I use public folders to share files between my Windows machines. I couldn’t find a public folder that my HP laptop shared while using my MacBook Pro. Apparently you have to jump through a couple hoops to get that to work. Fortunately, I came across a site that explains the process well.
After going through those steps, the file sharing worked. It would be nice if it worked by default but I guess workarounds are to be expected when working with two different platforms.