In my new book The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs, I write about how the "old friend" doesn't necessarily mean than you've known one another for decades. All that is required to hold that Life Council seat is to have a friend who has known you from one version of yourself into another. That actual timeline might vary.

But Shauna Niequist is one of my oldest friends however you measure it. We met in the late 90's working at summer camp, where (as I wrote about in my first book Share Your Stuff), I learned from Shauna a different way to walk in the world than I had previously been exposed to.

For twenty-five years, Shauna has been a friend, role model, mentor, and, yes, even a fellow obsessive as we discuss in this episode.

Shauna Niequist is the New York Times bestselling author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, Bread & Wine, Savor, Present Over Perfect, and I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet. She is married to Aaron, and they live in New York City with their two sons.