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Switch Stories: Office ‘Besties’ Edition

Friendships are special but there’s a very special class of friends a.k.a office besties who share a unique bond that makes Monday mornings less dreadful, lunch breaks more entertaining, and turns knowing glances in meetings into witty follow-on conversations, all while smashing deadlines and goals.

On this edition of Switch Stories, we’re shining the spotlight on two besties who prove that strangers can become colleagues, and colleagues can become friends with an unbreakable bond. Meet Adaku and Majeedah, two powerhouses at Interswitch who met by chance and built a friendship fuelled by banter, brilliance, and just the right amount of chaos.

Let’s get into it.

How did you two first meet at Interswitch, and what were your first impressions?

Majeedah: We met on my first day at work when she was sent to pick me up from the famous Building One on the Interswitch Campus, where I was waiting. My first thought? “Wow, why does she seem so upset?” She had the most serious face, no smile, no warmth, just pure ‘resting boss face’. I remember thinking to myself – “Is this how y’all welcome people over here?” Little did I know she’d turn out to be my work bestie for life.

Adaku: To be honest, I was indifferent at the time, but I do remember thinking how can a human be this skinny? And then there was the outfit...

The outfit? What was wrong with it?

Adaku: A red shirt paired with a brown skirt?? And then the shoessssss. They were not complementing at all.

Majeedah: Nooo, Ada. Red and brown works. My shoes were complementing! It was leopard skin.

What turned things around? Majeedah: Working together on a number of projects helped us get to know each other better. Do you have a memorable one together? Adaku: That’d be the In-store Merchant Acquiring support. We started a whole unit from scratch, under so much pressure and scrutiny. Plenty of tears, immense pressure! Paper roll deployment to merchants was manual and very, very tough. But we survived.

Majeedah: One of the toughest times was when the Merchant Acquiring team was made up of only three of us Ada, Wenma (who has since left), and me. One day, BOOM! Our biggest merchant, one of the banks, hit us with the ultimate heartbreak: they were planning to leave. And that was on us -Ada, Majeedah, and Wenma.

Imagine the pressure. Losing our biggest merchant would have been a disaster. But instead of buckling under the pressure, we had very serious and tough conversations. We knew we had to do things differently, so we re-strategized our entire approach to better support the merchant.

And guess what? We flipped the script! That customer eventually stayed with us for many more years.

What started as a three- man (scratch that) woman squad, or as our former lead called us, the Powerpuff Girls, grew into a full-fledged team. That challenge wasn’t just a test. It was proof that we don’t fold under pressure; we flip the script

You guys literally flipped the script Ada: You can say that again!

What’s the funniest or most unexpected thing that has happened at work?

Adaku: Majee’s random acts of kindness. Like coming to work and finding breakfast laid out for me right there in the presence of my load of work.

Majeedah: So many funny moments, but the most recent one had me laughing in tears! I had recently moved to a new team and needed info from my old team. I’d been sending messages, following up like a responsible human being, but they were straight-up ‘ghosting’ me. I went on a full-blown rant to Ada, complaining about the loud silence. She just said, ‘Majee, don’t worry, you’ll get what you need.’

Next thing, my Madam Fix-It went on a mission. She stormed the team’s chat group, probably threatened their peace, and within minutes, my Microsoft Teams chat was buzzing with responses! Suddenly, everybody started replying! So, Ada was the missing ingredient I needed all along? Wow! But how do you guys balance friendship and professionalism?

Adaku: Hmmm, balance didn’t come easy. There were disagreements, times we escalated to mutual friends, especially when we both worked on In-store Support. But we now understand work is work, the customer is king. We communicate, apologize when necessary, and most importantly, we let sleeping dogs lie.

Majeedah: I like to believe we’ve mastered the art. One minute, we’re cracking jokes, and the next, we’re in full let’s-get-this-done mode. We hold each other accountable, push each other to be better, and the best part? Our friendship enhances our productivity. When we work together, it’s not just vibes. It’s results, efficiency, and a whole lot of fun too!

Inside jokes or traditions? Spill!

Adaku: Lol. Inside joke are ‘inside’ for a reason. If you know, you know. 🤪 But, our traditions? Skincare, fashion, and self-care.

Majeedah: I plead the fifth on inside jokes - some things are strictly classified. But if you see us exchange a look and burst out laughing, just know something wild is going on!

For traditions, we have our rant-and-reset sessions anytime work gets overwhelming. We step outside or call if one of us isn’t at the office, let out all the frustration (sometimes dramatically - Ada’s style), and then hype each other up to go back and conquer for Interswitch.

So, you guys are each other’s hype man

Adaku: Oh, a great deal. We’ve gone from work friends to a solid friendship outside the office. Sleepovers, outings, big decisions, we do life together.

Majeedah: We’ve gone from just work besties to ride-or-die, both in and out of the office. We hype each other up, celebrate every win, and show up in ways that go beyond work. It’s not just a friendship; it’s power duo energy!

One thing you appreciate about each other, professionally and personally?

Adaku: Professionally, we both hate mediocrity. We never want to be associated with the word in any form, shape, or size. Personally, we always stand out; not because we’re particularly glamorous, we just do.

Majeedah: Professionally, Ada is meticulous- no detail ever slips past her! Personally, we vibe effortlessly, support each other, and somehow turn even the most stressful moments into laughter.

One thing you both have in common?

Both: Fun fact, our birthdays are just a day apart! We’re both Aries. It’s like the universe knew we were meant to be work besties.

If Interswitch had a ‘Best Work Squad’ award, why would you win?

Both: Hands down, we’d take it! We’re the perfect mix of brains, banter, and execution. We handle business like pros while keeping the vibes alive. Deadlines? We crush them. Challenges? We tackle them head-on. Our teamwork isn’t just about getting the job done, it’s about making work feel less like work and more like a wholesome winning experience.