Relationships Matter

Relationships matter.

This past weekend, I flew to Tennessee with my family to celebrate the wedding of a former coworker and close friend. We packed up on Friday, celebrated on Saturday, and came home on Sunday. It was a quick trip, but it got me thinking.

In the corporate world, we talk a lot about relationships. We tell our teams to build them, nurture them, and value them.

For many people, that ends when the workday is over or when someone leaves the company.

The truth is, relationships matter all the time. They do not expire when someone changes departments or careers. They take effort through calls, messages, shared jokes, and showing up.

My friend who got married is still someone I reach out to for advice and ideas. We still send each other gag gifts, and our kids know one another. Some say not to get too personal at work, that it is just business. I do not believe that.

The corporate world could learn something from the fire service. Every third day, I get to work alongside some of my closest friends. We laugh, challenge each other, and still get the job done. That kind of trust does not come from policies or performance metrics.

It comes from relationships.

Josh Friedrich is a Firefighter/Paramedic with the Lewisville Fire Department in Lewisville, Texas, and the former Treasurer of the Lewisville Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 3606. With nearly two decades in the fire service, he brings a practical leadership perspective to both emergency response and organizational service.He serves as the Director of Digital Advocacy at NEP Services, where he supports labor organizations and nonprofit groups nationwide through strategic advocacy, digital infrastructure, public messaging, and member engagement initiatives.