Swipe Right: There Is A Tinder For (Girl) Friends
Growing up watching Girlfriends and Sex and the City, I always dreamed of having a similar girl squad. You know a team of successful, genuine friends that you could make money with, grow with, and then later get cute and turn up with. In my mind, of course I would be Joan or Carrie, but in order to fulfill my ideal squad goals, I still needed my Maya, Toni, and Lynn or my Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda.
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When I first graduated from college and moved back to my hometown, I noticed that I wasn’t the social butterfly that I was in college. The BFFs that I met in college either lived in a different city or were still in school. The few friends that I had back at home were either married or had children (so you can so ‘goodbye’ to turning up on a Tuesday). Besides those girls, the only other people that I knew were old high school friends that I didn’t even talk to anymore.
I never imagined how hard it would be to establish new and genuine friendships as an adult - especially after college. This is common for most people, especially for those people that move from city to city because of family or their careers. Most people make new friends at work, but that’s not really my forte. While I do love my colleagues, sometimes I want friends that I can talk about random things with that are not work-related. Even more, sometimes I don’t want to even think about work so when I’m with friends from work, I’m still reminded of work.
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Recently, two female entrepreneurs created an app that can help women find their ideal friends. This app called Hey! VINA is a match-making app that helps women network establish friendships with each other. This app works by matching women with similar interests, and who have compatible personalities. To make this work, Hey! VINA, doesn’t just show its users pictures and profiles, but it also uses a matching method that takes into account information like mutual friends via Facebook, location, and data from quizzes that can be taken in the app. “It's super easy to find a date on the Internet, but why isn't it as easy to find a new friend?" said Olivia June Poole, cofounder and CEO of Hey! VINA.
“We built this app to solve for our own needs as women who have moved, traveled, changed careers, and shifted lifestyles and life stages. Through our adult lives we go a lot of places that our existing friendships don’t always support and it becomes time to expand our circles,” said Poole.
Down the line, she says, the app will release optional fun quizzes users can take, as well. The responses to the new quizzes will be open for sharing with your existing friends, and will be able to be used within the app to pair women with potential new friends.
So how does this new app work?
First you will need to download the app. As of right now, it is only available on iOS.
After downloading the app, you would need to take a brief, introductory quiz so that the app can gauge your interests and personality. Once you’ve done the quiz, you can start swiping away to find your potential friends.
Next after the app finds a match for you, similar to Tinder, you will receive a “Ditto!” message on the screen, along with a suggestion that you and your potential friend meet in person. For Poole, it is important that all connections on the site meet in person as soon as possible to quickly nurture the relationship. The app will also suggest activities for you and your potential friend to do like going to brunch, wine-tasting, or to a happy hour (the event ideas will be created based off of both parties interests).
Although Hey! VINA just launched, it's still in the beginner stage. As a result, it's only available in New York and San Francisco at the moment, yet there are plans to expand into other cities in the upcoming months.
What do you think of the concept behind this new app? Would you use it to network and meet new friends?
Brittani Hunter is a proud PVAMU alumni and the founder of The Mogul Millennial, a business and career platform for Black Millennials. Meet Brittani on Twitter and on the Gram at @BrittaniLHunter and @mogulmillennial.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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If you’re like many other people who are prioritizing wellness these days, then attending a wellness retreat might be something to consider. Wellness retreats are a cool way to get the relaxation you’ve been missing in a space with like-minded people who share a common goal. I descended upon my first wellness retreat, the Mind, Body, + Sol Retreat, a couple of weeks ago at the Zoëtry Agua Punta Cana Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Zoëtry Agua is part of the Inclusive Collection for the World of Hyatt. It is nestled on a secluded part of Uvero Alto beach, which has crystal blue waters. The resort itself is picturesque, with its thatched roofs and lazy rivers that make you feel like you’re in a cute little village.
Mindy, Body, + Sol Retreat was hosted by Koya Webb, holistic health and wellness coach and yoga instructor, and it also featured other wellness practitioners who combined provided the ultimate gift of relaxation and getting back to oneself.
The first night was a Welcome Dinner that featured a five-course meal and an opportunity to meet our companions for the next three days. The food was impeccable and the only downside was that I wasn’t able to finish it all. The next day, however, was the official start of the classes, and I was ready to dive in.
Aura and Chakra Reading
Aura and chakra reading
Photo courtesy
My first class was an aura and chakra reading led by Laura McCann and James Levinson, an Asheville, NC couple. I’ve had chakra readings before, but never like this. There was a computer, a camera, and a scanner, which I placed my hand on for the reading. After two minutes, I received a 15-page report explaining my aura and chakra reading.
It breaks down what the colors of your aura are and what your chakras say. My main colors were green and yellow, which were defined by a variety of things. The top of my aura was green, meaning I have a social mental state and I’m a natural healer. My aura on my left side was yellow meaning my energy flowing is optimistic and light and so on.
After James discussed the findings with me, I then met with Laura, who gave me aromatherapy oils from their ADORAtherapy line that represented each chakra. She further explained the results of my chakra reading and shared how each oil can assist. Chakras are the energy centers in our body, and there is a total of seven: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown. All of my chakras were high except for my heart chakra, which I have since been working on. I may follow up about that in another article.
Sound Bath
Sound bath class
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Next was the sound bath class. It was located in the spa, which was indoor/ outdoor and the perfect setting for this kind of experience. Andrew Francis and Carrie Bailey of Zenden Meditation were the co-pilots in transporting attendees into a place of tranquility. I laid down, closed my eyes, and allowed the sounds around me to bring me into a relaxing state. From the singing bowls to the wind chimes, I was in heaven. I even fell asleep and got some of the best rest I’ve had in a while. It was a beautiful experience. However, remember when I noted it was an indoor/ outdoor venue? I forgot to put on bug spray and woke up pretty itchy. But it didn’t stop me from enjoying the moment.
Tea Party
Art of Tea Ritual Tea Party
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The last event of the day was the Art of Tea Ritual located in the resort’s tea garden. It was everything you could want in a tea party. Delectable treats such as cookies, cakes, and white chocolate-covered strawberries, which are my fave. And, of course, tea. While I got to sip tea, I also got to make my own tea blend. There were many different teas to choose from, like hibiscus to your regular black tea. I decided to mix rose and mint and I called it RoseMint. I didn’t get to try my tea blend until I got home, and I’ll be honest, it’s probably the best tea I ever had. The tea herbs taste so fresh, and I love how fragrant it smells.
Breathwork
Breathwork Class
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The next morning was all about breathwork. If you exercise regularly, then you probably know the importance of breathing. But there’s more to it besides remembering to breathe during your workout. Margaret Townsend is a breathwork facilitator who helps people achieve wellness by consciously changing their breathing patterns. In her class, I learned to change my breathing pattern for energy as well as for relaxation. While I know that breathing is a relaxation tool, I was blown away to learn that it can also energize you. Because it was a different breathing pattern, I was also able to stay present and keep a steady pace.
Yoga
Koya Webb's yoga class
Photo courtesy
The final class of the retreat was evening yoga with Koya Webb, who, as I mentioned earlier, was the host. Her class was held beside the beautiful Uvero Alto beach, which made for a stunning backdrop and the perfect way to end the retreat. It was important for me to get back into my body after not doing yoga for a few weeks, so I was really focused on nailing the moves. However, Koya kept the energy light and fun, evening cracking a few jokes throughout, which made it easy for me to relax and enjoy the moment. She ended the class with a dance break and hugs from our classmates.
The Mind, Body, + Sol Retreat reminded me how important it is to take time to love on myself. Each class was an opportunity to be present and get reacquainted with oneself in the most loving way. Being surrounded by individuals who encouraged my journey was what I needed, and I am so honored to have had this experience.
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