You think you know me. You don't know this version.
In Episode 5 I finally brought on my first guest, my childhood best friend Alexa, the one person on earth who has seen me through literally every season. The bratty middle schooler. The wild high schooler. The girl who should have ended up dead or pregnant but somehow didn't. The woman who couldn't accept a compliment. And the mom and wife I've become today.
This one is unscripted, unfiltered, and honestly hilarious. We're telling the stories I have never told. Sneaking to Missouri in the middle of the night and telling our parents we were at Cedar Point. Getting caught by a cop with an expired license at a party and somehow walking away free. The high school sorority that absolutely should not have existed. The things we were numbing and why. The moment Alexa looked at me across a table and thought, "she's not the same girl anymore".
And the most important part. The conversation at the end where she tells me what she is most proud of me for. I could not make it through that without crying.
If you have a childhood best friend who has seen the full version of you (the one you don't post on social media) this episode is going to hit home.
Tag them below. 💜
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0:00 Cold open — "I should have ended up dead or pregnant"
1:03 Welcome — meet Alexa Rex, Brandi's childhood best friend
2:50 What it means to have a friend who has seen every season of your life
3:58 First question: what was I actually like?
4:47 How they met — competitive dance team in fifth grade
6:04 Dance was their home away from home — chaotic backgrounds
7:16 How they became close — Katelyn, parties, and dating brothers
8:23 Alexa's honest take — "you were a brat, disrespectful to everyone"
9:49 Christians who have done dark things — faith without a perfect past
12:21 The Missouri road trip — lying to their parents about Cedar Point
16:33 Getting caught — parents compare stories, the lie unravels
18:38 High school parties, bonding over chaotic home lives
20:06 The high school sorority that absolutely should not have existed
21:40 "I should have ended up dead or pregnant" — the party bus years
22:59 Being taken advantage of at a freshman year party
24:04 Numbing everything — what we were really running from
25:18 Close calls — guns, cops, expired licenses, and walking away
27:56 After high school — Brandi moves to Disney, the friendship ebbs
29:19 What Brandi was struggling with that she didn't even realize
30:28 Dark times Alexa witnessed — the real picture from the outside
32:08 The proud moment — Brandi leaves Michigan for Florida
32:59 When Alexa knew — meeting Casey changed everything
34:44 Numbing vs. healing — then and now
58:01 You don't have to be embarrassed — let go of the guilt and shame
59:53 Change is possible — even when people don't believe you yet
1:00:12 Last question — what are you most proud of me for?
1:00:41 "The mom that you are" — both of them cry
1:02:46 Friendships that point you to Jesus — the ones that matter
1:04:32 Dark humor, fond memories, and closing laughs
1:05:11 Closing — "go hug your childhood bestie"
childhood best friend podcast | growing up wild and surviving | women friendship podcast | personal growth story | faith and friendship | Brandi Raines podcast | Taking Life by the Raines | Christian women podcast | millennial mom friendship | real talk women
#takinglifebytheraines #brandiraines #bestfriendpodcast #childhoodfriendship #womenempowerment #christianwomen #millennialmom #realtalk #faithjourney #personalgrowth
