is all about your mind set. I now have my own business with teams in America, UK and India. The way in which I overcame the challenges associated with talking to new people came from getting involved in this global business and the best bit is that I'm not limited to just these countries, it truly gave me an opportunity to learn how to talk to others.
I saw your post and thought that in the same way I was able to learn from people who I admire for their skill in talking to others I would also give you the opportunity. Naturally, I can't promise anything apart from the fact that I will talk to one of my senior collegues in the US.
If you want to find out more feel free to email me:
sanjb1@gmail.com