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 out
https://www.loversbyshan.com/resource/relationship-checkin

NAACP - Vote for Jerrie's nomination
https://vote.naacpimageawards.net/categories/8f53f295-6f7a-42f1-a40f-08de2c5a3e90/entrants

Follow Jerrie Johnson
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/jerriejohnson/

TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@jerriejohnson
Official Website → https://www.jerriejohnson.com

Substack → JerrieJohnson.substack.com

Follow Dria Brown
Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/driabrown/
Official Website → https://www.thecreativedoulastudio.com/ 

Want more Lover?
Receive the weekly Love Letter → http://loversbyshan.com/newsletter
Join the Lovers Community → https://www.loversbyshan.com/community
Explore quizzes and worksheets → http://loversbyshan.com/quizzes 

If you haven’t subscribed to Lemonada Premium yet, now’s the perfect time → lemonadapremium.com

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&rsquo;t enough. Before getting back together, they chose to start over as friends, and in doing so, they realized something uncomfortable: they weren&rsquo;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&rsquo;ve ever considered getting back together with an ex, or if you believe you&rsquo;re &ldquo;best friends&rdquo; 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 out <a href="https://www.loversbyshan.com/resource/relationship-checkin">https://www.loversbyshan.com/resource/relationship-checkin </a>NAACP - Vote for Jerrie's nomination <a href="https://vote.naacpimageawards.net/categories/8f53f295-6f7a-42f1-a40f-08de2c5a3e90/entrants">https://vote.naacpimageawards.net/categories/8f53f295-6f7a-42f1-a40f-08de2c5a3e90/entrants</a>
Follow Jerrie Johnson Instagram &rarr; https://www.instagram.com/jerriejohnson/
TikTok &rarr; <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jerriejohnson">https://www.tiktok.com/@jerriejohnson</a> Official Website &rarr;<a href="https://www.jerriejohnson.com"> https://www.jerriejohnson.com</a> Substack &rarr; <a href="http://jerriejohnson.substack.com">JerrieJohnson.substack.com</a>
Follow Dria Brown Instagram &rarr; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/driabrown/">https://www.instagram.com/driabrown/ </a>Official Website &rarr; <a href="https://www.thecreativedoulastudio.com/">https://www.thecreativedoulastudio.com/</a>&nbsp;
Want more Lover? Receive the weekly Love Letter &rarr; <a href="http://loversbyshan.com/newsletter">http://loversbyshan.com/newsletter </a>Join the Lovers Community &rarr; <a href="https://www.loversbyshan.com/community">https://www.loversbyshan.com/community </a>Explore quizzes and worksheets &rarr; <a href="http://loversbyshan.com/quizzes">http://loversbyshan.com/quizzes</a>&nbsp;
If you haven&rsquo;t subscribed to Lemonada Premium yet, now&rsquo;s the perfect time &rarr; <a href="http://lemonadapremium.com/">lemonadapremium.com</a>

Lovers by Shan is an education-first space where listeners come to better understand their own intimate lives through the life lessons and expertise of others. Shan Boodram’s mission is to empower everyone to be their own intimacy expert in the bedroom and beyond by treating guests of the podcast as educators in their own right.

Past guests include Kelly Rowland who taught us about being a sensualist. Becky G who shared the importance of healthy love in an unhealthy body. Kerry Washington who warned about the dangers of keeping secrets. Kamie Crawford who taught us about the joys of breaking up. Jesse Reyez who reminded us that it's alright to admit you're the one who let a good one get away.

When we paused in 2023 we had 5.1 million listeners and 8 million YouTube views. Excited to see how many lives we can impact in 2025 with our fresh look and approach.

Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/  

Lovers by Shan is an education-first space where listeners come to better understand their own intimate lives through the life lessons and expertise of others. Shan Boodram&rsquo;s mission is to empower everyone to be their own intimacy expert in the bedroom and beyond by treating guests of the podcast as educators in their own right. Past guests include Kelly Rowland who taught us about being a sensualist. Becky G who shared the importance of healthy love in an unhealthy body. Kerry Washington who warned about the dangers of keeping secrets. Kamie Crawford who taught us about the joys of breaking up. Jesse Reyez who reminded us that it's alright to admit you're the one who let a good one get away. When we paused in 2023 we had 5.1 million listeners and 8 million YouTube views. Excited to see how many lives we can impact in 2025 with our fresh look and approach.
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media <a href="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-stringify-link="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://lemonadamedia.com/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;