Looking back
What an exciting year 2012 has been! The Atlanta Happy Hour Epicure blog started in July and has seen amazing growth.
The blog began as a simple write-up of one of my favorite things—happy hour gatherings. As it turns out, it’s a favorite thing for many of you as well! I found out that so many other working professionals share my same sentiments about the joys of finding a good spot to hangout with friends after work. The community of readers rapidly grew and made way for great connections and interesting conversations. So I took it a step further and began organizing ‘networking socials’ under the name “Atlanta Happy Hour Networking.”
Beyond networking and socializing with other working professionals in Atlanta, I also liked the idea of visiting new locations. I decided to let that be a characteristic of Atlanta Happy Hour Networking’s event; exploring various happy hours throughout the large city of Atlanta and sharing my sheer delight of after work recreation. I was again elated to find that many of you were as interested in this as I was!
Atlanta Happy Hour Networking events have been extremely successful because of your reading and participation. Together, we’ve found a unique niche that separates us from “similar groups”. Our shared passion for unpretentious networking and venue exploration has come to define this blog, our events and all of you who frequent them both. And as the Atlanta Happy Hour Epicure blog and the Atlanta Happy Hour Networking group grew popular, I decided it was time to unite the two more seamlessly—honing in on the niche that’s helped both to thrive and grow in such a short time.
Giving you what you want
I sought the help of the design consultancy, Thinkory, and together we took a good look at the organization. We thought about what it really is, what it does, who needs to know and why it matters.
We spent some time examining my interests; what I most love to write about personally and what I enjoy about the events I organize and host. We also asked you, my readers and networking social attendees, about your likes and dislikes. You told me what you enjoyed reading about the most and what you most look forward to with each networking event. Many of you voiced the success of the Atlanta Happy Hour Epicure blog as being its offering of helpful networking tips and its collection of reviewed after work hangout locations. You’ve also said the Atlanta Happy Hour Networking events were great mostly because of the meaningful friendships they produced—which also makes each event conducive to great working partnerships.
You said you wanted more of the same; a blog that provides reliable information for navigating and exploring the city’s after work hangout offerings, and a series of networking socials populated with great new friends to meet and that explores those same great after work hangout spots.
With knowledge of what you want and reflection on what I personally enjoy most, the road ahead became clear!
Looking forward!
In January 2013, we’ll be retiring the Atlanta Happy Hour Epicure and Atlanta Happy Hour Networking names and will be known simply (and excitedly!) as Soukle. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet, here’s the new brandmark (i.e. the “logo”) designed with Thinkory:
(phonetically: SO-kull)
With the new name and identity, we’ll emerge in 2013 in the true purpose and mission of the blog and events. As a blog, Soukle will be your expert guide for great after work food, drinks and atmosphere with reviews that’ll help you discover new hangout spots.
We’re going to be all about continuing to be your source for those friendly gathering we’re so fond of. Our networking events—we simply call them “soukles”—will continue to thoughtfully limit the number of attendees at each. There is some kind of comfort in going to an event where everyone will know you’re name—even if you’ve never attended a soukle before.
Are you a professional that has become frustrated with the coldness of large-scale networking events? Are you curious to see what your city has to offer in the way of great after work hangout spots? Looking for new peers to engage with?
Yes? Then you, my friend, are a soukler!
Soukle aims to help you shrink your large city by befriending it. Together, we’ll discover new places, while making new friends and have an unforgettable time doing it—right after work!
I am extremely excited about what is to come for Soukle in 2013! This evolution celebrates who we are and opens every door and window to our journey of exploration in this large city. I encourage you to continue reading the Soukle blog and plan to attend as many soukles as possible in 2013.
If you’ve never attended one of our past events, now’s a great time to jump in! And if you’ve been with us all along, I want to thank you and assure you that, name change aside, this blog and organization will continue to be the one source you trust for discovering the synergistic power of friendship and the rejuvenating love of adventure.
Want to be a soukler? Find future soukles on our Eventbrite page! (http://www.soukle.eventbrite.com)
*CHEERS*
New Year! New Us!
New social. New circles.