Titi and Zakiya are back with a bonus lab, and they brought a very special guest: author Alex Elle, whose new book The Company We Keep: Friendship, Connection, and Redefining What It Means to Grow Together is the perfect excuse to dig into everything "big friendship" and platonic love require. We're talking main ingredients like capacity, honesty, repair, and the courage to put down the "strong friend" badge.

In this conversation, Alex opens up about learning that people show up differently (and that's not always a slight), the friendship that taught her what healthy communication actually looks like, and why silence can quietly destroy the relationships we're trying to protect. Titi and Zakiya bring their own friendship into the mix too, tracing 15+ years of confrontation, repair, and re-learning what it means to be a "high-maintenance" friend in the best way.

Grab a copy of The Company We Keep and press play — this one's a mirror.

If you liked this episode, you might like:

• Lab 078 - What About Your Friends Part II: Attachment Styles
• Lab 026 - What About Your Friends?

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