Real Friends Don’t Take Work

A Surprise Adventure

Sometimes life hands you exactly what you need before you even realize you need it. This weekend, one of my dearest friends staged the ultimate rescue mission: a surprise road trip to see two world-famous comedians perform live on stage. I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going. All I knew was that I was getting picked up, told to bring a weekend bag, and that I should clear my calendar.

It felt like one of those movie moments where the parent says, “We’re going to visit Grandma,” but halfway down the highway, they reveal the truth: “Actually… we’re going to Disney World.”

That’s what this weekend was. A joyful ambush. A friendship field trip. A deep exhale I didn’t know I needed until I was already halfway out of town.

The Kind of Friendship That Doesn’t Need Maintenance

We ate great meals. Took long walks in nature. Put our toes in the sand. Laughed until we cried. And it wasn’t just the comedians bringing the laughs—though they were excellent. It was that we were both in a place to receive them. To soak up the presence of each other without needing to explain or perform or catch up in a forced way.

That’s the thing about real friends. They don’t take work. Even when life has kept you busy. Even when you haven’t texted in a while. Even when you’re in the thick of running a business or raising a family or dealing with all the chaos of adulthood. When you finally reconnect, the time melts away.

We’ve known each other through every season: college, brave road trips, world travel, new jobs, big dreams, heartbreaks, parenting, and now, parallel paths as women leading our own businesses. And still—this weekend added a new chapter. A new memory to the highlight reel.

Work Friends, Life Friends, and the Space Between

The comedians we saw are longtime collaborators—two pros with massive careers who clearly just love working together. Their theme for the show was work friends, but you could tell it ran deeper than that. These were people who had grown up together professionally, seen each other through countless seasons, and built real friendship on top of the work.

That moment struck me because it’s the reverse of what I have with my friend. We’re life friends first. Our roots are in laughter and trust and showing up. But in recent years, we’ve also become work friends, in the best way. We support each other’s ventures. Share tips. Swap stories. Celebrate each other’s wins. It’s not networking. It’s not transactional. It’s real connection.

In a world that tells you to “keep things professional,” I think we sometimes forget that connection is part of what makes us thrive. Whether you’re building a leadership team, collaborating on a creative project, or mentoring someone new—it’s okay to build real relationships. You don’t have to separate life and work as much as you think.

It’s Worth the Interruption

Here’s the other truth: I needed this weekend more than I realized.

I’ve been in rise-and-grind mode lately. Building. Creating. Strategizing. Loving every second of it, but also in the thick of it. And my friend saw that. Without a big speech or an intervention, she simply offered me an alternative.

It was a nudge. A pause. A beautifully timed interruption.

And that’s the lesson I hope you take from this week’s reflection: It is worth it to disrupt the pattern when connection is calling. It’s worth it to say yes when your real friends show up and offer you a way out of your routine and into something restorative. Because let’s be real: the emails will wait. The to-do list will never end. But the people? They’re the point. And we don’t get to hold onto them forever.

So laugh together. Make the plan. Take the trip. Let them rescue you, and be the kind of friend who rescues others, too.

Okay, Let’s Play: Check in on Your Circle

Relationships, like everything else in life, need attention and intention. But the best ones? They don’t feel like effort. They feel like rest. Let’s take a moment to notice and nurture them.

Ready: Think about the last time you laughed really hard with someone who truly gets you. What made that moment possible?

Set: Who’s in your circle of real, not-just-work friends? Are you showing up for them—and are they showing up for you?

Go:

• Send a spontaneous message to someone who makes your life lighter. No agenda. Just say hi.
• Block time for a catch-up that’s not squeezed between meetings. Make it meaningful.
• Say yes to something you’d usually postpone. A meal. A walk. A show.
• Ask yourself: Who do I want by my side in the big moments? Build those relationships now.
  
  

Real Friends, Real Life

Leadership isn’t just about strategy or performance. It’s about connection. It’s about knowing who’s in your corner—and being that person for someone else, too.

This weekend reminded me that I don’t need a giant breakthrough moment to recalibrate. Sometimes, all it takes is a real friend, a shared laugh, and a road trip that shakes the routine.

So wherever you are today, I hope you find a moment to reach out, reconnect, and remember: the relationships that matter most don’t take work—they take heart.   
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Hey there! I’m Blair Bloomston, author of UPLIFTED WEEKLY and your friendly consultant, facilitator, and game-based educator on-call, bringing a passion and penchant for all things play (I’m also alliteratively all-in). As the founder of Leaders Uplifted, I help leaders like you tap into creativity, connection, and confidence to make work feel less like a grind and more like a game. Keep reading with me— I’m here to be your business best friend. Let's go!