Hi Liv, welcome to the Lepelclub journal. We’re so happy to have you here with us! First thing’s first, can you tell us a little more about yourself?
Thanks so much for having me. A few fun facts about myself…

1. I own a marketing agency called Brand Caffeine – which I started in 2019. My team and I run social media for luxury businesses and personalities. 

2. My passion is connecting with people. I use social media as a tool to connect with people from around the world, which led to two new businesses, Hot and Social being one of them, in the past year which began as passion projects - totally accidental! That’s how the best things happen. 

3. This year my boyfriend and I moved in together - we met in an elevator in the West Village. He thought I was flirting with him. All I said was “hi!”, which is proper elevator etiquette! I say I was just being friendly, but between us, I called my mom when I got out of the elevator to tell her I met a cute guy. I definitely was flirting with him. My advice is always look up in elevators. I was taking my garbage out! You never know who you’re going to meet. 

Your events have been incredibly successful in meaningful connections among strangers. What inspired you to start organizing these events?
I started posting more intentionally on social media about four years ago. It has opened up my world and I’m forever grateful. Graduating from college a year early, I quickly learned what loneliness felt like in New York City. I was sick of hanging out with the same people, seeing the same cliques from college around NYC… it just felt monotonous. So, I decided to throw a party to meet and connect new people - the only rule was that everyone arrived solo. It took off. I never expected it to happen!

Since then, Hot and Social has hosted over 20+ events in NYC – and we hope to expand beyond NYC this year. From pickleball events to meditation sound baths and yoga to 400+ person dance parties, we’ve connected roommates, couples, and best friends. It’s the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done in my life. We have a waitlist of over 20,000 people and host free coffee once a month to get together in a more casual setting.

I also launched Camp Social, a weekend retreat for women in their 20’s and 30’s. The rule? Everyone must come solo. This August will be our second time hosting. 200+ women come in from around the world for a weekend where they can act like kids again at summer camp. You can learn more and buy tickets at Campsocial.com.

Your vision of creating 1 million friendships through your events is ambitious. How do you plan to scale your efforts to achieve this goal, and what steps are you taking to measure the impact of your events on fostering friendships?
Testimonials and word of mouth are everything. I try my best to always remember everyone’s faces and names and spend time at the events greeting everyone individually and getting to know them. Arriving solo isn’t easy - but once you overcome the mental hurdle of getting yourself to an event, the energy of our community immediately envelopes you like a warm hug. 

That’s why we’ve grown so fast. It’s not me. It’s the warmth of our community. 

As someone who has successfully united strangers through your events, what advice would you give to individuals who may feel hesitant or anxious about attending such gatherings and stepping out of their comfort zones to make new connections?
The moments in your own head are always the hardest - we have a great, upbeat playlist to get you vibing as you get ready to attend solo! Also, we partner people with buddies via Q&A on our stories in advance of the events, so you'll always feel like you have a friend to look for when arriving. Strangers are just friends waiting to happen.

Can you share a memorable story or occasion from a visitor of one of your events that has left a lasting impression on you?
There’s a group of best friends who met at Camp Social - each came solo & they left as best friends in their thirties - and they now travel around the world together. They’re from Chicago, Arkansas, and Utah. It’s mind boggling to me that they met at Camp Social. It brings me so much joy to watch their friendship evolve. It’s never too late to make a new friend, to try something new, and that’s what I’m here for. 

Reflecting on your journey, what's the most valuable piece of advice you've ever received, and how has it influenced your approach to your work and your mission of bringing people together?
All it takes is one! If something isn’t working out for you or you’ve been knocked down, remember the math. It could take days, months, years - but with enough hard work and kindness, one thing can change your world. Same goes for putting yourself out there. All it takes is one person to impact your life. All it takes is one moment of bravery and courage to put yourself out there, to change your own life, to come to Hot and Social or Camp Social. 

Beyond your current successful events, what innovative event concepts or projects are you excited about exploring in the future to further your mission of combating loneliness and fostering connections among individuals? 
I’m the granddaughter of two amazing grandparents who I FaceTime with at parties, on walks… I have a rule that I always pick up no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I’m also a twin sister and am so close with my family. I’d like to create something in the future to include the elderly and older generations; they can teach 20-30 something’s so much. They’re right in front of us, yet many discount the elderly in American society, unlike other cultures that have the utmost respect for grandparents. I want to eventually unite the two demographics, because my grandparents have given me a perspective that so many people could benefit from, especially when it comes to mental health and what’s actually important in life.

See you at hotandsocial.com soon :)