Taylor Swift: The Influence And Business Of Friendship – And Where Exactly It All Went Wrong For Blake Lively In Her Failed Approach To Networking

In a recent interview on the Therapuss with Jake Shane podcast, Selena Gomez called Taylor Swift the one good thing that came out of their respective relationships with the Jonas Brothers. It was 2008 when the two met. At the time, Gomez was dating Nick Jonas, and Swift was dating Joe Jonas. Demi Lovato, who was best friends with Gomez since they were 7 years old, seemed bitter about Gomez’s blossoming friendship with Swift. In 2010, when a fan asked her how Gomez was doing, Lovato replied, ‘Ask Taylor!’

Nevertheless, Gomez and Lovato continued on to be friends, at least on-and-off, until 2018. It was Lovato’s 2018 near-fatal overdose that seemed to have been the last straw when it came down to trying to make a friendship work with her childhood best friend. It seemed as though a lot of things changed for the singer following her near-death experience – both good and bad. Gomez herself had some difficult times in the past decade, having gone through multiple breakups, career hiccups, and health scares. Throughout those times, it was Swift that was there for her.

As she told Shane, ‘Taylor [Swift] and I dated the Jonas Brothers. I dated Nick and she dated Joe. And everything was, it was cute, we were young. We all know and love each other now and it’s so cute. We don’t know what we were doing — She and I like to say the best thing we got out of those relationships was each other because it was really sweet. And then we just stuck around for all the ups and downs that came after and here we are now 16 years later. I believe ‘Love Story’ was the first song she had ever played me and it wasn’t released yet. Yeah, I was in a hotel room and I remember it vividly, it was just one of those songs I instantly heard and thought this is one of the most beautiful songs ever.’ Shane then commented, ‘Wow, ‘I can’t believe you heard ‘Love Story’ before it was released,’ to which Gomez responded, ‘I know, it was so sweet. She was like, ‘Okay I just want to play you this song but just like you know, I don’t know it’s going to be the first single, I think, I think.’ And just hearing her say those little thoughts and just listening to it. Yeah, she is a chameleon, she’s incredible.’

A lot has happened since Swift’s ‘Love Story’ days to both women. Gomez went through multiple breakups with Justin Bieber, as well as a battle with Lupus, which resulted in a kidney transplant. She’s now happily engaged to Benny Blanco, works as an actress and producer on several television shows, and is the founder of a billion-dollar business. Swift has had multiple breakups, including an end to her 6 year relationship with Joe Alwyn, survived a years-long smear campaign against her, released multiple successful albums, bought back her masters, and headlined multiple sold-out tours. She’s now in a relationship with Travis Kelce and will be releasing her 12th studio album, The Life Of A Showgirl, this October. She’s actually just recently announced the album news oon his podcast, co-hosted by his brother Jason, New Heights.

One day before everything about the album became official, cryptic billboards appeared in Nashville and NYC, leading fans, Swifties as they call themselves, to a mysterious Spotify playlist titled “And, baby, that’s show business for you.” Swifties immediately clocked a big detail: all the songs on the playlist were produced by Max Martin instead of her usual collaborators Jack Antonoff or Aaron Dessner. Swift previously collaborated with Martin on her 2014 album, 1989. This means one thing – we can all get ready to DANCE. The 12th song of the album also features none other than Sabrina Carpenter.

The long-awaited New Heights episode was 2 hours in length. There was a lot that the singer discussed. Perhaps the most important thing she said in the entire episode was, ‘You should think of your energy as if it’s expensive, as if it’s a luxury item. Not everyone can afford it.’ It was a very similar testament to R. Brault’s words, who once said, ‘Life becomes easier when you learn to accept the apology you never got.’ Both quotes are about mindset and control; about deciding what your environment will look and feel like, instead of being a product of your environment. As well as about being active instead of reactive.

The sixth track on the album is titled ‘Ruin The Friendship’ and is rumoured to be about the fractured relationship between Swift and Blake Lively. The once close friends first met in 2015, and along with Lively’s husband, Ryan Reynolds, had been inseparable ever since. Swift is even godmother to their children. It all came crashing down when Lively included Swift in her lawsuit against It Ends With Us director, Justin Baldoni. The director referenced Swift in his countersuit against Lively as her “mega celebrity friend” and one of her “most trusted partners”. Swift was later subpoenaed and summoned to court for information relating to the case. subpoena has since been dropped, with her representatives criticising her entanglement in the legal battle and calling out Baldoni’s team for pulling her name in for “tabloid clickbait”. As the legal battle is ongoing, Swift is still involved, and she’s granted Baldoni and his team access to her personal text messages for information.

Though neither Lively, Reynolds, nor Swift publicly commented on the nature of their friendship, judging by Swift’s actions in helping Baldoni in his legal battle against Lively, it’s pretty safe to say that the friendship is over. A source previously told Page Six of the matter, ‘Taylor buries hatchets but keeps maps of where she put them, remember? She will forever be furious at how Blake quite clearly was using her for clout and leverage in her dealings with Justin. She really hates that Blake would even think like that, let alone write the things she did in that text.’

Throughout the entirety of her career, as well as her entire life, Lively has had the support of very powerful people. Her father was a well-established actor. Her mother is a former casting director. Her siblings are also in the entertainment industry. And her husband is none other than Ryan Reynolds. That being said, it’s pretty clear that she automatically assumed she’d have the full support of Taylor Swift, one of, if not the most powerful woman in the music industry, no matter what. She, of course, was proved wrong. Swift has been notoriously private in the past decade, and nothing she’s ever done publicly has been out of the blue or accidental. Everything has great intent to it; a business move, more like. At times, it seemed as though her ‘squad’ was a business move rather than just simply a group of friends hanging out together.

Selena Gomez, Martha Hunt, Abigail Anderson Lucier, and Gigi Hadid are some of the original members. Fans first got glimpses of the squad when Swift released the music video for ‘Bad Blood’. The singer was then often seen attending events together, sharing moments on social media, and collaborating on projects. The squad’s emphasis is on the power of friendship, loyalty, and standing by each other in both personal and professional endeavors. Its influence extends beyond entertainment, impacting fashion trends, social causes, and pop culture. Members of the squad are known for their strong bond, mutual admiration, and public displays of support for one another.

Blake Lively was also a central figure in Swift’s squad up until very recently. She, along with her entire family, was seen supporting Swift at special events, following her breakup with Joe Alwyn, on her Eras tour, as well as at Swift’s current boyfriend’s football games. Even Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds’ friend and frequent co-star, joined the fun at some point during the 2024 season. During that time, Lively had her sights set on building her own squad; one that would eventually turn against Justin Baldoni. It’s safe to say that she’s been pretty successful in her mission. Practically all of Lively’s It Ends With Us co-stars, as well as author Colleen Hoover, turned against Baldoni during the movie’s press tour and beyond that.

Most recently, Isabela Ferrer, who played the younger version of Lively’s character in the film, has accused Justin of “harassing” her through legal pressure connected to his ongoing legal battle with Lively. Ferrer’s lawyers have claimed that Baldoni has “engaged in bad faith tactics.” The lawyers have filed their motion “for improper purposes and with the aim of harassing” Ferrer. Furthermore, the actress’s lawyers alleged that she complied with Lively’s subpoena and submitted the relevant communication. The lawyers said, “Baldoni made no effort to tailor the subpoena towards the production of new or different materials, demonstrating that the real aim of the Baldoni Subpoena, as well as the pending Motion, is to harass Ms. Ferrer.”

For Lively, there’s an entrepreneurial benefit to this very fact. In fact, everything she’s done has had some sort of an entrepreneurial effect to it. That includes her friendship with Swift. Like she’s done with many of her friends, Swift incorporated her friendship with Lively into her work when she had Lively direct her music video for ‘I Bet You Think About Me’, which also starred the pair’s friends Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry. In 2022, Lively’s husband said of Swift in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, ‘Are you kidding me? I would do anything for that woman. She’s a genius.’ He also added that he and his entire family were ‘obsessed’ with her work, particularly her then-new album Midnights.

Swift showed her friends the same testament when she helped promote Reynolds’ film Deadpool & Wolverine, which co-starred Hugh Jackman and was simultaneously released alongside It Ends With Us. She wrote on her Instagram story, ‘Over the past few years I have watched one of my best friends on this planet pour every bit of his heart, soul, sweat, time, energy, jokes, pain, joy, rebellion, darkness, and magic into this film. He’s created the best work of his life, and this film feels like an actual joy portal, a wild escape from reality, and an abs sandwich. I don’t know how he did it.’ She then joked, ‘But that’s just Hugh for you!’

John D. Rockefeller once said, ‘A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship’. Taylor Swift has proven to build her brand and reputation with the foundation of her friendships the exactly right way; the smart way. Lively has only been successful in that method up to a certain point. Generally speaking, mixing friendships and business can be beneficial or detrimental depending on how it’s handled. The key is to establish clear boundaries, communicate openly, and treat the business relationship with the same professionalism as you would with a non-friend. Avoid letting emotions cloud judgment, especially when making difficult decisions. To break things down more thoroughly:

Right Ways to Use Friendships in Business: 

• Support and Trust: Friendships can provide a strong foundation of trust and support, making it easier to collaborate and innovate. 

• Open Communication: Friends can often communicate more openly and honestly, leading to more constructive feedback and problem-solving. 

• Shared Vision: If you and your friend share a similar vision for the business, it can be a powerful motivator for success. 

• Leverage Networks: Friends can offer valuable introductions and connections to expand your business reach. 

• Positive Work Environment: Friendships can foster a more enjoyable and positive work environment, leading to increased morale and productivity. 

Wrong Ways to Use Friendships in Business: 

• Blurred Lines: Failing to differentiate between personal and professional relationships can lead to favoritism, resentment, and ultimately, business failure. 

• Lack of Accountability: It can be difficult to hold a friend accountable for mistakes or poor performance, potentially harming the business. 

• Emotional Decision-Making: Allowing emotions to dictate business decisions can lead to irrational choices and negative consequences. 

• Conflict and Loss of Friendship: Business disagreements and conflicts can damage friendships if not handled maturely and professionally. 

• Neglecting Professionalism: Treating business matters casually, without the necessary formality and attention to detail, can negatively impact the business. 

Key Considerations: 

• Clear Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between your personal and professional lives from the outset. 

• Open and Honest Communication: Communicate openly and honestly with your friend about expectations, roles, and responsibilities. 

• Professionalism: Treat the business relationship with the same level of professionalism and respect as you would with any other business partner. 

• Due Diligence: Conduct thorough due diligence before partnering with a friend, just as you would with any other business venture. 

• Evaluate Friendships: Regularly evaluate the health of the friendship and its impact on the business. 

One thing about Taylor Swift is clear night and day, and it’s that she’s not one to be used for one’s gain. She’ll be supportive and kind. She’ll cheer for you and your success. But she won’t ever be brought on to be a part of your life’s drama. This was exactly where Lively overstapped her boundary. Lively reportedly referred to Swift as one of her “dragons” in an alleged text message sent to Baldoni while they were filming their movie. She wrote, ‘I happen to have a few dragons. For better or worse, but usually for better. Because my dragons also protect those I fight for. So really we all benefit from those gorgeous monsters of mine. [Smiley-face emoji] you will too, I can promise you.’

Like Lively, Swift comes from privilege. Her grandmother was an opera singer. But there’s one distinct difference between Lively and Swift, and it’s that Swift is kind and empathetic, and she hasn’t let her fame and fortune get into her head and lose sight of who she really is. Like Lively, Swift is a powerful being; even more so than Lively herself. Swift, however, is a woman who’s redefining her own self-worth. That’s what makes her so likeable. That’s what makes everyone want to be friends with her. She’s the ultimate best friend; the friend that all other friends should aim to be like. It’s something that Lively was never able to achieve for herself.

Swift’s approach to friendship is intertwined with her successful business strategies, creating a powerful dynamic between her personal relationships and her public persona. She cultivates deep, loyal relationships with fans and friends, leveraging these connections to foster a sense of community and shared experience, which in turn fuels her career and brand. This includes everything from inviting fans to exclusive listening parties to incorporating fan-driven trends like friendship bracelets into her music and tours. To break things down more thoroughly:

Fostering Fan Loyalty: 

• Personal Connection: Swift’s dedication to her fans, often referred to as “Swifties,” is a key element of her business model. She actively engages with them, creating a sense of intimacy and belonging. 

• Exclusive Experiences: Inviting fans to private album listening parties, like she did with 1989, provides a unique and memorable experience that strengthens their bond. 

• Merchandise and Trends: Swift incorporates fan-driven trends, like the friendship bracelet phenomenon sparked by the song ‘You’re on Your Own, Kid,’ into her music and merchandise, further solidifying the connection. 

2. The Power of Genuine Relationships: 

• Supporting Friends: Swift is known for her strong friendships with other celebrities, and she often uses her platform to promote and celebrate their work. 

• Mutual Support: She and her friends offer each other support and encouragement, demonstrating the value of genuine connection both personally and professionally. 

• Collaboration and Creativity: Swift’s collaborations with friends on music videos and other projects showcase the positive impact of working with people she trusts and admires. 

3. Impact on Business: 

• Brand Amplification: The strong relationships Swift cultivates with fans and friends translate to increased brand loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. 

• Increased Sales and Engagement: When Swift references or incorporates fan-driven trends, it leads to a surge in sales and engagement with her music, merchandise, and other ventures. 

• Long-Term Success: By prioritizing genuine connection and community, Swift ensures a loyal fanbase that will continue to support her career for years to come. 

The Eras tour marked to be Swift’s biggest career milestone to date. It was the most successful; highest grossing tour of all time, and it was with that money that she bought back her masters – the masters that were taken away from her by Scooter Braun – that should’ve been hers to begin with. It wasn’t actually Braun that took her life’s work away from her. It was Scott Borchetta, founder and CEO of Big Machine who signed Swift when she was just 15. The person she trusted the most in her entire career backstabbed her. Her trust was diminished in a blink of a second.

In time, however, Swift built an entire business empire around her masters. She’s built a trust; a reputation. I know we’ve put an emphasis on Swift’s personal friendships and the power that comes with it. But perhaps the most significant friendship that she’s ever built is the one she’s built with her fans – the Swifties. It all started when news broke that Scooter Braun purchased Swift’s masters. She wrote a letter directly to her fans, telling them exactly what happened, as well sharing her next movement from then on.

Suddenly, she’s built a trust between her and fans. She’d already done so since the very beginning of her career, but this was on a whole new level. The friendship that Swift developed with her fans became an entire movement. In that time, Swift not only fought to win her masters back, but she also re-recorded 4 of her 6 masters that were under Big Machine, and challenged Apple Music and Spotify for failure to properly compensate artists with royalties. Swift has kept challenging the status quo and hasn’t been afraid to stand up for herself. Through it all, her fans have been there to support her.

Swift became a business model that we should all aspire to be. The connection she’s made with her fans is one all entrepreneurs should aspire to build, including Lively. Strong connectivity means strong communications. This applies to customers, employees, leadership. Fans can contribute to increased satisfaction and productivity. In the song, “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” the lyric goes, “So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it.” Swifties took the quote literally and started making friendship bracelets at her concerts, and with that, started making new memories and new friendships.

Leveraging from this is important, which is exactly what Swift did in her own business. It’s crucial to re-evaluate corporate communications as it relates to employees, clients, partners and investors. Encourage teamwork, appreciate contributions and foster a culture of transparency and open communication. Creating that sense of inclusion results in an atmosphere of belonging. One thing about being a woman in business is that vulnerability is considered to be a weakness. But Swift proved that it can be a real strength. As a leader, she’s proven herself to be open and honest with her fans. That’s what has made her so relatable.

Building successful businesses requires leadership, long-term vision, the ability to inspire and a great product. Swift was signed to Big Machine Records at the age of 15 and went on to become a country music star. She was a follower first, and then over time, became the leader that we know her to be today. She has the power of longevity, as well as the power of great followers. The First Follower Theory was developed by Derek Sivers, a record label founder and speaker. A leader’s first follower is as important, if not more important, than the leader themselves, as they play a crucial role in creating a real movement. The first follower serves as the catalyst of the vision, inviting others in, which in turn builds sustainable momentum for the movement. Being a great leader requires having a great team of people who share the vision and values. The first follower could be the first employee or your first customer. You then go on to find followers who believe in you mission just as much as you do.

Success came her way by authenticity. No matter what she’d gone through in her life, no matter the career hurdles or any hardships she faced in her personal life, she was always authentically herself with her fans. This is exactly where Blake Lively went wrong. Taylor Swift succeeded where Blake Lively failed, and vice versa. There’s no denying that Blake Lively is a talented actress. But that talent had gone to waste with the reputation of a mean-spirited woman over the past two decades. Taylor Swift will always succeed (i.e. sales, promotion, dominating the conversation) because of the dedicated fanbase that she’s built over the years. Not only is she good to her fans, but she’s good to people that work under her. They WANT to work for her.

In the world of social networking, it’s not enough anymore to be good at what you do. It’s not even enough to be great at what you do. You also have to just be good to people; be kind, empathic, generous, respectful, resilient. You gotta be all the things that Taylor Swift proved herself to be and Blake Lively proved herself NOT to be. Lively has built herself a reputation over the past two decades that she’s unkind, rude, arrogant, and treats others as if she’s better than them. This type of behaviour isn’t anything any good human being would want to support. No matter how powerful you are, and no matter how many powerful people you have around you, being an a**hole just won’t do it.

Time and time again, we hear people telling us that celebrities aren’t our friends. They don’t look at us how we look at them. That billionaire is not your best friend! We aren’t meant to relate to them or understand the ins and outs of their daily lives. Swift is notoriously private about her life, but when she does allow us in, she gives it her all. When she does allow in, she gives us her authentic, vulnerable self to showcase her personal attributes. She’s grateful, she’s kind, she’s empathetic, and she gives back to others constantly.

Swift now makes music that she’s always wanted to make, but was limited by her record label and the people in power. She’s now become her own boss. She does whatever the f*ck she wants. She could make music that’s not in the trend by any means and is in the contrast of what other artists put out. She’ll still be successful because her fans trust her vision, and they believe in her vision just as much as she does, if not more. It’s not about power. It’s about influence. That influence extends far beyond music, impacting culture, business, and even politics. She’s a powerful force in the music industry, known for her songwriting prowess, commercial success, and ability to connect with fans on a personal level. Her influence is also seen in how she reshaped the music business, particularly in areas like artist rights and album release strategies. To break it down more thoroughly:

Musical Influence: 

• Songwriting: Swift is celebrated for her songwriting, often drawing inspiration from personal experiences and crafting relatable narratives. 

• Genre Blending: She has successfully transitioned between country and pop, influencing other artists to explore different genres. 

• Album Release Strategies: She’s known for challenging traditional album release models and experimenting with re-recordings and surprise releases. 

Cultural Impact: 

• Fan Engagement: Swift has cultivated a devoted fanbase (Swifties) known for their strong engagement with her music, social media, and public appearances. 

• “Taylor Swift Effect”: Her actions and statements can trigger significant cultural and social responses, like voter registration drives and discussions about social issues. 

• Influence on Style: She’s a fashion icon, with many fans emulating her style choices. 

• Addressing Social Issues: Swift has used her platform to advocate for causes like equal rights and voter participation, inspiring fans to engage with social and political issues, according to Medium. 

Business & Economic Influence: 

• “Swiftonomics”: The economic impact of her tours and merchandise sales, particularly with the Eras Tour, has been significant, reviving struggling sectors and boosting local economies. 

• Reshaping Artist Rights: Her fight to regain control of her masters has inspired other artists to consider the ownership of their work. 

• Marketing and Promotion: Swift’s innovative marketing strategies have been studied and emulated by others in the industry. 

You might be asking yourself now why did Isabel Ferrer take Lively’s side in her legal battle against Baldoni, whereas Swift, Lively’s longtime best friend, didn’t? It’s because Ferrer is still young and has limited experience – both in life and in the industry. Swift, on the other hand, knows a snake when she sees one. She knows her grounds. She knows her boundaries, and she won’t be used in such a way as Blake Lively tried to.

Swift’s story is inspiring because she started with a dream and a guitar and through hard work, determination and self-belief, became a global superstar. Her music is also a source of comfort for countless individuals who are navigating their way through adolescence. Since her beginnings, she’s become much more than just a musical. She’s become a phenomenon. She’s used her fame to address social and political issues. She has had a big impact on many people throughout the world, by giving them music to relate to and standing up for important issues. Swift has a cultural impact because what she does impacts other people’s actions. Most importantly, however, she’s become a friend to all – even those who aren’t necessarily Swifties.