There’s Power in Numbers: Snag a Work Bestie!

When you’re on the job, you can’t just be a loner. Yes, there should be some boundaries between your work & home lives, but that doesn’t mean you have to be in the trenches solo. You need a support system, so get to know your coworkers & grab a work bestie or crew.

What Is a Work Bestie?

We all know what it takes to be a BFF: loyalty, honesty, genuine love, support, things in common, etc. You know the ins & outs of each other. You spend time together. You have each other’s backs. Who says you can’t have that with someone you work with as well? 

     Work besties have the same qualities; you just spend the majority of your time together at work. We spend 1/3 of our lives at work, so it’s important to gain a support system there. Work can be a stressful place at times, & you can’t go through it alone. That only makes the experience worse. Nobody wants to be miserable for 1/3 of their lives!

The Evolution of My Work Relationships

I’m a shy person, so it’s always been a challenge for me to make friends. I usually need time to watch & listen before I start letting my guard down. There’s no time limit on this for me either. It could take weeks, months, or years for me to allow someone to get close to me. It’s just not that easy for me to get attached to others. Blame the Army brat in me who moved every 4 years for about 13 years. 

     Once I get comfortable, all bets are off. I begin to talk a little more over time. I’ll tell little jokes here & there. You begin to learn more about my personal life & family. Lunch breaks are even spent decompressing from the hustle & bustle. The more I get to know you, the more I’ll open up & allow something a little deeper than a strictly professional relationship to develop.

     Ironically, most of my best friendships were developed at work. The people that I’ve gotten really close with went through the fire with me. We could relate about the stressful times, the changes in leadership, the difficult clients & coworkers, & the wins we achieved. They’re from all different backgrounds, ages, & races. I’ve never had a falling out with any of them, & I’ll go to war over any of them within the blink of an eye.

My Bestie Circle

Weeze: Work Bestie #1

My first work bestie was Louise. She was both a friend & mother figure for me. At first, she said she purposely avoided me because she always sensed fire when she came near me. Fate had us working on a few cases together, & we became inseparable. 

     Louise (or Weeze as her people call her) helped me get my first house, gave me advice on my dating life (she always knew when a guy was worth my time), & guided me in the difficulty of being a single mother, all while making sure what happened at work stayed at work. She allowed me to meet her family, & her kids treated me like their little sister. Unfortunately, my girl passed away 2 years ago Sunday, & I miss her something serious!

Neicey: Work Bestie #2

The things Neicey & I have been through are enough for a whole book! We met when we had a few clients together for Intensive In-Home, & at first I wasn’t sure if we’d get along. I didn’t really get close to anyone at that job, but she & I clicked because we balanced each other. She was up-in-your-face, & I was more chill. We got close right before I got married & haven’t looked back since.

      Neicey is one of my daughter’s godmothers. She took such good care of me throughout my pregnancy that it was a pleasant experience. I was always eating something, whether we were sharing a 2 piece chicken dinner or she was cooking. She wouldn’t let me overdo it. She bought a ridiculous amount of girl stuff. Spoiled my baby before she was even here!

     Like Weeze, Neicey’s babies became like my babies. Her daughter was my daughter’s best friend, even though she was a teen when Carter was born. Her son was my lil boyfriend & always made sure I was ok. We went through births, marriages, divorces, & job changes together. We struggled & cried together. We made memories together on trips. And even though we work opposite shifts at competing hospitals, we still text & message on social media every week. That’s my dawg!

The OGs: Work Bestie Crew

The name the OGs was given to my work crew by a coworker because we’d been in the department for what feels like the beginning of time. Courtney, Brittany, Genesis, Shauna, & Bill keep me sane when I’m on the clock. We’ve watched the department grow to the beast it is now. We went from 3 desks, a monster printer, & a mini fridge in an office that was so small I could sit in a chair & touch all 3 desks to working remotely & having too many people to fit in our 10 cubicle area at once. 

     Between leadership changes, a coworker dying, marriages, divorces, & illnesses, we’ve been able to hold the department down for the last 7 years. We got so tight that we could look at each other & know what the other was thinking. We know all about each others’ families, likes, & dislikes. Hell, I sent the department the link to my vow renewal so they could be a part of our wedding remix in Grenada. 

     When we were short staffed, it was nothing to work 13-14 days in a row to keep things going. We lived off coffee, snacks, & laughs to push through the long hours. We ate lunch together every day; someone would pick the place out of a fish bowl because we could never decide where to eat. Work was always a vibe!

     When COVID hit, we went through the unknown together, trying to social distance, wear masks, & use a ridiculous amount of hand sanitizer. We put our heads together to develop a remote work system, something that we were told was impossible to do. The change took us from yelling across the room to typing in Microsoft Teams. Although I enjoy working from home, I miss those days with my crew. We still try to get together every couple of months to catch up & laugh.

Life is Better Together

I couldn’t imagine my life without my work besties. They’ve poured into me & helped me to become the woman I am today. There’s not one person who hasn’t taught me something, whether it was work related or a general life lesson. They pushed me to be a better employee, leader, mother, wife, & friend. They’ve held me down through some of the most difficult times of my life & were there to help me celebrate the highs over the years. Shauna & Genesis even traveled with me this year to celebrate my birthday. 

     There’s no other way I’d rather have experienced my years of employment at those places. Without my work besties, ya girl probably would have quit plenty of times. They made work feel less like work, & I can’t thank them enough for bringing light into my life. Shout out to my workily aka work family. I love y’all long time!