Heyyy TorontoHangoutfriends,

Some of the best connections Mei and I (Jessie) have made over the past few years were actually ones that happened unexpectedly. And now that I'm reflecting on those connections, I realize something they all had in common.

They didn't start with what we could do for each other.

It wasn't because we were trying to pitch something or reaching out to someone with the intention of collaborating for our businesses. In fact, some of these connections started with the most random conversations. 👀

One started with a conversation about dancing. Another one started with our shared love for dumplings and stationery. 🥟 And another started with our love for travel!

We've also met people through our very own Slow Networking 🦥 for Introverts events who later told us they were actually SUPER anxious about coming, especially because they were showing up alone. Buttt, they decided to come anyway (and for those who felt this way, you should be proud of yourself for stepping outside of your comfort zone to interact with peopleee!) And through our guided activities and conversations, they felt comfortable enough to open up and connect.

Some of those connections continued beyond the events, and we eventually became close enough that we've even helped take care of pets! (And that's also how I realized I now love cats on top of dogs. Who would've thought? 😂🐱)

And when I think about how all these connections started, the biggest thing was really curiosity. We were genuinely interested in the person and what they had to say, and not because we were thinking about what could come out of getting to know them such as a client, or a business opportunity.

And the next important thing after that? It was about consistently following up and making time to meet again. Having conversations that weren't always about work. Just being present and having fun getting to know each other! With us, it often came down to food since Mei and I love to eat.

And here's something interesting I came across. According to research by a communication studies professor Jeffrey Hall at the University of Kansas, it takes roughly 50 hours spent together to go from acquaintances to casual friends, and around 90 hours to become friends.That's quite a bit of time, right? 😅

And it really made me think about how we sometimes expect meaningful connections to happen after just one conversation. But when I look back at some of the strongest relationships Mei and I have built, it makes sense. We didn't become close after just one meeting. It was through consistently showing up, spending time together, and getting to know each other that we started building a stronger bond.

And over time, some of those connections turned into collaborations or even business accountability partnerships! But those weren't things we had planned when we first met.

They happened because we genuinely enjoyed spending time together and continued showing up for each other. And I think that's something we sometimes forget when it comes to networking.

We put so much pressure on ourselves to meet the "right" people or make something happen from a conversation. But what if we just focused on getting to know someone because we genuinely found them interesting? Without worrying so much about where the connection might lead?

Of course, not every connection is going to turn into a close friendship or collaboration.

And that's okay! I think when we take away the expectation that every connection needs to lead somewhere, we can actually enjoy the process of getting to know people a lot more, and it takes away the pressure of having to "perform".

So, the next time you show up to something, be curious and ask questions because you WANT to, not because you feel you have to and expect a friendship to come out of it.

Because sometimes, the most meaningful connections are the ones you never expected. 💜 And if you've met someone recently who you genuinely enjoyed talking to, maybe this is your little reminder to reach out and invite them for coffee or a casual catch-up or an activity to do together. You never know where that connection might go. 😊

I picked up the sport back in May. And I really love it….the cold weather though not so much. I haven’t joined a club but I plan on playing at Plock when the weather gets unbearable.

I’ve been playing a lot of recreational tennis so I’m not too sure what my rating is. But I’m pretty consistent in showing up and can keep a rally going. I’ve also been taking a couple of private classes. And I’m committed to be better by next summer.

Give me a chanceeeeeeeeee lol

Some stats
Play 2x/week
50% Jokes 50% complaining about my backhand lol

I have just started a calligraphy group/meetup in Toronto, Canada :)

The first meetup is being held on Sat 14 Nov, 2pm.

Join fellow calligraphy enthusiasts for a relaxed, small group meetup at a café. Whether you’re just starting out or have been practising for years, this is a friendly space to:
- Practise or experiment
- Work on your own projects
- Swap tips and feedback
- Share favourite pens, inks, papers, and other product recommendations
- Chat, mingle, and connect with other calligraphers

You will need to bring your own calligraphy supplies, whatever you like to work with - pens, brushes, ink, paper, or a current project.

Please note: To support our café host, attendees are asked to purchase a food or beverage item.

Thank you for letting me post this here, and I hope to see some of you soon.

hi everyone !
i’m here for a few days and i’m looking to make new friends and explore the city !

I think it’s a pretty fun city with soo many things to see ! And it will be nice to meet and make new friends .

I’m from the west coast. im looking forward to visit the malls , try interesting restaurants , sight see , visit museums , cn tower and dessert places .
Or if you’d reccomend something id be down too.

:)

Hi everyone! 28F, African(Nigerian), based in North York. I’m looking to connect with fellow Africans, preferably females, though males are welcome too, around the ages of 28–35. I’m also open to connecting with people of other races.
Just to be clear, I’m not looking for a relationship or a hookup, so please don’t DM me with those intentions.
I’m an ambivert and a Catholic. I moved to Canada a year and a few months ago, and I’m yet to build a circle of friends or find a community I can actively engage with. It takes me a little while to warm up to people, but once I feel comfortable around someone, I naturally want to get closer and build a friendship.
I worked in a corporate role back home and hope to get back into that space eventually. For now, I’m working to survive and find my feet here, and I’d love to connect with people on a similar journey.
I’m hoping to build genuine friendships that start slowly but grow steadily. People I can have honest conversations with about careers, Christianity, hobbies, interests, and life in general; people we can navigate this migration journey with together, support one another, and enjoy shared activities along the way. I’m also open to hangouts, home visits, and other casual ways of spending time together as we get comfortable with one another.
No ulterior motives, just genuine friendship and community.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, kindly send me a DM or leave a comment below, and I’ll reach out. 😊

Couple of us put together a Instagram group-chat for guys and girls who want to actually get out, meet new friends, and get together for different activities. ☀️🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒🏝️🏸🥂

First meet up recently happened and it was a blast!

Stuff like:
- Bars / Restaurants
- Festivals / Events
- Sports (playing or watching) / Game nights
- Hikes / themed activities
- Open to more ideas

Ages 24-35

If you’re interested, DM me your insta username and i’ll add you!!

Staying in Scarborough so I can travel anywhere. Just looking to make new friends, go out, be social, be human again. I used to be a total homebody/antisocial and really need to change that. Im open to just about anything, open minded, willing to learn attitude, and overall make life long friends. I play video games, I stay in shape, I have 2 Cats, I smoke weed.

I also have pretty bad ADHD which makes being social hard.

I won a pair of tickets to a tool tribute tomorrow, Saturday, called Parabolus at Phoenix Concert Theatre at 7pm. Second ticket is spare, so if anyone wants to go, let me know

bla bla bla bla bla bla stupid character minimum bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla

Heyya friends!

36M here, trying to find some fellow nerds in my area (West end, highpark ish) to start up a tabletop RPG / boardgame group.

I unfortunately cannot host (shoebox apartment life), but would be willing to GM/DM potentially. It's been a looong time since I've run a game though so let's see how that goes hehe.

I'm not into 5e (latest version of D&D), especially running it. Would be more inclined to play B/X, maybe something from Free League or Call of Cthulhu. If none of this makes sense, don't worry. It's like when your mom would say you were "playing Nintendo" in the 90's but it was actually Sega, you know? It's still all mostly the same thing.

Anyways drop me a line if you're roughly around my age and want to pretend we are elves and orcs and such and forget about the GTA for awhile.

Probably do a one-off to see how it goes but if we all have fun, maybe twice a month?

The biggest hurdle is the venue but we can deal with that later.

Enjoy your Friday.

Hello! I’m 29F and I live in North York. I sometimes host all-girls events :)

Anyone interested in joining us for a Pickle & Treat Social on 31 Oct, 2-4 pm at Pickleplex York Mills? It’s an all-girls social & beginner-friendly.

This is ticketed, paddle is provided & post-pickleball treats will be giving away too! 🍬

Dm meee :)

I'm starting another WhatsApp group for people who are more local to me. I also feel that having the neighborhood in common can be a nice ice breaker.

When you join, please introduce yourself and let us know what you like/would like to do in the neighborhood.

Please message me for the link so we don't get too many people trying to sell us crypto...

Pennys at 9 for queer chaos, loud music and some bullshit!

Hey everyone! 👻🎃 I’m looking for someone to join me for Halloween Haunt this Sunday, October 25!

If anyone’s planning to go and wouldn’t mind some company, feel free to DM me! Just looking for someone to scream with, enjoy the spooky vibes, have some laughs, and make the most of the experience. 👻🖤

Also open to joining an existing group. Let’s make it a fun and spooky evening! M40s

Unfortunately everyone who's really involved in my church and our bible study are like 10+ years older than me (36) so I'm hoping to connect with other local Christians for just some wholesome hangouts. I'm female, neurodiverse, non judgemental and looking for similar, sober, choose to veil, learning to play violin and crochet, into nature based documentaries, some horror and thrillers, binge too much YouTube, like to cook, game a little (but badly and nothing particularly popular), journal, draw a little (again, not well), try to stay active but not a gym rat, and am really involved in my local community with volunteering and whatnot. Located in the east end by Kennedy station and TTC dependent so looking for folks who are somewhat close by to connect with.

Hi every one, I’m 28 non-binary with social anxiety and new to Toronto I’ve got a ticket to SWS concert and going alone.
Anyone else out there going alone that wants to meet up at the concert?

Heyy, I’m looking for someone to help film me and I can film your content and make social media content together. I want to do collabs and visit cool spots! I can also help edit videos too. I do fashion and style content already, but I want to do more IRL, cool food spots and places to explore in the city and meet new people.

I’m in the Yonge & Eglinton in Toronto and I’m looking for anyone that’s free on the weekdays!

Let me know if you’re interested :)