In my opinion, a person’s inner circle has a lot to do with how they act and how successful they’ll be. As humans, we can’t help but be influenced by the people in our lives; but we can help who those people are. Are they influencing us in a positive way? Or are they influencing us in a negative way?

The answer is important! Because at the end of the day, every bossable lady needs to surround herself with likeminded people who will help her grow. Life is short, and you need people in it that will encourage you in achieving your goals. True friends will motivate you, give you valuable insights, and always keep your best interests at heart.

So today I’ve made a list of five type of people that I think should exist in every friend group. And as much as you need these people in your life, it’s important to remember that you need to be a valuable friend as well. Which of these categories do you fall into? We’ll find out!

1 – Mood Lifter

The first type of person you need in your group is the “mood lifter”. This is the person that’s always there with an encouraging word or two, the person that can instantly make you feel better and whom you know will always be there for you.

Mood lifters are people who’s good moods are infectious. They’re typically responsible for the laughs of the friend group, as well as keeping everyone on track to have a good time. They’re important to have around because we all feel down sometimes; and one of the most helpful parts of having a group of loved ones is that you’ll have people to bring you back up when this happens. Mood lifters are just especially good at that!

But even mood lifters have bad days, so make sure to be there for them if they ever need it as well.

2 – The Brain Stormer

Next up is the “brain stormer”. This is the friend with a seemingly endless supply of good ideas; give them a problem, and they’ll initiate a brainstorming session to find a way to fix it. Sometimes their ideas are better than others, but they’ll almost always come up with something unique.

Brain stormers are typically very creative people, and feel that there is an idea for every situation. Maybe a friend needs help moving, they’ll come up with an efficient system to get it done. You need a carpool but all different schedules, brain stormers will try to find a way around it!

And from a business perspective, these are the friends that could help you come up with new products or marketing strategies.

3 – The Visionary

In the middle of the list, we have… the “visionary”. The visionary of the group is the one with unbelievable belief that things will turn out the way they need to and they spread that belief to the rest of their friend group. They typically have long term goals and a strong vision to reach them; and they can use this skill to help their friends envision their future as well.

These are the people that will always remind you of your “why” and your vision for your business. They dream big and want you to as well. They’re passionate people and fantastic friends, the only downside is that they’ll likely never let you give up!

4 – The Strategizer

The “strategizer” is the friend that always has a plan for everything. They’re the type of have a to-do list for a vacation; they do their research and map out the steps to complete any goal. But this can specifically helpful for business people, because if you have a friend who’s a strategizer then you’ll have a free source of advice for your company. Because we all know that strategizing is a huge part of running a business.

If you have a problem or a goal, the strategizer in the group will make sure you overcome obstacles and come out better on the other side.

5 – The Brutally Honest

And lastly, we have the “brutally honest” friend. This is the person in the friend group that will always give their opinions, regardless of whether it conveys warm and fuzzy sentiments or not. They always have the best intentions though, and that’s important to remember because these are the people that outsiders would find rude.

But as a business owner, and a bossable lady, you need these people in your life. They’ll keep your feet on the ground and will tell you if you have an idea that they don’t think will work in your favor, this can be invaluable to many.

So which one are you?

Now that we’ve covered the five types of people you need in your life, I hope you’ve either matched each of your loved ones with each category (meaning that you already have access to these fantastic influences); or that you’re prepared to go out and find these people!

But I also hope that you’ve found one of the categories relatable to you; are you the one that helps friends brain storm for their lives and businesses, or are you more focused on helping them emotionally? Perhaps you’re even a combination of several categories!

Regardless, the main point of this post was to remind you all that influence matters. Not only are your friends partially responsible for your motivations and actions, even in your career; but you’re also responsible for them. Friendship is a give and take. So make sure you’re part of a friend group that gives and takes in equal measure.