Slightly Unsupervised | Female Friendship and Real Talk |Best Friends Podcast

Jennifer Hobbs & Jackie Schroeder
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Relationships

Two best friends. Zero filters. All truth.Slightly Unsupervised is a female friendship podcast for midlife women about the kind of soulmates who don’t come with a marriage license.Hosted by lifelong best friends Jennifer Hobbs and Jackie Schroeder, the show explores friendship, chosen family, emotional growth and the relationships that witness our lives.Through honest conversations, laughter, and real-life stories, Jennifer and Jackie dive into friendship breakups, loyalty, boundaries, healing, motherhood, identity, reinvention, and the emotional support women provide each other through every season of life. As the creators of Bestiemony®—A Different Kind of Love Story—they believe some of the greatest loves of our lives are friendships. The women who stand beside us, help us survive life's challenges, and remind us who we are when we've forgotten. Whether you're celebrating your ride-or-die, healing from a friendship loss, navigating life's changes, or searching for deeper connection, Slightly Unsupervised offers real talk, bestie energy, and meaningful conversations about female friendship and platonic soulmates. Because friendship isn't just part of life. Sometimes it's the love story that helps define it. 🎧 New episodes every week. 💍 Learn more about Bestiemony®:rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony

  1. 5d ago

    Caught in the Middle | When Your Best Friends Are Fighting

    Send us Fan Mail Caught in the Middle: What to Do When Two Friends Are Fighting  What do you do when two friends you love are fighting—and suddenly you're caught in the middle? In this episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie talk about one of the messiest parts of female friendship: being the sounding board when you care about both women. How do you listen without choosing sides? What do you say when you think your friend is wrong? And where's the line between honesty and loyalty? They share real stories about friendship conflict, staying neutral, keeping confidences, knowing when to stop listening, and why becoming the messenger can make everything worse. Plus, Jennifer and Jackie tackle the big question: What do you owe your best friend when honesty and loyalty collide? Because being a good friend doesn't mean helping her win the fight. Sometimes it means helping her see clearly enough to decide what to do next. A female friendship podcast about best friendship, loyalty, chosen family, and the women who help us navigate life's messiest moments. This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

  2. Sep 21

    Your Brain Needs Your Best Friend: How Friendship Supports Your Health

    Send us Fan Mail Your Brain Needs Your Best Friend: How Friendship Supports Your Health Why do we walk away from time with our best friends feeling lighter, happier, and more like ourselves? In this episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie explore why close friendship is far more than entertainment or an occasional luxury. They talk about how trusted friends help us release stress, process difficult emotions, gain a new perspective and experience the safety of knowing we truly belong. Between stories about laughing until they cry, telling the same stories for the 275,000th time and becoming irresponsible teenagers again, Jackie has an unexpectedly emotional realization about how fortunate she is to have a group where she never has to perform or question whether she belongs. Jennifer and Jackie also examine why women so often place friendship at the bottom of the list—after work, family, responsibilities and everyone else’s needs—and why that narrative needs to change. Your best friend may not be able to make life’s problems disappear, but she can remind you that you don’t have to carry them alone. Stop waiting until you “have time.” Make the lunch date, take the trip, sit on the porch, and laugh too loudly. Friendship isn’t something frivolous that belongs in the leftover spaces of life. It is part of taking care of yourself. This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

  3. Sep 14

    Can This Friendship Be Saved? Find the Real Problem Before You Try to Fix It

    Send us Fan Mail Can a broken friendship be repaired—and how do you know when it's worth saving? When something feels wrong with a best friend, our instinct is often to fix whatever is happening on the surface. The unanswered text. The argument. The awkward conversation. The jealousy. The distance. But what if none of those things are the real problem? In this episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie get honest about friendship conflict, repairing broken friendships, and why you have to identify the root of the problem before you can actually fix it. Drawing from friendships they've lost, friendships they've learned from, and their own experiences navigating conflict, they explore the questions we often avoid asking: Did something happen? Did I hurt her? Has something changed in her life? Am I making assumptions? And does she actually want to repair this friendship too?  They also tackle one of the hardest truths about friendship repair: you may have to give up being right if you want a chance at reconciling. Your friend has her own experience, her own feelings, and her own version of what happened—and a real conversation can't begin if you're only waiting for her to admit you were right.  Jennifer and Jackie talk about:  How to identify the real problem in a struggling friendship  Signs something has shifted between you and a friend  Why jealousy, resentment, or insecurity can show up as completely different conflicts  The danger of creating narratives based on texts and assumptions  Why difficult friendship conversations shouldn't happen over text  How to apologize without the dreaded "I'm sorry, but..." Why being right can get in the way of reconciliation  How to know if both people actually want to repair the friendship  When anxiety, manipulation, broken trust, and one-sided effort may signal it's time to let go  Why even friendships that end can leave us with something valuable Because sometimes a friendship isn't broken beyond repair. Sometimes two women are simply hurt, confused, or carrying heavy lives—and nobody has asked the right question yet. And sometimes, the healthiest ending is accepting that a friendship has completed its chapter. Healthy friendships aren't built on never having conflict. They're built on having the courage to face it together.  If this episode makes you think of someone you love, don't spend another six months trying to solve the wrong problem. Call her. Ask her. Listen to her. And find out what's really going on. This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

  4. Sep 7

    Why We Go Silent When a Friend Hurts Us | Female Friendship & the Silent Treatment

    Send us Fan Mail When Your Friend Hurts Your Feelings… and You Say Nothing Ever had a friend hurt your feelings and said absolutely nothing—not because it didn’t matter, but because the friendship mattered so much? In this episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie dive into protective silence: the things we don’t say because we’re trying to keep the peace, avoid confrontation, or convince ourselves we’ll eventually get over it. But when does taking a little space turn into the silent treatment—and when does staying quiet actually start damaging the friendship you were trying to protect? Jennifer and Jackie admit they’re both pretty skilled at going silent (Jennifer may be working toward her doctorate), including one story involving two and a half hours in the heat, no food, an Uber, and Jennifer fully prepared to spend a 10½-hour drive never speaking again. But underneath the laughs is a bigger conversation about female friendship, conflict avoidance, people-pleasing, hurt feelings, learned behaviors, and difficult conversations. They talk about knowing when a friend simply needs space, when something really needs to be addressed, and why the stories we create in our heads can sometimes do more damage than the thing that happened in the first place. In This Episode: Protective silence vs. the silent treatment [01:02] Why “I’m fine” usually means absolutely nothing is fine [01:42] Jennifer’s 10½-hour silent-treatment plan [02:00] Why women stay quiet to keep the peace [04:25] Knowing when to give your friend space—and when to talk [05:26] How long is too long for the silent treatment? [06:43] How one simple apology can stop resentment from growing [09:10] Facts vs. the stories we create in our heads [11:01] Why waiting six months to speak up can turn a small hurt into an atomic bomb [12:34] People-pleasing, confrontation, and learning healthier communication [14:34] Knowing your best friend well enough to recognize when she just needs time [16:31] How childhood can teach us to use silence as a coping mechanism [17:52] When a friendship matters enough to have the difficult conversation [18:55] Why sometimes you need time and perspective before talking [20:44] If you’ve ever replayed a friendship problem in your head, wondered if she was mad at you, stayed quiet because you didn’t want to make things worse, or waited for your friend to magically figure out what she did wrong—this episode is for you. Sometimes silence is space. Sometimes it’s fear. Sometimes it’s protection. But sometimes the strongest thing you can do for a friendship is risk one honest conversation. Before you ask three other people what they think she meant, before you convince yourself you already know how she feels—call her. Ask her. Give the friendship a chance. 👉 Follow Slightly Unsupervised, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, leave us a review, and share this episode with your ride-or-die. And if this episode made you think about the woman who has walked beside you through life, visit the Bestiemony® YouTube channel to hear real stories about friendships that changed women's lives. Because some of life’s greatest love stories don’t come with a marriage license. #SlightlyUnsupervised #Bestiemony #FriendshipPodcast #FemaleFriendship #SilentTreatment #ProtectiveSilence #FriendshipProblems #FriendshipAdvice #HealthyFriendships #FriendshipCommunication #ConflictResolution #PeoplePleasing #DifficultConversations #FriendshipConflict #BestFriends #WomenSupportingWomen #MidlifeWomen #PlatonicSoulmates #FriendshipMatters This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

  5. Aug 31

    Friendship Breakups: Honoring the Love, Letting Go with Grace

    Send us Fan Mail Friendship Breakups: Honoring the Love, Letting Go with Grace  Friendship breakups can hurt just as much as romantic ones—but we rarely talk about them.  When a marriage ends, there are books, movies, songs, and endless advice. But when a lifelong friendship fades or falls apart, we're often left wondering how to grieve someone who's still alive.  In this heartfelt episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie share their own experiences with friendship breakups, growing apart from people they once loved deeply, reconnecting after years apart, and learning that not every meaningful friendship is meant to last forever.  Together they explore:   Why friendship breakups can be so emotionally painful  How to grieve the loss of a close friend  Why some friendships are meant for a season—and that's okay  Learning from the women who helped shape your life  Rebuilding trust after years apart  How to reconnect with an old friend without forcing the relationship  The importance of healthy boundaries in friendship  Why closure often comes through acceptance rather than conversation  How to honor former friends with gratitude instead of resentment  Jennifer and Jackie also reflect on their own fifteen-year friendship separation, what it took to rebuild trust, and why they believe every meaningful friendship deserves to be remembered with kindness—even if it's no longer part of your everyday life.   Because not every friendship is meant to last forever.   But every friendship that helped shape who you are deserves to be honored.   If this episode made you think of someone who once meant the world to you, maybe today is the day to send the text, share the memory, or simply be grateful for the chapter they wrote in your life.   🎥 Watch real Bestiemony friendship stories: https://www.youtube.com/@Bestiemony 💖 Learn more about celebrating your own lifelong friendship: https://www.Bestiemony.com   Chickology PodcastsBold podcasts by women, for women. Real talk. Real growth.Bestiemony®Honor your forever friendship with a Bestiemony®.Rhinestone Wedding Chapel Weddings, Elvis, & Bestiemony® ceremonies—only in Nashville at Rhinestone Chapel. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

  6. Aug 24

    Why Don’t We Celebrate Friendships Like We Celebrate Everything Else? | The Love Story Without a Marriage License

    Send us Fan Mail Friendship Is One of Life's Most Important Relationships—So Why Don't We Celebrate It?  We celebrate birthdays. We celebrate engagements. We celebrate weddings, anniversaries, baby showers, graduations, and retirements.  But what about the woman who stood beside you through every one of those moments?  In this thought-provoking episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie ask a simple question that changes the way we think about friendship:  Why don't we celebrate our best friends the way we celebrate every other important relationship in our lives?  Inspired by Jennifer's experience owning a wedding chapel and witnessing hundreds of couples exchange vows, they explore why society has built traditions around romantic love—but has almost no rituals for honoring the women who helped us become who we are.  Together they discuss:   Why female friendship is one of life's foundational relationships  Why romantic relationships are celebrated while lifelong friendships are often overlooked  The hidden cost of letting romantic relationships replace your friendships  Why every woman needs friends who can support her through life's hardest seasons  How speaking your gratitude out loud can transform a friendship  Why we assume our best friends already know how much they mean to us  The emotional impact of celebrating a friendship while your best friend is still here to hear it  Why we should stop waiting until funerals to tell people what they meant to us  Jennifer and Jackie also share personal stories about nearly forty years of friendship, navigating marriage, growing apart and finding each other again, and how those experiences inspired them to create Bestiemony®—a ceremony dedicated to celebrating lifelong friendships. Because maybe friendship doesn't need to become a marriage... Maybe it simply deserves the same gratitude. If this episode made you think of your best friend, don't wait. Call her. Write the letter. Plan the dinner. Tell her what she means to you while she's still here to hear it. 🎥 Watch real Bestiemony ceremonies: https://www.youtube.com/@Bestiemony 💖 Learn more or celebrate your own best friendship: https://www.Bestiemony.com   Chickology PodcastsBold podcasts by women, for women. Real talk. Real growth.Bestiemony®Honor your forever friendship with a Bestiemony®.Rhinestone Wedding Chapel Weddings, Elvis, & Bestiemony® ceremonies—only in Nashville at Rhinestone Chapel. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

  7. Aug 17

    Flowers While You're Here | Celebrating the Women Who Changed Us | A Love Letter to My Best Friend

    Send us Fan Mail Flowers While You're Here | A Love Letter to My Best Friend  What if you didn't wait until a funeral to tell someone how much they changed your life?  In this deeply personal and emotional episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer does something she's never done before. Without Jackie knowing, she records a heartfelt tribute to the woman who has been her best friend for more than four decades.  This isn't an interview.  It isn't a conversation.  It's a love letter.  Jennifer shares the stories that shaped their friendship—from meeting as teenagers, navigating difficult childhoods, surviving an unexpected pregnancy, becoming roommates, raising children, losing touch for years, and ultimately finding their way back to each other. Through every season of life, Jackie became the person who never stopped believing in her.  In this special episode, Jennifer reflects on:   The power of having one person who never lets you feel less  Growing up together and finding strength in female friendship  How true friends protect your reputation when you're at your most vulnerable  Why the women who stand beside us deserve to be celebrated  Losing a friendship—and the joy of finding your way back  How lifelong friendships become the foundation of resilience  The inspiration behind creating Bestiemony®, a ceremony that celebrates best friends  More than anything, this episode is a reminder that we spend so much of our lives honoring people after they're gone.   Maybe it's time we started giving them their flowers while they're still here to hear them.   Because some of life's greatest love stories don't come with a marriage license.   Sometimes...   they come with a best friend. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: A Personal Tribute to Jackie 00:30 How Jennifer and Jackie Met and Grew Closer 01:08 First Impressions: Jackie as a Spitfire 02:08 Jackie's Outspokenness and Its Impact on Jennifer 03:07 The Strength and Power Jackie Gave Jennifer 04:25 Shared Childhood Memories and Support 06:00 Overcoming Life's Challenges Together 06:54 Jackie's Fierce Protectiveness and Loyalty 08:31 Celebrating Wins and Supporting Each Other 10:02 High School Years and Teenage Support 11:57 College Dreams and Staying Connected 14:13 Life Changes and Reconnecting After Years Apart 18:13 The Deep Understanding and Comfort of True Friendship 20:05 Celebrating Friendship Milestones and Unconditional Love 21:53 The Importance of Telling Loved Ones How Much They Mean 23:00 Closing Remarks: Cherish Your Best Friends  🎥 Watch real Bestiemony ceremonies: https://www.youtube.com/@Bestiemony  💒 Learn more about Bestiemony at Rhinestone Wedding Chapel: https://www.RhinestoneWeddingChapel.com  What if you didn't wait until a funeral to tell someone how much they changed your life? In this vulnerable episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer records a heartfelt love letter to her best friend and platonic soulmate—celebrating the chosen family bonds that sustain us. A tribute to female friendship, emotional intimacy, and saying the things that matter most while you're still here together. Chickology PodcastsBold podcasts by women, for women. Real talk. Real growth.Bestiemony®Honor your forever friendship with a Bestiemony®.Rhinestone Wedding Chapel Weddings, Elvis, & Bestiemony® ceremonies—only in Nashville at Rhinestone Chapel. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

  8. Aug 10

    Female Friendship & Mental Health | When Your Bestie Is Your Lifeline

    Send us Fan Mail What if the most powerful thing you could do for your best friend... wasn't to fix her, but simply to show up?  In this heartfelt episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie have an honest conversation about the connection between female friendship and mental health. Growing up in Generation X, they reflect on a time when anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional struggles were rarely talked about—and how many women still hide behind the words, "I'm just tired."  Through personal stories, laughter, and real-life experiences, they explore how best friends can become emotional lifelines by creating safe spaces to be heard, understood, and supported—while also recognizing when it's time to encourage professional help.  In this episode, they discuss:   Why women often hide their emotional struggles  The invisible weight of anxiety, burnout, and overwhelm  Why so many women say, "I'm just tired," instead of asking for help  The difference between listening and trying to fix someone's problems  How to recognize when a friend may need more support  Why showing up consistently matters more than having the perfect advice  How to support someone without carrying their emotional burden  Why friendship can be the bridge that helps someone take the first step toward healing  Jennifer and Jackie also share stories from their own lives, including growing up in a generation where mental health wasn't openly discussed, learning to support friends without judgment, and why sometimes the greatest gift you can give another woman is simply saying...   "You don't have to carry this alone."   Because friendship isn't about having all the answers.   It's about reminding someone they're never alone while they find them.     Timestamps00:00 - Introduction: What genuine friendship offers beyond advice  02:30 - The importance of understanding and respecting each other's strengths and weaknesses  05:20 - How celebrating wins and avoiding competition strengthen friendships  09:00 - Supporting mental health: showing up and recognizing warning signs  11:34 - Practical ways to help friends through emotional struggles  16:00 - The value of grace, forgiveness, and knowing when professional help is needed  20:00 - The role of environment and knowing who to turn to for help  24:30 - The essence of vulnerability, inside jokes, and laughter in friendship  28:00 - Final encouragement: You don’t have to carry emotional burdens alone.  Resources & Links  💖 Watch Real Bestiemonies  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Bestiemony  Watch women from across the country share the stories of the friendships that changed their lives and experience their heartfelt Bestiemony ceremonies.   🌸 Celebrate Your Own Best Friendship  Official Bestiemony Website: https://www.bestiemony.com  Learn about the Bestiemony experience, explore ceremony options, and book a celebration for your own lifelong best friend.   💍 Hosted at Rhinestone Wedding Chapel  Bestiemonies are held at:  https://www.rhinestoneweddingchapel.com  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, the chapel is home to the original Bestiemony® ceremony, created to honor the extraordinary bond between best friends.   🎙️ Listen to More Episodes of Slightly Unsupervised  If you'd like to hear more conversations about female friendship, emotional resilience, and the women who help us survive life, subscribe to Slightly Unsupervised wherever you listen to podcasts.  What if the most powerful thing you could do for your best friend wasn't to fix her—but simply to show up? In this episode of Slightly Unsupervised, Jennifer and Jackie explore the deep connection between female friendship and mental health, uncovering how platonic soulmates can be our greatest lifeline without becoming unpaid therapists. Growing up Gen X, they reflect on anxiety, depression, and burnout, then offer real talk on setting boundaries that strengthen friendship instead of exhausting it. This is about bestie energy done right.   Chickology PodcastsBold podcasts by women, for women. Real talk. Real growth.Bestiemony®Honor your forever friendship with a Bestiemony®.Rhinestone Wedding Chapel Weddings, Elvis, & Bestiemony® ceremonies—only in Nashville at Rhinestone Chapel. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.This episode of Slightly Unsupervised was brought to you by the creators of Bestiemony®—the original friendship ceremony that proves soulmates don’t always come with a marriage license. Hosted by Jennifer and Jackie: best friends, business partners, and co-founders of the movement celebrating real, ride-or-die love. 💍 Book a Bestiemony: rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony 📱 Follow us on Instagram at @Bestiemonies 📩 Got a bestie story to share or a subject request? Email us at Bestiemonies@gmail.com

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About

Two best friends. Zero filters. All truth.Slightly Unsupervised is a female friendship podcast for midlife women about the kind of soulmates who don’t come with a marriage license.Hosted by lifelong best friends Jennifer Hobbs and Jackie Schroeder, the show explores friendship, chosen family, emotional growth and the relationships that witness our lives.Through honest conversations, laughter, and real-life stories, Jennifer and Jackie dive into friendship breakups, loyalty, boundaries, healing, motherhood, identity, reinvention, and the emotional support women provide each other through every season of life. As the creators of Bestiemony®—A Different Kind of Love Story—they believe some of the greatest loves of our lives are friendships. The women who stand beside us, help us survive life's challenges, and remind us who we are when we've forgotten. Whether you're celebrating your ride-or-die, healing from a friendship loss, navigating life's changes, or searching for deeper connection, Slightly Unsupervised offers real talk, bestie energy, and meaningful conversations about female friendship and platonic soulmates. Because friendship isn't just part of life. Sometimes it's the love story that helps define it. 🎧 New episodes every week. 💍 Learn more about Bestiemony®:rhinestoneweddingchapel.com/bestiemony

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