Social Engineering Your Way Into Friendship, From Picnics to the Six Points of Connection, with Charlotte Massey

Have you ever moved somewhere new and felt like you were on the outside looking in?

This was Charlotte Massey when she moved to Seattle in the midst of the pandemic, when making friends was borderline impossible. Instead of accepting isolation, she got strategic about it. We’re taking friend-dating spreadsheets and sales funnel approaches.

Charlotte is the executive director for the Seattle chapter of the U.S. Chamber of Connection, a new civic organization tackling the loneliness epidemic, and founder of the Seattle Picnic Society. In this episode, she offers so much inspiration and great advice for those not feeling connected where they’re at.

Whether you're new to your city or you've been there for years, the principles are the same. Get specific about your invites. Show up consistently. Don't be afraid to follow up multiple times. Most importantly, if the community you want doesn't exist, create it.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Charlotte’s move in 2021 and the challenges she faced, from the pandemic to the “Seattle freeze”
• How Charlotte used a sales funnel approach, “friend dating,” and intentional invites to connect new people
• The Seattle Picnic Society – picnics that grew from five to one hundred attendees, and how you could create something similar in your community
• Being bold and persistent in reaching out to potential friends and looking at how you can improve on the Six Points of Connection 

Resources & Links

Learn more about the Seattle Picnic Society and the Six Points of Connection on the U.S. Chamber of Connection website.

Become a Member of the Chamber of Connection and take their 7-week intro course, Designing a Connected Life. 

Like what you hear? Visit my website, leave me a voicemail, and follow me on Instagram and TikTok!

Want to take this conversation a step further? Send this episode to a friend. Tell them you found it interesting and use what we just talked about as a conversation starter the next time you and your friend hang out!