Hub Dot Live Piazza: an unmissable event
I want to share this little story to encourage you to discover a wonderful community, and join me at their live Piazzas!
I have been a fan of Hub Dot since I discovered them back in 2016 while I was living in Jakarta. I don’t remember how I did, but I when I came across them, I immediately liked the idea of using dots to connect with other human beings.
I was so struck by their amazing work, that I had planned to become one of their ambassadors. At that time, and until COVID in fact, they were meeting in person in various parts of the world, mostly in London, where Hub Dot was born.
Then health problems took all of my energies, and I lost contact. I never stopped receiving their newsletters, though, and I was delighted when they started to meet online. I went to my first Piazza in December or January, I cannot remember. What I do remember clearly is of feeling absolutely amazed. There were more than 100 participants from all over the world, and the atmosphere was lively, joyful, loving. There were stories, music, tears and laughter. It was absolutely stunning.
This human orchestra was directed by Simona Barbieri, founder of Hub Dot. Originally from Naples, Italy, Simona has been living in London for more than two decades. She has maintained the warmth of her southern roots, while opening her mind and heart to the breadth of people who make up the community she has created and so fondly takes care of.
I admit I was in awe of Simona. To me, she was a sort of hero. I know how difficult and time consuming it is to keep a community alive through the years, and when I saw the atmosphere that permeated the Piazza I took part in, my admiration only grew.
I found the courage to contact Simona to invite her to talk about networking for the Career Mentoring Group of Expatclic. I felt small and humble and thought she might not be interested in such a small event, but in fact she accepted willingly.
It was an amazing meeting. Simona shared the story of how Hub Dot was born, in her kitchen in London, how it all came as a sort of surprise, and the way it grew and became one of the most extraordinary and human networks on earth. She answered our questions, but then stayed on because she wanted to hear every single story of the participants that day.
She has this magic, which makes connections happen. With her warmth, enthusiasm and interest, she makes you feel like your story is unique. What she does, is to connect human beings through their stories. And by doing this, she celebrates every day the potential of human connection and growth.
If you want to see Simona in action 😊, the live Piazza of next Thursday, 29th April, at 9pm CET, is a good point to start from. You find all the details HERE. I strongly encourage you to join the community and stay tuned with all the interesting activities and ideas they generate.