Inspiration shot Summer 2017

‘Connection’

Magical things happen when two beings connect. I regularly experience that when dancing the tango, but also in the encounters I have with like-minded location independent entrepreneurs around the world. I noticed that in this age of connectivity, some people go out of their way to find somebody to connect with. Some digital nomads, who have outsourced most of their work, spend several hours a day(!) on Tinder. Others even outsource their dating to a ‘Tinder manager’. I have done some research into the dating scene anno 2017 and could not believe the stories I heard and found. In this newsletter, I share the best, funniest, most unexpected, and most entertaining ones, as well as some other unlikely ‘connections’.

Dating in 2017

Tinder Manager

This guy put an ad on Craigslist. He offers to do the swiping himself. Many digital nomads even outsource the swiping and first conversations to a Virtual Assistant on Upwork. For $3 per hour, the VA does the ‘dirty work’ and you have the fun… Don’t want a Tinder manager? Maybe this app can help you manage your ‘dating pipeline’…

“How I hacked online dating”

Amy Webb was having no luck with online dating. So she made a… spreadsheet. In this brilliant and funny TED talk she shares the story of how she hacked her online dating life.

Hilarious Tinder Conversation

Obviously these two had no Tinder manager… Josh and Michelle matched in 2014, had been keeping up a hilarious chat for three years, but never met. In the end Tinder stepped in and offered them a vacation to Hawaii as their first date, (which was filmed by the way).

This man rode a bicycle from India to Sweden, for love 

PK, a member of one of India’s lowest castes, found a low-tech solution to be with his love, a wealthy Swedish woman.

1980 video dating

Some of you might remember what dating was like before the internet. I found these hilarious video dating profiles…

Connecting two opposites

Scuba diver visits same fish daily for 30 years

Hiroyuki Arakawa is a scuba diver in Japan. Yoriko is a fish. They have been friends for 30 years, seeing each other almost every day.

Worlds apart: a social experiment

Heineken brings together strangers with clashing beliefs in this brilliant ad.

I don’t own a cat!

Then why is there one in your house / picture?!? 16 hilarious pictures/stories of non-cat-lovers who suddenly found a feline in their house, bed or life.

Little girl meets widower

“Hey old man!” 4 year old Norah called out to an old man in the canned vegetable isle. A heart warming story of an unusual friendship.

Puppy shares blanket with stray dog

This puppy dragged her new blanked outside to share with a cold stray dog…

Make friends with people of other religions

Religion is often viewed as a force that sows divisions between people. In this unique video the world’s most prominent religious leaders have come together to appeal to us to make friends across religions.

Connecting the dots

Tattoo as a reminder

I got this tattoo in Japan to remind me that I don’t have to always take the straight line for a result: I allow myself to take detours now. Because, looking back, you’ll be able to connect the dots. Read the full story here.

Connecting the dots in Curaçao

A few weeks after I got the tattoo, I was invited to speak at a conference in Curaçao, the island I had lived for many years. Theme of the conference? Connecting the dots!

Tango and Ukrainian food in New York

A recent visit with a tango friend lead to a completely different experience of one of my favorite cities. We danced tango in Washington Square park, had a ‘old world experience’ at a milonga in the hidden Ukrainian Village Restaurant where beautifully dressed and very skilled dancers showed off their tango skills. And fell in love with the food and service of Veselka restaurant next door, open 24hrs and a real New York gem.

The power of connecting to like-minded people

Since I became a member of the Dynamite Circle 1,5 years ago, my life has changed. I met many like-minded entrepreneurs, living location independent lifestyles. Interesting individuals, each with their own expertise. Working with them is easy, exciting and I learn so much from them. This Sept 25-Oct 1st I am organizing a ‘Bestseller Bootcamp‘ in Mallorca with Amazon besteller author Derek Murphy.

Social media is NOT ABOUT YOU!

Many experts regard social media as work, as a chore. They feel hesitant about being in the spotlight, which results in impersonal, boring posts. I recently found out that I belong to the top 10% social media influencers worldwide(!). With my relatively small following, that is nothing short of a miracle. Apparently I am connecting with my followers. So I set out to find out what I do differently from other social media users.

Mostly it’s about being authentic, making it about the receiver instead of the sender and ALWAYS adding value. I created an e-course with a special offer for my loyal followers.

Let’s make social media easy, fun and effective.

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