Have you taken my MasterClass yet? New subscribers get access to my class and hundreds of others starting at $10 per month. Right now, our listeners get an additional 15% off any MasterClass annual membership at masterclass.com/lovers.________________________ In this episode of Lovers, Jerrie Johnson (NAACP-nominated actor best known for role on Harlem) and Dria Brown (the creative doula) share the story of how they fell hard, broke up, and then made a conscious decision to rebuild their relationship differently the second time. The first time around, their connection was intense, passionate, and undeniable. But intensity alone wasn’t enough. Before getting back together, they chose to start over as friends, and in doing so, they realized something uncomfortable: they weren’t actually as strong of friends the first time as they thought. This conversation explores what it truly means to be friends with your romantic partner, why passion can mask incompatibility, and why many couples confuse chemistry for foundation. If you’ve ever considered getting back together with an ex, or if you believe you’re “best friends” with your partner, this episode will challenge you to define what that actually means. Because sometimes spinning the block only works when something fundamental changes. Are you and your lover really friends? Try this relationship check in to find outhttps://www.loversbyshan.com/resource/relationship-checkinNAACP - Vote for Jerrie's nominationhttps://vote.naacpimageawards.net/categories/8f53f295-6f7a-42f1-a40f-08de2c5a3e90/entrants Follow Jerrie JohnsonInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/jerriejohnson/ TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@jerriejohnsonOfficial Website → https://www.jerriejohnson.comSubstack → JerrieJohnson.substack.com Follow Dria BrownInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/driabrown/Official Website → https://www.thecreativedoulastudio.com/  Want more Lover?Receive the weekly Love Letter → http://loversbyshan.com/newsletterJoin the Lovers Community → https://www.loversbyshan.com/communityExplore quizzes and worksheets → http://loversbyshan.com/quizzes  If you haven’t subscribed to Lemonada Premium yet, now’s the perfect time → lemonadapremium.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.