Work Besties Who Podcast

From Childhood Friends to Work Bestie Entrepreneurs : Their Secret to Success

• Work Besties Who Podcast • Season 1 • Episode 28

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Adam & Chris, lifelong friends and business partners reflect on how their deep friendship has fueled both their personal and professional growth. From childhood bike rides to entrepreneurial success, they explore how their partnership has evolved, from exchanging marketing tips to hosting a notable podcast, Brain Work Framework.

Adam and Chris, share the ups and downs of navigating business together, revealing how their complementary personalities—impulsive and analytical—strengthen both their work and friendship. They dive into the power of having a "work bestie," and how authentic work friendships can transform workplace culture, boost creativity, and enhance productivity.

Tune in for insights on building meaningful partnerships that can revolutionize your approach to work and life.

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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.

Jess:

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

Chris:

Thank you, hello, thanks for having us, thank you.

Jess:

We'll start off with a nice simple question how did you two meet and become more besties, or besties in general?

Chris:

I think it all started back in what was it? Middle school?

Adam:

Summer of 2000,. I think this guy's great with dates. That's when we started. We lived very close to each other and we were in middle school at the time and it just made sense. There was a couple boys in the area rode bikes together, played Pokemon cards, yu-gi-oh cards skateboarding he just kind of grew up.

Chris:

Yeah, he was the friend with the trampoline, so that gave us an excuse to go over to his house, Trampoline or cable right.

Claude:

You had the hangout house.

Chris:

Yeah, it started that way, and then I became known for the snacks and the soda, so things kind of transitioned over time.

Jess:

But look at that a good complimentary friendship from the beginning.

Adam:

Go to his house to get all hyped up on sugar. Then we go to my house to jump.

Jess:

Wow. So you guys have been friends all the way back since grade school. What was that moment that you figured out you were great friends, but you could actually still be a business partners together?

Chris:

Oh gosh, that was even earlier on, I think. First, our first initiative was playing in a band. We wanted to play music together and make great music and have people love our music and vice versa. But unfortunately, you know, that part never happened.

Jess:

No, we didn't vice versa, but unfortunately you know that part never happened. No, we didn't.

Chris:

We didn't make a big insert song here. Yeah, it's, we actually found the song come out here. Oh my gosh right. No, we started playing in a band. Uh, we went separate ways and together worked on different projects. We even worked together, um, to build a music venue or do live music and live shows together. So that was kind of our first iteration of working together. Through the years, adam started a podcast. Had me come on, we would co-host together. We would do some business initiatives together. We did Battle of the Bands. So we've always kind of done things together or found ways to collab and energize each other a bit. But those are some of the projects. And in 2020, you started an insurance agency. I was working DJ and marketing and through the years we've just kind of gone back and forth with what we're working on, our business ideas. Things have evolved over the years, but you know, the one thing that remains is being work besties.

Jess:

It sounds like you've always had music in your soul if you were doing the band. Now you start that DJ business. So how did you parlay the podcasting into the DJ business?

Chris:

Yeah, so the DJ business didn't really get into the podcast space, kind of separate elements. First one started audio only, just kind of sharing our thoughts and opinions on worldviews or topics, just random anything. But just recently the podcast started off with us sharing sales, marketing and business tips and tricks with each other while we were both entrepreneurs. Now today it's grown into welcoming and introducing other guests and experts in their field to help beat guests and provide content for the show. So that's kind of grown. We share some of the co-hosting responsibilities for that separately and together and with that just kind of have great conversations with people like you guys.

Jess:

Wait. So you said, you started that eight years ago.

Adam:

One of them. Yeah, Okay.

Claude:

Oh, one of them.

Adam:

Eight years ago, so you had several.

Claude:

Yeah, this is our third or fourth iteration of recording. Yeah, okay, oh, one of them Eight years ago, so you had several.

Adam:

Yeah, this is our third or fourth iteration of recording ourselves talking.

Claude:

And actually it's good. You always have something to talk about, even after eight years.

Chris:

Yes, yes, it just kind of changes with time, with our mutual interest.

Adam:

Framework started when I had opened up my agency and he had just really started going hard on the marketing and then, using his experience from the DJ business, helped me grow and do my own marketing and I learned so much from from doing that and from that's just how it started and then it sort of just kind of kept growing then, like you said, inviting more and more people on, and now it's basically only this. It's meeting with other people and conversations about their experiences, their projects. They're working on growing the networks and just trying to be resourceful and build our arsenal of resources as well as far as business goes.

Jess:

All right. So I feel like I have to ask this question because we get asked this one a lot. What's the most surprising thing a guest or has brought to one of your podcasts, or maybe a story they've shared?

Chris:

We've we've talked with a lot, a lot of cool people. That's tough because it's like either go like really important or just the crazy ones as well. Yeah, one of each, I mean we'll. We'll have some more. How would you describe them? Out of the box people more eccentric a bit, and that shows through their personality and their communication style as well. There's a few guests you can see and find like that, just very animated. So those are the fun, interesting ones. Then we have some other ones. We just had the. It was one of the product managers for Apple back in the 80s and 90s. He came on to the show. And the Spotify guy do you know the Spotify year-end wrap-up? We had the director of that program come on to our show. So yeah, we get to meet a lot of cool people. Those are just a few of uh, the ones that come to mind for me. Um, and adam's uh welcomed a few of uh people in his network as well and you're gonna be recording one soon with. Was that the dad network or something?

Adam:

yes, a guy who's starting a podcast, the dad network, um, and he's doing other things as well. Every person we talk to is going to be a little bit different. What I found, what I've learned, is that not everybody has the entertainer mentality, that one sort of kind of needs to be an interesting podcast guest, to be an interesting podcast guest. Yeah, you know there are just people that this could have been an email kind of thing. But here we are stuck.

Adam:

But you know, whatever you got to try to be a professional, let's try to grab content and even if you have to literally pull it out of them, it's everybody's difference. You just got to try and be happy, be healthy. What is that?

Claude:

Yeah, it's really tiring because you're trying to go hard, so hard. You know you really get it for your money.

Jess:

None of our guests were like that. All of our guests were very entertaining. I wanted to try and ask you some of the questions because one of the um things we think you could help with our work bestie community on is the fact that you guys are best friends. It sounds like you were best friends first and then became business partners, obviously in a bunch of different ventures, which is pretty cool. If you wouldn't mind sharing with us the time that there are challenges, how do you guys work through them when you don't agree.

Chris:

Oh, absolutely yeah. I think anytime in business having family or friends involved can be a struggle and you will run into some challenges that unfortunately, emotions can get into the way and you don't want it to affect your friendship. But you know you just find ways to talk problems out, get through the challenge. We can have difference of opinions but we come back together and then find what works, something that we can mutually agree on and then move forward. So from that, that's my take from it. What do you think?

Adam:

I think it goes back to remembering why you initially trust this individual, because everything's trust right. So if I remember why I continue over so many years to trust this individual in junk, I don't know why you would. But you know, yeah, we'll disagree. I think something's super this way. But he's like we should wait on that. I'm like, ah, but you know, trust it has to be trust. He's the I'm the emotional responder, he's the intellectual responder. So really it kind of works out.

Claude:

So what we were saying before we started recording, it's like seeing each other. It's a mirror image. It is so funny. One is more emotional, one is like let's just wait. One say how do you make that happen? And you're like yeah, let's do this, just do it.

Adam:

We got a full science map Right. I was going to say I could guess which one was which.

Claude:

And that's what we like to say the yin and the yang right. Yes, that's what makes a whole. But it's so funny. What does this friendship bring you in the business sense? So how does it work?

Chris:

Well, it's motivating and inspiring, Just nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. Kind of talk through a problem. So how does it work? Well, it's motivating and inspiring, just nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of. I'm kind of talk through a problem. He'll call me or text me saying, hey, I did this with a Google ad or I tried this marketing initiative. I'm like that's awesome results. We go back and forth through that collaboration. Again, it kind of inspires and motivates us and it's good to have someone to talk to. You know, that gets it in business. I think when he got here he told me something about marketing, something he was struggling with Google ad verification. He's like why is it sending me this verification? And I said, yeah, I know I go through that all the time. And he's like finally someone I can talk to that understands that it's nice having that communication style open.

Adam:

And if I am struggling with somebody or something and or somebody and you know it's just nice having that sometimes involved, many times separated third party, that again goes back to I can trust, who's not, who's going to be like, yeah, you're being dumb, you should do this kind of thing, or yeah, well, maybe they should just shut up sometimes, and it goes back and forth and some advice is great, some isn't, but it's always just nice to have that person that's not going to call you dumb if you have a dumb thought, kind of thing you know, yeah, you can.

Jess:

Or if they do call you dumb, you can take it. Yeah, totally. I have any experience Tapping into that same style of question. I feel like people ask this as a negative, but I want facts before I make a decision.

Chris:

He's very excited to get an idea or initiative out there. But I think that finds a nice balance, that yin and yang, as you mentioned. So if it were up to me, two months would go by and I would still be thinking about how I might want to attack that project, Whereas Adam would have put something out, gotten results, changed it, tested it. So finding that balance. But it's kind of like you know, I want him to be more prepared and he wants me to take more action. So that helps balance each other out where we can find a happy medium in between that. But that's my take on that. Yeah, that's our take.

Jess:

I feel like Adam, you and I probably Exactly, and recently we're like the same. We should also comment to those that are listening and not watching this on YouTube. If you're not, please watch on YouTube, but if you're listening, you should know that both Claude and I are wearing almost the same exact color outfit, and Adam and Chris are too.

Claude:

And we didn't call each other. None of us called each other.

Chris:

It's kind of like we're long lost twins, right. We just like speak telepathically. We just know what the other's thinking. You know we finish each other's.

Adam:

Yeah.

Chris:

Yeah.

Claude:

You know, it's so funny because I was thinking it was the same when we started to talk about, you know, doing this the day after I had. Okay, I have, I did already. We have our email address. We have.

Jess:

I had it all done and she's like this is for real, we are doing it, we're already doing it. Like I said, the studio a photo appointment. She was like, okay, it wasn't a joke.

Adam:

With our podcast, I started talking about let's Do it. I created a little logo, I sent it to him and he's like oh, did you mean something like this? And then he sent me this professional type graphic and whatnot. I'm the doer, he's the thinker. So then it eventually works out.

Jess:

This is kind of a little bit of a diversion of a question, but it's something I'm just curious myself. So, with the DJ business, what is the one thing about running a business so that people wouldn't realize?

Chris:

I think for a lot of people who aren't in business don't realize how many hats you have to wear as an entrepreneur and you have to be really good at a lot of things in order to make that happen. Or you need money to pay people to do those things, like accounting or marketing or sales. It's all on you and your business, whatever your output is. With wedding DJing specifically, people think it's a lot of fun and it is, but there's a lot of organization and planning that is involved a lot of dynamics when it comes to reading the room, understanding the flow and the vibe of the evening. So, yeah, a lot of that is fun, but we're also carrying equipment. Just business is a challenge as a whole and I don't think a lot of people realize that. What was that like for you, adam? Kind of coming in and starting with your business?

Adam:

Well, my business is way different than DJing. My business is something you fall asleep talking about. Tell us more. His is keeping a party going.

Claude:

Please wake up, everybody, we're.

Adam:

DJing Right. One thing I didn't know, though, about the DJ business after seeing him do it for so long, is the amount of preparation that goes into a good DJ and how it's less of a. There are people who literally think I'll just plug my phone into a speaker and turn it up and that'll be the party kind of thing. But seeing like that sort of wedding reception or something, versus what our actual professional DJ can do, it is almost a performance like like their job is to keep your party going and to keep everybody happy and make sure the mother-in-law is happy, which is a challenge which is a challenge.

Chris:

No bride zillas, but we've we have had parent zillas that you know kind of want to take over, take over the reception and uh can be a little bit demanding towards the dj, right, you know, but uh, yeah, I appreciate that, thank you.

Jess:

Shock me because I think by that point the bride's like it's smooth sailing yeah, typically yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Adam:

There's so much going on on the wedding day. You know the bride doesn't want to think about something, so if you got a good DJ she doesn't have to Sure.

Chris:

It's called Milwaukee Underground Productions.

Claude:

So you're from Milwaukee, so from where you are?

Jess:

No, my brother lives out there oh yeah. Even though we're both in the same building in new york city right now, apparently, I live in more.

Claude:

I know you don't live in milwaukee, but you go now I do that's funny.

Chris:

Well, if you're ever in milwaukee, hit us up, we can have you on our podcast as well, or just meet up for uh coffee and talk.

Jess:

Along those inside joke lines living in Milwaukee. What's the most ridiculous inside joke or tradition that you two have?

Adam:

We can't drive past a plastic deer that's on somebody's foot long without making a comment about it.

Chris:

You said inside joke. You didn't say a joke that would be well received by the guests. Exactly.

Adam:

You said inside joke.

Jess:

You didn't say a joke that would be well received by the guest exactly you said inside joke we have a thing about, uh, deer on people's lawns, like you know, those pretend deer and stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah, like a lot of time. It's just a set of flamingos. You guys have here a lot of deer yeah, yeah, that's right.

Chris:

Um, anytime we're done or finished with something, uh, we used to like to uh play some blackjack and poker. So, yeah, you know, when you're done with something, you just do show your hands like a dealer would at a casino. That's a good one.

Jess:

That's interesting. Okay, so I have a couple other questions for you.

Adam:

This is fun. Nobody's ever asked us about our friendship and our history and just us knowing each other. Nobody's ever cared. So this is fun yeah.

Claude:

Well, we care. It's important. Yeah, we really want to create this little community and show how important it is to have work besties, to have a friendship in work that you can vent to. You can, because they really understand what you're going through, right, you know?

Jess:

Yeah, you already hit on a bunch of those key topics that come up a lot that we love to support. You love to be there for the trust, the authenticity, and then at times it's just having that unbiased opinion, like you can go to the person because they know everybody and the players or the elements that you're dealing with and can give you that hard truth that you might not take from anybody else.

Chris:

Exactly yes, You're expecting the honest truth from them and thankfully, they'll give that to you, right.

Claude:

But that's the person you want to hear it from. It's not a yes man or yes woman. A friend is not that. A friend is going to tell you yes, you're right or no. Here you kind of suit up yes, yes and that's so important.

Chris:

Absolutely. You don't want someone to just say yes all the time, exactly kind of building off that too.

Adam:

I could add a little content. We talked about trust, yes, but I think you can trust a friend and whatnot, but if you don't have a certain level of legitimate respect for them and what they're capable of and what you witness them capable of, without that you know it's just a friend then. But if you wanted to be somebody that you're going to be in business with work for work with it's, it's super important to have that respect and and and that that assumption that they're going to be able to do what they need to do, sort of thing, and then I think that's why he and I be able to do what they need to do, sort of thing. And then I think that's why he and I are able to sort of build off each other. He's going to be able to do what he needs to do. I'm going to be able to be like dude, I didn't do what I need you to help me, and he's going to help do what I needed to do. So that's just.

Chris:

He's always trying to build me up. He's been a great friend, helping me out with everything. But just the back and forth, it's the, you know, compliment each other. Did you get that report on the desk? No, I didn't do it. Let's do it together.

Adam:

What got you guys decided to do this? To talk with the work bestie theme, kind of thing.

Jess:

We recognized really quickly how our friendship and relationship was in impacting the rest of the organization a very positive way, and people were taking note about how much more fun it was to come in the office, how seeing us be silly as their managers gave them that little bit of pause so they could do it too. So we took that kind of step back and was like you know, I feel like this is something that's missing in the broader business sense. People talk about mentors, which is very important. You should have mentors too but they don't always talk about what we've now deemed the friend or the work bestie. That is your friend, your mentor, but challenges you. It kind of continues to keep the morale in your company, it keeps productivity up, it keeps retention up. So there's all these added benefits, and yet we don't see a lot of corporations really focused on it.

Jess:

So our goal is to try and really communicate that to our work bestie community, first kind of infiltrate that, give them ideas of how they can incorporate that into their corporations or businesses, or maybe encourage them to start businesses with their work besties, um, and then from there kind of create a movement yeah, and it's important to see you, the people that you work for, how they talk to and treat people that they trust and they consider ears and stuff.

Adam:

that gives you a good idea of what, how they're going to talk and treat you right, maybe not be a peer sort of thing, right? So that's that's for sure a big thing. And, like you said, corporations, they don't focus on even older school business owners. They don't focus on it. You know, and that's I think it's just putting the person back in personnel kind of thing.

Adam:

You know I'm tired of being human capital. I just like to be Adam who has a job, and I got to go home at a certain time because I got a wife and kids and I don't want to be here all day. You know that work mentality, hopefully, is going to catch on. I think it is catching on. It's got to make its way up through the ranks.

Jess:

Right. I think it has to start with the employees expecting it too right.

Adam:

Expecting it right.

Jess:

It should be at some point and I agree, at some point it should be considered table stakes. So it is ingrained into all organizations and how to foster that, and all industries too, because some of the individuals we've chatted with are across different industries, like actors where you would not expect them to create a work bestie environment. But some of them have and the changes to their life because of that were probably the most impactful out of all of them so far because it was so interesting as being actor.

Jess:

There's all those auditions and you really think that is like you walk in and look at it and say I'm going to to kill them.

Claude:

You know, when we interviewed those two people, that really made them even stronger, so it was really beautiful to see that.

Chris:

I think with any industry, you know, there's sales. You know, with our business community, there will be people who are doing very similar things. That may feel like competition, but again, by working together, by sharing resources, tips and tricks, we actually can help lift and build each other up. It's not about getting ahead you know, you know and stepping on someone else.

Jess:

It's about space for everyone.

Claude:

Because, at the end of the day, we always, we all, have a common goal, right? So why make it not all together instead that separate? You'll go there even faster, mm-hmm you know Mm-hmm.

Chris:

Yeah, absolutely, it's kind of like a cheat code up down left right to have those conversations with business owners to see what they're doing. Again, you know, kind of get lifted up faster you can go further quicker.

Claude:

And you know, by talking with other people, you know having some tricks. How do you really find a work, bestie? Also, you know it's like be open, be kind, go out with them, and it's also a leap of faith.

Chris:

You know, and you stay like any friendship, over time you either, um, you know, learn the pros and cons of the friendship, what, what works, what doesn't work, um, you know, find ways um to to work together on that. Um, and friendships uh, can change and evolve over the years, whether it's the, the person uh changing, or you actually, you know, have a different bestie. But you kind of learn over time and you're either willing to work together to make it work or it's just not worth it. But I think you know, the pros outweigh the cons. We're always happy to hang out and chat with each other. No matter how much time goes between talking, we always pick up back where we left off. So that's what people should be focusing on, just for, you know, happiness in life and kind of have a bestie.

Jess:

Yeah, there's enough negativity out there, so whatever can be done to infuse that positivity and remind people that we all are here to try and enjoy life and should be. Enjoying life is so important. Sure awesome and that's why we love talking to people like you two because it almost feels like it's embedded in your ethos. Obviously, you two have known each other for so long.

Jess:

You really can finish each other yeah yeah yeah, a lot of our um hope is for our work bestie community is to try and help encourage them to find these work besties if they don't have them, and then for those that do we love talking to people like you because there are so many of them that have commented to us about what they love best, about working in their work environment with each other, and once that person goes, it kind of crumbles, so kind of reminding them. And we've had a couple other guests talking about something similar where they did both leave different companies and then kind of started things on their own and now collaborate together or even start businesses together and it's just changed their life. I feel like every day is just a fun adventure. They're motivated, their outlook has completely changed and also, I think, work best.

Claude:

You know even, obviously at some point you're not going to work together anymore. Hopefully you're still.

Claude:

Hey, wait, not that well we got separated right, but that's the point of this. We're working together. You know you, at some point you're going to have some work besties that are not going to work together anymore because one left, but you're still going to have that friendship and also that network, which is also very important. The network of all those friendships is so important, even if, when you're, you wait to go for another position as well and also having your little community, because, as you you know, go on your career, you're going to bring all those friends with you.

Chris:

Yes, absolutely. I was even part of an organization where we had that real small net community, really passionate about the work we were doing. We just hung out, did everything together. All the time. People changed positions, some people left, which kind of fractured that close-knit community and the passion that we had together. But over time they actually started their own marketing agency and I ended up joining them. So we followed the people into another passion. But I think it's just important that you know so many people can help influence your lives for the better. So to follow through on those, those opportunities when they come about for you, is so important. But yeah, yeah, it's the community that will kind of bring people together.

Claude:

Yeah, I mean it's so funny because I still have a group chat from my previous job. We are like 11 all together and we must be texting each other like at least three times a week, and that was three years ago. It's so nice to really have that.

Chris:

It is absolutely.

Jess:

Yeah, yeah. So we should get back to asking you guys questions what's your um dream or aspiration or a next step for you guys?

Adam:

for for brainwave framework honestly would be um, that's that's, uh, that's grown into kind of like. I feel like it's grown into more of a networking thing, more just let's talk about our passions, let's talk about our expertise, things that we do basically to make money is kind of what. What that podcast has has. This is what it started as to. It's what Chris and I were doing in our respective businesses marketing, how you know, things we were struggling with and it's kind of evolved, as everything does over the years, for that I don't know if brain. I mean, it would be cool if that became a a thing. I, I don't know my. My next thing I'm a creator, we're, I'm a creative kind of person, so I want to do something where I'm not inundated by a 9 to 5 and soul crushing stuff. You know, Like some are.

Chris:

Yeah, absolutely.

Jess:

And we like it.

Adam:

Yeah, some people love it, I think walk the boat, your boat right.

Chris:

Yeah.

Claude:

Walk your boat.

Jess:

Rocking your boat's a little different.

Chris:

I'll see what you did there.

Adam:

We had the same exact reaction, though we both were just like it's floating. Yeah, it's great.

Jess:

I could not come up with any French phrases.

Adam:

No.

Jess:

I can say cheese omelet in French that's an after podcast combo After dark yeah.

Chris:

Yeah.

Adam:

We're besties after dark there you go.

Chris:

Yeah yeah, it's like the you know risque super sexy style. Yeah, that can be your TikTok shorts segment. Yeah yeah, it's like the you know risque super sexy style. Yeah.

Adam:

That can be your TikTok shorts segment.

Chris:

Yeah, it's where our guests like to rock the boat. We mean, float the boat, bring it full circle, anything else you want I think I just wanted to add to adam's uh statements here with being bigger than what it started off as, or you know, started with, it was just us talking about business. At first we did what 16, 12 to 16 episodes 12 made it public. We had some audio issues with the other ones. That happens, you know yeah, um we hear.

Chris:

And then the next iteration became the, the networking, while having the guests and experts on um, just a way to grow our network, learn from them, share tips and tricks. And so, yeah, I agree with wanting to grow a bigger potential um for monetization with the podcast Um, although that wasn't the the main idea um at first. I just again kind of talk business advice with each other but as time goes on, if it can grow into something that earns money, that's fantastic, if not, it's just nice. You know, still having that as a platform, but that's just kind of how I see it.

Jess:

So if you could give advice to yourself now, based on when you started, what would it be?

Adam:

I think I would skip the words and just go straight to violence. This man won't go to violence.

Chris:

Not emotional at all.

Jess:

That was not an emotional.

Chris:

We're getting banned on TikTok before we get public.

Jess:

Let's wait, he's like I think we can have that.

Adam:

Let's wait on that.

Chris:

I'm the only person right next to him who's talking about violence. What am I to do?

Adam:

Actually, I think the advice I would give myself would be Chris's advice Just wait on it. Look for more research, wait on that.

Chris:

That would be the opposite of my own. Advice for myself was just do it, stop waiting, just go ahead and implement it. I found, you know, I always feel like there's one more book or one more podcast or video I need to watch, and that will be my aha moment that will motivate me to get things done.

Jess:

Any big plans or anything you would like to share with our work. Besties community.

Adam:

I'd say, if you know, chris and I have always had a hobby that that we've done. We've always been like. We've always had like a video game or something. We've always had a thing that we can do outside of work. That has always allowed us to sort of unwind, connect in our out of work selves and I think that has been a lot to alleviate any sort of those frustrations that come off of disagreements or any work stress. Just having that ability to decompress together outside of work is is really important and that's something that we connect on all the time. It's once a week, a couple of times a week, it's just hey, let's throw 45 minutes on the calendar and let's just hang out together essentially and doing that so consistently. But uh, doing that so consistently but uh, no, that's uh, that's been our, that's been our thing, just having a hobby, having having a way to disconnect, and then when we, when we need to connect, it's uh, it's a fresh start every day.

Jess:

Basically, it was always like good advice that's good advice for anyone else who starts a business together, because there are so many times that we just meet and you just start working at work, start talking about work yeah, you almost forget. Hey, we should really just have time where we just chit chat.

Claude:

Thank you, for being a friend, for being a friend thanks.

Chris:

Thank you for being a friend. Thanks, man.

Adam:

I appreciate that this is going to sound corny, because it is, but taking the time to have, purposefully create those corny hallmark moments where you are just legitimately vulnerable with another human being is the foundation of any real friendship. But then, because we've been together for so long, this guy's seen me cry more than anybody probably, and it's ridiculous, but I'm the emotional one, he's the, he's the thinker one, you know. So just us able to have being able to do that too, even if you have to force it and it's going to sound corny and it's going to be a little embarrassing and whatnot. But really taking the time, the effort to do that is a step one.

Chris:

And then everything else really is just connecting. You just gotta make time to laugh. I think laugh, laughter is, uh, what brings it all together, and and that that makes for a great time and I'm hilarious, so it works out great you need. You need one of these. Put 30 minutes on your calendar just watching this guy.

Jess:

It'll do the trick that might be my favorite parting words we've heard thus far. It's true the the value of having a friend far outweighs anything else, and sometimes it's just that simple being vulnerable, vulnerable yeah. Sometimes it's that simple five-second recharge that you get from just chatting with your best friend, and so you don't even have to say anything. You just give them that look, and then you're probably giggling over nothing. You can send memes too, or we send non-stop memes on multiple different platforms At the same time, at the same time.

Jess:

Adam and Chris, we're so thankful for you guys to join us to share your story and your background. It was fascinating. I think your journey showcases how you can find your work bestie, all the way back in grade school. I mean, they just have to have a trampoline or snacks.

Chris:

Yeah.

Claude:

The foundation of any great friendship. Yeah, and I think I really love what, for me, is about then taking the time to connect as a friend, leave the business sometimes aside and just reconnect as a friend, to continue to say why you were a friend to begin with. I think that's very important yeah, absolutely all right.

Jess:

well, thank you guys. We hope all of you work besties out there are leaving motivated. Maybe this convinces you all to start your own business. Wait, you had to do it with one finger now, oh, you're a one finger. Okay, start your own business with power, chesty. We hope you love this episode as much as we do. Don't forget to like, subscribe and leave us a review, and check out Adam and Chris's podcast as well. So until next time, as we love to say, keep all the work besties out there, keep supporting each other.

Jess:

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, thriving. 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
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Adam

Guest
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Chris Troka

Guest