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If you’ve ever walked away from a friendship feeling unseen, drained, or quietly convinced you were the problem, this one is for you. Emilia Smith and Bianca Thomas are back for part two of what it really means to be a good friend, and they get honest about why so many of us feel misunderstood in the friendships we’ve held onto the longest. Emilia opens up about years of giving freely to people who wanted her orbit more than they wanted her, and the self-blame that kept her investing anyway.

In this episode, we unpack the difference between a good friend and a bad one, and why most people end up friends by default instead of by choice. You’ll hear how growth brings real grief, why outgrowing a relationship (yes, even family) doesn’t make you the villain, and how reciprocity, humility, and honest check-ins keep a friendship aligned as both people change. Emilia and Bianca close with a simple friendship audit: get clear on your own values first, then ask whether the people around you share them, or at the very least support them.

Here’s a related episode that builds on today’s conversation:
#553 | What It Really Means to Be a Good Friend, Part One - http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/553-what-it-really-means-to-be-a-good-friend/id1511831621?i=1000799366494

Learn more about:

🤝 Out of the Mud (OOTM) - "The Fear of Needing People" - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/IykObX8eR7ixJaQ-qqZogw#/registration

📆 Evolve Group Coaching - https://evolveventurestech.com/evolve-group-coaching/

📽️ Insightful films. Meaningful growth. Join our Evolve Movie Club - https://forms.gle/bBZUbFEeD2ijypCT7

🌱 The #YouDoYou Therapy Program gives you support when and how you need it. No pressure. Just real help. Start your free 7-day trial today - https://buy.stripe.com/fZe8Avdfx8bW9gcfZc

Connect with Emilia, Bianca & the EVOLVE VENTURES Community:

Website: http://www.evolveventurestech.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/evolveventures/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/EvolveVenturesTech (Public Page)

Evolve Ventures Society (Private Facebook Group) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/457130589193794

Emilia’s IG - https://www.instagram.com/evolvewithemilia/

Emilia’s TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@evolvewithemilia

Bianca’s IG - https://www.instagram.com/evolvewithbianca/

Bianca’s TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@evolvewithbianca?_t=8gq3wqu4fAx&_r=1

Connect with Emilia from Evolve Ventures for FREE: https://calendly.com/emiliasmith/free-evp-communityconnect

Show notes:

(0:00) Intro
(2:45) What a bad friend really looks like
(5:54) Gaslighting yourself into being the bad friend
(8:05) Preserving versus repositioning a friendship
(11:12) When friends want your status, not you
(14:48) Mandy shares her experience as a member of group coaching at Evolve Ventures
(15:37) Friends by default, not by choice
(18:35) It’s okay to outgrow people, even family
(20:00) Why people cling to the ones who believe in them
(21:45) Reciprocity and the humility to keep learning someone
(24:50) Why change makes friendships uncomfortable
(28:07) Outro

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(Stay tuned for this coming Thursday's episode!)