EP 29: #WhyAreWeFriends? FT. Rachel

Explicit content warning

04/17/25 • 104 min

Real Talk Friend Therapy: Honest Conversations, Advice + Tips For Stronger Adult Friendships

Making friends as an adult can feel overwhelming—but it's far from impossible. In this episode of our recurring series, #WhyAreWeFriends, Daysha explores the real-life origins of her closest relationships to better understand how meaningful friendships are formed and maintained.

This week, Daysha reconnects with Rachel, a close high school friend that she fell out of touch with after Rachel moved to Germany. But upon reuniting for a girl’s trip and having the funniest, realest moment about where their relationship currently stood, they come together today to reflect on how their friendship began, share favorite memories, and open up about the ways they can grow and strengthen their bond moving forward.

RESOURCES:

Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!
Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!
For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

RESOURCES:

Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!
Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!
For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Previous Episode

EP 28: What If I Don’t Have Friends of My Race? (part 2) FT. Dannyell Rasco

In this powerful follow-up episode, Daysha continues the conversation about what it means to grow up without many (or any) friends of your own race—and how to authentically build those connections later in life. In part 1, Daysha shares how her upbringing brought her through a variety of spaces that allowed her to form diverse friendships throughout her life. But it wasn’t until she worked at BuzzFeed that she felt like the diversity of her friendships were signaling to some that she wasn’t “Black enough.”

Joined by licensed therapist, Dannyell Rasco, they explore the challenges of BIPOC people who were either raised outside of their racial community or who felt excluded for superficial reasons–leading to feelings of not being [Black, Asian, Latino, etc] enough. They discuss:

How racial identity impacts friendship and belonging
Coping with anxiety tied to race and community
Healing from past hurts within your racial group
Strategies for reconnecting with your cultural community
Building genuine, affirming friendships as an adult

Dannyell Rasco is a wife, mom and therapist who believes in keeping it real while supporting people through life’s toughest moments. As a true girls' girl, she’s passionate about helping others navigate life, relationships, parenting, and personal growth with honesty and grace. With a deep love for opening minds and shifting perspectives, she reminds people that while life can be hard, it won’t always feel this way—and sometimes, all we need is a little support to realize that everything will eventually be okay.

To connect with Dannyell:

IG: @Dannyellxo +@IdWantToKnow

Email: [email protected]

Email List: https://blue-flower-82495.myflodesk.com/o43oya84bn

REFERENCES (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

Eat Your Way To Self-Confidence by Daysha Veronica
The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy Morin
EP 24: What If I Don’t Have Friends of My Race? (Part 1)
EP 20: Why is Vulnerability SO Hard? FT. Sharmishtha Gupta

RESOURCES:

Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!
Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!
For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the Yes Queen email list.

CONNECT:

Daysha Veronica

IG/Threads: @DayshaVeronica

TikTok: @DayshaVeronica

BlueSky: @DayshaVeronica

Yes Queen

IG/Threads: @YesQueenLife

TikTok: @YesQueenLife

BlueSky:@YesQueenLife

CREDITS:

Producer: Becky Harris

Executive Producers: Daysha Veronica, Bailey Murphy

If you like what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe, and leave us a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Next Episode

EP 30: Why Do YOU Want Friends? (#BetterYouBetterFriend)

We all want friends, right? But have you ever thought about why you want them? Having healthy friendships is an important part of your wellbeing, and we go over in episode 8 how friendship impacts your mental health with a licensed therapist.

But Daysha can’t help but notice how often people seem to be treating their friends more like accessories than people lately. Yes, vibing and taking cute photos at brunch are a fun part of having adult friends. But what about when friends lean on us for more complex needs like a ride to the airport or to give their car a jump in the middle of the night? As astutely noted by a commenter on TikTok, “everyone wants a village, but no one wants to be a villager.”

So this week’s #BetterYouBetterFriend episode, Daysha provides some coaching on:

Why meaningful friendships are inconvenient, but worth the price of admission
How to discover why friendship matters to YOU
And how to honor your closest friendships through better communication

Because as sistah auntie queen Maya Angelou once said: “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

So if you are wondering:

Why do adult friendships feel so one-sided?
How do I know if my friend actually values me?
What should I expect from close friends?
And how can I communicate better in my friendships?

Then I hope you are sat and ready because Real Talk Friend Therapy with Daysha Veronica is in session!

REFERENCES (As an Amazon Associate, Daysha earns a small percentage from qualifying purchases):

RESOURCES:

Want to hear new episodes 2 days early? Subscribe to our Patreon!
Looking for someone to talk to about this week’s episode? Join our exclusive Facebook group!
Level up yourself + your adult friendships through more tips, explanations, advice and strategies on the Yes Queen YouTube Channel!
For news, updates and more insights on how to create stronger adult friendships, join the