Solo Dining & Adventures

This community is a #startup that is in its infancy. We are getting closer to a soft launch. To provide a little clarity on what Solo Dining & Adventures is all about, creating experiences to connect, inspire and delight members through dining and travel is our passion and focus. Our #mission is to enhance the social wellbeing of business professionals who engage in dining and travel on their own, by bringing together solo diners and travelers with shared interests, and creating experiences that foster social connection, inspiration and personal growth. Stay tuned for more details! #solodining #tableforone #dinealone #eatsolo #solofoodie #memyselfandfood #soloeats #independentdiner #singleplateadventure #lonediner #solotravel #solotrip #businesstravel #travelingforwork #ontheroadagain #workingaway #hybridworker #corporatenomad #businesstrip #travelingprofessional #suitcaselife #roadwarrior #jetsetwork

The path to a year and lifetime of “yes”. When I was in the midst of building my #career, I was a work-a-holic. I worked long hours. My job, and serving my customers, consumed most of my time and my thoughts. I was invited to a lot of things over those years, girls weekends, conferences, concerts… My answer to friends was usually “no, I can’t”. As an #introvert, I enjoyed recharging my batteries at home and I wanted to spend the free time that I had with my husband at the time. I had no social identity on my own. When I found myself living solo in California a few years ago, I knew had I had to change and get out of my comfort zone. I read a book that called out to me at the bookstore by Shonda Rhimes, the “Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be Your Own Person”. If the author’s name sounds familiar, she’s the writer and creator of Gray’s Anatomy, Scandal and other hit series. I related to her story because like her, I had been known to my friends in Canada as “the wall of no” and the invitations stopped coming. I did not confront my fears of public speaking, found myself with a small social circle, and missed out on so many experiences that would have enriched my life. I embraced the idea in her book and started “saying yes”. I agreed to speaking engagements that terrified me, I traveled to places on my own, I started dining out on my own, and I accepted just about every invitation to parties, dinners and get togethers. The music scene in Northern California is amazing and I went to see more concerts in 3 years with my circle of friends than I had seen in my lifetime. Why do I share this? Well… I’ll bet that many of you say “no” to invitations. If you really think about it, you probably say no a lot. Over the years I’ve seen candidates pull out of interviews when they could have gained a new mentor, connection or leader. I know of people who shied away from speaking on panels because they were afraid. I’ve witnessed entrepreneurs missing out on free resources and networking opportunities because they didn’t make the time. When you start to say “yes”, opportunities present themselves. You learn things about yourself and you grow. You become part of professional and social communities and you feel connected. You get invited to more events and you expand your network. This has a lot of downstream benefits. I have to nudge some of my friends to “step away from their computer” and to “break up with their sofa”, but when they do, they are glad they did. Saying “yes” can be transformative in your life. I know my outlook changed and I’ve experienced so much! What are your thoughts? I would love to hear from anyone who was inspired by this book! #Solodining #Solotravel #Transformation #Personaldevelopment

Here’s a local event running in 100’s of cities around the world May 3,4 and 5, that is perfect for #soloadventurers! I just discovered Jane’s Walk today and I’m excited to share an event that spans the globe that you may not have heard of before! It is an annual festival of free, community-led walks inspired by Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), a writer, urbanist and activist, who championed a community-based approach to city-building. She was the author of the 1961 book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, that introduced ground-breaking ideas that continue to inspire architects, planners, policymakers, activists, and other city builders. Jacobs lived in Greenwich Village until 1968, when she moved to #Toronto. She is known for invigorating neighbourhood activism, by helping to stop the expansion of expressways and roads. In my neighborhood, we will be discovering the biodiversity and an endangered species that has been protected. Join the #JanesWalk in your city or town, and connect with your neighbors and community! #discovery #biodiversity #community

Solo Dining Blues Last night, a good friend and I planned to meet for dinner. Sometimes I pick the place and other times, he does. While I lean towards gastropubs, he usually likes places off the beaten path that serve up the “BEST”… pizza, pad thai, or a steamed hot dog (you have to be a #Montrealer or “in the know” to appreciate this). Last night he wanted to convert me to what he considers to be the best smoked meat place… #SmokeMeatPete in Ile Perrot. I still miss Bens. I’ve had world-famous Schwartz’s Deli. My personal favourite is from Local75 Bistro Pub in NDG, where they prepare it in-house. They tell me it takes years to master this kind of cured meat! I had never been to Pete’s and while the brisket was very good, what made the experience amazing was the small stage and the various musicians who took their turn playing guitar and banging out some #blues. I looked around and I noticed that there were a lot of #SoloDiners. They were all men! Lots of them. Wearing rock t-shirts. All wide-eyed, watching the guitar solos and probably wishing that they were on stage playing electric guitar. Why do I share this? Well, there are lots of solo diners out there and in the spirit of inclusivity, I wanted to highlight the solo dining experience from a guy’s point of view. Solo diners are looking for different kinds of experiences. Solo dining can be great and not so great. When it’s accompanied by live music, it’s sublime! #SoloDining #TableForOne #LiveMusic #Blues #SoloDiningExperiences #SoloDiner

It’s been 2 weeks since I’ve launched my passion project, Solo Dining & Adventures. I’ve been touched by the incredible encouragement and support from so many. From offers from entrepreneurs to have a conversation on lessons learned, to introductions, and moving messages from so many. Today, I’m delighted to share a recording of a video that was produced last week by Alfred Gilbert, a former colleague, who is Chief Listening Officer at his consulting practice called Advisory Options. He is a master at empathetic listening. His questions were well thought out and he clearly did some research ahead of our talk. I so enjoyed the conversation we had! Thanks so much for the opportunity, Al! I hope you will like it too! #SoloDining #SoloTravel #TravelTrends https://lnkd.in/eD_E2Hdf I look forward to connecting later today.

It was a drizzly and dreary Sunday in Montreal yesterday… So I picked up this little gem of a book that was gifted by Andrew McGraw and Adam McGraw to the Founding Members of CREW who attended the last Meet-up in Austin in March. It’s such a great read and the story provides such a powerful business idea, that I just have to share it! After all, that’s what #GoGiving is all about! The content resonated with me strongly. I was raised with the principal that “it’s better to give than to receive”, so the values and views contained in the book closely align with my own. Because of my upbringing, I’ve always believed that when we sincerely try to help others without any expectation for any gain of our own, that good things happen to us. It’s not always the exact things that we want. Sometimes it’s things that are wildly different, and often better. In today’s world, we are encouraged every day through social media and people of influence to look for ways that people and the world can serve us. The Go-Giver story shows us a different and better path, one that has served some of the most successful people in the world. It’s a short read so I won’t give away the heart of the story or the five laws. What I will share is that the secret to success is as simple as being authentic, touching people’s lives and giving and then giving some more. And that is something we can do every single day. If you’ve read the book, I would hear from you!

Thinking of planning a solo trip in 2024? This companion to the 2023 Best Countries rankings from U.S. News of the 2023 Best Countries to Travel Alone, is based on a survey of more than 17,000 people around the globe. The countries and their rankings are based on respondents’ perceptions of 7 key attributes: culturally accessible, fun, friendly, pleasant climate, safe, scenic and unapproachable. Which of these countries is in your plans for #solotravel in 2024? #TravelForOne #SoloTravel #OnTheRoadAgain #TravelingProfessional #SuitcaseLife #JetSet

The words of Anthony Bourdain perfectly capture the profound impact that travel can have on leafnjng in our lives. When we travel, we immerse ourselves in unfamiliar cultures, landscapes, and ways of life, broadening our perspectives and understanding of the world. I always return from a destination having discovered a dish or a combination of ingredients that I haven’t tried before, and an appreciation for just how different every place looks and feels. Travel teaches us many valuable lessons. Through curiosity and discovery, we learn about diversity, empathy, and adaptability. We discover things about ourselves that we might otherwise not have. Through travel, we have the opportunity to step outside our comfort zones, challenge our preconceptions, and confront our fears. Travel enhances our sense of curiosity, resilience, and open-mindedness and it changes us as we broaden our experiences. By embracing travel as a form of education, we not only enrich our own lives, we also contribute to a more interconnected and global community, as we bring our experiences to new places and meet new people. #OnTheRoadAgain #SuitcaseLife