The Partner in Mime: Why Everyone Needs a Work Bestie

Let’s talk about the opposite of toxic coworkers, the Partner in Mime. The one who just gets you. The ride-or-die of the office. The person who can translate your eyebrow raises and eye twitches into full paragraphs. Your work bestie, your work wife, your corporate soulmate. Mine? Jess Ashcroft, aka Spoonsy.

Jess and I didn’t just become friends. We collided into each other like two drunk shopping carts and never looked back. Our bond was forged in a mutual love for pickles, hotdogs, and topless Jeeps, but it runs so much deeper. We share a brainwave, a music taste, and, conveniently, husbands who are equally obsessed with each other (and us). She keeps me calm. She keeps me grounded. And when everything is on fire? She’s the one standing next to me with a hose and marshmallows.

Having a Partner in Mime can be a game-changer when you’re surrounded by toxic people. Learn more about cutting ties with negativity in our blog post Cutting Ties with Toxic People: The Ultimate Life Upgrade.

She’s my favorite travel partner, hands down. We once unknowingly bought 30-year-old gelato from a ghost in Michigan because Jess was too scared to leave the shop without purchasing something. We’ve taken three trips to Vegas, including one after knowing each other for approximately two weeks. (It was right before COVID hit, and I’m 90% sure we transported the virus back to Ohio, because we both nearly perished somewhere in the Red Rocks.) We’ve sprinted from massive black snakes, cooked steak with strangers at roadside motels, and spent a night in an A-frame loft with six beds for some reason—like we had accidentally booked a rustic orphanage. Oh, and let’s not forget the time we jumped into a bright blue spring with our clothes on in front of a camera crew somewhere in Virginia—spoiler, the water was 300 degrees below freezing. I looked like a wet seal screaming as we made our way to land.

This is what a Partner in Mime does. They make the absurd bearable. The unbearable hilarious. And the workplace? Actually enjoyable.

Because, let’s be real, work can be a lot. The emails, the deadlines, the people (you know the ones). A work bestie doesn’t just get you through it; they make it worth it. They’re the reason you don’t rage-quit on a Tuesday afternoon. They validate your frustrations with a single well-timed GIF. They know exactly when you need an Old Fashioned, when you need a distraction, and when you need someone to just agree that girl from management is an actual menace.

If you don’t have a Partner in Mime yet, get one. And if you do—hold onto them like they’re the last pickle in the jar. Because the best workdays aren’t the ones where everything runs smoothly. They’re the ones where you get to survive the madness with someone who just gets it.

Having a “Partner in Mime” at work can significantly enhance your job satisfaction and productivity. Research indicates that employees with close friends at work experience increased happiness and engagement, leading to better performance and reduced turnover.

For more insights on the importance of workplace friendships, you might find this article helpful: The Importance of Workplace Friendships