Ep 05: (Part 2): Healing the Friendship Wound | Melanie Curtis & Shannon Lee

What does it actually take to keep a friendship for 20 years? In Part 2 of this conversation, best friends Melanie Curtis and Shannon Lee show us — through wine, tears, ayahuasca, and a whole lot of radical honesty.In this episode of The Best Friend Project, host Rachel Joy Swardson sits down with lifelong best friends Melanie Curtis and Shannon to unpack the real mechanics of a friendship built to last. They get honest about the moments most of us hide: the small confession over a bottle of wine that could've quietly become resentment, the hard conversation in the back seat of a car when heartbreak made one of them pull away, and the shadow parts of ourselves we'd rather no one ever see.Together they explore the difference between putting yourself first, putting the other person first, and the reframe that changes everything — putting the friendship first. You'll hear why coming forward with an uncomfortable truth builds more trust than staying silent ever could, how deeper healing work in one area of life can quietly make you a better friend in all of them, and why so many of us were never taught that platonic love deserves the same intention we pour into romance and career.In This Episode: The wine bottle confession how one small moment of honesty ("that was me") became a 20-year lesson in choosing the friendship over your egoWhat "shadow work" really means and why looking at the parts of ourselves we'd rather hide is the secret to showing up as a better friendPutting yourself first vs. putting the friendship first Why coming forward builds trust like nothing else — Shannon on how plant medicine and deep inner work helped her see her own patterns, own her part, and find peace when a letter went unansweredWhy friendship breakups can hurt more than romantic ones Connect with Melanie and Shannon:Melanie on LinkedinMelanie on Instagram @melaniecurtis11Website MelanieCurtis.comShannon On Instagram @luacheialuminosa and @greatspiritfarmAbout The Best Friend PodcastThe Best Friend Podcast is where original friendship research meets real-life stories. Host Rachel Joy Swardson, founder of The Best Friend Project, investigates how women find, make, lose, and keep the platonic loves of their lives through original data, personal experience, and candid conversations.To learn more, visit The Best Friend Project.co . While you're there, discover your Friendship Archetype by taking the  Friendship Survey We'd also love to stay in touch—come say hello on Instagram  and Facebook (we will follow you back!)  If you need to reach us, you can always email us at [email protected]: 0:00 Previously On: Have I Loved My Friends Fully?1:05 Do You Have a "Friendship Type"?2:30 Becoming the Safe Container for Each Other3:20 The Wine Bottle Story: Honesty Over Ego5:20 Shadow Work: The Parts of Us We Hide7:00 Pulling Away During Heartbreak8:30 The Backseat Conversation10:30 You Can't Cry With a Closed Heart12:10 When You Need to Put Yourself First — and Say So14:40 The Reframe: Put the Friendship First15:20 Red Flags & Why Coming Forward Builds Trust16:40 Ayahuasca & Healing the Friendship Wound18:40 The Letter That Got No Reply21:00 Why Friendship Breakups Hurt More22:00 How Deep Healing Made Me a Better Friend24:00 Society Deprioritizes Friendship — Let's Change That26:00 Childhood Friendship Trauma & the Survey Data27:00 Connect With Melanie & Shannon29:20 Rachel's Reflection: Always Put the Friendship FirstSupport the show