The Girlfriends Who Keep Me On Key

Vicki and Barbara—my friends who’ve seen it all, heard it all, and still want to hang out with me. Twenty-five years, countless adventures, and one perfect October weekend on Siesta Key.

As the sun set on our last evening on Siesta Key, the three of us sat in the powder-white sand, our bare feet half buried in it. The sky was pink and gold, and we talked about how good the weekend had been—how full, how easy, how much we wished we could stay another day, or maybe a week. The sand was grounding, the breeze gentle, and for a moment, everything felt exactly right.

We’ve been friends for nearly twenty-five years. Between us, we’ve lived a lot of life—divorce, losing a spouse, losing a mother, new jobs, big changes, grandbabies, and everything in between. We’ve been camping, wandered through Paris, had slumber parties in our homes, and now, Siesta Key. My happy place. It’s special to me, and now it’s special to the three of us. We decided this will be our October tradition from here on out—our time to come back, breathe, and just be together.

The older I get, the more I realize how rare this kind of friendship is. These women have seen every version of me and somehow love me more because of it. They tell me the truth when I need to hear it, even when it’s hard. They remind me to give myself grace. They laugh with me, push me, and pull me back when I’m running too fast.

There’s no competition, no pretense, no keeping score—just a shared knowing that life is better when you have people who see you clearly and love you anyway.

At this point in life, I’ve learned that we don’t get many people who know the full story—who were there for the beginning, the middle, and all the messy in-between. That’s what makes friendships like these sacred. They’re the keepers of your history, the witnesses to your growth, the people who remember who you were before you became who you are.

They’ve taught me a lot about life, but also about leadership. Real relationships—the kind that last—aren’t built on big moments. They’re built on showing up, over and over again. They take time, honesty, forgiveness, and a sense of humor. The same is true in leadership. Trust doesn’t come from titles or transactions; it grows out of consistency and care.

As I packed up to leave, I realized weekends like this are my reset. These friendships are what bring me back in tune when life gets noisy. They remind me who I am and what really matters. Somewhere between the long talks, the belly laughs, and the quiet moments on the beach, I could feel the stress of the last few months slipping away. I didn’t even realize how much I needed the pause until I took it.

When I get home from time like this, I’m clearer, lighter, and more grounded. I lead better, listen better, and live better.

Leadership, at its best, isn’t about power or perfection. It’s about connection, trust, empathy, and the courage to keep showing up—just like friendship.

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If you’re lucky enough to have people who’ve known your story from the beginning, hold them close. They’re the ones who keep you steady, remind you what’s real, and help you stay on key.

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Thanks for reading,

~ Shannon