Embracing Connections as a Solopreneur in the Netherlands

Gratitude at the Intersection

I am lucky to be in the Netherlands. The world is a wild and fragile place. Some days, from a stance of semi-spectatorship, I feel like a planetary implosion is inevitable. There is ever-flowing gratitude for being in Europe. I meet people with solid roots anchored in other countries, yet here in this landje (those with knowledge of Dutch culture and language will understand), we connect with each other.

Tonight, I felt so grateful to meet someone originally from Italy, and another person from Pakistan. Then, a dear friend joined us, originally from Turkey but a Dutch citizen for decades now. These moments give me raw, sometimes awkward pause. They are equated with feeling embraced in realism and optimism at once. These momentary intersections are brief, impactful reminders of human conditions: to connect, bare our humanity, and coexist while recognizing and respecting our differences and similarities.

The Excitement of New Connections

The sweat went right through my undershirt and the button-up cotton shirt atop it. I was excited and nervous to hear how new members were doing in their worlds. What brought us together? What thoughts or ideas did we have about self-promotion? Regardless of how prepared I might be for offering an organic, safe adult space for people, if you want it to be organic, you have to slowly feed any agenda or outline into the shredder.

Like every time, I was glad to shred that stuffy preparatory document digitally during the meetup. It allowed us to smile or not smile, be awkward or honest, or just sit in appropriate silence. An hour allowed four people to get to know each other and decide if they should reconnect in the future.

The Global Community

Though my biological family members and some great friends are in the United States, there is a sense of my existence finally intersecting with people from around the world, not just the neighborhood or the state. These meetups feel like the uniqueness I am constantly stretching for in much of what I do. I am thankful for this experience. My gratitude (and sweat) at these intersections is my existential wealth.

Honestly, I am glad that we do not reach the 20-attendee max. Otherwise, there would be little to no time for getting to know each other in these casual intersections. Thank you to each of these new connections—humans with priceless backgrounds, laughs, honest words, and a willingness to share an hour of their sacred time.

Join Us!

If you are interested in joining us, we would love to interact with you! Simply sign up, fee-free at Disruptive Cheerleading Space for Entrepreneurs via Meetup.com.