The Friends – Robs10kFriends

THE FRIENDS

6705. “I feel awake for the first time in my lif

6705. “I feel awake for the first time in my life.”
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Diagnosed with narcolepsy at age 18, Mia Johnston has woken up every 20 mins throughout the night basically for her whole life. Growing up in Delaware County, she managed to push through and still enjoyed activities like playing ice hockey.
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But once she began studying Physics at @wideneruniversity, her condition really took a toll. During her 2nd semester there, Mia also got mono, causing her grades to drastically drop. As a result, she left and instead attained her Computer Science associate’s at @delawareccc.
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Mia then got a job at a data center, but lost it during the pandemic and has struggled to maintain employment ever since (because of her narcolepsy). But in the past few years, she’s focused her time on caring for her mom, who was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and is fortunately in remission now.
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In her free time, Mia’s enjoyed playing games like @runescape and @rocketleague, learning about everything planes, trains and automobiles and connecting with other people in the trans community. But now having received the proper medication for the first time in her life, she’s feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for her career.
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While Mia would like to do something with computers in general, she ultimately dreams of working a desk job for a hockey team - ideally the @philadelphiaflyers, but she’d even take the @nyrangers! Great hanging with you, @miastruggles!
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How we met: Mia saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #washingtonsquare #awake #narcolepsy #hockey #computerscience #family #runescape #publictransportation #lgbtq #flyers #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6704. “For a lot of my life I wanted to be every

6704. “For a lot of my life I wanted to be everything that she wanted me to be, but it was really hard because it wasn’t me. None of it was me.”
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While their mom is a Capricorn, Chris Ruiz is a Cancer so they always joke that they’re polar opposites. “I’m like everything that she feared I’d turn out to be.” Despite their mom’s hopes, Chris battled substance abuse, they never felt intelligent or like an overachiever, they don’t have kids, they’re queer and not cisgender and they openly talk about mental health.
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However, all of these things have helped them have an impact as a social worker; a career they’ve dreamt of since 16 years old. That year, Chris sadly witnessed the loss of their dad and began going to therapy, which exposed them to the field. However, after studying Philosophy at @umntwincities, they moved to Boston for a past relationship and got into bartending - until they lost their job during Covid.
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Chris instead found work at an eating disorder center, which inspired them to go back to school at @simmonsuniversity. And now they work as an in home family therapist and outpatient youth therapist!
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Outside of work, though, Chris enjoys playing violin and guitar, painting in the pointillism style, hanging with their spouse and their cats and ultimately trying to achieve a greater sense of self-acceptance! Awesome hanging with you, @chrissabotage!
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How we met: Chris came across my project via their friend, @reginatreveloni (#6634), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Chris’ identity! 🎶🐈
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#10kfriends #philly #massachussetts #polaropposites #socialworker #minnesota #bartender #therapist #musician #pointillism #marriage #cats #acceptance #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6703. “I was either going to die, go to jail or

6703. “I was either going to die, go to jail or get clean.”
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Vito Baldini sees his life as balance beam on which his priorities constantly shift. Some days he’s dedicating his full attention to his wife and 2 kids, others he’s out enjoying fly fishing and others he’s helping grow his nonprofit, @small_things_philly.
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For several years now, Vito’s lived by the Mother Theresa quote, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” However, he lived a completely different life in his teens / early 20s. To cope with the dysfunction at home, he fell into years of heroin addiction. Until one day, he stood outside of a CVS in his neighborhood and prayed, “God, I’ll try your f***ing way.”
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Therefore, 20 years ago (as of September) Vito got clean. He then went to Bible college with a calling to become a pastor and ended up volunteering with Easter Outreach, distributing dinners to those in need the day before Easter. But once their operation halted due to Covid, Vito created Small Things and began distributing food throughout each week of the year.
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Now, he and his team handle the sourcing and distribution of food to 50 food pantries in the city as well as 3 Small Things Markets - meaning they distribute 50,000 meals into the community each week! However, there’s still work to be done. Going forward, Vito hopes to stabilize the nonprofit, expand their distribution centers from 1,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft and ultimately create unhungry communities who no longer need his services! So great to meet you, @vito.baldini!
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How we met: Vito and I were introduced via @instagram by his friend, @ricardomaldonado!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairhill #balancebeam #family #flyfishing #smallthingsphilly #mothertheresa #addiction #recovery #faith #foodsecurity #fooddistribution #unhungrypathway #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6702. “Before I lost my job I never felt that wa

6701. “The night before the train this listing p

6700. “I could never have imagined that I would’ve ended up - with a Journalism degree - running a huge piece of a wealth management business at a Fortune 25 company. I just would never have thought it.”
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Growing up in Los Angeles, Julia Carreon had a very dynamic life. “I was briefly a parts model of my legs and I ran around in these crazy circles in LA.” Julia dated the guy who invented SEO marketing (the 5th employee of Oracle), leading her to have dinner with Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.
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She also socialized with Jimmy Buffett and dated a musician who wrote a folk rock song (“Rome”) about her. “And I ended up being in rooms with all of these people that I learned that they were just regular people.”
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As a result, she became a fearless corporate leader. After graduating from @sanfranciscostate, Julia worked as a journalist “and then realized that I could make more money building technology rather than writing about it.”
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Julia became a webmaster at a startup in 2001, then joined Wells Fargo, “and over 20 years went from being an individual contributor to managing a team of 500 people in 13 states and running the largest conversion of investment management accounts in U.S. banking history.”
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By letting life unfold, Julia had a bunch of other amazing experiences like marrying and having 3 kids with her graduate course TA, finding (and protecting) her voice on @linkedin, moving from California to Austin and working for Citi.
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And now, having recently left the corporate world, she’s focusing on an entirely new adventure - writing a book and doing keynote speeches on how to accelerate transformation! “Actually public speaking is my absolute favorite thing to do which I think makes me a crazy person.” Awesome hanging with you, @julia.carreon!
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How we met: Julia and I connected through @linkedin after she saw @tedmerz’s (#6689) post about me!
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Swipe to hear more about how Julia ended up marrying her TA! 👨🏻‍🏫🧮
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#10kfriends #philly #austin #texas #california #journalism #connection #rome #wellsfargo #fortune25 #marriage #family #author #keynotespeaker #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6699. “I’ll have watched about 250 movies this

6699. “I’ll have watched about 250 movies this year.”
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Everett Burns is a film connoisseur who recommends watching Jessie Eisenberg’s “A Real Pain” (mainly because it reminds him of his late friend). He started to get really into movies around 12 years old when his parents separated. However, Everett also went through a ~6 year period of not watching them.
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During this time, he focused on building his future. As a senior in high school, he began selling @cutcocutlery and continued the job as he paid his way through @stjohnsu. Living in NYC, he then worked his way up the company ladder. Yet when he briefly left to join a media startup, Everett got back into film and has been deepening this passion ever since.
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Now, on top of doing leadership learning & development at his initial company, he’s keeping a balanced life.
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He also enjoys spending time with his family, watching Philly sports, riding his bike (hoping to replace 90% of his car time with it), appreciating small town America, helping grow an eye drops startup, seeing live music and raising his new puppy! So great to meet you, @everettjburns!
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How we met: Everett saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #callowhill #movies #film #arealpain #cutco #stjohns #queens #learningdevelopment #family #biking #eyedrops #puppy #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6698. “One piece of it that…is always there is

6698. “One piece of it that…is always there is like being a dad and, you know, the joy that I get from seeing my kids happy and healthy and doing well and kind of finding their path into adulthood…to me they’re just really cool people.”
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Everything changed when Rob Blackett became a dad at 23 years old. Working at a middle school at the time, he and his coworker (/ future wife / future ex-wife) had a baby together. “And so the pressure I think to make a living made me think about work differently. And one thing that I thought was how can I make the most money possible with whatever skills I have?”
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Rob had a Spanish & Latin American Literature degree and a couple of years of experience as a teacher. So he found his way into sales and training and built a successful career in the tech industry. But “I told myself a long time ago that someday when I had enough money I would optimize for something else.”
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Rob hit that point a couple of years ago, and simultaneously had the opportunity to produce and host a video series, highlighting the people around the world that made up his company. Therefore, after officially leaving his job in June “I had this idea for another video series that was independent, but had some of the same heart and soul as what I was trying to do with the other series.”
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Now, on top of spending time with his 3 kids, traveling, playing guitar and singing, Rob’s getting his new project, “House Calls with Rob” off the ground, featuring the people he’s connected to on @linkedin! “I want people that know them to be able to see it and get to know this person in a deeper way.” So nice to meet you, rob_is_your_friend!
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How we met: Rob came across my project via @tedmerz’s (#6689) @linkedin post and then messaged me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Rob’s passion for fatherhood! ❤️✈️
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#10kfriends #philly #seattle #washington #dad #family #spanish #teacher #sales #training #videoseries #host #travel #guitar #humaninterest #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6697. “Robin Williams is like the goal person.”
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As an improv coach and performer, Jaime Chaifetz spends a lot of her time making people laugh, and she absolutely loves it.
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Growing up in New Jersey, she used to perform in school shows, but as she got older she shifted to making her own shows. In 2019, Jaime helped create the web series, @effectivelyschizo, which went on to win awards from festivals like @njwebfest.
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During this period, though, she spent most of her time working at an insurance company. After graduating from @floridastateuniversity, Jaime became the creative director of the Jersey-based company, handling their social media. But she actually had to step away from her role after having an adverse reaction to her 3rd Covid vaccine.
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Therefore, she’s since been going to physical therapy to recover, and has instead worked a few odd jobs. On top of teaching improv she teaches guitar lessons and works as a server at a restaurant. But she spends her down time caring for her 15-year old Maltese, attending @sipcitymixer events and dreaming up new ways to make people laugh.
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While she does most of her performing locally right now, Jaime hopes to someday turn her passion into a full-time career, having an impact similar to that of Robin Williams! Great hanging with you, @jaychay220!
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How we met: Jaime came across my project via her friend, @dontbeasillygirl, and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #robinwilliams #improv #laughter #effectivelyshizo #floridastate #creativedirector #pt #guitar #sipcity #performer #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6696. “I’ll forever remember the structural en $6696. “I’ll forever remember the structural engineer telling us the building had to come down.” - Having turned 40 back in March, Max Silver feels like he’s entered the 3rd quarter of his life journey (assuming the avg expectancy of 80 years old). He spent his first 20 years learning how to live, the next 20 becoming a provider for his family and now he’s diving into who he really is. With that in mind, he’s spent a lot of this year thinking, “I’m not my business,” despite the fact that it’s a big piece of his identity. - Born and raised in Cheltenham, Max studied Engineering at @carnegiemellon and worked various jobs in the field, including being a precursor to fracking. He was licensed to detonate explosives thousands of feet below the earth’s surface. But eventually, his high school sweetheart turned wife wanted to settle in one location so they moved back to Philly. - And after dabbling in commercial real estate, they got into flipping houses together - until one of the houses had to be demolished. Rather than taking a loss, however, Max and his wife built a new construction home, exposing them to an entirely new path! - They’ve since been developing new homes in Philly, which has been a cool way of leaving a physical legacy for their 2 kids. Yet, with the reflection of this past year, Max has also been focused on building a legacy of generosity. Therefore, he’s been helping out with toy drives, coat drives, etc.! - Now, he’s not just his business; rather, he’s turned it into the engine of purpose, set to fuel his impact in the years ahead! Awesome hanging with you, @max_silver_! • How we met: Max saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet! • #10kfriends #philly #centercity #life #identity #cheltenham #carnegiemellon #engineering #marriage #realestate #realestatedeveloper #newconstruction #family #legacy #purpose #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople • Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼$

6695. “I wanted to know what the lyrics were abo

6695. “I wanted to know what the lyrics were about. I really wanted to sing like them. And so at first I tried to translate the songs and then I asked my mom to send me to an English school so I could learn the language.”
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Despite growing up in São Paulo, Ingrid Natalie Leão fell in love with American media. She regularly watched shows like @friends, listened to bands like her favorites, @hanson and @chilipeppers, and even tried to translate all of their songs! “I would go word by word, look at them in the dictionary and try to make sense in my mind.”
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Eventually, Ingrid received a more formal education in the language, which ultimately led her to teach it! She began teaching English at 18 years old, and worked while pursuing her Biology degree; a path she chose because she loved science as a kid and knew her mom had aspired to become a doctor.
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“Studying Biology was also a way to pursue my mom’s dream in some way…but I think life showed me a different path.” Ingrid truly fell in love with teaching so she’s done it ever since, but she’s also made sure to maintain her passion for music!
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Beginning in 2012, she started interviewing local indie bands and has since shared her interviews, music reviews, etc. to her website, @femalerocksquad. Now, she feels fulfilled in her current life, and going forward just plans to dive deeper into Asian culture by learning Japanese and deeper into teaching by getting her master’s in Education! So great to meet you, @umaingrid!
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How we met: Ingrid came across my project via her friend, @alinealmeidaingles (#6684), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about why Ingrid studied Biology! 🧬📚
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#10kfriends #philly #saopaulo #brazil #friends #hanson #chilipeppers #english #englishteacher #biology #femalerocksquad #japanese #masters #education #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6694. “Probably a Christmas song. I love Christm

6694. “Probably a Christmas song. I love Christmas time.”
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First and foremost, Amanda Gordon is a musician whose favorite song to sing (right now) is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” But she also enjoys “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”!
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Originally from Cheltenham, she’s been singing in choirs since her school days and is now part of @seantandchanged (they just put out an album “The Gift” earlier this month!).
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Beyond music, though, Amanda is a burn survivor who offers peer support to other burn victims. As a baby, she suffered severe burns when a pot of boiling water slipped off the stove and fell on her. And while she fortunately doesn’t remember that day, Amanda grew up with the scars as a reminder of it.
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In her early adulthood, she was more focused on getting her HR degree at @templeuniv and establishing her career - a mix of singing with @mspattilabelle and doing @americorps before she broke into HR. But during Covid, Amanda felt called to connect with other burn survivors so she got involved with the @phoenixsociety and @firefightersburninstitute.
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Now, she enjoys the mix of singing, community and work in her life. But outside of it, she simply enjoys staying active - whether she’s attending hot yoga and @f45_training classes or completing a @toughmudder! So nice to meet you, @amanda_joy4!
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How we met: Amanda saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #dilworthpark #christmas #seantandchanged #burnsurvivor #temple #humanresources #phoenixsociety #yoga #f45 #toughmudder #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6693. “It would be Art Museum, Broadway, hikes w

6693. “It would be Art Museum, Broadway, hikes when it’s nice out.”
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Alexandria Lynch spends a lot of time socializing for both work and fun, but she definitely appreciates her alone time as well. She can get lost in books like @erikxlarson’s “The Devil in the White City.” She equally loves roadtripping to places like Cherry Springs State Park (which is still on her bucket list).
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Growing up as an only child in Northeast Philly, she had a lot of solo time as a kid too. Yet she also experienced several hardships during her youth. Alexandria lost her dad to addiction when she was 5 years old and she lost her stepdad when she was 11. Therefore, she had a lot of respect for her mom, who supported her as a single mother working as a bartender.
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But at 16, Alexandria began having her own struggles with alcohol. She got sober at 20, fell back into addiction a couple of years later, and then had what she feels was divine intervention 5 years ago. She realized (though she doubted herself at first) that she could become sober if she followed the steps that her support groups laid out for her.
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Ever since, she’s experienced highs like traveling to places like Italy, Arizona and Chicago, as well as lows like losing her best friend to addiction. But these days, Alexandria looks optimistically towards the future; something she couldn’t envision as a teen.
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Therefore, she takes advantage of the small things like seeing @takingbacksunday in concert, watching @wickedmovie and @hereticmovie and listening to oldies like @sinatra - an artist her grandfather loved so much that she named her childhood doll after him! Great hanging with you, @alexandria_ann3_!
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How we met: Alexandria heard about my project via her friend, @anthony.wilson.06 (#6506), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #artmuseum #broadway #hiking #reading #cherryspringsstatepark #loss #sobriety #travel #grief #takingbacksunday #wicked #franksinatra #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6692. “I believe that every problem has a soluti

6692. “I believe that every problem has a solution as long as you know the formula. And if you don’t know the formula you can ask other people for the formula or you can create your own formula.”
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When Sha Nacino got her first professional job, she struggled to manage her money. “I didn’t see the need to save up for my future because my mindset was I will get my salary every 15th and 30th of the month.” She ended up in credit card debt; however, thanks to the book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad,” she began to work her way out of this hole.
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Sha became so passionate about money management that she spent the next 3 years attending seminars, and afterwards started helping her colleagues and friends, leading her to write a book!
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“It took me 3 years to write my first book because I didn’t know anything about writing. I went to a local bookstore in the Philippines, I looked for a best selling book and then bought all of the books from that one author, and then I studied ok, how thick was the book, how was the sentence construction, things like that.”
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Sha cracked the code on how to write a book, ended up writing her 2nd one in one day and her next 4 in the following 6 months so she started teaching others. “I already taught over 200+ authors.” And now she’s teaching people from the stage as well!
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Because of her experiences, Sha quit her corporate job in 2013 and has since spoken about everything from how to write books to human connection and compassionate leadership!
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She now balances her career with her family, friends and her faith, and doesn’t usually plan more than 3 months ahead; but she’s hoping to travel more next year, hitting hopefully 24 countries through her speaking endeavors! Awesome hanging with you, @sha_nacino!
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How we met: Sha came across my project via a friend who saw me speak to @corenet_global and then @linkedin messaged me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Sha’s experience of being seen! 🎶📚
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#10kfriends #philly #manila #philippines #formula #moneymanagement #richdadpoordad #author #writingcoach #keynotespeaker #humanconnection #compassionateleadership #family #faith #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6691. “I got into wine out of spite.” - Kyle N

6691. “I got into wine out of spite.”
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Kyle Nobel enjoys surrounding himself with down-to-earth people. Growing up in Marlton, NJ, his dad used to tell him that his salary was 25 cents, and being a kid at the time he figured that made sense.
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Raised with this humble mindset, Kyle wanted to make an impact on the community. Therefore, he studied History at @rowanuniversity with plans of becoming a teacher and while there got into political activism. Due to the budget cuts to education, though, he found himself working various jobs after school ranging from a warehouse to a group home.
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During Covid, however, Kyle began working at @whitehorsewinery. While he was perfectly content with sweet Franzia wines before (he still has nothing against them), he learned that he truly enjoyed full-bodied, heavy-tannin options.
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But he’s of the belief that wine should be enjoyed without ego, in whatever way makes you happy. So over the last ~4 years, Kyle worked his way up from harvesting in the vineyards to serving at the winery to now helping manage it!
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These days, he enjoys interacting with the regulars at work; however, outside of it he loves hanging with his girlfriend and skiing! Though he still believes he’s not the most skilled person on the mountain, Kyle can definitely hold his own and has skied everywhere from Vermont to Italy to Austria! So nice to meet you, @knobes102!
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How we met: Kyle came across my project via @instagram and again through @reddit and then messaged me to meet!
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#10kfriends #hammonton #newjersey #wine #downtoearth #marlton #history #rowanuniversity #whitehorsewinery #winery #relationship #skiing #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6690. “Being active on the platform, on LinkedIn

6690. “Being active on the platform, on LinkedIn, really gave me my voice.”
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Though Melissa Cohen joined @linkedin in 2008, she didn’t post until 2020 - a small choice with big results. Up to that point, she’d been busy building her career in fashion.
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Born in Brooklyn, Melissa moved to Long Island as a kid and stayed close for college. Fascinated by Italian culture, she studied Italian Language & Literature at @stonybrooku, but graduated into a rough economy. Therefore, she started her career in retail management before breaking into corporate.
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Beginning with @pvhcorp, she worked her way up through brands like @anntaylor, @nautica and @tommyhilfiger before eventually landing at @poloralphlauren (where she became VP of Production). After losing her job in 2020, though, Melissa felt like her voice and self-identity had been taken away from her. But in reality she was just discovering it.
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Alongside doing fashion consulting, she started consistently posting on LinkedIn, highlighting things like 6 quotes that stood out to her and 4 creators worth following each week. She built a loyal audience which then allowed her to help others find their voices through personal branding and thought leadership coaching!
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Now, Melissa loves her lifestyle of starting mornings with coffee and LinkedIn posts, helping people throughout the day and enjoying some downtime at night. Because in addition to being “The Good Witch of LinkedIn,” she’s also a wife (who met her husband on a blind date), a mother (to her 19-year old daughter), an adventurer in her own city and an avid sports fan - cheering on teams like @uvamenshoops and the @nyrangers! Great hanging with you, @melissabethcohen!
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How we met: Melissa came across my project via @rachel_rozen (#6508) and then messaged me some words of encouragement so I invited her to meet!
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#10kfriends #nyc #bryantpark #voice #linkedin #longisland #italian #stonybrook #fashion #ralphlauren #personalbranding #thoughtleader #coffee #family #uva #rangers #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6689. “I’ve spent my life walking around colle

6688. “The changes in life are gonna be somethin

6688. “The changes in life are gonna be something incredible. I mean living with something on your body that you thought shouldn’t be there for so long, and then to know like this time next week they’re gonna be gone is mind boggling to me, but it’s fantastic at the same time.”
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Growing up, Ted Freeman always felt like a tomboy. “And I was always told by a lot of people that I’d grow out of it as your hormones kicked in as you hit puberty. Like boys would interest you more, you’d start wanting to wear makeup and things and so I was kind of just holding out for that.”
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But that time never came, and during high school Ted came across an article “and just everything they were saying all of this like discomfort and knowing that this isn’t you, like it just ticked the boxes…And then after I left school I decided like that’s it. I’ll cut my hair, I’ll change my name and I’ll go into college fresh start as me.”
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Now, ~6 years later, Ted has been on hormones for about a year and 3 months and is currently preparing for his top surgery, which is 5 days away. “For me the hormone experience and the surgeries are for me to make me feel more masculine in myself…Looking in the mirror and feeling correct in yourself.”
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While Ted’s journey has been a big part of his life in recent years, he’s really just trying to get to a place where “Once I pass as myself I don’t think I’d have to introduce myself as a trans man if that makes sense.” At that point, he’ll just focus on enjoying his job as a support worker for adults with learning disabilities and his passions - hiking, camping, listening to bands like @thebeatles and traveling to places like @niagarafallstourismcanada! So great to meet you, @ftmtransformer01!
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How we met: Ted came across my project via my @oplpodcast episode and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #london #england #ftmtransgender #topsurgery #masculinity #supportworker #thebeatles #hiking #niagarafalls #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6687. “There’s just no way to explain the way

6687. “There’s just no way to explain the way you love your child. Like the moment I found out I was pregnant I loved my child. And then the moment I held him on my chest like your heart just explodes. There’s just no way to put into words how much you could love someone.”
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For the last 15 years, Leigh Garret and her husband have been raising their son, Ben. And since he’s now a freshman in high school, they have 3.5 more years together before he goes off to college. But Leigh maybe wishes it was longer, joking, “I don’t think they should make you start college until your frontal lobe is developed.”
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As a kid, she aspired to become a pediatrician because she wanted to help people and it sounded cool. But once she got to school, she worked at a restaurant where one of her friends asked, “‘What do you like to do?’ And I’m like, ‘Well, I kind of like writing papers.’” Therefore, Leigh pursued her degree in Journalism and afterwards worked for the @ritzcarlton.
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In 2008, though, she went to work for a real estate development firm and lost her job (while 6 months pregnant) due to the Recession. “I was unemployed for about a year and a half and I was making $215 a week on unemployment.” Looking for more stability, Leigh went to Occupational Therapy school for a year, but thanks to @daveramsey left and got into sales instead!
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Now, she continues to work in the field, but outside of it enjoys attending a monthly supper club with her friends, exercising 4-5 days a week, practicing her faith and spending time with her family - whether they’re taking trips together or simply driving to sports practices and teaching their son how to drive! “I wouldn’t trade my life or my family for anything.” So nice to meet you, @leighgarrett!
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How we met: Leigh heard about my project through my cousin & brother and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #atlanta #georgia #love #pediatrician #journalism #recession #sales #supperclub #exercise #faith #family #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6686. “I grew to love it very early and I grew t

6686. “I grew to love it very early and I grew to hate it very early.”
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While Paul Catrino enjoyed playing soccer as a kid, he was bullied in school and all of his bullies happened to be on the team. But he kept with it, deciding he’d improve his life by improving his game.
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However, once he got to high school he didn’t get along with his coach so he ended up running cross-country, playing football (as the kicker) and playing basketball. Living out High School Musical, Paul also did theater and in between basketball practices made sure the stage crew had their lights properly set up.
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For that reason, he studied Theater at @montclairstateu and got the opportunity to work on an Off-Broadway show. But through the experience, he realized he didn’t want to be in such a cutthroat industry.
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Therefore, he worked while completing his English degree at @rowanuniversity and found fulfillment in other areas. Paul went back to soccer by starting his own @casasoccerphilly team, @sportingserotonin, in 2020 and he met his wife in 2021!
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Now, he has a pleasant life with his wife and their cat, and he runs a team of 60 people who are all improving their mental health through playing the game they love. Paul and his teammates strive to up the vibes of everyone around them, so it’s no surprise he also finds enjoyment in music festivals - particularly Atlanta’s @shakykneesfest! Great hanging with you, @catrino93!
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How we met: Paul came across my project via his friend, @kristinlepley (#6662), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #soccer #highschoolmusical #stagecrew #theater #rowan #casasoccer #sportingserotonin #captain #mentalhealth #marriage #upthevibes #shakyknees #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6685. “The only way I think to fully say thank y

6685. “The only way I think to fully say thank you is just to pass along to the next person who truly needs it like I needed it in that moment.”
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Steven Hollander has always had a zest for life. By age 13, he was flipping microwave plates from thrift stores. “So I’d buy those for a dollar or two and at the time they were selling for like $30-$40 a pop on EBay all day.” While he largely saved his money, Steven did buy a sweet sound system for his car as his business evolved.
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In high school, he began selling things for people on consignment, got into private labeling products and ultimately ended up partnering with brands and reselling their products on @amazon. He built his business alongside starting college at @templeuniv (where he played tennis) and finishing at @emoryuniversity. And then dove into it full-time as he graduated and moved to Austin.
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Steven balanced his life with challenges like completing an @ironmantri in 2021; however, this year he sought a different adventure. “In February…I decided to sell everything I owned so I sold my car, sold my furniture, literally sold everything and I’ve been living out of my carryon suitcase.”
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Steven spent 3 months in South America where a stranger helped him through a bad case of dengue fever and totally transformed his outlook on life. He came back to the states for a bit, left again in June for 3 months in Europe, came back to the states again. And now he’s gearing up for even more travel to Miami, Hawaii and then Japan next year - continuing to expand his perspective and experiences! Awesome hanging with you, @stevenhollander!
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How we met: Steven came across my project via @instagram and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Steven’s early days of entrepreneurship! 👨🏻‍💻📈
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#10kfriends #philly #clearwater #florida #thriftshop #ebay #amazon #tennis #emory #entrepreneurship #austin #ironman #digitalnomad #travel #payitforward #adventure #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6684. “When I was 9 years old I listened to Mari

6684. “When I was 9 years old I listened to Mariah Carey and Michael Jackson all the time, and I translated every single word from English to Portuguese on little notebooks.”
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When Aline Almeida was 11 years old she started formally learning English. “Because my mom just said, “Please go to an English school to learn because you only listen to music in English and don’t understand what you’re singing.”
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Then at 14 years old she took a trip to @waltdisneyworld where “I saw a Brazilian girl working there, and I said, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’” As a result, Aline began teaching English at 18 years old and studied hospitality in university. She then achieved her dream of working for Disney, doing so when she was 21 & 23 years old, and afterwards went back to teaching English.
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With her boyfriend at the time, Aline opened a language school, “and then when we got married we went back to teaching private lessons.” But eventually they created an online business, “and at some point we had 12,000 students online.”
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After getting divorced a year and half ago, though, Aline shifted into teaching English solely for women. And going forward, she hopes to organize trips and teach them about solo travel too! With 19 countries under her belt, Aline wants to continue exploring and helping others see the world; all while appreciating the small things - seeing bands like @hanson and hanging with her dog - as well! So great to meet you, @alinealmeidaingles!
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How we met: Aline came across my project via @sstef0112 (#5276), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #saopaulo #brazil #mariahcarey #michaeljackson #english #disney #disneycollegeprogram #languageschool #solotravel #girlstrip #hanson #dogmom #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6683. “I knew that if I pulled the plug and said

6683. “I knew that if I pulled the plug and said I don’t want to be a part of this religion anymore, I want to leave my husband, that I would lose my entire network.”
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Originally from Sacramento, Candice Morgan Beaver grew up in a strong religious community where service to the faith outweighed everything else. Therefore, instead of going to college she got engaged at 19 years old, got married at 20 and moved to Michoacán, Mexico with her (now ex) husband.
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While she learned new recipes, saw new ecosystems and learned more Spanish, everything changed once they moved back to California. “I had a daughter out there in California with him and that’s where I started kind of waking up.”
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Candice left her husband and moved to Georgia; however, once there she realized she was 5 months pregnant so she and her husband tried to work things out. But once her son was in preschool, she truly began plotting her escape.
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Candice went to school to become a dental hygienist, started building her career and then left her religion and marriage in 2020 - despite the resulting shunning from her family and friends. Fortunately, though, she’s since gotten remarried and has found an incredible support system in her now husband’s family. And she’s shifted from dental work into business development where - thanks to her combination of pride and humility - she’s formed a bunch of connections and seen a lot of success!
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“It turns out my decades of experience knocking on doors and trying to convert people to a religion, turns out that’s like really good sales experience…part of who I am because I’ve been learning them since I was a child about like following up and taking good notes and trying to manage the conversation so you have the right outcome. Like all of that is sales and I’ve been learning as I go.” So nice to meet you, @candiceismorgan!
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How we met: Candice came across my project via her friend, @cathrynmarshallofficial (#5747), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #atlanta #georgia #sacramento #religion #mexico #motherhood #escape #dentalhygiene #supportsystem #prumble #sales #connection #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6682. “I think if you want to see who you are yo

6682. “I think if you want to see who you are you just reflect on your actions.”
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Alicia Jhoo is a simple person who finds contentment in the small things such as sunsets. The youngest of 3 in her family, she grew up with 2 loving, very smart older brothers. Yet she always had her own confidence about her.
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When she first attended school, while all of the other kids were crying, Alicia ran away from her mom excited for the day! She also built a foundation of helping others thanks to her mom as they’d volunteer in Camden on weekends.
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So once she got to @rutgersu, Alicia studied Biomedical Engineering thinking she’d become a doctor. However, she ultimately switched to Human Resources and graduated in 2021. Since then she’s worked in agency recruiting and tech recruiting, but now she does subspecialty recruiting, looking for folks like anesthesiologists.
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Outside of work, though, Alicia keeps a close circle of friends and tries to call them on the phone once a week. She also enjoys playing video games and building community at her church, where she’s gone for the last 4 years. But ultimately, she’s just going with the flow, finding gratitude in the people and things around her! Great hanging with you, @aliciayoohoo!
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How we met: Alicia saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #universitycity #contentment #family #rutgers #humanresources #recruiting #friends #gaming #church #gratitude #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
•
Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6681. “I feel like so much of my routine revolve

6681. “I feel like so much of my routine revolves around when I walk my dog.”
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Jillian Pugatch just moved to Philly in June and since then has been forging new friendships. But luckily, she always has her dachshund mix for company too!
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Originally from Long Island, Jillian actually took a roundabout way to arrive here. She studied Psychology at @urochester and then moved down to D.C. to work for the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
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While there, Jillian realized she didn’t want to do research and instead took an interest in the impact of marketing on human behavior. Therefore, after working in smoking cessation (the process of quitting) and getting her master’s in Public Health, she found her way into tech and specifically UX design.
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Jillian moved to Portland for a few years to try out the Pacific Northwest, but then moved to LA after her niece there was born. And that year (2019), she got her dog and spent a lot of time with her as we went into Covid. But after 5 years in LA, Jillian sought a different, more affordable city. So while she kept her job working on software for therapists, she switched coasts again!
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Now, she enjoys working and spending time with her pup; however, outside of those things she loves cooking and baking, she enjoys going dancing and she enjoys comfortable nights in watching shows like @bobsburgersfox! Awesome hanging with you, @jillianandzora!
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How we met: Jillian saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #nolibs #dogmom #longisland #rochester #psychology #uxdesign #portland #LA #aunt #cooking #baking #music #bobsburgers #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6680. “Taking a bigger leap into photography.”

6680. “Taking a bigger leap into photography.”
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During his senior year of high school, Aden Betman figured he didn’t need any more Spanish classes so he decided to change his schedule. The only other option he had was photography, so he switched courses and fell in love with it!
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Aden enjoyed being able to capture and preserve moments forever, which eventually led to him shooting subjects like eagles, foxes and other animals. As he took a particular liking to nature photography he dreamt of becoming a @natgeo photographer. However, when he got to @drexeluniv he studied Criminal Justice and afterwards took a job back at the university.
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Now, he works in campus security, making sure the university stays in compliance for all of its safety reporting. But outside of work, he’s still working towards his interests and dreams.
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Aden trains jiu-jitsu at Shorty’s in West Philly and has even gotten his dad into the sport. He’s enjoyed traveling to places like Jim Thorpe and North Carolina with his family. And he’s maintained his passion for photography by doing some paid gigs and staying open to future paths with it.
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Since he hopes to dive further into it, balancing it as a hobby / side hustle, he’s considering getting into sports photography - mainly because it’s a bit more accessible than trying to catch a fox on the side of the road! So great to meet you, @adenbetman!
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How we met: Aden saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #springgarden #photography #naturephotographer #natgeo #drexel #criminaljustice #jiujitsu #travel #sportsphotography #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6679. “We’d break out a pack of cards and we’d play games like Newmarket.”
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Growing up in Hawarden, Wales, Chris Kingsnorth formed fond memories of travel with his family, driving their caravan around the country. Though he was only ~7 years old at the time, he’d beg them to play card games like Newmarket or whist wherever they stopped. As he got older, though, Chris traded travels for studies.
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In 2008 he moved to Nottingham for med school (where he met his wife), and from ages 23-31 he trained to become a pediatric doctor. During his rotations, however, Chris and his friends played games like Pandemic to stay sane. And as he neared the end of his training years, he started to become interested in board game design.
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Chris attended a board game conference in his area and then decided to organize his own Protospiel (board game testing event), donating the proceeds to the children’s hospital at which he worked. Through these experiences, he then actually decided to leave the medical field for game design, joining @paperfortgames (who had attended his event).
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Now, Chris designs games like the Terraria board game, which he’s sharing at conferences like @officialpax_. However, he also enjoys life outside of his career - whether he’s spending time with his wife and immediate family, staying fit or listening to bands like @bombayinsta! So nice to meet you, @tabletopapprentice!
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How we met: Chris came across my project via @southstreetsam (#6379) and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #bok #newmarket #hawarden #wales #whist #medschool #pandemicboardgame #pediatricdoctor #protospiel #gamedesigner #boardgame #PAXUnplugged #family #music #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6678. “I’m 10 siblings…I’m #5 from the bot

6678. “I’m 10 siblings…I’m #5 from the bottom so because we are too many they would put 2 tables. I’m always at the kids table and I wished to sit at the big kids table. They never wanted me there. And so in my brain I always want to be a senior right away.”
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Karoline Qasem has been on one flight in her entire life. “I came from a very small rural town from Gaza, Palestine to the U.S.” Before arriving here, though, she grew up in a very large, very well educated family. “My dad used to be a professor in medicine so he cares a lot about education…We were like 7 engineers, 3 doctors.”
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Karoline studied Architectural Engineering, but did so as a mother since she got married at 19 and had her first kid at 20. “So I had the first kid my second year of undergrad and my second kid at my graduation. Imagine, I’m 9 months pregnant and defending my thesis.”
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While pregnant with her third kid, Karoline applied and got accepted to the @the_fulbright_program, which brought her to Chicago. And since arriving, she’s completed her master’s in Urban Planning & Policy and her PhD in Civil Environmental Engineering - alongside having her third and fourth kids!
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Thanks to the support of those around her, she then took an unpaid internship and (driven by her childhood desire to sit with the big kids) has since gotten a dream role, building a practice within the water quality space.
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Now, she’s able to live out her full sarcastic, carefree, spiritual personality - something she plans to share on a larger scale going forward. With a desire to be visible, she regularly posts her thoughts on LinkedIn, but this Spring will be teaching at a university and, who knows, may someday be sharing her experiences on stage! Great hanging with you, Karoline!
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How we met: Karoline came across my project via @muxiangpajerski (#6591) and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about how Karoline found her confidence in the U.S.! 📚📈
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#10kfriends #philly #chicago #illinois #kidstable #gaza #palestine #engineering #motherhood #family #fulbrightscholar #istikhara #waterquality #visibility #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6677. “I also grew up doing theater, like a lot.

6677. “I also grew up doing theater, like a lot. I spent every hour after school doing theater or doing dance or something like that. And I think I already had like a mindset or like the ability to memorize things very easily.”
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Growing up in Bucks County, Liam Smith always heard his nonna talk about how she wished she could still speak Italian. Therefore, he wanted to learn the language, but his high school only offered Spanish, French & German.
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Liam figured Spanish was close enough and because he’d had a background in theater - acting in shows like West Side Story and Miss Saigon - he easily picked it up. More importantly, though, he immersed himself in Spanish speaking cultures.
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Liam spent time in Spain during his senior year of high school, he spent time in Ecuador during his freshman year at @templeuniv and he studied abroad in Madrid during his sophomore year. While his time there was unfortunately cut short due to Covid, Liam then returned to Madrid after school to teach.
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He taught English, Science and Social Studies to kindergartners through 6th graders, but now he’s back to being a student! These days, he’s pursuing his master’s in Spanish Language (with a specialization in teaching) at @middleburycollege.
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He’s learning all about Spanish literature, history and art and aspires to work as a point person for a study abroad program. But for now, Liam’s enjoying his time in Madrid, supplementing school with dancing, grabbing beers with friends and catching the occasional 3am @philadelphiaeagles game! Awesome hanging with you, @liam._.smith!
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How we met: Liam’s brother @cjdonuthole (#6653) told me about him so I DM’ed him to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about how Liam got into studying Spanish!
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#10kfriends #philly #madrid #spain #theater #nonna #westsidestory #language #temple #ecuador #studyabroad #teacher #masters #dance #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6676. “I do 3D printing so that takes up a lot o

6676. “I do 3D printing so that takes up a lot of my time.”
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Despite just moving to Philly in February, Shivani Reddy has already immersed herself in the city. She’s joined communities like book clubs and is currently reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Interpreter of Maladies.” But she’s also found joy at home, playing games like Beat Slayer on her @metaquest and making 3D printed figurines.
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Shivani really just wanted a 3D printed toy so she learned the process and has since made characters like Patrick Star and Pikachu! She’s no stranger to technology though.
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After growing up in Hyderabad, she studied Computer Science in Kolkata, worked in Bangalore for a bit and then pursued her master’s at @uofmichigan. She graduated in 2021 and has since worked in the mortgage and healthcare fields. Shivani works remotely as a data engineer so when given a few options of where to live, she chosen Philly!
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She actually spent a lot of time in Kansas City during grad school as classes were remote in Covid and she had friends there. But while there the @chiefs won the Super Bowl. While she lived in Ann Arbor, @umichfootball won the National Championship. So now that she’s in here in Philly it’s inevitable @philadelphiaeagles will win Super Bowl LIX! Awesome hanging with you, @shivani_wuz_here!
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How we met: Shivani saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #universitycity #bookclub #metaquest #3Dprinting #hyderabad #india #michigan #computerscience #dataengineer #goodluckcharm #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6675. “I guess the strategy is just one day at a

6675. “I guess the strategy is just one day at a time.”
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For the last year and a half, Abby Synnestvedt has been navigating a new normal. Because after getting married in 2015, she sadly lost her husband, Robin, to cancer on August 5, 2023. In the 15 months since then, Abby’s found solace in widow support groups on @reddit, in hiking the Wissahickon and in being surrounded by her creative friends as she tries to get back to painting.
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After high school, she spent 3 years training at an art atelier before attaining her BFA at @pafacademy. And fortunately, she landed a job teaching high school art. Therefore, Abby built her career as she and Robin built their life together; however, everything changed when Robin developed a blood clot & pulmonary embolism.
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The doctors didn’t know what caused it, but months later in December of 2021 - after spending 12 hours overnight in the waiting room of a hospital - they discovered he had stage 4 colon cancer. While Robin went through chemo and had a wonderful following summer, the cancer spread limiting his options and he went on hospice the summer of 2023.
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Since his passing, Abby has been taking life one day at a time. And though it’s difficult not to think of the milestones she’d planned to reach with Robin, she’s taking the Annie Dillard approach of “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
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For Abby, that means meeting new people, spending time with her dog and succeeding in art on her own terms (she’s actually having a studio sale right now). She doesn’t have to be famous, she just wants to capture and share her observations of the world!
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“My work has one aim, and that is to convey the intangible feeling I experience when I am fully present with my subjects. I hope that by stating what is true to me, you will find something true to you.” So great to meet you, @abigail_synnestvedt!
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How we met: Abby saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #manayunk #onedayatatime #robin #loss #grief #healing #art #painting #pafa #artteacher #connection #hiking #dog #artist #observation #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6674. “That was one of the best experiences of m

6674. “That was one of the best experiences of my life was doing improv in high school.”
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Growing up in Northern Virginia, Arta Seyedian became somewhat of a class clown. So he thought it’d be cool to pursue a career in comedy.
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However, when he went to college he had no idea what he actually wanted to do. Beginning his education at @georgemasonu, he transferred to @vcu, but then finished back at George Mason - ultimately with a Neuroscience degree.
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He then worked in pharmaceutical market research for ~8 months, but that wasn’t a great fit so he quit and traveled. Arta spent 3 months driving across the U.S. (avoiding a few close calls on the road) and afterwards ended up at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, supporting research on diseases like ALS.
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During this time, he tried to be a lot more outgoing, which led him to meet his girlfriend of 7 years! It also helped him tap back into his passion for comedy. Arta began performing standup at open mics, but once he moved to Philly in 2022 he took a step back.
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Treating comedy less like work and more like fun, he shifted to making videos on social media, which he still enjoys. And career-wise he learned how to code and took a job in bioinformatics. Now, he enjoys his balance of life and complements it with trips with his girlfriend, traveling to places like the @petrifiedforestnps and the Florida Keys! So nice to meet you, @arta.the.arta!
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How we met: Arta saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #centercity #improv #comedy #nova #georgemason #neuroscience #roadtrip #relationship #standup #socialmedia #bioinformatics #travel #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6673. “The Navy’s ad was at the top of the sea

6673. “The Navy’s ad was at the top of the search and so I clicked.”
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When Steve Kirby finished school, he didn’t know what to do next. He’d studied Geography & Political Science at @westernmichu (where he met his wife) and got his International Relations master’s at @marquetteu. So he searched joining the military with a college degree and ended up become a @usnavy officer!
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Steve spent 8 years in active duty; a time during which he spent 3 years deployed to places like Kuwait, Iraq and the Mediterranean Sea. And then after 2 years of other jobs he began working for the Navy again as a civilian. Now ~9.5 years later, though, he’s exploring a new chapter.
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Steve left his job 3 weeks ago and is currently taking some time to decide his next move. He’s volunteering at the @seamaac food pantry, he’s practicing mindfulness and meditation, he’s staying active at @cityfitnessphilly and he’s enjoying hanging with his wife and friends!
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While he hopes to apply his military logistics background to something like a food nonprofit, for now he’s just enjoying the intentional time off. A period in which he’ll hopefully hit a few @detroitlionsnfl games (as a season ticket holder) and visit some new national parks with his wife! Great hanging with you, @stevengkirby!
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How we met: Steve saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #southphilly #michigan #marquette #navy #military #newchapter #volunteer #seamaac #fitness #family #detroitlions #nationalparks #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6672. “That whole month of July 2023 totally cha

6672. “That whole month of July 2023 totally changed my life.”
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Originally from Houston, PA (a town of ~1,000 people), Kierra Lee grew up riding dirt bikes on dirt hills with her brother. She was homeschooled until 8th grade and didn’t really know much about her opportunities until she got to high school. So she never considered college.
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But during her junior year she had a friend who went to the college fair. And because Kierra felt left out, she went home and told her dad that day that she wanted to go to college. So they googled the requirements, she took the SATs, got her aid in order and ended up attending @christophernewportu in Virginia.
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Kierra decided she’d become a doctor and make her family proud. But 4 years later of studying Pre-Med & Molecular Biology, she realized she, in fact, did not want to be a doctor. Instead, she moved up to Philly and eventually got into administrative work. But at the same time, she began fostering her passion for comedy & writing.
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Kierra turned every high school project into a video skit, she took part in a musical in college and she realized she loved making light out of the dark parts of her life. Therefore, she took a @ucla writing course in July of 2023 and reinforced her aspirations. Not only did she enjoy the class, she found a mentor in her @airbnb host, Debbie, who encouraged her progress!
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And since then, Kierra’s watched her dreams slowly unfold. From booking paid gigs (she’s performing tonight at @moonrose.vintage with @more_please_philly) to performing in comedy festivals to appearing on podcasts, she’s now working towards joining the ranks of her favorites - comedians like @mariabamfordcomedy, @garygulman and @emophilips! Awesome hanging with you, @kierrabirdie!
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How we met: Kierra heard about my project via @montaguecomedy (#5673) and then DM’ed me to meet!
•
#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #houston #dirtbike #christophernewport #mollecularbiology #comedy #writing #ucla #airbnb #standup #comedian #dreams #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6671. “My town was around 80 and I had a 2 hour

6671. “My town was around 80 and I had a 2 hour bus ride to school.”
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Jason Herwick grew up in a small town outside of Albany, NY where his dad worked as a correctional officer and his mom worked as a cafeteria woman. He preferred simple things like fishing in a pond over taking fancy vacations. And he attended a very small high school.
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Therefore, he always valued human connection and always had a patience for conversation. So when he went to @sunyplattsburgh he studied Psychology and attained his master’s to become a therapist. Jason then moved to Philly site-unseen with his friends and dove into his career.
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Over the last decade, he’s worked with low income families, low level criminals, sex offenders and health care professionals. And what’s stuck out to him is that everyone under 40 relates their problems to the internet / social media while people over 40 rarely do. But at the end of the day, most people’s issues come down to a lack of resources or a lack of communication.
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Now, making a transition in his career, Jason’s shifting to a private practice. However, he still values the simplicity he grew up with. For that reason, he hopes to someday ideally work 3 days a week while spending the other days creating, painting, taking long walks in the city and casually running into friends - letting his life unfold in a relaxed, spontaneous manner! So nice to meet you, @herwick!
•
How we met: Jason saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #westphilly #smalltown #bluecollar #connection #conversation #patience #sunyplattsburgh #therapist #resources #communication #privatepractice #easygoing #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6670. “I guess all of the little things.” - Wi

6670. “I guess all of the little things.”
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With a 3.5-year old son and a 7-month old daughter, David Lemons wants to pass on the little things from his childhood. Like the fact that his family always went out to get a real Christmas tree. Or that they spent summers visiting his grandparents at the lake. Or even that he grew up with a passion for music.
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David played violin and guitar, but he also invested a lot of time into athletics. He swam competitively in high school and played water polo at @drexeluniv. And shortly into his time there, David met his wife when their RA took them to First Friday in Old City!
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David and his wife talked the whole walk back from 2nd to 35th street and 4 years later they got married! Since then, they’ve both progressed in their careers with David using his Architectural Engineering degree to land at a real estate company. And now they’re finding the balance between work, parenthood and everything else.
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While they definitely don’t have the time they used to, David still managed to run the @philly_marathon last year. And now, he’s using his lunch breaks to lift/run/swim while listening to bands like @theplotinyouofficial, @bringmethehorizon and @linkinpark to stay motivated! Great hanging with you, @limonlar!
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How we met: David saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #universitycity #littlethings #fatherhood #christmas #lake #music #waterpolo #firstfriday #marriage #architecturalengineering #family #fitness #theplotinyou #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6669. “Something I’ve started to do in every c

6669. “Something I’ve started to do in every city I go to now abroad is I will try and go to the local metal bar or the local dive bar. I find no one, no tourist stumbles into there. People go there intentionally and they go there because they’re passionate about that scene.”
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Sheldon Tarpey took his first solo trip in September when he traveled to Valencia. And he had such a positive experience that he’s already booked his travel for next year! “I’m doing Finland down through Poland through like all of the Baltic states. So Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania.”
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For most of his life, though, he remained in the same location. Since the age of 4, Sheldon grew up in Birmingham, England where he developed a passion for psychology. “The study of human behavior is something I find so fascinating.”
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But when he went to university, he struggled to keep up with the competition. Therefore, he studied Marketing (combining psychology and economics) and now works in advertising strategy. “There’s a funny joke in the industry which is like strategists are frustrated creatives and I’m just like no, I’m a very frustrated psychologist actually.”
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While he built most of his career in Birmingham, Sheldon just moved to London back in March, hoping to increase his professional opportunities. But ever since, he feels like he’s made a ton of personal progress as well! “There’s a saying that ‘change brings change’ so when I moved my life down everything else seemed easy.” Awesome hanging with you, @sheldonlt!
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How we met: Sheldon came across my project via his friend, @alexlewisig (#6666), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about how having an epileptic seizure in 2020 impacted Sheldon’s life! 🚎❤️
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#10kfriends #philly #london #uk #metal #divebar #connection #baltic #birmingham #psychology #marketing #travel #change #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6668. “Don’t do something because it’s tradi

6668. “Don’t do something because it’s tradition. Do something because it means something to you.”
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As an event coordinator, Carley Finn cares a lot about the intention behind events. Perhaps because the first one she ever ran held deep significance for her family.
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When she was 13 years old, her stepdad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. And wanting to be able to help in some way, Carley hosted a Pancakes for Parkinson’s fundraiser at her local Applebee’s. They raised about $500 that year, but worked their way up to ~$10,000 just before Covid!
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During this time, Carley also formalized her passion by studying Hospitality & Tourism at @stocktonuniversity. And afterwards, she worked at a couple of places before landing a dream job - coordinating events for @habitatforhumanity.
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Now, she taps into the core of what people want by attending events. She thinks back to her dad’s brain surgery 5 years ago, which occurred on Thanksgiving, and how the next day he wanted a piece of pie before his turkey. Though it wasn’t the “right” order, it meant comfort for him to have pie in that moment.
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So now Carley brings this mindset to work. She cares about the underlying promises of events and someday hopes to apply this to personal gatherings (like themed dinner parties) as well. But she also cares about the simple things like hiking, reading and seeing family - because on top of spending time with her parents she’s the youngest of 10 siblings and lives with her older cousin! So great to meet you, @curlymnstrfries!
•
How we met: Carley saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet! (📸: @photolope (#72))
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#10kfriends #philly #dilworthpark #meaning #eventcoordinator #pancakesforparkinsons #stocktonuniversity #habitatforhumanity #pie #dinnerparty #hiking #family #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeo
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6667. “I basically kind of moved here on a whim.

6667. “I basically kind of moved here on a whim.”
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Last February, Gabriella Lobue visited Philly with her mom just for fun, but because of that trip she moved here last month! Originally from North Jersey, she’s actually spent most of her adult life in Ithaca, New York.
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Because she had a passion for music and editing, Gabriella took a video production class in high school, leading her to study Film at @ithacacollege.
-
She truly enjoyed the work and could spend countless hours in front of her computer making recut trailers. For example, editing the @thewalkingdead to look like a comedy trailer. However, after interning at a trailer house in LA, she realized Film wasn’t for her.
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Therefore, she turned her Business minor into a master’s in Business Analytics at @hofstrau and then jumped into the field! Throughout her career, she’s become more of a business intelligence engineer, valuing the analytical, creative and technical aspects of the role.
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But outside of it, she’s enjoyed finding a sense of independence, which she’s done through moving to Philly and settling into her interests. As she makes herself at home here, Gabriella’s keeping up with CrossFit and running, she’s listening to alternative & country music and she’s loving hanging with her 2 cats! So nice to meet you, Gabriella!
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How we met: Gabriella saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #bigmove #ithaca #music #editing #videoproduction #recuttrailer #businessanalytics #crossfit #running #cats #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6666. “My parents owned a small business that wa

6666. “My parents owned a small business that was in the marine business and we traveled for like dealer meetings and stuff. But mostly in like Florida…so I was used to planes and airports and hotels and that kind of stuff, but never really like exotic travel.”
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Growing up in Bobcaygeon, Ontario (a town of ~2,000 people), Alex Lewis became comfortable with travel, but never went too far. After graduating from @torontomet and beginning his career, though, he ventured into the world.
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“[In January of 2020] I quit my job, went to Iceland and I was starting day one back from Iceland at this [new] job. Ended up calling in sick at that day one because I was stuck in the Keflavik airport because they had had the worst storm they’d had in like 10 years.”
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Luckily, Alex managed to keep his ed tech job, and over the years worked his way up to his current company, @shopify. But in this time he also became more nomadic.
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In January of 2022, he joined a friend on a trip to Colombia for a few months. “That year I spent that summer in Portugal…then that following winter was like pretty long. I started in Argentina went through Uruguay, Peru, Mexico City, Colombia again and then back to Canada for the summer.”
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Alex leveraged orgs like @remoteyear to complement his travels and through his experiences learned how to speak Spanish. Therefore, he’s heading back to Argentina next year and has fallen in love with places like Valencia, thinking he could someday live in either location.
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But while travel and his career take up a good portion of his time, Alex also appreciates the simpler parts of life! He enjoys hanging with his parents, sister and niece, working out to stay physically, mentally and spiritually fit and being extroverted no matter where he’s located! Great hanging with you, @alexlewisig!
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How we met: I saw Alex on @linkedin through @paigegoldstein_ (#6458) and then messaged him to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about why Alex loved Argentina! ✈️🇦🇷
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#10kfriends #philly #toronto #ontario #bobcaygeon #travel #torontomet #iceland #shopify #digitalnomad #colombia #argentina #remoteyear #spanish #family #fitness #extrovert #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6665. “It’s kind of like programming except yo

6665. “It’s kind of like programming except you get a direct response.”
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When Nate Smith’s not working his IT job, he enjoys spending time with his wife (they’ve been together for 15 years), playing video games and making music!
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Originally from Malvern (he’s the shortest of his siblings), he met his wife during high school after he moved into her neighborhood. They then both attended @wcuofpa, and afterwards moved to Georgia for Nate’s wife’s master’s degree.
-
Nate worked remotely during their 5 years there and then switched jobs to a blockchain company once they moved to NYC. This past August, though, they settled down back in Philly!
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Now, they enjoy activities like walking along the Schuylkill Banks. But at home, Nate loves playing @rocketleague and indie games with his friends. He also enjoys developing his own games, but more so appreciates the immediate gratification of music.
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Having played guitar for years, Nate likes making songs specifically for video games; however, when it comes to listening, he enjoys rising artists like @hot.chip, @born_at_midnite and @fcukers_! Awesome hanging with you, @naughtsmith!
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How we met: Nate saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #centercity #it #marriage #videogames #music #malvern #westchester #georgia #nyc #rocketleague #musicproduction #creativity #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6664. “I think screenwriting is the speed at whi

6664. “I think screenwriting is the speed at which my train of thought lives best.”
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In 4th grade, Mimi Stringfield unknowingly entered and won a contest. Her teacher had secretly submitted her writing to a poetry fellowship. And before she knew it, Mimi was sitting in a classroom surrounded by adults, honing her poetry skills. From that point on she was destined to become a writer, but first she had to finish her education.
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A bridge baby™, Mimi grew up between Philly and South Jersey and attended a performing arts high school where she took classes like drama and yoga. For college, she attended @drexeluniv (while working full-time) where she studied Communications with a focus on Marketing. And now alongside her work at a doctor membership org, Mimi’s finding her voice as a writer!
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She’s already dabbled in lit fic, has gotten bylines in publications like @vogue and has been a finalist in screenwriting incubators. But going forward she hopes to build on these accomplishments.
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Mimi doesn’t care about notoriety or winning an award like an Emmy; she simply wants to enjoy the journey of exploring different writing styles, finding which ones work best for her and sharing them with the world - all while enjoying some downtime with her cat! So great to meet you, @mimistringfield!
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How we met: Mimi saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #lovepark #screenwriting #poetry #writer #performingarts #drexel #marketing #litfic #vogue #incubator #journey #cats #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6663. “We spent almost an hour after the movie j

6663. “We spent almost an hour after the movie just talking about it.”
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After 10 years away, Elton Torres just moved back to Philly 3 months ago! Though he denied it being home for a while, he realized he has the ability to spend more meaningful time with loved ones here - whether he’s analyzing the film, “Mystic River,” with his sister or strolling the city with his longtime friends!
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While he was born in the Philippines, Elton moved to the Frankford neighborhood of Philly at 5 years old. He never felt like he fit in, though, so instead of imagining his future he chose to romanticize the past.
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Elton studied Classical Studies and Art History at @uofpenn and afterwards built his career in executive assisting at places like an auction house and Penn’s rare books museum.
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About 10 years ago, though, he moved to Japan to teach English and then settled in Seattle 6 years ago. There, Elton got back into his assisting career at the Seattle Opera, but he eventually felt like Philly had more to offer so he came back!
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Now, he’s adjusting to the feeling of seeing familiar faces, exploring updated places and imagining a future set here at home! So nice to meet you, @elt220!
•
How we met: Elton saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #dilworthpark #mysticriver #philippines #upenn #classicstudies #arthistory #japan #seattle #qualitytime #family #home #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6662. “I joined and never looked back and now I

6662. “I joined and never looked back and now I play 3 times a week on 3 different teams.”
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Kristin Lepley has always been an avid athlete. Originally from Harrisburg, she played basketball and soccer until high school, but then stuck to her role as center mid on the field!
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Kristin then went on to play at @millersvilleu; a time during which she attained her Business degree with a focus on Marketing. She also worked as a bartender at @rubytuesday, so after school she transferred to their Plymouth Meeting location because she had a close friend in Philly.
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Thanks to that same friend, Kristin began playing in the @casasoccerphilly league for fun. But once her team captain moved, she became more involved. Kristin took over her captain’s role in Casa - and she actually took over her real estate appraisal day job too.
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She figured she’d enjoy the new path beyond bartending; however, Kristin really knew she wanted to dive further into the soccer league. Therefore, she was elated last Dec when she learned she could join them full-time this past Jan.
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Now, she works a dream job, which involves traveling to tournaments in Texas and across the northeast and creating community for people of all different backgrounds. But best of all, she gets to continue playing the sport she loves with a group of people she loves! Great hanging with you, @kristinlepley!
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How we met: Kristin heard about my project through her colleague, Mike McKinney (#6642), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #harrisburg #soccer #centermid #millersville #rubytuesday #bartender #realsstateappraisal #casasoccer #community #dreamjob #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6661. “I remember sitting on the porch and I rem

6661. “I remember sitting on the porch and I remember the rainstorm because I remember the question.”
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At 3 years old, Anthony Ruffino sat on the front porch with his dad and asked him, “What’s lightning?” To which his dad replied, “You’re the smart one, you figure it out.” And so he did!
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As he grew older in his hometown of Oneonta, NY, Anthony became interested in everything from how magnets work to the underlying structure that holds our individual perspectives together.
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So, on top of working at his family’s pizza shop, he developed a fascination with physics, which he majored in at @rittigers. He then moved to Philly to attain his master’s and PhD at @drexeluniv, and now he continues to work in the lab there!
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Through his research, Anthony looks at areas like inelastic light scattering, electric dipoles and phases transitions - using equipment that he pretty much assembled on his own. Therefore, he shared he spends about 96% of his time fixing things, 4% measuring actual tests and 1% analyzing.
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He really enjoys his work, though, as he’s living the dream he had as a kid. But he also enjoys life outside of it. When he’s not in the lab (or even sometimes when he’s in it), Anthony loves listening to artists like @daftpunk, playing video games like @minecraft, playing piano and guitar, hanging with his cat and spending time with his wife! Awesome hanging with you, @raman_noodles_phd!
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How we met: Anthony saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #universitycity #lightning #oneonta #pizzashop #rit #physics #drexel #phd #dipoles #daftpunk #minecraft #cat #marriage #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6660. “In the hospital with everyone visiting me

6660. “In the hospital with everyone visiting me.”
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On September 2nd of this year, Chuck Conners was out golfing with his buddies. On September 3rd he was being medevaced to the hospital.
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That morning, he laid down with a headache that just wouldn’t go away and he soon began struggling to talk. After making his way to the ER, Chuck learned that he had a cavernous malformation (collection of abnormal blood vessels) on his brain that required brain surgery.
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But while there he suffered a serious seizure, blacked out and woke up 2 days later with the doctors removing the breathing tube from his throat. Since then, Chuck’s been recovering really well physically, but he’s also had to manage panic attacks and anxiety.
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Never a writer before, he started journaling to let out his thoughts and eventually the worlds began spilling out of him. He wrote morning to night (as he was out of work), only breaking to read and take care of his now 18-month old daughter. And before he knew it, Chuck amassed ~40k words, which he turned into @1percentbettr_; a collection of thoughts on everything from his brain surgery to leadership to resilience!
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Having run multiple inside sales teams, he realized that the true fulfillment of his job comes from the colleagues he’s able to develop. And similarly, going through his surgery he learned that his true happiness comes from his loved ones.
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Therefore, despite his life being turned upside down in September, Chuck now reflects most frequently on the good part. The fact that as he laid there in recovery, he experienced a true outpouring of love, seeing his family and friends all gathered to visit him! So awesome to meet you, @chuckconners10!
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How we met: Chuck and I were introduced via text by our mutual friend, @steve_mahoney2!
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#10kfriends #philly #norristown #medevac #cavernousmalformation #brainsurgery #mentalhealth #journaling #author #1percentbttr #progressnotperfection #family #friends #gratitude #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6659. “I think there was a beauty to their relat

6659. “I think there was a beauty to their relationship that even as a kid I could tell.”
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Meredith Rebar grew up with an amazing set of parents, who both had a hand in raising her while enjoying their computer programming careers. Therefore, as an only child, she felt particularly impacted by their loss. Meredith lost her mom to lung cancer when she was just 12 years old and her dad to multiple myeloma 2 years ago.
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Despite this, she’s carried their memories with her as she’s forged her own path in life. From a young age Meredith was hustling cookies through @girlscouts, selling dog bandanas and training & selling horses (she also rode competitively). So when she got to @pennstate, she naturally maintained her ambition.
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On top of working at Blockbuster, Meredith booked shows for local bands and thanks to @drinkzenos fell in love with and began brewing her own beer. Upon graduating with her Marketing degree, she then worked for the @americancancersociety for a bit, did marketing for a beer wholesaler and eventually shifted into entrepreneurship.
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Since the end of 2016, Meredith’s run @homebrewedevents full-time hosting everything from brewing classes to festivals. Now, she works with several breweries, does 20+ large events each year and going forward plans to continue growing her business.
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While the last couple of years have involved handling all of the details of her dad’s passing, she’s now looking forward to the future - teaching yoga classes (since she got certified in Jan), maybe starting a music & beer club and hopefully someday owning her own community space! Great hanging with you, @cherrydarlinga_go_go!
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How we met: Meredith came across my project via @instagram and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #norristown #parents #lovedones #inmemory #pennstate #homebrewing #beer #breweries #beerfestival #yoga #music #community #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6658. “Just picture a 72 year old rocking out to

6658. “Just picture a 72 year old rocking out to Pitbull on the dance floor.”
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As a line dance instructor & DJ, Ashley Rose knows how to fill the dance floor with people of all ages. These days, she’s playing a lot of @shaboozey’s “A Bar Song,” @westlife’s “Hello My Love” and @alesso’s “I Like It.” But 2 years ago, Ashley wasn’t DJ’ing or dancing at all!
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Born and raised in northeast Philly, she spent her college years doing service and studying Journalism. Through her church, Ashley spent 6 months in Uganda, helping children in need. And after coming home, she wanted to go back to capture their stories and showcase the impact of donors.
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However, she stayed here, finished her degree at @templeuniv, got married at 22 years old and had her first son at 23. Therefore, she did photography on the side, but after having her second son and her daughter focused on raising her kids.
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Two years ago, though, Ashley got divorced and turned to line dancing as an outlet. She simply enjoyed the distraction, but 6 months later started learning how to DJ, and 6 months after that created her own business! Now, Ashley instructs / DJ’s at several venues like @americanlegionpost458, @ten7brewingco, @thestableschestersprings and @wildwoods_honkytonk!
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Following what feels like a calling, she’s turned her hobby into a true path, and going forward plans to continually to grow. Balancing her career and motherhood, Ashley hopes to create online lessons so she can soon teach line dancing to folks across the world! Awesome hanging with you, @djashleyrose!
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How we met: Ashley heard about my project through her friend, @bestofness_ (#204), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #ambler #linedancing #linedanceinstructor #dj #uganda #service #journalism #temple #mother #businessowner #godsplan #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6657. “I was a teenager in the 90s so Smashing P

6657. “I was a teenager in the 90s so Smashing Pumpkins will always be in there.”
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When Laura Velasco and her husband began dating they bonded over shared interests like foreign films, podcasts and concerts.
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Having grown up in the 90s, Laura enjoys the @smashingpumpkins, but she and her husband also love artists like @honeymoon and @sufjan. Together they’ve been to live taping of shows like @criminal_podcast. And during the early years of their relationship, they’d go to the Baxter Avenue Theatres, discovering films like @asgharfarhadiofficial’s “A Separation.”
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Born and raised in Kentucky, Laura grew up in Owensboro, but moved out to attend @universityoflouisville. And after undergrad, she got her master’s in Higher Ed Administration and worked back at the school. She then met her husband at a cookout and again at a @starbucks 9 months later, and after they got married they moved to Pittsburgh and then to Philly!
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In that time, Laura got into institutional research, which led her into data analytics at @carnegiemellon and @uofpenn, but now she works in the corporate world. Outside of work, though, she stays plenty busy caring for her greyhound and her 8-year old son, and beyond that she enjoys her individual interests - running and reading whenever she has the time! So nice to meet you, Laura!
•
How we met: Laura saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #smashingpumpkins #foreignfilms #criminalpodcast #kentucky #louisville #highered #dataanalytics #family #greyhound #running #reading #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6656. “It was always like come home from school,

6656. “It was always like come home from school, we all jump in the pickup truck, go like mow the lawns and do all the stuff.”
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Christine Marchuska grew up in a very entrepreneurial family led mainly by her dad. “Right out of the gate he started buying apartment houses and doing all this entrepreneurial stuff and as a family we had to pull together - me and my 2 older brothers - and make it happen. So I’ve been working since I feel like I was 5 years old.”
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With this ambitious foundation, Christine went off to attend @cornelluniversity, but while there became burnt out. “I was thinking of dropping out of Cornell and opening my own restaurant.” However, when a doctor told her that a lot of women have trouble graduating from there, she instead finished her degree in 3.5 years!
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From there, Christine built a finance career in NYC, tried her own entrepreneurial venture, went back into finance, moved to Silicon Valley where she got into investor relations and then moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Shortly after having her daughter, though, she moved back to her hometown (Binghamton) and has been there ever since!
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Now, Christine hopes to either continue her work in investor relations, sit on a corporate governance board or become a Three Principles practitioner / life coach. But overall, she’s more intentional about balance these days.
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While she can still whip out her Wall Street trading floor attitude, she’s also happy to watch the @minions movies with her daughter, all while working towards her goals of having a lake house with her fiancé, a property in Tahoe and a property in Slovenia (where her grandparents immigrated from)! Great hanging with you, @cmarchuska!
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How we met: Christine heard about my project through her friend, @rachel_rozen (#6508), and then DM’ed me to meet!
•
Swipe to hear more about Christine’s personality! 📈❤️
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#10kfriends #philly #binghamton #newyork #realestate #familybusiness #cornell #finance #investorrelations #motherhood #threeprinciples #minions #laketahoe #slovenia #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6655. “I knew my priorities…my career was so i

6655. “I knew my priorities…my career was so important, but I know my priorities in life since the boys were born. It’s the family. I love family.”
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Growing up in Springfield, Illinois, Jamie Vost was painfully shy. So while he attended @usiedu, he took an internship at a local drug store and figured he’d just work his way up the ladder there - until he met his friend.
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“The guy I was sitting next to in one of my classes, Dan…I remember his name so clearly…Dan Connors. And he and I, of course it was a night class, we go out and have beers and we end up playing racquetball.”
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Through their friendship, Jamie learned that Dan was interning at @ibm, making double what he was making at the drugstore. Therefore, he interviewed and got a job there, leading him into a successful IT career!
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However, Jamie’s found most of his fulfillment through family. After marrying his wife, whom he met through one of his softball leagues, Jamie had his two sons, now 30 & 28 years old.
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And as he’s enjoyed raising them, he’s also maintained his personal interests: working out, playing tennis, hiking, learning philosophy and stoicism, reading, attending concerts here and there and ultimately meeting new people!
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Now, having been retired for the last ~8 months, Jamie’s figuring out what his next challenges and goals will be. But at this point, he’s proud of what he’s accomplished so far! “As I put all of the pieces together I just feel very grateful that I had all this together and had the boys, you know, all of the vacations we did, the coaching soccer and basketball...” Awesome hanging with you, @jamesbvost!
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How we met: Jamie heard about my project via Jamie Soo (#6609) and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #springfield #illinois #priorities #family #racquetball #ibm #IT #sales #fatherhood #fitness #stoicism #connection #gratitude #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6654. “When we didn’t have a game last weekend

6654. “When we didn’t have a game last weekend I didn’t know what to do with myself.”
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Recently, Alicia Leech has been studying where all of the @philadelphiaeagles players went to college - just in case she ever gets stopped by @joebonham. Born and raised in Philly, she loves all of the sports teams, but has yet to get to an Eagles game! Instead, she’s been spending her time walking dogs, which she enjoys as an animal lover.
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After attending Central High School, Alicia went to @templeuniv to study Psychology. But during this time, she also worked as a dealer at @parxcasino. So after becoming burnt out and realizing she didn’t want to pay thousands of dollars to figure out her future, she dropped out.
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She and her friend moved to Fishtown 2 years ago, and there Alicia sought a job that brought her joy instead of stress. Having dealt with mental health challenges in high school, she figured dogs were a good choice! And now, on top of her job, she aspires to become a therapist, helping others through their own struggles.
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Outside of career, though, Alicia enjoys becoming a knowledgeable Philly sports fan while remaining a music virtuoso. She’s full of random musical facts because she listens to everyone from @deftones to @prince to @theweeknd. And beyond that she’s simply a lover of cats whether she’s caring for her own or looking at random ones on @reddit! So great to meet you, @lici.peach!
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How we met: Alicia saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #nolibs #eagles #dogwalker #centralhighschool #parxcasino #temple #psychology #mentalhealth #therapist #musicfacts #cats #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6653. “The end is to provide for my family.” -

6653. “The end is to provide for my family.”
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When Chad Smith was in school, he had 2 plans. He was either going to 1) join the military and fight in Afghanistan / Iraq or 2) get married and have a family. Whatever option he chose, though, he knew he was diving in 100%.
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Therefore, after taking an interest in business during his sophomore year at @americanuniversity and starting to date his girlfriend (now wife), he opted for the family route.
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Chad broke into sales after graduation, and has since found fulfillment in the progression of his career (he now sells capital projects). But everything he does is in service of his 3 daughters, making sure they’re set up for great college educations and futures.
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Still, Chad has retained his own individual interests. And while they used to include endurance challenges like marathons and the Rocky 50k Run; he now finds himself training jiu-jitsu and playing drums in the church band.
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These days it’s all about balance for Chad, and with his career, family and hobbies in place, he’s built a life he truly enjoys! So nice to meet you, @cjdonuthole!
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How we met: Chad saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #centercity #family #americanuniversity #sales #girldad #college #endurance #rocky50krun #jiujitsu #drums #church #balance #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6652. “I think that would be cool, just a standa

6652. “I think that would be cool, just a standalone building.”
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Coming from humble beginnings in Northeast Philly, Nick Holmes is now proud to run his own massage therapy practice, @phillysportsmassage!
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After moving out of his home around 16 years old, he made his way to LA to take classes at @smcedu and originally planned to go into physical therapy. Once they changed the requirements to include a doctorate, however, Nick pursued his degree in Biology & Creative Writing instead.
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He then got into massage therapy, but still approached it like a physical therapist. And over the years of teaching the skill, working under a French PT and watching his friends excel in their Etsy and landscaping businesses, Nick gained the confidence to go out on his own!
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He found a Center City office and now has a different space in the same building with 3 rooms and a lobby. And someday down the road, he hopes to grow big enough to have his own building! For now, though, Nick is just grateful for how far he’s come.
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In addition to his business, he has a wife and 2 kids, a home in Delco, and he’s pursuing his master’s in Genomics at @saintjosephs. Because on top of the massage therapy work he does, he truly cares about communicating studies in layman’s terms - helping prevent falsehoods about what is and isn’t healthy! Great hanging with you, @nicadelphia!
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How we met: Nick saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #rittenhousesquare #massagetherapist #pt #biology #creativewriting #businessowner #family #genomics #stjoes #author #scientificstudy #health #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6651. “One of my favorite shows is Rehab Addict.

6651. “One of my favorite shows is Rehab Addict.”
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As someone who appreciates history, Meghan loves watching @detroitdesign restore homes to their original states. She also loves research and therefore aspires to someday do something with @archivesphl, but for now she’s still settling into the city!
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Born and raised in Indianapolis, Meghan lived there until she was 26 years old. She studied English Language & Literature at @indianastateuniversity and afterwards started her career in HR. But ~4 years later, she began working with associations, managing memberships and budgets - a shift that took her up to Chicago.
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While there, Meghan met her husband in 2019, got married in 2021, and last January they moved to Philly together for his job as a pilot! In that time, Meghan’s taken a break from work, focusing instead on their move and arrival here. But on the side she’s volunteered at places like @hairs2uwigbank and a cat shelter (she has 2 cats of her own and has fostered everything from rabbits to pigs).
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Going forward, she hopes to dive back into her career, doing something like working with the archives or working as a legal assistant. But she’s also looking forward to someday becoming a homeowner in Philly and decorating her space with places like her “weird room,” filling it with tacky handmade art from the 60s and 70s! Awesome hanging with you, Meghan!
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How we met: Meghan saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #nolibs #rehabaddict #archives #research #indianapolis #indianastate #associations #marriage #volunteer #cats #legalassistant #handmadeart #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6650. “Usually the paintings I think of are thin

6650. “Usually the paintings I think of are things I see in my dreams.”
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Alexandra Kurowski has always been inspired by art; particularly artists like Alice Neel. After growing up in the nature of Tennessee, Alexandra moved to Philly at 8 years old. And once here, she fostered her passion for art, yet never wanted to commoditize it.
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Therefore, she made her way into nutrition in 2008, and found an office to work out of within a reiki school. Since she was raised by a New Age mom and had done tarot card readings since she was 18, Alexandra felt right at home.
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She became friends with the school’s events manager (they still do daily walks in the Wissahickon together), started to get involved with the school and then helped take it over once the owners moved.
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Since 2013 (officially), Alexandra’s been working with multiple healing arts like tarot readings, reiki and sound bath healings, and she continues to run her business, @house_of_adelphi, to this day. But on top of this, she’s stayed busy through raising her 3 kids - now 21, 18 & 12 years old!
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And when she has the free time, Alexandra still loves art - whether she’s expressing herself through her counter-culture personality, attending local theater shows, sketching by the Rodin Museum with friends or painting her dreams!
Awesome hanging with you, @house_of_adelphi!
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How we met: Alexandra came across my project via her friend, @rajadain (#6079) and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #dreams #art #aliceneel #tennessee #nutrition #reiki #tarotcards #soundbath #houseofadelphi #motherhood #counterculture #sketching #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6649. “My mom used to say she had 10 kids. I’m

6649. “My mom used to say she had 10 kids. I’m an only child.”
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Because he wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until 2016, Tony Annechino was often misunderstood as a kid. He could be found riding his bike 10 miles away or picking apart furniture, but once he got to @camdencc he discovered CAD software.
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Tony had a natural talent for it, and therefore built his career with it, working everywhere from architecture firms to a solar panel company to Penn Medicine to a chemical plant. Alongside his jobs, however, he’s always been very into his faith.
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Having grown up as a Jehovah’s Witness, he started connecting with other members through Yahoo! Pager in the 90s. Tony met his good friend and future best man and in 1998 he met his wife. They chatted online for 3 years before officially meeting at a friend’s wedding in 2001, and in 2003 they had their own wedding!
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Since then, Tony and his wife have built a pleasant life together. They bought their New Jersey home in 2016, they’ve enjoyed spending time in nature, they’ve held free Bible studies for those in their community and they’ve relaxed through watching films like the @transformersofficial and @marvel movies! So great to meet you, @cobaltbluetony!
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How we met: Tony saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet! (📸: @darinanuri)
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#10kfriends #philly #oldcity #newjersey #adhd #camdencc #cad #faith #jehovahswitness #yahoopager #nature #biblestudy #transformers #marvel #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6648. “I think it really picked up back when MyS

6648. “I think it really picked up back when MySpace was a thing.”
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During middle school, Emily O’Connell found a true sense of belonging on MySpace - because through it she discovered tons of artists and fans of music. Growing up in Allentown, she dreamt of someday working in the industry.
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Therefore, she worked at music venues / festivals as soon as she could. She also tried to build her resume through things like swimming and NHS to get into schools like @berkleecollege or @syracuseu (for their @bandierprogram). However, because of the tuition costs she ultimately attended @templeuniv, studying PR.
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Still, Emily interned at places like @universalmusicgroup, but afterwards opted for a more secure career path. She took corporate roles at Vanguard and Comcast, and now really enjoys her team as she’s made her way into creative advertising!
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With her career in place, Emily’s enjoying life outside of work by taking trips to places like @banffnp. But she’s still very into music, and these days satisfies her passion through karaoke nights, singing everything from the “Hairspray” soundtrack to @justintimberlake’s “Mirrors”! So nice to meet you, @emconz_!
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How we met: Emily came across my project via her old roommate and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #centercity #myspace #music #lizziemcguire #swimming #temple #pr #comcast #advertising #banff #karaoke #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6647. “It was not easy, but it was awesome at th

6647. “It was not easy, but it was awesome at the same time.”
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Growing up in Champaign-Urbana, Suzie Payne spent a lot of time hanging with her friends in the cornfields. But at 18, a few of them hopped in their car and drove to Portland. And a few days later, her 3-year old daughter flew out to join them!
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While Suzie established herself in the Pacific Northwest, appreciating the nature and community there, she also raised her daughter through the ups and downs of a childhood illness. Once her daughter graduated from college and wanted to move to NY, however, Suzie decided to change coasts with her.
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While she briefly considered Joshua Tree, she ended up moving to Philly site unseen and arrived on her 40th birthday! And since then, she’s kept herself busy by working at a fitness and wellness nonprofit, helping those struggling with substance use and mental illness.
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Outside of work, though, Suzie’s been enjoying hanging with her dog, Pip, exploring the nature scene here and attending events like local poetry readings. Because while she’s had a year challenging year, she’s now able to navigate life with more tools, creating balance through activities like a simple bike ride! Great hanging with you, Suzie!
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How we met: Suzie saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #rittenhouse #illinois #cornfields #motherhood #portland #nature #joshuatree #nonprofit #dog #hiking #poetry #community #balance #biking #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6646. “Before Skype it was just phone calls so I

6646. “Before Skype it was just phone calls so I could only hear his voice.”
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Born and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, T Ly didn’t meet her dad until she was ~10-12 years old. While she, her mom and her younger brother lived in Vietnam, her dad was in the U.S. going through the immigration process.
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At 14 years old, however, T and her brother moved to Southwest Philly (her mom had to stay behind and T has seen her twice since). Having already learned English, she arrived excited to pursue the American dream; however, when her classmates had trouble understanding her accent, she became more reserved.
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In high school, T did go out and explore places like North Philly and FDR Park, and she’s now pursuing her Finance degree at @drexeluniv. But she’s still eager to push her comfort zone.
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At home, she enjoys hanging with her 3 cats and drawing - she’s even illustrated the cover of a book published by Philly teachers. But going forward, T hopes to grow her connections - whether in the finance club at school or through her audit internship in the city!
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She enjoys the creative side of life, but ultimately hopes to succeed in business for the sake of her loved ones! “Really my intention is to help my family out a lot.” Awesome hanging with you, T!
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How we met: T saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #centercity #skype #hochiminhcity #family #southwestphilly #drexel #finance #cats #drawing #connections #success #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6645. “I’m in the process of adopting a senior

6645. “I’m in the process of adopting a senior dog.”
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When Deanne Graveley lost her lab mix, Samson, in September she swore she’d never get another dog. She already had plenty of company in her son, her cat (Mocha) and her turtle (Squirt). And this loss had hit her particularly hard.
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Despite the fact that she grew up with cats and 3 poodles, Samson was different. Deanne had wanted a black lab, but the day the breeder brought the dogs to her home, the black lab went straight for her kitchen table, chomping on it. Samson on the other hand (a yellow lab), snuggled up to her and her son, cementing his role in their family.
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They got him at 8 weeks old and had him for 13 years. Until March when he was diagnosed with cancer, sadly causing him to pass away in September.
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Ever since, Deanne’s avoided the road of Samson’s vet, but the other week she drove down it and saw a sign, “Senior Dog Adoption Day.” So even though she promised to never get another one, she took it as a literal sign from Sampson to attend that event. And now, with a lot of love still to give, she’s hoping to take home a ~10 year old husky mix.
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These days, Deanne still enjoys working her medical billing job, watching shows and playing cards with her son and reading before bed, but she’s ready for the early morning walks again. And for the companion standing beside her in her home.
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Therefore, she’s looking forward to her next dog, and who knows, maybe she’ll become a sanctuary for a bunch of senior pups someday - all thanks to the impact of Samson! So nice to meet you, @deegraveley!
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How we met: Deanne saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #foxchase #dogadoption #seniordog #samson #cat #turtle #labmix #souldog #medicalbilling #familytime #reading #dogs #sanctuary #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6644. “I feel like my purpose is to create syner

6644. “I feel like my purpose is to create synergy in times of conflict.” Dani and I met up at the Curtis Center and talked about everything from metaphysics and spirituality to masculine vs. feminine energy to bringing people together in times of disconnection! Thanks for a wonderful chat, Dani!
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How we met: Dani saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #washingtonsquare #synergy #metaphysics #spirituality #energy #connection #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6643. “Since that day I’ve always been fascina

6643. “Since that day I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean.”
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Growing up in Philly’s Frankford neighborhood, Allan Neider lived with his mom’s boyfriend for ~5 years. And whenever he did something bad, his mom’s boyfriend made him do a book report for discipline. Allan always got to choose the books, though, so one time he read Peter Benchley’s “Jaws” and fell in love.
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Therefore, after dropping out of high school in 9th grade and working odd jobs for a bit, he joined the @usnavy - 5 months before 9/11. Allan traveled mainly on the USS Kitty Hawk to places like the Persian Gulf (in addition to Japan and Korea). And throughout his 4 years in the Navy, he repaired things like radios and radar systems.
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As a result, he afterwards worked at the airport in Northeast Philly, worked for @lockheedmartin in LA, and then returned to Philly in 2007. Since then, he’s worked in general automation (with robotics) at the US Mint alongside getting married and raising his 3 kids.
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Now, he making sure his kids build bright futures for themselves. But in his free time, he still enjoys tinkering with electronics - mainly as a home theater enthusiast!
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While he thinks it’d be cool to someday have surround visual capabilities, right now he’s just optimizing his sound system, creating the best experience for films like “Gravity” and “Mad Max: Fury Road”! Awesome hanging with you, Allan!
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How we met: Allan saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #oldcity #ocean #frankford #jaws #navy #usskittyhawk #persiangulf #radio #radar #usmint #family #hometheater #gravity #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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🚨 Breaking news, Philly! 🚨 • I’m honored

🚨 Breaking news, Philly! 🚨
•
I’m honored to announce the nominees for Break Out Chef at the Tasties 🏆 - Philly’s first Restaurant and Chef awards show hosted by my friends at @deliciouscitypodcast! 🌟
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Check out these incredible contenders:
🦪 @melissamcgrathchef
🥡 @kurtcooks
🍝 @mattyrodrigue
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And join us February 2, 2025 at @livecasinophl to celebrate Philly’s culinary stars! Tickets are on sale NOW at deliciouscitypodcast.com. Get yours before they’re gone! #TheTasties2025 #phillyfoodie

6642. “If I didn’t have soccer, I might not be

6642. “If I didn’t have soccer, I might not be here.”
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Growing up in Kensington in the 80s & 90s, Mike McKinney turned to soccer as an escape. He didn’t have the easiest life at home so he channeled his energy into sports, which had a lasting impact on him.
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Rather than attending Mastbaum High School which was right near his house, he walked 2 miles to Kensington High School each day. There, Mike took special ed classes for his learning disability, but he also played left back on the soccer team. And during his senior year - the last game of the season - he switched to striker for the last 15 mins and scored the game-winning goal…against their rivals, Mastbaum High School.
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Mike had hoped to then play in college, but just before graduating he learned his mom had taken payments from schools that were recruiting him, barring him from any financial aid. Therefore, he walked out of school in March of his senior year and never went back.
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Instead, he got a job at Walmart and worked his way up to U-Haul and eventually a GM dealership, playing off of his love of cars. But his true passion still lay in soccer. Therefore, after playing with them since 2008 and volunteering there for 4 years, Mike joined the Casa Soccer League (@casasoccerphilly) full-time in July!
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He’s since seen a huge shift in his life as he not only lost over 80lbs since February; he found a truly fulfilling role, bringing soccer to their almost 21,000 players! Now, as the league’s director of operations, Mike’s fulfilling his purpose of sharing the joy of soccer while making it affordable for the community.
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And on the side, he’s found more time and energy for his other passions - making kids smile by handing out toys as the Grinch during the holidays, listening to @taylorswift and hanging with his wife and their dog! So nice to meet you, Mike!
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How we met: Mike saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #southphilly #soccer #kensington #leftback #striker #gamewinninggoal #fastandfurious #casasoccer #theicaruscup #joy #smiles #grinch #toydrive #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6641. “The middle school was connected by a fiel

6641. “The middle school was connected by a field to the elementary school so I used to walk from the middle school to the elementary school and read to her class. So she allowed me to do that and I felt really cool because I was like oh, I’m a teacher!”
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Growing up in Long Island, Kim Schiavo lived in the same house her whole life until she turned 21. “My husband and I moved in together. So my husband and I, we met when I was 16 and we’ll be going on 23 years together now.”
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Kim and her husband got married, and then - pushing through infertility issues and 2 miscarriages - luckily had their 2 kids, now 9 & 5 years old. “I just always wanted to be a mom and a teacher growing up so that’s what I did.”
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Inspired by her 1st grade teacher, Kim developed a true passion for educating kids. Therefore, she spent several years in the classroom, but she also worked in a daycare. And even after having her daughter and staying home, Kim babysat her friends’ kids and tutored.
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Once her son turned 4 and went to Pre-K (last year), however, she reentered the workforce but for the educational company, @baumandbeaulieu. Funny enough, Kim now works for the women whose kids she used to watch! “They were like we trusted you with our babies, of course we can trust you with our work!”
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These days, she loves being able to give back to the education field; however, when she’s not at work she enjoys being outside - whether she’s gardening, planting flowers, going out on the boat or camping in upstate NY! Great hanging with you, Kim!
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How we met: Kim came across my project via researching a conference and then @linkedin messaged me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Kim’s first grade teacher! 👩🏻‍🏫🍎
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#10kfriends #philly #longisland #newyork #mom #teacher #firstgrade #daycare #kids #baumandbeaulieu #education #outdoors #gardening #flowers #boat #camping #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends
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6640. “Hobby right now is keeping the baby alive

6640. “Hobby right now is keeping the baby alive.”
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Josh Anue always enjoys having ~3 different hobbies to work towards, but right now he’s focused on raising his 1-month old son! While he’s originally from Santa Cruz, California, Josh has been here in Philly with his wife for the last 6 years.
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After high school, he decided to switch coasts by attending college at @bostonu. And during his time in Boston, he and his friend found a random Craigslist roommate when their other friend moved out. Through his new roommate’s friend Josh then met the girl who became his wife and together they moved to Philly!
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While his wife worked towards her nurse practitioner degree at Penn, Josh built his career at tech companies, doing roles like sales and product marketing. But after being laid off during Covid, he enrolled in a bootcamp and became a user experience designer!
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Now, he’s grateful to do a job he truly enjoys; however, Josh makes sure to maintain his passions too. Outside of work, you can find him attending concerts / festivals like @griz and @electric_forest as well as picking up new hobbies like kitesurfing or woodworking.
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And though, he can sometimes jump from one activity to another pretty quickly, Josh has kept one pretty steadily for the last 8 years - building and maintaining fish tanks! Awesome hanging with you, Josh!
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How we met: Josh saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fishtown #fatherhood #hobbies #santacruz #bostonu #craigslist #uxdesign #edm #griz #kitesurfing #woodworking #fishtank #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6639. “Between the comment from my fisheries bos

6639. “Between the comment from my fisheries boss 15-20 years prior and that video, I mean how else are you gonna find a lump at 35? You know that early. I would’ve died if it hadn’t been for those little God moments.”
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During high school, Amy Cribb interned with the Dept. of Natural Resources for fisheries biology. The experience left a mark on her in that she went on to get her Fisheries Biology degree (along with Secondary Education) at @clemsonuniversity. But its true impact came almost two decades later.
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“The fisheries guy that I worked for in college, he had had a family member that was diagnosed very young with breast cancer. He said, ‘Amy, for crying out loud, always do your self exam.’” So at 35, Amy saw a random Facebook video of a woman demonstrating one. “And I was like oh yeah, I haven’t done that in a while! And the next morning I found a lump.”
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Less than a month later, Amy was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. “I had to do 16 rounds of chemo and 33 rounds of radiation over the course of a year while my daughter was going into middle school and my son was almost 9 years old.” Leaning on her family and distractions like Lost and Breaking Bad, though, Amy battled through and has now been in remission for 7+ years!
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Inspired by her journey, she found the courage to shift from HR into learning and development at her company. And now, she balances her career with being a wife / mother / daughter / friend, being a faith follower, and becoming “who I want to be but I’m not yet.”
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With her kids getting older, Amy often ponders what’s next, “but I do think that one big next step for me is to start volunteering more in the cancer world. I think the changes that I had to make in my life and the experience of coming back to work after cancer was one of the biggest challenges for me…and I would like to help other people understand that.” Great hanging with you, @cribb4!
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How we met: I connected with Amy on @linkedin and then she messaged me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #seneca #southcarolina #fisheriesbiology #clemson #breastcancer #breastcancersurvivor #family #faith #givingback #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6638. “It was something like me having a job 9-5

6638. “It was something like me having a job 9-5 and launching a business on the side, developing a family project, but also having these three things and then having the great idea of hey I wanna play the violin as well. So signing up for violin classes. And pottery because I need pottery in my life apparently.”
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At 18, Moni Golay had ambitious plans of “meeting new people, new cultures, traveling, doing a gap year before university and hoping to figure out what I wanted.” And though she took a slightly different route, she’s achieved these goals in the last decade!
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She bounced around a few universities before graduating online from the @londonschoolofeconomics last year. But she also worked a remote marketing job and traveled during this time.
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Through her travels, Moni got into house and pet sitting to sustain her accommodations (which is why she’s currently in Portugal). However, she also gained an appreciation for building community. Therefore, after settling back home in Barcelona and taking a sales role, she created @theofflineclubbarcelona.
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Now, she runs 3-hour events filled with individual reflection and relationship-building. But she’s also working on a personal project, turning her family’s Catalonia land into an area that fosters belonging, promotes regenerative processes and facilitates ecotourism. On top of this, she’s playing violin, learning pottery and still trying to fit in coffee chats!
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These days, Moni feels like she’s living life on 5x multiplier, but as she approaches her 30s, she also feels like she’ll be able to direct this curiosity, energy and enthusiasm of her 20s. Going forward, she plans to prioritize doing well at her job, growing the Offline Club and building the family business - while still enjoying some time with dogs here and there! Awesome hanging with you, @moni.mons!
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How we met: Moni and I were introduced via @instagram by @fernandagrace__ (#2144)!
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Swipe to hear more about Moni’s work with @theofflineclubbarcelona! 📝🎲
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#10kfriends #philly #algarve #portugal #travel #petsitting #community #barcelona #theofflineclub #sales #familybusiness #violin #pottery #dogs #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6637. “I’m a woman of faith and just one day G

6637. “I’m a woman of faith and just one day God showed up to me and said, ‘Instead of living in sorrow, you need to live in thankfulness because you had your best friends for 53 years.”
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About 5 years ago, Blanca Criner experienced the tragic loss of her brother when he was murdered in Mexico - an event that severely affected her father.
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“He just couldn’t deal with it. And he actually became really ill, mentally ill. And a couple years later he said goodbye to me…and he went and got a gun and he killed my mom and he killed himself after finishing my Zoom call.”
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Despite these devastating circumstances, Blanca remembers both of her parents as her best friends. Born and raised in Chihuahua, she grew up on a cattle ranch with fond memories of her dad teaching her how to live like a cowboy.
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But she left at 15 to study English in Washington state, “and then I came back and I went to Monterrey, Mexico to study my career.” Blanca ended up going into banking, which then brought her to the U.S. when “Wells Fargo imported me like an avocado.” And after 7 years of working along border cities, she moved to Dayton where she lives today.
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Now, on top of being a wife and mother, Blanca’s a leadership coach (under @johncmaxwell) leveraging her life experiences to create leadership opportunities for Spanish speaking people! Through connection with others she’s found healing from these past several years as well as direction for the future, always guided by her faith.
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“That’s how I can fulfill my purpose-driven life. I wanna fulfill my purpose-driven life and help others to fulfill their purpose-driven life.” So nice to meet you, @blancacriner!
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How we met: Blanca came across my project via @linkedin and then messaged me there to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Blanca’s perspective on her loss. ❤️✝️
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#10kfriends #philly #dayton #ohio #faith #gratitude #loss #grief #chihuahuah #cattleranch #banking #mother #wife #coach #leadership #fulfillment #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6636. “In my mind, my whole life my mom’s been

6636. “In my mind, my whole life my mom’s been 35.”
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As the baby of the family, Barbara Ayres has never stopped viewing her mom as invincible. However, in the past 10 years she’s had to come to terms with her mom’s battle with dementia.
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“My mom actually came up for dinner, for New Year’s dinner and she was helping me clean up and that’s when I kind of noticed it.” Barbara saw that her mom kept rewashing plastic forks that were meant to be thrown out. Her mom also got confused with the shower head when taking a bath.
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“And later that night she started crying and I said, ‘What’s the matter?’ And she said, ‘I don’t want to be a burden to you guys.’ And I think that was when I realized that she actually had dementia.”
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Since then, Barbara’s balanced assisting her sister in caring for her mom with raising her 3 kids and working in technology. But she’s done her best to maintain their relationship through visits, despite living 3 hours away. “I guess one of the greatest things that I really miss about my relationship with my mom is the ability to talk to her and have an actual meaningful conversation, right?”
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Within the last 3 weeks, Barbara and her sister have moved their mom into a nursing home to get her the care she needs. But they still shower her with love, making sure she’s not stealing her neighbors socks while playing her some of her favorite songs like @dollyparton’s “Eagle When She Flies.”
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While Barbara still wakes up in the middle of the night feeling ill about her mom’s recent move, she’s navigating this period with her as best as she can; appreciating all of the time they still share together!
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“Embracing the joy in each moment we have together is what is most important. Even if she doesn't remember, the smiles and love in those moments are what I hold on to.” Great hanging with you, @craftbeergirl!
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How we met: Barbara came across my project via @notapourdecision (#6366) and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about how Barbara realized her mom was struggling with dementia. ❤️💜
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#10kfriends #philly #novascotia #mom #dementia #family #care #conversation #love #dollyparton #joy #smiles #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6635. “For my previous 18 years I lived in a tal

6635. “For my previous 18 years I lived in a tall building from like the 5th floor to the 19th floor so it’s very quiet.”
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These days, Hao Zhang has the unique experience (for him) of living in a home that opens directly onto street level. “So you can also hear the cars and also people.”
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Right now, he lives in The Hague in the Netherlands, but he’s originally from Xin Jiang, China where he grew up with his mom. There, he enjoyed playing with the kids from the other apartment buildings in his community, but not for long.
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“From later stage of the primary school until high school, after that I didn’t have too much time to play.” After he finished his homework from school, he often had to complete the “home homework” from his mom - but all in the interest of progressing his academic career!
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For college, Hao moved to Tianjin to study Literature at the Civil Aviation University of China. And then after a gap year, he moved to The Hague to get his master’s in Governance & Policy at @erasmusuniversity and has been there for the last 2 years.
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Hao hopes to finish his thesis (researching healthcare access for women and children in Dhaka) and degree within the next few months and from there hopes to work for a pharma company like @novonordisk. However, in the meantime, he’s enjoying having a balanced life filled with volleyball, table tennis, dinner & drinks and tennis as well!
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“I always told my mom, I said that, ‘You know if you sent me for the professional tennis career, I could be a superstar!” Awesome hanging with you, @commuovere_9!
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How we met: Hao came across my project via @linkedin and then messaged me there to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Hao’s upbringing! 📚✍🏼
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#10kfriends #philly #thehague #netherlands #xinjiang #china #homework #literature #erasmusuniversity #governance #policy #novonordisk #volleyball #tabletennis #tennis #balance #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6634. “I think the uncertainty of a gap year mad

6634. “I think the uncertainty of a gap year made me realize that I was not that ok with uncertainty for the rest of my life.”
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Back in high school, Gina Treveloni would’ve told you that she wasn’t cut out for college. So she took a year to work as a bartender and realized she actually wanted a more stable future. Therefore, instead of pursuing her interest in film, she chose to study Psychology at @stonehillcollege.
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Growing up, Gina struggled with her mental health. “I was just like a wild kid that nobody could understand.” But at 12 years old, she became diagnosed with bipolar II disorder.
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“I had like my mom in my corner and she was like my person and she advocated for me, and that’s the only reason that I’m like a functioning adult now so I wanted to be that person for other kids.”
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Therefore, since graduating, she’s gotten her master’s, worked at a residential clinic for eating disorders, worked with dissociative disorders and trauma at McLean Hospital, worked with people battling addiction and now she works at an outpatient clinic, seeing a whole spectrum of patients!
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Beyond her career, though, Gina really values time with her family (including her dog) as well as her independence. She can get lost in painting, doing puzzles, embroidering her thrifted clothes, sketching and writing poetry. And she enjoys listening to musical artists like @stevenrodriguezjr and @thecamwhitcomb.
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All in all, she’s is a great place now; however, she knows in the future she’ll be reaching for more goals, perhaps bringing back her passion for film! Awesome hanging with you, @reginatreveloni!
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How we met: Gina came across my project via her friend, @carolynrose.jpeg (#6444), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about why Gina works in mental health! 🧠❤️
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#10kfriends #philly #worcester #massachusetts #gapyear #film #psychology #stonehillcollege #bipolar2 #mentalhealth #care #family #dogmom #independence #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6633. “I can’t imagine my life without them.”
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Growing up in Harrisburg, Amy Fehl had 2 dreams. She either wanted to become a country singer or a dolphin trainer. But the latter seemed more attainable so she studied Marine Biology & Psychology at @millersvilleu.
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Afterwards, though, she worked in legal recruiting, which eventually took her up to Hoboken. And while there she began dating her now husband, whom she’s actually known since 9th grade.
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Because of her relationship, Amy moved to the Philly area and after doing IT consulting settled into her project management career. But outside of work, she’s found a ton of fulfillment in motherhood. In March of 2019, Amy and her husband had their (fraternal) twin girls who’ve since shaped the way she views the world.
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Now, she often thinks about their future, what they’ll do for their careers, who they’ll marry etc. But in the present day, she wants to give them the best possible upbringing while teaching them that everyone’s just doing their best.
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As a kid, Amy used to quit activities if she didn’t immediately take to them, but now she’s more open to learning new skills, such as hip-hop dance. A lover of travel, she also wants expose her girls to more cultures, hopefully taking them to places like Africa. And someday soon, she may even get back to singing even though it gives her stage fright.
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In general, though, Amy’s just trying to maintain a balanced lifestyle juggling her career, motherhood, marriage and individual goals! So nice to meet you, @mrsfehl!
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How we met: Amy heard about my project through her friend, @courtneydeekelly (#3631), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #centercity #harrisburg #countrysinger #dolphintrainer #psychology #millersville #projectmanager #twins #hiphop #travel #motherhood #marriage #balance #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6632. “I was like I gotta find something else so

6632. “I was like I gotta find something else so I ended up joining speech and debate.”
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For most of his upbringing, Joe Oleksak played soccer. But during high school, he found himself riding the bench so he took his talents to the debate team. Joe discovered a knack for understanding the core of issues being discussed and being able to argue against them.
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Therefore, he built on this foundation by studying Political Science at @templeuniv. Ultimately, he wanted to run political campaigns and he did this right out of school, broadening his view on society. Beyond his role, Joe saw the impacts of things like welfare and healthcare on people’s lives.
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So he continued his education by getting his master’s at @drexeluniv, and then moved to Florida with his wife for 3 years. While he briefly studied law there, he decided it wasn’t for him and jumped back into politics, working as the Chief of Staff for a Florida senator.
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Last December, though, he and his wife returned to Philly and now he’s working on his Public Policy PhD at @udelaware! Joe truly wants to understand why large groups of citizens don’t vote, he wants to shape policy with people’s lived experiences and he now ultimately wants to become a professor, teaching books like Elaine Kamarck’s “How Change Happens - Or Doesn’t”! Great hanging with you, @jaoleksak!
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How we met: Joe saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #logansquare #erie #soccer #speechanddebate #politics #campaign #temple #drexel #florida #chiefofstaff #publicpolicy #delaware #humanity #professor #howchangehappens #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6631. “I think he wanted me to figure out my own

6631. “I think he wanted me to figure out my own life without his influence.”
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Growing up in Dallas, Austin Islam never understood why his dad penny pinched at stores like @costco (despite having a good job) while all of his classmates were getting new @nike shoes etc. As he’s grown older, though, he’s been able to appreciate that the American dream looked differently for his dad (who grew up in Bangladesh) than it did for him.
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Sadly, Austin lost his dad when he was 17 so he’s learned this in hindsight, but he continues to better understand him while figuring out his own life. To deal with the pain initially, Austin went through a ~10 year party period, which involved writing poetry, moving to Chicago, working at hotels there and falling in love with food.
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But in 2017, he moved to Philly to be closer to his younger sibling and shortly after became sober. Here, Austin learned how to cook at a restaurant in Fishtown and shifted to the sourdough pizza spot, Sally, before Covid. But now, he’s taking steps towards a new path.
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Currently enrolled at @ccpedu, he’s pursuing his associate’s degree in Respiratory Therapy. He’s also diving deeper into his spirituality, trying to get 8 hours of sleep per night, investing in his retirement funds and going to the gym. And while he doesn’t know exactly what the future holds, Austin does know that he’s now taking a healthy, intentional approach to it! Awesome hanging with you, Austin!
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How we met: Austin saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #springgarden #ccp #americandream #family #poetry #chicago #hospitality #food #sobriety #respiratorytherapy #spirituality #health #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6630. “I’m not as tired as I thought I would b

6630. “I’m not as tired as I thought I would be.”
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For the last 10 months, Elle Leavitt has been working as a night shift nurse; an experience she’s actually fallen in love with.
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Growing up in Massachusetts as the youngest of 6 siblings, she developed a strong foundation of faith, which inspired her to help others. Therefore, after taking a gap year and working as an au pair in Madrid, Elle went on to attend @saintjosephs.
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She studied Health Sciences there and afterwards went through a 12-month nursing program at @univmiami. Then, knowing she had a strong community back in Philly, Elle applied to jobs here and got the first one she interviewed with at Jeff!
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Now, she works on a telemetry floor, helping patients who are struggling with issues like addiction. And because she works night shifts, Elle is surrounded by a less crowded atmosphere and a bunch of coworkers her age.
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As a result, she’s been able to focus on her goals of forming great connections with her patients and providing them the best care possible. And outside of work, she’s been able to enjoy her passions of running, biking, hiking, reading and finding community through her church! So great to meet you, @elle__leavitt!
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How we met: Elle saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #oldcity #nightshift #nurse #massachusetts #faith #madrid #stjoes #miami #nursing #telemetry #connection #care #hiking #church #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6629. “I’m a very heady thinker, and perhaps I

6629. “I’m a very heady thinker, and perhaps I do think too much.”
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For most of his Vermont upbringing, Peter Silverman felt severely misunderstood. “It wasn’t that I was wrong. It’s just that I was different.” As a result, he endured some tough mental health struggles. However, around age 15 he got into philosophy, taking him on a journey of becoming his truest self.
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Peter went on to study Psychology and throughout his 20s sought answers in every different religion - going through ceremonies with shamans, studying Buddhism, spending time in India, etc. But it wasn’t until his 30s that he settled into his authenticity.
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Meeting his wife, he felt truly accepted for the first time in his life. But he also dove into his interests like improv, tai chi, dancing and poetry, always seeking the deepest levels of humanity. And because of this, he developed a grace for others, understanding that everyone’s actions can be viewed as short term attempts at solving long term pain.
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In the past, he’s fought his own battles of intensely trying to be loved and accepted while simultaneously not caring what others thought. But now, he’s moving through life finding comfort in things like Dante’s Divine Comedy while challenging himself with works like the teachings of Descartes.
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A thinker, a philosopher and appreciator of history’s wise minds, Peter’s just trying to make the most of our short time on earth, but doing so with a sense of ever growing self-honesty! So nice to meet you, Peter!
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How we met: Peter saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #centercity #thinker #vermont #philosophy #psychology #marriage #poetry #humanity #philosopher #honesty #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6628. “My phone broke for a week and I had nothi

6628. “My phone broke for a week and I had nothing to do so I was like I’ll just go to Barnes & Noble and pick up a book because I’m so bored! And then I actually found a couple of books that I really liked and so I was like wait, this actually isn’t that bad and I started avidly reading for like 2 years.”
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Katelyn Sager grew up in a family that enjoyed watching movies so she used to hate writing and reading. Once her phone broke, however, she discovered novels like @kasiewest’s “By Your Side” leading her to read other books like @lbardugo’s “Six of Crows” and @veschwab’s “This Savage Song.”
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Inspired by these authors as well as her own passion for storytelling, Katelyn decided to study English at @paceuniversity and just graduated last year!
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Now, she’s working for her dad back in upstate NY while trying to break into the literary field through editorial, publishing, customer relations, graphic design, etc. Ultimately, though, Katelyn hopes to write and publish her own novels!
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“I’m big on fantasy. I’ve written and plotted a lot of them. I have like 3 or 4 that are like pretty fully plotted with magic systems and characters and stuff.” And recently she’s been working on a contemporary fiction book based around her own NYC experiences.
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Right now, she’s just focused on settling into a full-time job and finding a solid system for completing her novels; but someday Katelyn hopes to be like V.E. Schwab, traveling the world, talking about her books and getting to a point where “My art is what’s supporting me and it is my craft, but it also doesn’t feel extensively like overpoweringly like work.” Great hanging with you, @ksagxr!
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How we met: Katelyn heard about my project through her friend, @cmarchuska, and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #binghamton #newyork #brokenphone #barnesandnoble #byyourside #storyteller #pace #english #familybusiness #writer #author #fantasy #contemporary #travel #novels #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6627. “I just wish someone would have told me in

6627. “I just wish someone would have told me in middle school that you can take whatever skills you have and work in the music industry.”
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Growing up in New York, Chrissy Greco was surrounded by music. Her uncle was a phenom on the guitar and her parents played everyone from the @thebeatles to @sinatra to the Allman Brothers Band around the house. Chrissy didn’t play an instrument, though, and she couldn’t sing so she thought she didn’t have a future in the industry.
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Therefore, studied Theater & Sustainability at @hartwickcollege, but after school moved to Denver where everything changed. On top of working at a pizza place, Chrissy joined promotional street teams, which eventually blossomed into a fulfilling music career!
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She’s since done artist management, helped put on festivals in Mexico, marketed the @whitneyhouston hologram tour, got her MBA at @cuboulder, worked with @goldenvoice in San Francisco and now she’s at @jambase, a concert app she’s used for years!
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Still an incredibly avid concert goer, Chrissy enjoys everything from goth / punk to pop to EDM with her all time favorite artist being @flyinglotus. But outside of music, she enjoys maximizing the enrichment of her life beyond paying rent.
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Chrissy loves hiking, hanging with her dachshund, getting involved in her community and collecting art. As a result, she’s doing as much as she can in Philly right now as she’s only been here for 10 days and is thinking of moving here full-time! Awesome hanging with you, @chrissygreco!
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How we met: Chrissy saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fishtown #music #sinatra #hartwickcollege #streetteam #artistmanagement #cuboulder #mba #musicfestivals #jambase #flyinglotus #hiking #dachshund #community #art #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6626. “I’m happiest when I’m with the people

6626. “I’m happiest when I’m with the people I love.”
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Jake Borowsky used to be a big quality over quantity person when it came to relationships. But he’s recently realized that quality doesn’t have to limit quantity. Therefore, he’s been making a more concerted effort to meet new people, doing things like being part of my project!
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Originally from Cherry Hill, Jake moved away for college to attend @uwmadison. While there, he worked on the video production team for the school’s athletics (sometimes even doing commentary for the local Big Ten channel).
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And he studied Journalism and Political Science, setting himself up for law school right after. Jake pursued his JD at @templeuniv, graduated last year and ever since has worked in trust and estate law down in Delaware.
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Now, he’s balancing his career with taking care of his physical & mental health, taking an interest in many different things and staying connected with the people around him. So when he’s not at work, Jake enjoys running with @fishtownbeerrunners and lifting, he loves playing @geoguessr with his good friends and he enjoys going out with them, making new friends along the way! So great to meet you, @jakeborow1!
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How we met: Jake saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #oldcity #quality #quantity #wisconsin #temple #lawschool #lawyer #health #jackofalltrades #fitness #geoguessr #connection #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6625. “I’ll always find meaning in things thro

6625. “I’ll always find meaning in things through the lens of learning.”
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Panote Nuchprayoon is a lifelong student who’s currently learning areas like entrepreneurship, marketing, game design, teaching and how to play the bass.
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Originally from Thailand, they actually used to play the piano, but learned in 5th grade that they had the power to quit. So they quit everything. Instead, they picked up the guitar during a study abroad in Canada (around 8th grade), and then continued playing it once they moved to the U.S. for high school.
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Panote spent their first 2 years at a boarding school in Cupertino and their second 2 at an all boys Catholic School in San Francisco. However, because of the moves they never established a strong group of friends.
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As a result, Panote invested their time into art, music, maker spaces, game design and robotics. And they fell in love with indie games like Undertale and Doki Doki Literature Club! leading them to study Game Design & Production at @drexeluniv.
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Panote just graduated earlier this year and returned to Thailand to live as a monk for a month; however, now they’re back in Philly building their life as a freelance game designer, a hobbyist bassist, a lover of board games, a game design educator and a community volunteer! So nice to meet you, @panotenuch!
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How we met: Panote saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #matthiasbaldwinpark #learning #thailand #guitar #california #art #music #videogames #robotics #undertale #dokidokiliteratureclub #drexel #gamedesign #bass #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6624. “I had no idea how hard it was to build a

6624. “I had no idea how hard it was to build a full on video game.”
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But that didn’t stop Rich Siegel from spending ~10 years trying! When he graduated with his Chemical Engineering degree, he essentially tossed it aside to start a company with his childhood friend. Together, they created Main Line Delivery, which they sold 8 years later to @square (in 2016).
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During this time, though, (in 2012) Rich started a side quest to make his own video game. And after his company’s acquisition he went all in. Despite making money from his delivery startup, Rich went $80,000 in debt building EarthNight - a nod to the classics like Sonic and Mario.
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He went through the ups and downs of pitching his game and having potential opportunities fall through. However, in 2019, he launched on Apple Arcade and became the most successful game in the state of PA’s history! He’s since then taken on funding to build his next @cleaversoft game; however, Rich remains keenly aware and grateful for the luck of his path.
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Having lost his good friend, Josh, in 2008 and his other good friend, Lee, in 2021, he knows there’s more to life than his career. Therefore, he heavily values time with his wife and two kids, he takes full advantage of concerts like @phish (whom he’s seen 230 times), The Band, @vulfpeck and @kishi_bashi, and he even plays and sings guitar in his own band (after a 14 year hiatus)! Great hanging with you, Rich!
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How we met: Rich saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #oldcity #videogame #indiegame #gamedeveloper #mainlinedelivery #earthnight #applearcade #cleaversoft #lovedones #phish #band #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6623. “Ever since I was 7 years old I’ve been

6623. “Ever since I was 7 years old I’ve been obsessed with that story.”
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Growing up as a latchkey kid in Los Banos, California, Eli Bueno spent a lot of time watching @lifetimetv’s @officialunsolvedmysteries. As a result, he became fascinated with cryptids like the Hopkinsville Goblins and especially the Mothman of West Virginia.
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Throughout high school, Eli also loved rock bands like @primusville (and still loves groups like @alkaline_trio) and grew his hair out beyond his shoulders. But because his town only had a population of ~10,000 by the time he graduated, he felt like no one understood him.
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Once he arrived at @ucirvine, however, things changed. He took a liking to a girl from his dorm freshman year, and ended up marrying her in 2020! And he realized that he actually did like school. Studying Criminology, Eli completed his bachelor’s at UC Irvine, his master’s at @csulongbeach and is now pursuing his PhD at @templeuniv!
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He’s found a natural feeling of “home” here in Philly (leading his tattoo count to jump from 6 to 50+), and therefore has been able to focus on his work - understating the impacts of journalism’s narratives on the police force. As someone who’s always rebelled against authority, he’s interestingly studying the ways in which we do or don’t humanize the police.
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And ultimately, Eli hopes to bring his learnings back to the classroom as a professor. Because while he often times has a distaste for people, it’s really driven by his deep care for humanity and his natural understanding that “People are full of complexities.” Awesome hanging with you, Eli!
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How we met: Eli saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #latchkeykid #losbanos #unsolvedmysteries #mothman #primus #alkalinetrio #ucirvine #petertheanteater #temple #authority #humanization #professor #complexity #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6622. “I like to take household items and piece

6622. “I like to take household items and piece them together, and it’s either art or it’s functional.”
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Natasha Karnoto used to love drawing as a kid so everyone told her she should pursue it as a career. Once she viewed it as work, though, she began to lose her passion. Instead, she figured she’d study mechanical engineering with her interest in building things. So like her dad (who got his master’s there), she attended @drexeluniv.
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But while there, Natasha picked up several different interests ranging from electrical engineering to the motivations behind people’s use of tech to music and entertainment technology (which led her to meet her boyfriend at Drexel’s MET Lab).
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Therefore, she graduated with a combined degree that included themes of computer science and user testing as well, and afterwards she took a job as a product manager.
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Now, Natasha’s finding balance in the post-grad world, which for her includes reading books like @ramit’s “I Will Teach You to Be Rich,” taking Muay Thai classes and watching shows like “Hunter x Hunter.”
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Additionally, though, she enjoys creating again - everything from ceramics mosaics to jewelry stands made out of prescription bottles, and going forward hopes to expand her skills by getting into gardening and carpentry too! So nice to meet you, @natashakarnoto!
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How we met: Natasha saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #rittenhousesquare #art #engineering #drexel #tech #people #productmanager #muaythai #hunterxhunter #creativity #education #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6621. “I don’t know anyone who passively comes

6621. “I don’t know anyone who passively comes here, and I don’t know anyone who feels passively about Philadelphia.”
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Rich partially moved back to Philly because of people’s intense commitment to the city. Though he was born in NYC, he lived here for college while he attended @saintjosephs. After school, however, Rich built his career in NYC and San Francisco.
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He started at an ad agency and leveraged @tumblr so much that he then went to work for them. As he also gained experience at places like Snapchat, Rich evolved in what he wanted out of life. He’d had the privilege of working on amazing campaigns, taking hiking vacations to Hawaii, etc. But after he moved back to the east coast he found joy in balance.
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Outside of his career, he explored his interest in military history by visiting places like Normandy. He also got back into listening to @gratefuldead - a band that could bring him to tears because it reminds him of his dad. And he became interested in the history of the NRBQ, whom he describes as “your favorite band’s favorite band.”
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Because the NRBQ has influenced everyone from The Rolling Stones to the Beatles, Rich wants to bring their story to light. Therefore, going forward he plans to do so by starting the NRBWho? podcast - the unofficial history podcast of the NRBQ! Great hanging with you, Rich!
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How we met: Rich saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #nolibs #orkneypark #stjoes #adagency #tumblr #snapchat #ey #militaryhistory #gratefuldead #nrbq #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6620. “I got to leave the hospital and see the r

6620. “I got to leave the hospital and see the rest of my life. And many of them did not get to. And so I vowed at a pretty young age that I was gonna make sure that people knew what their options were.”
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Just after Antoniette Roze turned 13, she was diagnosed with late stage cancer. “Even though I was in a lot of pain I just wanted our family back together.”
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Her father had passed from being hit by a drunk driver and Antoniette had to spend time in foster homes as a result. So once she was back with her mom she stayed quiet. “I just didn’t want to burden her and tell her that I was having a lot of pain.”
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While trying on her new second hand clothes at a laundromat, though, Antoniette hopped on a trash can to see herself in the mirror, and when she came down, “it was just like something happened and my mom immediately took me to the hospital and I didn’t leave the hospital for about 2 years.”
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Fortunately, Antoniette received experimental treatments that saved her life; however, she sadly lost many of her hospital mates (who became family). Because of this, she wanted to ensure that everyone knew what options were available to them - whether in healthcare or business or relationships, etc.
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Therefore, she studied PR, Marketing, CIS and Management in college, got into publishing which led to producing big events, “and then I realized that wasn’t even enough. I couldn’t produce enough stages to get enough voices out there.”
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As a result, she became a speaker agent to scale the impact of sharing other’s voices. And now, she runs her own company, WPC Speakers!
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“That’s just the way that I saw the path…your voice, your curated solutions, your hard-found innovations, whether you’re doing it through books or podcasting or getting out and speaking; I just want to be a part of that.” Awesome hanging with you, @1antoniette!
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How we met: Antoniette came across my project via @linkedin and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about how Antoniette learned she had cancer, which she beat! 🪞❤️
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#10kfriends #philly #dallas #texas #cancersurvivor #family #laundromat #publishing #eventproduction #speakeragency #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople

6619. “My granddad was a Jersey City fireman, my

6619. “My granddad was a Jersey City fireman, my dad was a Jersey City fireman and then I’m a Philadelphia fireman.”
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Six years ago, Brian Reehill continued the family tradition of serving the community. While his dad was a fireman, his mom was a nurse, and now ironically Brian’s wife is a nurse as well. Growing up, though, he thought he’d become a Jersey state trooper or join the FBI.
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For that reason, Brian studied Criminal Justice at @templeuniv and minored in Accounting to give himself more paths to reach his goal. On top of his studies, he rowed on the crew team, and sadly just before finishing his Accounting master’s he lost his dad. Yet, Brian still became the first one from his class to obtain his CPA license.
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He worked in valuation accounting in New Jersey and divorce accounting in PA, but 6 years ago he got the call to join the Philly Fire Department, Engine 44. Since then, he’s been responding to everything from fires to medical calls (while still doing accounting work part-time).
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And these days, he’s got his hands full with another demanding job - raising his 5-month old son! Brian and his wife now balance their shifts with parenthood (of their son and their dog). But Brian loves it and hopes to inspire his son to become the next fireman in the family! So great to meet you, @b_reehill!
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How we met: Brian saw my Philly @reddit post looking for people to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #fireman #temple #crew #accounting #family #cpa #engine44 #fatherhood #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6618. “I moved 21 times before I turned 21.” -

6618. “I moved 21 times before I turned 21.”
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While he always lived in New Jersey, Gaelen Fitzgerald moved around quite a bit as a kid, mainly because of financial issues. He remembers times of going to public trails for water or buying hot dog buns to have food for the week. Yet, he still managed to do well in school.
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He played volleyball and thought about playing in college. However, because he couldn’t afford to go on tours far away, he stayed close to home for school. Gaelen attended @rowanuniversity and while there made some great connections!
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For example, he almost immediately connected with the women’s volleyball coach because he was wandering around looking to play with the men’s team. Therefore, after he graduated with his Philosophy and Communication Sciences degrees, he ended up working back at Rowan.
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However, he didn’t have an easy path to get there. Gaelen lost his dad 4 days before his senior year and he graduated in 2020 with almost no jobs available. As a result, he worked in retail for a bit before finding his current role in Academic Success at the university.
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Now, Gaelen helps students who’ve been through similar (and different) struggles to him. But on top of that, he coaches volleyball at the school!
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Because of his upbringing, he truly values the stability he’s gained for himself, but going forward he hopes to continue to grow. He aspires to someday travel the world interacting with and writing about different cultures; similar to one of his inspirations, @yestheory! So nice to meet you, @gaelen7!
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How we met: Gaelen saw my @instagram reel looking for people to meet and then DM’ed me!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #moving #newjersey #humblebeginnings #volleyball #rowan #philosophy #communications #loss #academicsuccess #coach #travel #writing #culture #seekdiscomfort #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6617. “I always tell people my favorite color is

6617. “I always tell people my favorite color is grey, which it is, followed by sparkle of course.”
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Leah Becker is known for her bubbly personality, yet she’s also had her ups and downs - an experience that’s helped her see the world from multiple angles.
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Born and raised in the Philly suburbs, she started to struggle with her mental health at 11 years old. Still, as the oldest of 3 siblings, she went on to be the first one in her family to finish college, studying Adult & Organizational Development at @templeuniv.
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During this time, Leah actually got engaged, but then got blindsided by her fiancé when he broke things off during her senior year. While it sent her down a difficult path, Leah stayed above water thanks for her faith, family, friends and fitness. She finished out the year with straight A’s and afterwards took a job in admissions at @easternuniversity.
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There, she developed a true passion for higher ed and social justice, which ultimately led her to her current path. On top of doing client education for a language services company (which has allowed her to travel all over the country), she’s getting her master’s in Higher Ed with a focus on Social Justice and Inclusion from @pennstate.
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Ultimately, though, Leah hopes to make a difference in the lives of human trafficking victims. She developed a passion for the field after serving as a jury member on a federal trial involving the sex trafficking of minors in 2019.
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Therefore, she’s now focusing her thesis on survivors. And she hopes to someday provide them with leadership to make it through college while also creating scholarships and grant programs for their academic success! Great hanging with you, @leah_brecker_!
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How we met: Leah came across my project via @instagram and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #roxborough #grey #sparkle #mentalhealth #temple #faith #family #friends #fitness #pennstate #highered #socialjustice #endhumantrafficking #poetry #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6616. “I literally googled that like 12 hours be

6616. “I literally googled that like 12 hours before so I was like what is going on??”
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About a year and a half ago, Piper Fernando found direction and purpose in her faith. Growing up in New Jersey, she didn’t really have religion. Moving between different schools and being exposed to anger, she herself became an angry person.
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She went through high school and most of her 20s on cruise control; except for the fact that she had her now 9-year old son! Career-wise, though, she worked in retail management and never felt motivated to do much outside of her job.
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She also navigated the loss of her dad and on a deeper emotional level the loss of her grandmother. Piper watched her grandmother suffer through everything from a broken ankle to a months-long coma to an amputated leg during the end of her life.
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As a result, she only grew more cynical. Until she went on a date during which the guy prayed before their meal. As she pressed him on his faith, Piper started to listen a bit and as they continued hanging out she looked into sermons and eventually went to a church - one she’d remembered from looking for parking to vote in the 2020 election.
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Piper slowly let her guard down, and the night before Mother’s Day of last year googled, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” And the next day during church, the speaker shared her personal story (which mirrored Piper’s) through her sermon titled, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
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On the altar that day, Piper experienced a sense of salvation and ever since has been guided by her faith! Now, in addition to raising her son and running her own cleaning business, she’s working on herself - trying to become a better person filled with more generosity, more motivation and more love for the people around her! Awesome hanging with you, @piper333ap!
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How we met: Piper came across my project via @instagram and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #newjersey #faith #retailmanagement #mother #loss #church #mothersday #salvation #cleaningbusiness #generosity #growth #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6615. “I already won. I got a family out of the

6615. “I already won. I got a family out of the first episode.”
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In 2021 Brian Vino started a podcast, which only ran for 6 episodes. But for the first one, he wanted to have a really cool guest so he invited @julie_kramer (a 3x cancer survivor) on the show. They kept in touch, began dating and 3 months later became pregnant with their son, Miles (who turns 2 tomorrow)!
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While Mile’s birth was a true blessing, it was also a reflection of the resilience of life and their bloodlines. When Brian’s grandmother was 4 years old she survived the Nazi’s in Ukraine. She was taken out on a lake with other children to be drowned until the one man had a change of heart.
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During Brian’s childhood his mother beat cancer 3x, instilling in him a strength which he carried into adulthood. So while at @rutgersu, he joined the Army National Guard, leading him to be deployed to the Middle East in 2019 and to the Capitol after January 6th.
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Shortly after, as he and Julie (his now wife) started dating, they got T-boned in their car; a collision that brought their lives much closer. And since then, Brian’s worked in private security - until 2 months ago when he was hit (and nearly killed) by a rogue car at a car wash. “Every 3 months I get a serious curveball.”
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Despite this, Brian’s always kept a glimmer of hope that’s helped him power forward. Looking ahead, he hopes to grow his own private security business (@bravo_victor_group), someday coach kids and bring more empathy to the world through @empathyprojectofficial. But for now, he’s just grateful to be celebrating his son’s 2nd birthday, the ripple effect of that 1st podcast episode! So great to meet you, @brian_vino!
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How we met: Brian was tagged in one of my posts by his wife, @julie_kramer (#5000), so I DM’ed him to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #phillyholocaustmemorial #podcast #family #resilience #holocaustremembrance #rutgers #army #survival #privatesecurity #coach #empathy #birthdaycelebration #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6614. “Watching her be resuscitated literally ri

6614. “Watching her be resuscitated literally right in front of me as an 11 year old hit home that I wanted to do something to make a positive impact on people’s lives.”
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At age 16, Andrew Owlett became an EMT because of the impact first responders had on his life. “My sister when she was a month old stopped breathing…and she’s doing fantastic today, I’ll put that caveat.” As he rode in the front seat of the ambulance, he couldn’t help but be impressed by the lights and siren; however, Andrew also developed a true passion for helping others.
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He volunteered nights and weekends throughout high school. And he got a full-time job as a firefighter / EMT in college, which almost caused him to drop out. “1.6 GPA first semester, put on academic probation, just the most demotivating type of thing to hear.”
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Through orgs like Habitat for Humanity, though, Andrew formed relationships that helped him become known as the person who knew everyone. He gained a ton of emotional intelligence, “and that foundational item is what I use like almost 18 years later.”
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From defense contracting to consulting to cloud resiliency, he’s always made an effort to treat people well and hear their stories. And for that reason, he also sees being an entrepreneur as a big part of his identity; specifically the fact that he and his wife are opening a boutique hotel to give back to the community.
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Most importantly, though, Andrew takes pride in his role as a father to his 2 daughters, who’ve blessed his family despite a journey of IVF and loss. They’re now 2.5 years and 6 months old “and yeah they’re pretty cool. Not allowing us to sleep much this week, but they’re still pretty cool.” So nice to meet you, @andrewowlett!
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How we met: Andrew came across my project via @ashleysavesoldhouses (#6600) and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about why Andrew became an EMT! 🚑🚨
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#10kfriends #philly #frederick #maryland #emt #firefighter #habitatforhumanity #community #emotionalintelligence #cloudresiliency #boutiquehotel #fatherhood #ivf #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6613. “I’m making my way through all of Jane A

6613. “I’m making my way through all of Jane Austen’s novels this year.”
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About 2 years ago, Rohanah Spatz met her fiancé at a friend’s party and they immediately clicked. “We had a conversation about books. We’re both really into reading.” They began dating and got engaged this year during a trip to @glaciernps - a fitting location!
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Growing up, Rohanah used to do a bunch of road trips with her dad, creating memories of camping on both sides of Nebraska, seeing a ton of wild rabbits in Minnesota and appreciating the coastlines of Oregon. But back home in Mount Airy & Roxborough, she put her time into music.
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Rohanah started teaching herself guitar in 8th grade and from 10th to 12th grade played the upright bass at school. While she then started studying Secondary Ed at @templeuniv, she left after a semester, worked in restaurants until Covid and then got into market research (which she does to this day).
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Through her job, Rohanah developed an interest in Civil Engineering so now she’s back in school at @ccpedu. She plans to finish her associate’s by 2026 and her bachelor’s by 2028 and then hopes to eventually work for the @nationalparkservice!
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For now, though, Rohanah’s just focused on making her way through school, enjoying books like Stephen King’s “The Stand” and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” along the way! Great hanging with you, @rrohanah!
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How we met: Rohanah came across my project via her friend, @sarahlynnirving (#6563), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #fairmount #janeausten #reading #engagement #glaciernationalpark #guitar #bass #civilengineering #ccp #nationalpark #prideandprejudice #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6612. “I don’t think I would have like applied

6612. “I don’t think I would have like applied or of course even gone if I didn’t have that interaction with her.”
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During his senior year of high school, Kevin Deeb met a family friend at a Christmas party. “She talked about how she works in Roger Williams and she was kind of like hyping up the school, the programs, the opportunity.”
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As she went into more detail about the school, Kevin became intrigued. He ended up applying, got in and “the next fall I actually started working with her as like a work study student.”
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In 2020, Kevin graduated with his degree in Education & Psychology in Business, he then got his School Counseling master’s at @provcollege and now “I work as a career counselor back at Roger Williams University.”
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A heavily career-driven person, Kevin also teaches Introduction to School Psychology on top of working towards another master’s to become a therapist. “I feel like I just kind of want to balance a life of like teaching adjunct-wise like one or two nights a week, working a full-time job in higher ed or possibly high school counseling and then also taking clients on the side.”
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However, he’s also an experience-driven person and for that reason loves traveling! Kevin aspires to see every state and visit 30 countries by the time he turns 30, but in the meantime he’s enjoying cruises to places like Bermuda, Florida, the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos! Awesome hanging with you, @kevindeeb!
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How we met: Kevin came across my project via my @oplpodcast episode and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about why Kevin attended @myrwu! 📚🎄
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#10kfriends #philly #bristol #rhodeisland #christmasparty #serendipity #education #psychology #counseling #professor #experiences #travel #cruise #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6611. “My friends, they are just…I mean I coul

6611. “My friends, they are just…I mean I could spend a whole nother hour just talking about my amazing support system. I have pockets, groups of women that have just been there for me.”
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Throughout her life, Sattya Funke has always been surrounded by great groups of friends. From ages 2-5 she actually lived in a Pasadena commune with 10+ other families. But her mom then took her and her siblings to San Diego.
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There, Sattya went through a Waldorf (experiential) school with a tightly knit community. “I had grown up with all my friends since first grade / kindergarten.”
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And while she had difficulty connecting with her high school classmates at first, Sattya found her footing in video production and the punk scene, listening to artists like @blink182 and @rilokileyofficial.
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She went on to study Education at @ucirvine where she became really close with her dorm roommates. “We probably see each other, we try to like every year once a year.”
-
And then alongside having her now 16 and 13 year old kids, she built a career in education - mainly at a Waldorf school! “I have a really great group of coworkers that either still work at the school or have worked at the school.”
-
Through her ups and downs, Sattya’s always been able to rely on her friends for support; however, when they’re not around she’s got a couple of other go-to self-care tricks! “I love naps. I try to take one every day. And if I’m not napping then I’m going for a walk.” So great to meet you, @slofunke!
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How we met: Sattya came across my project via @instagram and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about Sattya’s experience of going from Waldorf school to high school! 📚📝
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#10kfriends #philly #sandiego #california #friends #supportsystem #waldorfschool #videoproduction #rilokiley #ucirvine #education #motherhood #naps #walks #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6610. “These knobs and these faders let me do so

6610. “These knobs and these faders let me do something that most people will never get to do and that’s I get to touch the music.”
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William Bowser started drawing and creating graphics when he was 5 years old, “and when I turned 15, I don’t know what happened. Music just kind of hit me like a ton of bricks.”
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In 10th grade, he had an art teacher who was also a classically trained musician, so they started an elective music course that began each morning at 7:15am. And though his family moved to Maryland the following year, William continued to foster his passion.
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He recorded artists at his school’s chorus room and in his mom’s apartment, leading him to eventually meet the owner of @kmhrecording. “Keith gave me my shot. He started me on the right path.” As William balanced singing, rapping and producing, he also became a skilled engineer, which expanded his opportunities.
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Throughout his 20s and early 30s, he had several ups and downs like being signed to a label that folded and working with artists that got locked up just as they were about to take off. Yet William never stopped growing and in the last 5 years things really started to snowball.
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He did a remix for Ella Mai’s “Boo’d Up” which currently has 1B streams, he worked on ALTON KIING’s “Fiancé Anthem,” which became a number one record in Nigeria and now he’s working with several artists across genres like EDM, pop and R&B.
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Going forward, though, William plans to continue climbing, aspiring to work with folks like @jayz, @beyonce and @justinbieber and hoping to eventually win a Grammy! So nice to meet you, @william_bowser_qts!
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How we met: William and I were introduced via @instagram by his friend, @tiffybomb (#6499)!
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Swipe to hear more about William’s experience as a mixing engineer! 🎚️🎶
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#10kfriends #philly #laplata #maryland #drawing #graphics #music #mixingengineer #masteringengineer #boodup #fianceanthem #jayz #brooklyn #grammy #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6609. “My dad every Christmas he would ask my mo

6609. “My dad every Christmas he would ask my mother and me like did we want to give a box of cookies or chocolates to someone?…He would give a box of chocolates to whomever because he’d use it as a thank you for anyone who’d helped him during the year.”
-
An only child, Jamie Soo spent a lot of time in reflection after losing his dad in February of 2022 and his mom in March of 2023. “It’s transformative in the sense that…I got to see death up close…I do think now how life is short.”
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Growing up in Toronto, he used to do what was expected of him from society. Jamie took piano lessons from 10-18 years old (which has actually served him well), but once he began his career he just went on autopilot. “I had this routine like going to work, coming home, I would bring home work with me on the weekends.”
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After losing his parents, though, he began thinking a lot more about his impact. Now, Jamie starts his day by playing piano again, practicing songs like @beegees “Stayin’ Alive.” He also enjoys going on walks, working out and reading books like “The Art of Thinking Clearly” and @davidarobson’s “The Laws of Connection.”
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But he’s also making sure to leave a legacy inspired by his parents. “I think how they’ve given me gifts, just intangible gifts I would say. And one of the things is kindness.”
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Therefore, he volunteers at the @uoft helping students with the job search process AND he volunteers as a subject for research studies related to dementia and Alzheimer’s! “I’m a pretty healthy person and I feel that it’s very important for me to volunteer for these things to help advance the science into that disease.” Great hanging with you, Jamie!
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How we met: Jamie came across my project via @talktochrismiller (#6489) and then @linkedin messaged me so I invited him to meet!
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#10kfriends #philly #toronto #ontario #parents #reflection #grief #life #piano #humanresources #beegees #walking #reading #jobsearch #cognitivestudy #kindness #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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6608. “I’ll never forget my mom made me this r

6608. “I’ll never forget my mom made me this really cute business card. I still have some in my car. It says ‘Eden Sipperly - Environmental Scientist.’”
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Growing up in North Carolina, Eden Sipperly spent a ton of time playing outside with her older sister and her triplet brother & sister. Therefore, she studied Environmental Science and Chemistry at @uncchapelhill. Yet when she looked down at the business card her mom made, she thought, “Oh my god, I couldn’t actually be an environmental scientist unless I had a PhD.”
-
So she and her best friend hopped in her Subaru and spent 4 months visiting national parks (@bigbendnps being her favorite) before settling in Telluride, Colorado!
-
There, Eden found a ton of freedom living in the resort town getting into mountain running, skiing, etc. “I was serving people pizza by day making way more money than I even make now and having that freedom to live adventurously also with about 4 months off out of the year. So I’ve been to 33 countries before I was 27.”
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However, she also felt a desire to outgrow the lifestyle offered by a small town. As a result, she moved to back to North Carolina once her dad got sick and fortunately spent 2 years with him before his passing last June. But she also recognized, “Living in Asheville has allowed me to expand into myself even more.”
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Now, Eden is working a property management job while she pursues her master’s in Counseling, runs her own reiki business doing 1:1 energy work and continues to enjoy the outdoors! “I feel like I am also investing in a future that I want without imagining it with a closed grip on what it can be.” Awesome hanging with you, @alchemizingeden!
•
How we met: Eden came across my project via @instagram and then DM’ed me to meet!
•
Swipe to hear more about Eden’s path after college! 🏔️🚗
•
#10kfriends #philly #asheville #northcarolina #businesscard #environmentalscientist #triplet #unc #nationalparks #telluride #freedom #adventure #family #counseling #reiki #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼

6607. “So I did all of this research and I said

6607. “So I did all of this research and I said well, there must be a digital experience that feels a lot like a sticky note project and a lot unlike social media that actually lets us connect to one another in our shared humanity.”
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After graduating from @dukeuniversity, Amy Giddon built her career in management consulting & financial services. Yet she always approached her work with empathy. Therefore, 10 years ago (after having her 3 kids) she shifted into work that felt more aligned.
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Following the division of the 2016 election, Amy found a ton of inspiration through @subwaytherapy, which she used to see on her commute. “It sent me off into this deep exploration of participatory art on city sidewalks that have this ability to unite anonymous strangers…and then I kind of forked off into this separate exploration of social media.”
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Understanding how lonely the world was becoming, Amy launched her own app, @dailyhaloha, in 2019 and ran it ‘til this past July! Sending a thought-provoking question each day, her users answered it, assigned a mood to it, sent & received anonymous answers to & from others in the network, acknowledged them with response stickers and then went to the Haloha Wall to scroll through each others answers.
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For 5 years Amy sent over 1,000 questions and in the process helped her users build empathy and emotional intelligence. But now, she’s looking forward to her next venture.
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And while she’s not exactly sure what that will be yet, she does know that she’ll bring her authentic self to the table - being a mother, a spiritual being, a person in relationship (friends & family), a worker (both paid & volunteer) and a creative / playful person! So great to meet you, @amygiddon!
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How we met: Amy came across my project via her friend, @talktochrismiller (#6489), and then DM’ed me to meet!
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Swipe to hear more about the intention behind Amy’s app! ❤️📲
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#10kfriends #philly #newrochelle #newyork #humanity #duke #finance #dailyhaloha #questions #connection #unity #empathy #emotionalintelligence #spirituality #creativity #somegoodnews #robs10kfriends #meetingpeople
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Click the link in my bio if you’d like to support me via Patreon! 🙏🏼