The Edgy Dynamic Duo

Ryan (@worldsokayestschoolpsch) and Danielle, a school psychologist and a BCBA, dive into their work bestie/work sibling bond—basically, their secret weapon for surviving the wild world of special education. They chat about how having a partner in crime helps them tackle stress, share laughs, and commiserate over the daily chaos.

They also sing the praises of a larger squad of work besties who truly get the struggles and triumphs of their field. Who knew group texts and memes could be such powerful tools for support?

Ryan and Danielle stress the importance of open-mindedness and finding common ground with colleagues, no matter how wild their haircuts might be. They wrap it up with sage advice for the next generation: nurture those work besties and don’t forget to set some boundaries—because even besties need a break from the chaos!

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Chapters

• 0:00 Education and Social Media Work Friends
• 12:32 Work Besties and Collaboration
• 21:34 Imposter Syndrome and Social Media
• 29:40 Navigating Work Relationships and Boundaries

Transcript

Claude: 0:00

Hi, I'm Claude and I'm Jess. We are corporate employees by day, entrepreneurs by night and work besties for life.

Jess: 0:11

Join us as we explore how work besties lift each other up, laugh through the chaos and thrive together in every industry. Work besties. Today we're super excited to welcome a dynamic duo who are making waves in the education and social media world.

Danielle: 0:40

Thank you I'll take it we need to to change our text group now.

Jess: 0:44

Your tagline. I feel like I mean, it feels very fitting. We're super psyched to have you guys here. Ryan and Danielle are here to walk us through and talk about some interesting ways. They became work besties and a little bit behind the scene on what they both do. So I'm excited because I think I'm going to learn just as much as everybody else. Ryan, do you guys want to introduce yourselves, give a little bit of background on who you are or what you do? First, is this about you?

Ryan: 1:10

This is about me. They approached me because this is a case of my Instagram site.

Jess: 1:16

I understand and I brought you yes In fairness, I did ask do you have a work bestie?

Ryan: 1:24

Because your content is so great inspires my content. I mean more, like in a roasting type of way, that she inspires my content a lot. So please, no, I my name is ryan and I'm a school psychologist and this is my work, bestie, I'll just go. So this is. She's a BCBA, that is, a board certified behavior analyst.

Danielle: 1:49

So I feel like they need to understand why you have to say it like that, though. Yes, please, they're very. Let's pause. They're very sciencey. Ryan is a school psychologist, and school psychologists do a lot of feelings.

Ryan: 2:02

Okay, which?

Danielle: 2:03

is great. They are about the feelings. I'm a behavior analyst and so we look at behavior science and use behavior science to figure out why you do what you do Right. And so there's not a lot of feelings in science there is. We do feelings, we just science at first. So Ryan feels some type of way about a BCBAba and so he has to like either target me in a meme and intentionally do it and make me angry and like no, it's on it isn't fun, but he knows he will get a sassy response back of like everyone's like.

Ryan: 2:36

But that reinforces my behavior.

Danielle: 2:38

The sassy response but everyone's always like. I know you did this on purpose. This was directed at me.

Ryan: 2:44

Yeah, pressing a button, pressing little buttons.

Danielle: 2:46

So I'm sure the people who don't know that we're friends are probably like who is this psycho? Who's like calling me out?

Ryan: 2:53

And I don't want to get like too much into the role. I mean, this is a podcast, so we want to be fun and not too much technical speak.

Jess: 3:00

No, but I do think I was going to say you do need a little technical speak.

Ryan: 3:03

Yeah, we both work in the special education department of our school district, right, and so I'm more of the one that is evaluating, assessing kids for a special education eligibility. So that can include, like the eligibility of emotional disability, autism, and we also look at specific learning disability, intellectual disability. I mean there are a number of ways you can qualify for special education. So once kids are actually in the program in special education there are significant behavioral issues that are even too much for me to handle.

Jess: 3:47

That's when the BCBA comes in and really just gets top tier, just remember, yeah, top tier, I feel like there's more to that story.

Danielle: 3:54

Like when you walk in and you want like the, the cream of the crop liquor, that's where we are.

Ryan: 3:59

We're on the top of the shelf, okay they are gonna do it functional what's called a functional behavioral assessment and it's going to be intense.

Danielle: 4:08

So, ryan and I sometimes have to do the same type of report but the way that the reports are done are very differently. So then that's where it kind of comes into play of like, okay, that's great, I'm going to need you to fix this first before you give it to me and Ryan's like we're just going to go ahead and give it to Danielle.

Danielle: 4:25

So, then, we're in meetings together and I'm texting him and I'm like I'm not doing this and he's like, yes, you are, and I'm like, no, I'm not. You need to update this, you need to do this, this and this, but this behavior is really hard. You should do it. And so at each other on a zoom is I'm aggressively texting him telling him.

Ryan: 4:47

Don't give this to me. You need to fix this, because there's different tiers and so she's at the top tier, and so there's things that we have to do at the bottom tier before we look at the cdda. But I'm like daniel, this kid is tearing up the classroom, he's you know he's swinging fists like just just take it, okay let's cut off the middle man.

Danielle: 5:07

I can't fix that.

Ryan: 5:08

Yeah, exactly yeah, just just cut it out.

Danielle: 5:10

Yeah, it'll be like a hop skip and a jump right and then like give it to me and I'm like no, no, no, no, just save time, it's gonna come, okay, save I'm gonna put you two back into your corners.

Claude: 5:23

I'm telling you, it doesn't seem like work besties, but work siblings.

Danielle: 5:31

These work siblings I love it yes, because people will come to me and be like can you tell Ryan, I'm like? Oh, I'll tell Ryan, yes, I will.

Ryan: 5:41

Now we've been pulled into our supervisor's office office before and they have spoken to us about getting along I mean, that's what we have.

Danielle: 5:50

I'll show you how much we get along. We do get along, but like we will legitimately argue in front of people and I'm like no. And then like it makes people uncomfortable because they're like, are they?

Ryan: 6:02

lying. But I also stick up for you know. I mean people come to me and say something and I'm like that's just Danielle. No, apparently not. Don't take it personally, that's just how she is, you know. She's a little strong, a little abrasive and yeah, I stick up for her. She has a good heart.

Danielle: 6:22

This is new information. This is new information. Thatyan is having to fix things, apparently. Okay, well, good news, I did the same thing for ryan. I feel like there's a little bit of a tit for tat there.

Jess: 6:34

I'm gonna assume, with your personality, ryan, that maybe sometimes she may have to intervene at times. Always, I always intervene and we.

Danielle: 6:43

So we just switched like how we support and I don't work directly with Ryan as much as I do and there's a new girl and she was like oh, ryan said I should. I said no, ma'am, I knew it, you, you're coaching her knew it, do not let Ryan give you work. And I said and if you have a problem with Ryan, come see me and I'll deal with Ryan.

Jess: 7:05

I knew it, oh my goodness, I feel like bombs are being dropped right now.

Danielle: 7:10

We are learning instead, because there was some I did not know I needed to be defended, but apparently he's out here defending my honor.

Ryan: 7:18

I am oh all right.

Jess: 7:20

Well, guys, let's ask you, hopefully, what is a non-controversial question, please what brought you two together?

Ryan: 7:26

We just have similar personalities, right? Our humor is both very dark. Yeah, we're both kind of.

Danielle: 7:32

you know, I'm trying to think about what it was. I feel like probably what it was is Ryan made me angry and I just decided that I was just going to go talk to Ryan. But I'm not going to lie, I'm really intense, like I'm a very intense, very passionate person, and so, like I can be, I can come off kind of scary Cause. One time I was telling Ryan a story and we were friends but he was sitting down and I was like talking and he goes. I have to stand up.

Ryan: 7:59

She's on my face.

Danielle: 8:01

It makes me feel uncomfortable. I'm like personal space. I'm sure it was Personal space, personal space, yeah. So I'm sure it was probably that Ryan and I had to do something together and then we were like, oh, we're very similar, and then we were just friends from there and then we text message and call each other yeah, I mean we gel on a friend level.

Ryan: 8:19

I mean we have like we're not just work besties, we're on a friend level too.

Danielle: 8:27

yeah, I mean we're both edgy well, we're both kind of edgy, right? Brian doesn't look edgy, I know, yeah, she does. Yeah, brian does not look edgy.

Ryan: 8:32

So like, but I am that comes out of brian is very surprising sometimes yeah, okay, that's half the film of the show.

Jess: 8:39

So you bond. So it sounds like you bonded over. You know personal things, not just personal things too.

Ryan: 8:45

Yeah, I mean we're just friends and I understand her. Like I'm not phased. I'm not phased or intimidated or anything like that. It's just like you know. I just know how you are.

Danielle: 8:57

Like it's not a big deal and they're saying, like they're, you're not everyone's cup of tea. Like, so I have a tea cup that's like a tea cup and you're not everyone's cup of tea. Like, so I have a tea cup that's like a tea cup. And that's like my saying, like I'm not everyone's cup of tea, but like Ryan gets me there's not a lot of people who get me, but Ryan, ryan gets me and he lets me be a hot mess and he's like get it together. And then like the funny thing is, I know Ryan's behavior well enough as a behavior analyst to know like, oh, he's mad at me because I haven't heard from him for days, so I'll have to be like, hey, can I talk to you? And he'll be like well, you can schedule time. And I'm like, okay, you're like now it's real severe on his calendar. And then I have to go and I'm like Ryan, I know you're upset at me, Can we talk about it? I need to apologize for whatever I did.

Jess: 9:35

I would say with both of your backgrounds, it has to be hard for you to to let anything slide between each other there is not one slide of anything and we've had you know, Ryan loves a receipt previously from our email exchange.

Ryan: 9:50

Yes, because we scheduled the podcast for last week and that was totally your fault. I never said it was, I will own it.

Danielle: 9:57

But this is what I also have to do. You're right, there is no grace anywhere. Here are the receipts. Here is what's happening.

Jess: 10:03

You said, said this, but I do the same thing to him like no, no, no yeah, she keeps receiving it feels more like you're edward, which is very scientific, and by the book, and for ryan to be more the emotional one, like I can't believe we messed it up I was very by the book too, for that one so you two are blending.

Ryan: 10:18

She taught me I wasn't. She's taught me actually to keep the receipts.

Danielle: 10:23

Yes, I have that I'm like what are you doing? Absolutely not, you need to be doing these things. Yeah, okay, so he.

Jess: 10:30

He's a good student sometimes yes, I am, thank you, thank you it seems like your friendship or your work ship related to a friendship and now you, kind of like, are evolving and learning from each other and almost better yeah yeah, there's, like you know, abilities.

Ryan: 10:47

I mean she's very competent, very good at what she does. That's why I want to give her cases. You know, I don't want more work you're like. Thank you for the compliment, if it's me you don't, really you don't know all the stuff that I keep, that I don't give to you, that I hold on to. No, she doesn't know, because she doesn't even know about it.

Danielle: 11:08

I do know about it, I know plenty about it.

Claude: 11:11

And how important does friendship really help you in your position, in your line of work, how important that friendship.

Danielle: 11:22

Oh my gosh, it's very important.

Danielle: 11:23

School is, I will tell you, I always say so. I have another job where I like do tutoring and I teach another like I teach a class for my certification and I always tell them like, if you want to learn real skills, come to public school, because in public school you have to kind of be able to do all of the things, like you have to have hard conversations, but you also have to have soft skills, and then you have to do these reports and keep these timelines. And there's a lot of moving parts in public school and there's a lot of things that people get upset at us, that they don't see the back end, and so it's so important to have someone to be able to reach out to and be like I'm going to lose it because this campus is being ridiculous or this teacher is like being like I'm trying to help you but you're not listening, but you want me to help you. It's really important to have that, because public school is really hard and yeah, we come to each other and vent a lot.

Ryan: 12:18

You know a sounding board, so that is very cathartic, it's very helpful and we're on the same wavelength almost all the time about everything, except for me giving you work. I mean, we feel, I mean we are like in lockstep a lot too. We wouldn't make it.

Danielle: 12:38

If you didn't have somebody to call on when you were having a hard day at public school, you wouldn't make it. It's some days it's just you feel defeated, and then other days you have, like these huge celebrations, so it's also nice to call your person and be like.

Danielle: 12:50

Then other days you have, like these huge celebrations, so it's also nice to call your person and be like my gosh, you're not going to believe we've been doing this for weeks and this person finally did it and it's like like I can't even believe it, and then you have that celebration, so it's absolutely imperative, or we wouldn't make it out here.

Ryan: 13:02

Yeah, and there's another person too, because if this person watches this podcast and we don't mention this other person, she would be. She's already.

Danielle: 13:12

Yeah, but look, I mean two people can barely fit in, so let's pause for a second. So we have a group of two. We have me and Ryan, who are we're besties friends Right and we have another person.

Danielle: 13:24

Her name is Jen and she we're all part of a group texting, we're all friends. Ryan and her fight. They fight. They also love each other but like it's like they can be really like poke at each other. And then one of them gets really mad at each other and then I'm like I'm in the middle like momming it. I'm like, okay, are you okay? Are you okay? Did you maybe apologize to Jen? Maybe you should talk to right, like, and I'm like trying to like facilitate of, like fixing this situation.

Jess: 13:56

But yeah, it sounds like is, work besties are really important in your field and it's great to have more than just the one work bestie or, in your cases, work siblings. Yeah, I'm not available.

Ryan: 14:04

Yeah, we definitely have like a sibling group.

Jess: 14:07

Yeah, yeah, so it's kind of like you. In addition to having the one person to rely on, it's good to have a bigger, broader group, because to your point, you probably all bring different perspectives, maybe not always aligned on the person.

Ryan: 14:20

If one of us has a conflict with the other, the other person can kind of mediate that. So that helps out too If one of us has a conflict with too many pauses.

Danielle: 14:32

Let's keep this going about who is getting upset at who. Ryan right, I have a great segue, ryan.

Jess: 14:42

Ryan is always how has your friendships helped navigate difficult situations?

Danielle: 14:47

we're moving on. How do we get? How does it help us navigate difficult situations?

Danielle: 14:51

Because it sounds like at times maybe the difficult situations probably help you navigate across other situations that are amongst all of you Do you have somebody to call that it knows the area that you work in so that you can problem solve it with them? For me, when I'm I'm asking people to do very like systematic things, like a recipe, like, okay, you're going to need to do these specific things. But sometimes you have to pause and think feelings, and I'm not I'm not great at my own personal feelings. So like it's nice to have Ryan and I'm like, okay, how do we like what do I need to do here? Like, what is the coping skill we need to work on? What are the feelings I need to pay attention to? Like you know this teacher better than I do, so what's the best approach when working with them?

Danielle: 15:36

So it's nice to have that person to run those things by and kind of like and Ryan will come to me and say, hey, this is the problem behavior that I'm dealing with. What do you think, how, what are some strategies that you would use? And then we can work together and he can add those things into his report. So that is, that is really nice to have that person that like you guys, like you guys have done the same job, so you can reach back out and say, hey, what did you do this when you had this situation? What did you do?

Jess: 16:06

So definitely, we do a lot of that and that collaborating piece on top of all, and I think similar to what you guys, now, we're both in different roles, so we deal with the same people, so it's good to have that opportunity to say to them like I know I'm going to have to switch their narrative on something and it's not going to work well, what have you done to't enable to influence someone so?

Danielle: 16:26

yeah, because we're dealing with principals, assistant principals, teachers, paraprofessionals. We're student services, we're dealing with the special education department. So, coordinators, assistant directors, directors we're dealing with parents.

Ryan: 16:39

I have eight bosses, bob. Yes, that's from a movie. Yeah, so we have to do that's a lot, not literally eight bosses, no I know, but like indirectly or how you interact.

Jess: 16:49

I mean really probably more than eight bosses.

Danielle: 16:52

Like you said, like figuring out what's each person's narrative, and then, like there are times we get different campuses, which means different principals, different teachers. I can be like, ok, tell me about what do you know about this here, because I'm struggling implementing this. Me about what do you know about this picture, because I'm struggling implementing this, so what do you know? He can do that. Vice versa. So, yes, that definitely helped us facilitate our job. Like people wise, because peopling is hard.

Ryan: 17:20

Yeah, it really is. And then I mean we talk about the bickering and fighting, but people know that we're close, you know that we're work besties or whatever, and that it does benefit our job, our working relationship, and we are able to collaborate a lot, to problem solve a lot. We are able to work closely on, you know, any situations, crises, issues, and come up with the best solutions for the best option for the kid, the best outcome for student outcomes, and so it does help.

Jess: 17:59

That makes sense.

Claude: 18:01

One of the things also that I listened to other podcasts that Ryan you had, which are great is also why you created that social media. Because you didn't feel, you didn't want to feel alone, for people to be all, create a community.

Ryan: 18:19

But that's my other podcast.

Claude: 18:24

Yeah, one thing also that you were saying is that it's not only social media, but it's important also to create group text with your work besties, with your colleague, to be able to bounce back, Like you say. You know ideas and things like that.

Ryan: 18:41

Yeah, and so to go off of that, like there's a group test with just the BCBA and I actually admire the BCBA and I actually admire it, the BCBA group, they're close. I mean, y'all do happy hours and y'all have a group text and do things you know within work. But outside of work and our school psych group, we're very supportive of each other. We have a group text going, but I would say that y''all are even closer, a little bit more tight-knit, and I mean, and that helps and y'all are very they'll defend each other I think, very much the memes are nice for ryan, so here's my favorite part of the memes.

Danielle: 19:20

I know when I will become a meme because I've made him angry, so we'll have some type of exchange. And then I'm like, oh, and I'll text my team Ryan's gonna make a meme about Ryan's making it.

Ryan: 19:32

I would rather say the word frustrating. Okay, frustrating like angry.

Danielle: 19:36

So but the nice part about the memes is that they're so relatable yeah and so like, it's nice to have like for me. I don't write the memes I. I am a meme a lot of the times, it's a lot of times about me, but it's funny because it's like. It's a good representation of like what it happens at work and like people's perceptions of like how a school psychologist and how a BCBA work together.

Danielle: 20:00

But that's not really true. But because it's a meme, but it's nice to have those and I think, like as Ryan's friend, like seeing his page grow, it's nice to have those. And I think, like as Ryan's friend, like seeing his page grow, it's nice, like what I can see is like it's so relatable, like all of the comments like that he gets are like, oh my gosh, like. So I think for people it's nice to be seen in a meme of like these are the things I'm experiencing in public school as a school psychologist.

Ryan: 20:23

Right, we're apparently dealing with a BCBA, right, because I mean, I'm old, were apparently dealing with a BCBA Right Because, I mean, I'm old, I was an intern in 2005. And so for several years I went thinking this is me, this is only happening to me, or I'm the only one having this problem, or I'm the only one struggling in this area, or I'm the only one having this conflict with another coworker. And it turns out like no. Like when I started this page, I just made memes based on previous experiences, and then everyone was like, oh yes, this is so relatable, this is me. And so I started to realize, you know, I just kind of, you know, took a stab at it and then go ahead. So well, I'm just of, you know, took a stab at it, and then go ahead.

Danielle: 21:09

Well, I'm just laughing, so you can see this is the current meme and I knew it was Ryan's meme. So this is why like this is a good, just like representation for people, and the feedback on here is hilarious, and he has like 200. Hold on, so let's see what it is A picture of Ben Affleck and Jennifer and Ben Affleck and Jennifer and Ben Affleck is whispering in her ear and she's labeled the BCBA, which thank you, and then he is labeled the school psychologist.

Danielle: 21:34

But then the second picture is he's smirking and Ryan's caption says you're not really a scientist. Oh, that's just me.

Jess: 21:45

That's a low low.

Ryan: 21:52

Where are we seeing science at work? I I mean, unless it's a science like that's what's funny about it you introduce yourself as basically a scientist to parents. That's weird, it gets them very upset.

Danielle: 22:01

But like what's funny is like the comments underneath are funny, like they're people are, all are here, all up for all of this. Like, oh my gosh, blah, blah, blah. And then like I come in and I'm like I knew this was about me and blah blah. But like they don't have to be jello, don't I look hot for people it's just a good like. Even for bcbas it's a good like poke fun at each other because we're so closely together. So I think bcbas are very heavy.

Ryan: 22:27

Let me explain. I should have explained this at the beginning of bcb is very, very heavy on jargon that's not true.

Danielle: 22:34

That is true. No, it is well. He doesn't know, because in our ethics code we can't even use those, those words. So do we use those with ryan? Yes. Do we use those with teachers and parents? No like.

Claude: 22:46

For the audience. What is the name of your handle, your social media handle, because you have quite a followers now.

Ryan: 22:54

Thank, you it is world's okayest school psych and actually made a meme like based on just being okay, Because at work we have sometimes get anxious about you know, the gravity of our role. I mean, we have imposter syndrome and things like that and I made a meme that said, when someone calls me the expert at work, my urge to say like, absolutely not. Like, I am not the expert because I don't want people looking at me and relying on me to fix everything right away and have this magic wand.

Danielle: 23:31

Can you see why I get work now?

Ryan: 23:33

Yeah.

Claude: 23:35

He's like, that's what the job is for, but I have to. But you know, if you think about it, it's relatable to everybody, because everybody has in a way an imposter syndrome right, I mean everybody. You don't have to be a school psych or somebody.

Jess: 23:57

No, I mean, I think that's why I like started following you and like instantly wrote to you, because I was like, oh my gosh, your content actually does like. I know your intent, which is is fantastic, to create that community, but it definitely extends way beyond. It does translate across other industries as well, which is fantastic.

Claude: 24:16

I remember one actually, you did speak about it in one of the podcasts waking up at two o'clock in the morning and having to redo a report I mean that can translate to every industry.

Ryan: 24:31

Right. You just wake up and you're panicking about something you think you did wrong or you worded something incorrectly, or I need to fix this and I can't. And you can always go into work the next day and fix it, but you want it done right then because you're going to be anxious about it. There's so much isolation, like there are issues, you know, with social media and the internet. I get that, but it also can be a helpful tool in a way too, and just you know, a lot of people felt very isolated before we were able to have these communities and engage with each other. Thank you, I appreciate that, and thank you, jess and Claude too.

Jess: 25:10

Danielle, when are you going to start yours, so that we can really have?

Danielle: 25:15

I just contribute every once in a while to Ryan's and like tag him. So I'm like look, I am also cool, I know the world.

Ryan: 25:22

Honestly, I have to give her credit because I mean, she only has like a personal account, but she has over a thousand followers just on your personal page, yeah Well.

Danielle: 25:33

I mean, it also is because I work for another. My other company is Study Notes ABA that I work for and she is really big on social media, so I have a lot of people who follow me like cause I teach the class. If Ryan specifically posts a meme and it's in a story, I will come across it. Please look for me, I will be there.

Jess: 25:49

I'm excited. Definitely we will be. But yes you work best. He's your podcast immediately Like your comment and then be like yeah.

Danielle: 25:56

And you were like you're right, Danielle, Tell him that's what that feedback.

Ryan: 26:03

No, don't do that. Um yeah, I'll block.

Danielle: 26:07

I'll block all of y'all I think I'm mad at him and I told him in a text message. I said I'll burn your podcast to the. I was like I will do that. There's a tribe but I'll take him out, I have all the receipts no, but anyway.

Ryan: 26:26

No, you did inspire, because at first I'm I have to get more followers than you. That was my goal. So that's what I mean, you know. That's how we get started.

Jess: 26:35

We did that too, yeah, and then you just keep going right.

Danielle: 26:40

Yeah, I am happy for him. I am happy to be in the background and be the butt of his jokes and then chime in everyone's right you have more inspiration than just danielle and bcbas.

Jess: 26:50

What are your other inspirations of things that you are?

Ryan: 26:53

previous work experiences. I mean because I'm in going into my 20th year. I think it's my 20th year. I can't keep up, but yeah, or 1920, but anyway. So it's just all previous work experience, because I started this page about two years ago. So you're talking about 15 plus years of work experiences that I have to draw on when I'm making these memes, and then current issues too, and now when something happens and I get frustrated, I'm like I'll just make a meme about it and I feel better, you know there's a lot of times we're like in the same meeting but we're like not sitting by each other, and I I can tell based on the situation that we're gonna get a meme, that we gotta get a meme or like the situation is so awkward and I'm like what is going on?

Danielle: 27:36

I'm like you know, a meme's coming I mean it's coming, I can tell when we're in the same meetings and like something strange, and you know, because you always, you're always like stuff is always happening, and there's a lot of times people say things and you're like, huh right, like something happens and you're like, really, was this the best choice?

Ryan: 27:54

and then I'm like means coming first yeah these need to be yeah, why get frustrated or upset or anything like that? I can make it me.

Jess: 28:02

Thank you for the content, thank you for the idea, you know, and as you see from all the likes and the comments, this is not what like. Everybody's dealing with this all day long. Across all industries.

Ryan: 28:14

I think a lot of people are hesitant to talk about that openly these Russian and I'm just not. Maybe that comes with age, because there was a time that I would have never started a page like that and maybe created those memes. I would have been too paranoid, thinking like I would get in trouble. But really, all my bosses, everyone follows me.

Danielle: 28:38

But like what's funny is like when you see those TikToks about when you and your best friend go to HR, I always send those to him. I'm like, yeah, I'm just waiting for the day.

Ryan: 28:48

But I mean, executive director follows me. Yeah, everybody follows me, they all follow me. So I'm figures like if there's something that crosses the line, they'll just let me know.

Jess: 28:58

They'll let you know.

Ryan: 28:59

Yeah, hopefully.

Jess: 29:03

Ryan, where do you see your social media element going? Do you have like a?

Ryan: 29:09

bigger, broader initiative there? That's a good question, and I've thought more about that just here in the past few months than I ever have, because if you asked me this three months ago, I would have said this is just for fun and it's for no other purpose. But I'm still in the development stage of how I want to take it from where it's at right now, and I think I do Just because, honestly, I didn't think it would grow to this point, and so, yeah, I'm just honestly thinking about it. I don't have a solid answer for that yet, other than to say you?

Danielle: 29:45

have 12,000 followers.

Ryan: 29:48

Yes, yeah, solid answer for that, yet other than to say you have 12 000 followers.

Danielle: 29:52

Yes, yeah, I love that you're like just now realized you're like wait, oh well, there for a minute he was texting in the group text and was like 4 000 followers, 5 000 followers, 6 000 followers, and I was like was able to keep up, but then at some point, I guess, he decided he had so many followers he didn't need to let me know anymore, and so I was like, okay, I don't know, I don't know, I just see them.

Ryan: 30:09

It comes in waves, like sometimes you get a bunch of followers that wants to stay stagnant right, yeah, I don't know yeah, you know which one is being picked up.

Claude: 30:20

Sometimes you think that something is going to be picked up and it's not.

Ryan: 30:24

And then suddenly, one of my most, my most popular reel. Um was actually like this has over a million views and you know, like a hundred thousand likes or whatever like that, but the majority of it is from non-school psychs, like the algorithm sending out to everyone. And it's um chis, lois and Brom, like they had this 80s show called the elephant show and they sing this song called I am slowly going crazy one, two, three, four, five, six, switch anyways, I was like I don't know this. A lot of people can relate to the song I am slowly going crazy and so that mean the instagram just sent that meme out to everyone and I mean that helped the page a lot too. But you just never know. You never know. You didn't think that. I thought that would just be an average post and it turned out to, you know, explode. So that was awesome, it's awesome.

Jess: 31:27

Like we've had that same thing where, like, certain things hit and we're like we have no idea why. Right, you don't know why the ones that you think are going to be amazing like no they're crickets yeah.

Claude: 31:37

Yeah.

Ryan: 31:38

And then I had another reel that hit, but like it invited so many just really inappropriate like even for me comments and I was having so much trouble moderating it, so I just deleted it, even though that one got over a million views too. But I'm like this is just too eh.

Jess: 31:56

Yeah, yeah, I didn't feel comfortable with it.

Ryan: 31:59

Keep your brain. Yeah, exactly Right, I had to purge it a little bit, all right, so I want to bring up two last questions for you.

Danielle: 32:27

One is because you two do have such a great rapport. What's a funny or embarrassing story that you have, either collectively. That was so awkward, ryan. We took a day in the hallway and ryan was like, how do I, where do I put my arm? It was the most uncomfortable and awkward moment. And then, like the picture is great because I'm like laughing and he's like I'm a man.

Ryan: 32:44

He was like this weird straight if you see pictures of keanu reeves I'm taking pictures with fans he's never touching them. The female.

Jess: 32:52

He's super stiff.

Ryan: 32:53

Yeah, his arm was always like well, you can't see it anyway, but so that's why I was basically getting here.

Danielle: 33:02

I was like no, just take a picture with me, stop being so weird.

Ryan: 33:05

And he was like no, it's and so the picture I mean, I was like basically by the end of it, standing up and you're like on the floor, like you're on the floor so we just take the picture and he's like where do my where does?

Danielle: 33:19

my arm go. I said where do your arm go? We're taking a picture, just take it.

Ryan: 33:23

Well, I'm very weird like that, like what do I do? What do I do with my eyes, even on this podcast? Like where do I look? What?

Jess: 33:29

do.

Danielle: 33:29

I know I do that too, don't worry that is a very funny one is that like somebody was taking our picture and it was just like I'm sure someone watching it was probably like this is up with those. Well, I'm comfortable what is happening and I'm crying, laughing, because Ryan is so awkward and I'm like just take the picture. So now I don't, I just lean in and I'm like click and I just take the picture, you know it was, it was just so you know how to work around your work best.

Ryan: 33:58

Yeah well, and then, like, someone will come up and be like oh, I'll take the picture. I'm like no selfies, only because selfies make me look better when you take a picture like. I'm like no selfies only because selfies make me look better when you take a picture. Like if someone's actually taking a picture of us, that is going to make me look like way too big Like, but I'm not comfortable with it. Okay, so I look better selfies.

Danielle: 34:21

I only take a selfie now.

Ryan: 34:23

I don't have anyone take our picture.

Danielle: 34:24

Yeah, we only do so selfie now I don't have anyone take our picture yeah, we only do so. Okay, what is your second question?

Jess: 34:32

or we're never going to wrap it up because we can literally okay, so one of the main elements of that, what we're trying to do is create this movement and encourage people to have work besties and find their work besties. Um, so the last question that we have for you is do you have any parting words or advice for future generations, whether in your industry or outside, to really help either find that work bestie or find ways to facilitate that relationship within?

Danielle: 34:59

your work. See by their cover, right, because what you, what you think is, though like they would never, they don't look like they would ever get along. Danielle and all her tattoos and her piercings. And then ryan with his glasses like I look way too clean cut you do so?

Claude: 35:17

I think you're your glasses yeah we do have new glasses we're not talking about your glasses right now we're not, we're talking.

Danielle: 35:26

They're new, so leave it at that or at that, or you're never going to get rid of us.

Jess: 35:29

That's a picture for us right.

Danielle: 35:32

I think that you just find your people right, so you don't assume that you're not going to like someone based on what they look like or how they talk or do they work. Your person is your person regardless. So just be open to the people that come into your life and make it better. You just, you just go run with those people that make your life better.

Ryan: 35:51

Yeah, and it's not anything that can be rushed. I mean, I think we worked together for a few years before we became like. I think that.

Danielle: 35:58

I think that's the true thing of a bestie right Like a work bestie is that like you're you.

Ryan: 36:09

You are like friends at the beginning and then you talk a little bit and you talk a little bit more. I think it's definitely one of those things that grows over time. But you definitely cannot survive work without a work bestie. And I'm automatically like cautious, you know, I just want to, you know, keep boundaries and distance and all that. But then, like when I see how people first respond to my humor you know they respond positively to that I'm like I'm going to try a little bit more, like I'm gonna try a little bit more.

Danielle: 36:26

I'm gonna try a little bit more there's. There's behavior science behind this, by the way.

Jess: 36:29

Yeah okay, see, yeah you say, danny, you should be able to tell us, like, how, like my personality perspective, what's the best way.

Ryan: 36:36

It's showing more, more of my personality, and if you keep being receptive to that, then I know we're gonna click and get along. You know, and and you don't necessarily have to be the same, but I mean no, I think that's why ryan and I are very good work besties is we are not.

Danielle: 36:51

We are not the same. To a degree we're the same, but I think we're we're different enough that it works really well and we're a really good balance so you're the complementary element of each other yeah, yeah, jess, always make fun of me because I keep on saying it's the yin and the yang right.

Ryan: 37:08

Yeah, yeah.

Danielle: 37:09

Absolutely. You definitely need that balance, and I think, like Ryan's comment about how he has to filter people, like that's just Danielle, like it's nice to know, like you have somebody has your back right so they can say hold on. No, that's really not how she is. Like she is a fantastic person. You just need to get to know her right. And so same thing with Ryan. I'm like don't let Ryan give you any work, but he is really great, you know.

Ryan: 37:32

And like here is your things well, I could tell you had that talk with her we're starting or ending the same way we started.

Jess: 37:42

Is there anything else you guys wanted to share or to comment about before?

Danielle: 37:48

I think it's just so cool that you guys are doing a work bestie podcast and like trying to encourage people to have them, because I do think that that's definitely something that people need, because it depends on your job, right, you kind of feel like you're alone because, like, even in our job, we do have a team, but we're so busy doing individual things that there's so little time that we get to be with our team, and so I think it's so nice to have somebody to reach out to. So I think you guys are doing a fantastic job spreading the love of work bestie, because you need those.

Ryan: 38:19

And I want to say this I'll say this is mainly a compliment is that you?

Jess: 38:24

know, I heard, I heard the clarifying word this is my.

Ryan: 38:34

Please don't let them know you're mainly compliment this mainly compliment is they moved her around but now she's only at two of my campuses and it's kind of sad. It is sad because I mean, we we've been dealing with this like major situation at one school and you're not there anymore and it just kind of stinks that you know it makes her appreciate your work best anymore, but at the same time it gives you the opportunity to expand and have more work well, no, I don't do well with sharing ryan, can't?

Ryan: 39:02

be no, it's a matter of fact. I'm not trying to drive the quad. One or two times that I've tried to pull another person into our group and Danielle and the other person flat out shut it down. They're like no, absolutely not, there's no more room for anyone else.

Danielle: 39:21

I don't share well, so like my friends are my friends and I don't want to share them, so if you want to have other friends go over there, Don't bring them over here with me because, it's not going to be the same. And so this year in our text message exchange I typed up really quickly like an NDA because I was like we have to like, so like whatever gets said in this, like no screenshots no sharing no, nothing, and so like we have like a really good parting words sharing no nothing and so, like we have like a really good parting words for current work, how do you think all the tea and all the things that you say when you're upset and then they're living in a text message thread so you could get mad and screenshot that so easily.

Danielle: 40:02

So we all I wrote up an nda and I said please sign your name underneath, and everyone texted back their names. So Ryan, I did, jen did, and so we have this NDA in our text message group so that no one can share.

Jess: 40:13

Yeah, I love that. That is new. No one has ever said anything like that in our past podcast. I love it.

Danielle: 40:24

In that group, like there's three of us, right, so that's a little bit of a different group versus like me and Ryan, like you know, like I know, cause think about how much tea you two have just on each other and how quickly you could blow it up. Ryan knows that I would show up at his house at night if he ever said anything that I said and that he may not make it out.

Jess: 40:43

The day that we see the world's okay school psych with like that little construction worker man we know.

Danielle: 40:49

He said something he hasn't said, and I have taken care of it on my end.

Jess: 40:54

You All right guys? Well, I appreciate you so much taking the time to chat with us and sharing your background and educating us, because I again did not know what a BCBA was. Now I do.

Jess: 41:05

I'm very excited to know that I also will start sending positive memes about the importance of BCBAs to counter. But thank you both. So so much. We appreciate it and with that it's a wrap. So All right, thank you. Remember, whether you're swapping snacks in the break room, rescuing each other from endless meetings or just sending that perfectly timed meme, having a work bestie is like having your own personal hype squad.

Claude: 41:37

So keep lifting each other up, laughing through the chaos and, of course, thriving. Until next time, stay positive, stay productive and don't forget to keep supporting each other. Work besties.