Work Besties Who Podcast

Amy & Mandy : Besties, Leaders and Dog Moms

• Work Besties Who Podcast • Season 1 • Episode 22

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Meet Amy and Mandy, two university educators whose friendship grew from faculty meetings, fitness challenges and... their sibling dogs! In this fun and energetic convo, they dish on how they balance being best friends at work while keeping it professional. From bonding over 75 Day Challenge to creating a supportive work environment, they’ve mastered the art of fostering strong connections with colleagues.

Get ready for laughs and plenty of feel-good moments as they dive into how their friendship has powered them through the ups and downs of academia. Tune in for tips on how to build workplace friendships that last—both in the office and beyond! You won’t want to miss it!


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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Claude:

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

Jessica:

Join us as we explore how work besties lift each other up, laugh through the chaos and thrive together in every industry. Work besties.

Claude:

Hi everyone. We are super excited to have two work besties, Amy and Mandy. They are actually friends from one of our previous podcast person, which was Carrie. So, Amy and Mandy, if you want to introduce yourself.

Mandy:

My name is Mandy and Amy, and we've been. Gosh, how long have we been friends for. How long have you worked here now? That's when we became friends.

Amy:

I feel like I make up the years I'm never really sure, and then I look and then I forget, but I feel like it's been. Is it eight, seven? I'll go seven. No, I'll go seven.

Mandy:

I'll go a solid seven years we've been friends.

Amy:

My name is Amy. I've worked at the university for seven years. Mandy has worked at the university a lot longer, but that is where we met was at the university. We actually worked in the same office.

Claude:

Great and actually what really was that moment when you met and when you became friends.

Amy:

Man, that's a great question.

Mandy:

I was trying to think about like when we actually became friends, because when Amy first started she was working at the other end of the office from me and so I didn't interact with her a ton. And then I was thinking I think I did a fitness challenge for the office, I think, or like a health, like some sort of health thing or something.

Mandy:

And I think that's how, like we just started, like just started talking, and then our lives we have very similar lives, like our lives are like parallel and yeah, it's kind of crazy yeah we have kids that are roughly the same age and our lives real our lives really do parallel each other a lot we're both high.

Jessica:

So you say it was the challenge, but was it one particular thing that occurred during that, or was that like the start that got you guys talking what really kind of like solidified your friendship?

Amy:

You know, I think, it was a mixture of things.

Amy:

I think one it was the challenge, that kind of kicked off, kind of getting to know each other, right, and then which kind of like initiated the conversations. But I think also, mandy, what played a part in it was I actually transitioned from one position to another in the office, and so I think kind of what happened was I had joined the leadership team in the office when I transitioned to the new position, and once a week the leadership team gets together and we have our meetings and chat. That's like the world's greatest meeting. And I think that's really that happened almost at the same time that you became interim in your position, right I think. I think it was like a couple weeks. So when I transferred into my new position, mandy also promoted, probably a couple weeks later, and so we had these meetings together and our personalities obviously shown right through and and that's how we I think that was one thing. And then her and I both have a love for fitness and so that kind of just matched us together really right?

Claude:

Yeah, great. And Amy. What was your first thought of Mandy and Mandy then. What was your first thought of Amy at the beginning?

Amy:

Man. My first thought of Mandy. That's a great question. I think that she, her and I really are so similar in so many different ways. I mean our birthdays one of us is older than the other, but they're only like a couple weeks apart and I think that plays a huge piece into our personalities. And so, like our personalities are very alike. Our sense of humor is like so I think when I first like really got to know her, I just really enjoyed. She's just got a fun personality and a fun sense of humor is like so I think when I first like really got to know her, I just really enjoyed. She's just got a fun personality and a fun sense of humor and I could be totally ridiculous with her and she embraced it really.

Mandy:

Yeah, I loved when Amy joined our supervisors team, like I, like she said, we have this leadership team once a week and it is, like my hands down, my favorite meeting of the week and I go to a lot of meetings. Our personalities just really meshed and our lives are so similar, with our kids being really similar in age, like what. Like she said, our birthdays are very, are very close together. Yes, I am older, she likes but yeah, our lives, just we, just our personalities just clicked and we play off of each other really well. I think Absolutely. We make each other laugh all the time, which is awesome when you work in an office environment, you know, and you're in cubicles and offices and meetings all day. To have that opportunity to laugh and have fun in the workplaces is always a plus.

Mandy:

Pretty great.

Claude:

And what actually are your co-workers saying about this friendship? Do they actually see it? Do they embrace it? Do they love it?

Mandy:

They're aware of it.

Amy:

You know, when we worked in the same office, Mandy was actually my boss's boss, so she was. I was not a direct report to her, and so when you're in an office environment, I think there's a lot of chatter behind that. Right, Like people don't really understand the dynamic of having a friendship that was cultivated in an office but really had nothing to do with the office. Right, like we keep saying our lives are like she mentioned our husbands became stay-at-home dads at the exact same week. Our lives are like she mentioned our husbands became stay-at-home dads at the exact same week.

Amy:

We had so many things similar outside of the office that the office really wasn't the foundation to our relationship. So in the beginning people didn't know that, nor did they understand that maybe. So I think there was a little bit of chatter around it. But then a couple of minutes with us and you kind of get the feel of us and then people started to see, I think, that it didn't impact our work or favoritism or anything in any sort of way, like we are truly friends and at the heart of that we are friends.

Claude:

So that is something actually that you just say, and that's something that with Jess, we always discuss. Where we are totally different, can you befriend with your boss. So now you're actually Amy Mandy is your N plus one. So really that shows that it is possible, right? How did were you able to navigate that?

Mandy:

Be really cognizant, or you know, and even even now that she is outside of the office, like we're just really cognizant of making sure that there is no even hint of impropriety. There was no favoritism. You know, reminding people, Amy was not my direct report when she was in our office. I didn't give her special treatment. I held her to the same expectations of everyone in the office, and so we just had to be really cognizant of that. The division that the registrar's office is in and that Amy used to work in. We are lucky that we have leadership, that my boss is also like she's also my friend, and so I think we are really lucky that we work in an environment where there are a lot of friendships within our organization and that's not looked at as in any sort of negative way. So we're really lucky that way.

Amy:

Yeah, I also think too, there's a lot of assumption that when we're together, that we talk about work and we talk about people and all of that, and I can 100% say that we separate work and friendship when we are together. Gosh, there's only been a handful of times that we've talked about work outside of the office. Or you know, like Mandy was saying, I think we do a really good job of if something is private and not to be shared one way or another. Her and I are really good about not sharing that information. We've just set I think, unknowingly really healthy boundaries to what is work and to what is friendship.

Jessica:

I was going to say. That's one of the things that I've always found too. With those I've become friends with that. Either I report into or report into me. It's the. You're separating those two types of conversations and you're very clear when you end the one that's more about your personal life and you start the work conversation. So that way, to your point, you create those boundaries. It's very well known. It's okay to share personal stuff with people and it's probably helpful to be honest, because in a lot of cases we come to work with all of the background of what's going on in our personal life. But when you get to work you do need to then transition. So I think you hit the nail on the head of what definitely separates, how you create that relationship, the boundaries. See, claude, it can be done.

Claude:

I guess that. I guess there's a. I hope so.

Mandy:

Yeah, I hope so. Yeah, you think, yeah, we, I we have a lot of friends, like a lot of co-workers who are also our friends. I feel really lucky that we have that environment. Almost our entire leadership are like we've all worked together for such a long time that we're we're really good friends and and I think it helps that we do have a leadership team that has all worked together, with the exception of, like, amy's replacement We've all worked together for over five years, you know, and some of us over 15 or 20 years together, and so we've really cultivated strong working relationships and friendships.

Jessica:

And that I think, um, knowing and seeing it from all levels definitely helps, right, it makes it feel more comfortable and encourages it, which is something that we're trying to help facilitate and create that kind of environment, because we don't see that in every industry and definitely not in all companies. You may see pockets of it in certain levels, but you don't see it all the way up and or to what you're saying, like the mingling between levels too. But it does, it creates and it fosters a very different environment. You're more open, you're more collaborative, you definitely have more positivity, like there's definitely signs that help the broader organization when it does occur, and you see examples of it. Broader organization when it does occur and you see examples of it. Yeah, so, as you see this evolve, are you seeing that continue? Are you seeing that continue to foster and and and or helping to encourage ways maybe to continue that?

Mandy:

Yeah, I think we, um, we so actually Amy and one of our our, our other coworkers um, a couple of years ago, when everyone was just first coming back from COVID and people had been remote for so long, they created a kind of a. It was called Nice to Meet you and it was this small group, a combination of small group discussions and then all office meetings where people could get to know each other better, and they had a theme around each each small group meeting, like what does a healthy work environment look like and how are we doing as an office? And that really facilitated these small groups from mixed areas across our office getting together. And then we've had a lot of still continued more turnover and so, even though Amy's left the office, her coworker that started this with her we just re-instigated. It's now called CoLab and Connect and we were very intentional in the groups that we set to have a variety of people of.

Mandy:

You have not just all supervisors together, but people from across the different areas in the office to facilitate these small group discussions and allow people time to connect across different levels of the office. And it's been really good and well received. I always worry when I'm in a group because I'm the director of the office. Are people going to be willing to? Because one of the things is like, well, what can we improve on? And so I always worry, will people feel comfortable? But we've had great discussions and people have been really open and I think it helps that we as an office are open to those kinds of conversations.

Amy:

Yeah, and that's what I think was, that's what I think was so great about mine and Mandy's relationship and working in the same office was that I think it did represent and showed people that you know, as Mandy just said, she's the director of the office, right, and there's a stigma attached to that.

Jessica:

When you're, you know different people around the office at different levels, and so I think our friendship really showed a director can be open and a director can be easy to talk to and she is laid back and she is funny and all of that I think was able to shine right through our relationship in the office, which kind of fosters that environment where people feel like, oh, I can talk to her because, look, I see her, you know, hanging out and having a good time, which I which I do think fosters a really great working environment For sure.

Claude:

Sometimes it's just that little bit of vulnerability and putting yourself out there that helps others see they can do the same. Yep yourself out there that helps others see they can do the same. Yep Agreed. And then so those meetings that you know you have been set up. How often do you meet and have you been able to come up with a program or something that really fostered those friendships?

Mandy:

So we meet, those small groups meet monthly and then each um, each area, so each group, small group picked someone that was kind of the leader of the group to facilitate the meetings and stuff and then we report back then, um, Amy's the person that Amy originally created it with. He has another partner that is again he's a. He's in a leadership role, she is not. So we tried to even have the the um those who are facilitating this be at different levels in the office and we really encourage those small groups to get together more frequently if they want. There's like once a month. We have a theme, but you know, to have more, more open communication and we have a lot of our teams. Partially we did that so we wouldn't be so siloed in our different areas, but we have, I feel like we've really strong teams within each of the areas. Like they all are really like each of those groups get along well, and so this is just helping to kind of cross those boundaries between each of the different areas in the office.

Jessica:

Yeah, which is the next hurdle right Once you get the teams working in a an efficient manner and they all collaborate, how do you then cross collaborate, especially to a point when their teams that day-to-day might not even have a need to to co-mingle? So I think that's a fantastic idea because it gets you out there, it gets other people in your organization to see what other types of roles are there and how you, even if day-to-day you're not impacting each other, you still kind of do.

Jessica:

Oh yeah, so it definitely helps to kind of broaden everybody's understanding. That's amazing. I love the name of it too Collab and Connect.

Claude:

And so, just before Amy and Mandy, you were telling us that, Amy, you left the office. You're now working from home. How?

Amy:

has been this Like how, this, like how, like, yeah, that transition, well, I so full transparency. I I do think the office that that Mandy and I work in, that Mandy still works in I do think it has sort of I mean, mean, it sounds cheesy to say magical, but it does have like it's just a really awesome place to work, and so I had only left the office one, because I knew the person that I was going to be working with and she's pretty amazing and it was advancement. But I would like to say that Mandy's office got rid of me, but they really didn't. So, yes, I work for both, but I also still have meetings that are on campus and I also teach on campus, so I use that as an excuse to have to work on campus. So what I do is I have I mean, they hold a desk for me in the registrar's office, so I go in and work in the office like once or twice a week, depending on my week.

Jessica:

So you're hybrid. You're not even real full of work from home.

Amy:

No, they can't kick me out.

Mandy:

She asks if her desk is available.

Amy:

I'll text Mandy in the morning. I'm like, is my desk about? I mean I have to bring my own mouse for the computer.

Mandy:

You're like bring your own mouse, You're fine.

Amy:

But I do. I go, and just recently I bumped into somebody that I worked with when I worked in the registrar's office and I hadn't seen her since I left and she asked me how my new job is going, which I love. I love my new job. And I was actually leaving a class and walking to the registrar's office to work at my desk. And she was like what? And I said yeah, I have a desk there. I just worked the rest of the afternoon there. And she was like you are probably the only person that I know that goes back to work in an office that they have left there.

Amy:

Yeah, it's like you know, it was hard for me to leave because I really felt like they were my family and it's you know, everybody that works there, especially the leadership team. It just is. It's just great connection. So I still get the best of both worlds really.

Jessica:

Yeah, you can go there and get the energy and the connections and then go home and work on your own. Yeah, we find that too. When Claude and I used to sit next to each other, we definitely had just different energy, right, I mean? We still have positive, fun environments from where the teams we work with, but it's funny that's just you bounce off of it. That has a different feel to it. So I totally understand what you're coming from it makes such a difference, I also have to bring my own mouse too, amy, uh-huh see it's not on that.

Mandy:

It's not that uncommon to bring your own mouse, but you know you spend so many of your waking hours in the office and so it makes such a huge difference when you enjoy the people that you're working with and that you can really truly share real life experiences with them. Because, as you said earlier, jess, you bring all of that to work with you. It's not like you can just check everything from your personal life at the door and so being surrounded by colleagues that can support you and understand if you are going through something really awesome or something really trying in your personal life, for them to be able to support you through that is huge, and it's really what's kept me.

Mandy:

I've worked at the university for 27 years and I've worked the entire time in this office because I truly feel like this is such a this, this office is so magical because I've been very lucky to have leadership teams before me that have really valued and fostered having friendships within the office as well.

Jessica:

You talked about the collab and connect. If, what are some other ideas that you might have?

Mandy:

if you are working in an office that doesn't feel magical, what would you give parting words or what kind of advice would you give to others so um, you know simple things like even like doing a book study or we were really well known like historically we had a lot of potlucks, because food like really brings people together, and so we would have potlucks and put them in a centralized area and encourage people to chat while they're doing that. We also try to just do like little recognition things. So 10th day of a semester is sort of a big is a milestone at a university. So we used to always have a we survived 10th day celebration. You know just like little things like that just to celebrate. We try to do stuff around the holidays just to try to have, you know just fun events that get people together. We they always end up being fun and you learn something about someone, and I think just those little things really help to plant seeds of collegiality and friendship, it's true.

Claude:

For the holiday in our company we do in our department, we do a potluck and also activities, and this is really something that brings us together and you get to talk with other people that you know. You. You never really talk during you know the year, so even doing that several times a year is, I think, beneficial. Yeah.

Mandy:

I think so well, and we started a few years ago. I started doing a um, an all-day, all-staff retreat, and we do have like working topics that we do. But we build in a lot of like small group discussions and mix like mixing groups up so that they don't just sit with their their same coworker and then I, you know, bring, we provide lunch for them and it allows just people to kind of have like get a lot of work done but have the those more casual conversation. There's snacks and stuff, you know. So I just think it helps the more you can get people together, um around, especially around like a common goal to anytime you can facilitate options for people to chat. I think is is helpful.

Jessica:

Oh yeah, especially when it's a common theme to work on. That definitely always brings groups together. Yeah, so now that you guys don't work together, what do you guys do to try and continue your bond, or is there anything unique that you're doing to continue your friendship? We?

Amy:

start texting at about five in the morning.

Mandy:

We're like chatting all the time on Instagram. We usually have like three different types of chats going at one time Like we're chatting on Instagram. We're chatting on text. We're chatting on like Gmail chat.

Amy:

You know, it's like we have like three different chats going all the time.

Mandy:

But we so again, like I've told Claude earlier, like we have very similar parallel lives and my husband often says that we share a brain, but we do also share sibling dogs, so we take them for hikes together. We get together like we celebrate, like I was just at her house last weekend to celebrate her daughter's birthday, so like we travel together, we so we are really like Amy's my ride or dies. We're together a lot outside of the office as well.

Jessica:

Oh, that's amazing. So what made you guys get dogs together?

Mandy:

That is fascinating, Amy how did we get dogs together?

Amy:

We both had two dogs, as it was, and then my friend's dog had puppies and I was like no, no. And then I said okay, I'll try it, I'll try it for a weekend. Don't ever say you're gonna try a dog for a weekend. If it gets in your car, it's your dog and there, there was only two left in the litter and I felt bad because the I have the girl and she has the boy dog and her husband wanted him.

Mandy:

I told my husband I was Amy's such a sucker. She's trying this dog for the weekend. And so he's like all of a sudden starts texting Amy like give me details on this other dog. And I'm like, no, no, I don't want a third dog On it. On it and Amy's like, yes, get the dog. So we have sibling dogs now and they're adorable.

Amy:

They are.

Mandy:

They're labradoodles and they are very cute and they're like best friends?

Jessica:

Yeah. Do you both collectively have three dogs each? Is that right?

Amy:

No, there's more. Well, unfortunately my one dog passed she was 15.

Mandy:

So then I was down to two dogs and then Mandy's son was like my son came home from college and thought it would be a great idea for him to go to the humane society and adopt a dog. And now he didn't go back up to college, he stayed at home to go to college here.

Amy:

And so now, I have four dogs at my I keep trying to get her to get another dog, oh my.

Jessica:

God, that's a lot of dogs. It's too many dogs.

Mandy:

It's a lot of dogs. When you all get together, that's six dogs, wow yeah, it's too many dogs, it's way too many dogs. It's too much dog hair is what it is. It's too much dog hair everywhere.

Amy:

I think her dog comes to my house just to get a break from the other dogs and plays with his sister here.

Jessica:

I love it. He's like I separated from my siblings, yeah. Amazing yeah, but they're cute and they're fun. Are there funny stories like that? I mean, that dog story is just magical. I've never heard of anything like that.

Amy:

Yeah, sibling dog and they look identical.

Mandy:

Amy says hear me out, I know that I'm gonna get suckered into something like. That's usually the code. And she's like hear me out. And I'm like oh what's what's happening? Usually it involves some sort of something that I didn't want to do like, or sometimes I'll say it to her to do like, or sometimes I'll say it to her.

Claude:

So how many hear me out? Did she give you, so you have the dog and now we've done 75.

Mandy:

Yeah, have you done that challenge?

Amy:

I've heard of that challenge don't do it what is?

Mandy:

don't ever do it. It's so. It's like it's. People think it's like a fitness challenge, which it sort of is, but really it's a mental challenge. So for 75 days you have to do two workouts a day, 45 minutes a piece. One has to be outside. You have to drink a gallon of water a day. You have to um. You have to follow a diet. Yeah, you felt like you pick your own diet no cheat meals. You have to read 10 pages of of um, personal or professional development a day and then you take a daily, like daily picture and then there's an app you track it in. But if you miss a day, you start over at one. You don't just like pick right back up, so like you start back over so we've done it twice and we will never do it again.

Mandy:

Who?

Jessica:

do the pictures go to do each other or to like it's just like no, you just take for yourself.

Amy:

But it kind of turned into like a competition with us. So when we did the first time we like we did it right, we were all in, and then the second time it was just survival. So what we would do was it would, it would yeah it would pop up.

Amy:

So when you submitted it, it would pop up with like the day you completed. Right, mandy, wasn't it like? So we would screenshot it and then we turned it into a dance off on Instagram. We post it to our daily stories. Yeah, so we would post it to our daily stories and then we would turn it into this ridiculous, like so stupid story and then I would be like your turn and I would tag her and then she would come back with like a song and like a gif, dancing or whatever and it became such a thing like people that follow us on Instagram would like wait to see what we would post at the end of the day, because we posted at like 10 o'clock at night and if we weren't done by 10 I would get messages I think Mandy did too where they were like who?

Mandy:

won, did you not post it?

Amy:

they were hysterical and clearly we were delirious, but it was hysterical oh my gosh, I don't know.

Claude:

Whatever you want to do, you do it for 75 days and let's say, on fifth day 50 you had a cheat meal. You have to start from. You start from day one again all over did you.

Mandy:

So if you ever decide to do, you have to do it with a partner. Because, definitely, like, amy was like the one, like we would each encourage each other. Because, like, sometimes I'd be like, oh, I don't know if I'm going to get my water in, and she'd be like chug, chug, chug or like it worked well when we were in the office together, because, literally, because we're like making our 800 trip to the restroom and so we did it twice.

Jessica:

We did it twice how, far apart from the times, like not back to back right?

Mandy:

no, it was no there was like a few months in between, so we ended oh yeah, you also can't drink any alcohol. Oh, I'm also can't drink any alcohol you can't drink any alcohol, that's it.

Mandy:

So the first time we did it like we picked really bad because like then we couldn't have margs on cinco de mayo, we couldn't drink on fourth of july, we couldn't have a mimosa on mother's day. Yeah, we did them all and so we ended that one in July. The first round we ended in July and then the second one we started like just a couple months later, because it ended in November. Because the first round was easier, because it was like the days were longer. So here in Idaho in the summer we have so much daylight Like it's sunny, like the sun comes up by like six o'clock in the morning and it likes doesn't get dark till like after 10 pm.

Mandy:

So I like it all this time. But in the winter, the second round we did, it felt like we like we hate this so much because it was dark. So we're like doing our 45 minute walks at night in the dark, in the snow, and we're like this is terrible.

Jessica:

We did it.

Claude:

Yeah, so we did it so you're able to do it in 75 days. So you didn't have to go that is incredible.

Jessica:

We never started over no, very impressive I don't think I could even do it one time, let alone twice, very never again.

Mandy:

Yeah, that like really solidified our friendship. But that's always. We're like never again never again.

Jessica:

We're doing that again. All right, and you guys talked about what you um like kind of what attracted you guys as a friendship, but what do you guys see as each other's like most positive characteristics?

Mandy:

Amy is probably the most driven woman that I know. So in the time that she's worked in our office she has three children and some of them have gone through some health issues. And yet she has earned her master's degree. She's defending her dissertation on Wednesday that whole entire time while she's done that. In addition to that, she doesn't know how to say no, even though I'm constantly telling her say no. So she's got her master's degree. She's working almost done with her doctorate. She presents on Wednesday. She teaches two classes. This semester she taught a workshop. She volunteers at her kids' old school not even her children's current school, her kids' old school. She still volunteers to do stuff for them. She's just super driven and she is the literally the kindest person that I know.

Amy:

I couldn't limit it to one, but, if any, that whenever somebody asked me that my, I have two thoughts that come to mind. Mandy is encouraging and she's a giver. That is just always my go-to with her. Like I know, she just said you know I do all this stuff. There is no way I could have done any of this without her. She's just, I mean, that poor woman probably feels like she's getting a doctorate with me. She should. I mean, you know she, I just, you know, if I ever have a, I have a thought where I'm feeling down or I'm discouraged or I'm overwhelmed, it just takes one text message to her, and legit. Every time she's like you got this, you got this, you got this.

Amy:

And Mandy is just like the most giving, just a huge heart human being who just just loves and loves and loves. And it's we her and I are both introverts, so I don't think people recognize that at first when they meet her, but that she has that open heart to her. But she just, Mandy, will drop anything and help anyone on any given day. I mean it's truly amazing to watch her do it. She does it for her children, she does it for her husband, she does it with people we work with. She does it for anybody that would say, hey, I need help. Manny is just, she's encouraging and she's a giver.

Claude:

It's just, you know it's so funny because obviously that you know those are some of the questions that we ask and it's always so beautiful to see really this relationship and this unconditional love for each other. Unconditional love for each other, I think it's and really seeing the good things of the person and their encouragement, it's just beautiful.

Amy:

I think you know, I'm actually and this is going to sound kind of weird to say but I am really proud of our relationship. Sometimes it's hard to have a relationship, friendship, with a woman and you know, mandy and I we just cultivate this very. And you know, mandy and I we just cultivate this very. You know I keep saying encouraging but also uplifting, just loving relationship, and what I think is so great is it's so great for ourselves.

Amy:

But a lot of people have told me the same thing about our relationship. You know that it's really great to see how much we we stand behind each other and in front of each other if we have to. And you know, it's just, there's never any fighting, there's never any bickering, it's just a true heartfelt, loving relationship and it's just, I'm proud of it. It's, you know, like I said, especially with being women and working in, like working in the same office, and you know her being a director I'm an associate director Sometimes that can get a little tricky in a workforce and we just we cultivate just a very, a very loving relationship and I think that's something to be very proud of.

Jessica:

Great and, to your point, it's not only something to be proud of, but the example that you're providing to so many other individuals and work friendships as well is amazing, because then it's just the the amount that that's going to like trickle and snowball to everybody else is super impressive, and then it helps to foster the work environment that you're talking about. Mandy, like I can keep that magical environment going. This is how. This is exactly how you do it.

Claude:

Any other little, you know, stories, that something that you do together all the time. So you have, you know, walking with the dogs and anything, something that also continue to really strengthen your relationship.

Amy:

Man, that's a good question. That's a good question.

Mandy:

I think I mean I feel like we're together, like I feel like we like make time to make sure we're spending like quality time together. I mean, we're not together all the time, especially that she's not in the same office anymore, but like I feel like we're always try to stay in contact, even though Amy will often try to respect my time when I'm on vacation. It drives me crazy. Like I always text her and my husband's like can you go one day without texting her? I'm like, well, no.

Amy:

No, that's not fun. Why would I?

Mandy:

do that. I don't go one day without texting you.

Amy:

Why would I not text her? But that is true. I think we are intentional about it, like a couple of weeks ago I hadn't seen her or we hadn't seen each other, for it felt like I mean a week.

Amy:

It felt like a really long time. So I threw a lunch on our calendar, you know just because, because we needed to just catch up right and just spend that time together that we could just. I mean, it had been a week, shit had happened that week. I'm guessing there's always something. There's always something, there's not. Yeah, so you know. So there's always something. Yeah, so you know, I think we, we are like I said, I think we're just very intentional about it. So you know just, whether it's a text on eight different platforms, or just scheduling a lunch, or me popping in our office before I go to class just to say hey, or you know, whatever it is, I think I think we're really good about it and it's just boring without her. So that's right.

Claude:

So any departing words about you know how can we make the younger generation and I know, mandy, you're doing a lot about it, but any younger generation to really foster those friendships?

Mandy:

Yeah, if you are in a position in your work environment that you can find ways to encourage that, you know I definitely suggest that you do that as much as you can. I mean, the job has to get done right, but it gets done better and it's more fun. If you like, enjoy your coworkers, and so if you have the opportunity to encourage small group discussions, like your group to get away from, you know, so I allow a release time for staff to have team building activities and stuff, because I think that's like an area in my office just had one last week and they got together and painted pumpkins and had snacks and, just, you know, had some time to facilitate that. So I think I think just leading by example, to showing this younger generation like how important it is to have strong friendships, and I feel like you know, when you're younger you have all of these.

Mandy:

you know a lot of friends, but maybe not that many super close friends, and as you get older you realize who is important and who brings value to your life and I think it's important to show that and display it and, like Amy said too, as women, oftentimes women can be really competitive with each other and so, I think, to show a healthy relationship where we encourage and uplift each other and we don't compete with each other.

Amy:

Yeah, for sure.

Jessica:

Your stories and examples are just so uplifting and positive and we so appreciate you sharing your stories with us we don't recommend everybody get dogs together, but it's super fun.

Amy:

75 day challenge I don't know, never do 75 yeah, we don't recommend that either 25 days, I don't know 30 or or something Meet in the middle, just go on a walk.

Jessica:

Yeah, just take a walk together.

Mandy:

That's fine.

Jessica:

Take a lot of water and go on a walk. Call it a day.

Amy:

There it is.

Claude:

And you don't have to do 45 minutes. 10 minutes, no, exactly.

Jessica:

Exactly. But thank you, we do appreciate you joining us and sharing your story.

Amy:

It was very uplifting Well you joining us and sharing your story it was very uplifting.

Jessica:

Well, thanks for having us. This was fun. 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:

So keep lifting, each other laughing through the chaos and, of course, each other laughing through the chaos and, of course, thriving.

Jessica:

Until next time, stay positive stay productive and don't forget to keep supporting each other. Work besties.

People on this episode

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Claude F

Co-host
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Jess K

Co-host