My Story
My story
My story
A bit about me and How The Icebreaker
came about
A bit about me and How The Icebreaker
came about
My
story is below. I had pretty much resigned myself to singledom and loneliness after several life changes and relocations following the breakdown of a long term relationship, and changes of work. I had also had several pretty dismal atttempts at using internet options to create new social circles or relationships.
When the idea came to me I thought "What a great idea!! Why hasn't someone already done this?!"
"The idea"
kept popping into my head and nagged at my brain until eventually it dawned on me that maybe it was down to me to give it life.
I have invested several years of my soul and a considerable amount of money into realising this venture.
I think that it is a brilliant idea and I hope you do too, it has been my mission to realise this 'Idea'
to change lives.
I am proud of my creation and I hope you will be equally as proud to wear it.
Hi I'm Pat
Mature single lady, Mum, Nanny, and devoted Snow Patrol Fan.
After a long and varied career from service in the Women's Royal Naval Service to a Business Analyst contracting for Multinational Organisations across the world.
And now…. This!!
I didn’t set out to become a business owner – this business chose me!
Hi I'm Pat
Mature single lady, Mum, Nanny, and devoted Snow Patrol Fan.
After a long and varied career from service in the Women's Royal Naval Service to a Business Analyst contracting for Multinational Organisations across the world.
And now…. This!!
I didn’t set out to become a business owner – this business chose me!
My Why
After 35 years in a physically and emotionally damaging relationship, I decided enough was enough!!
It wasn’t easy picking up the pieces and after all that time I was ever so slightly out of practice in the social world. Along with the relationship I had also lost my circle of friends. Then a change of job involving a lot of travel just threw another spanner in the works and made it all even more of a challenge.
I found that like most of us, I was living a virtual life online via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. It was a scary challenge to create a new social life from scratch. The Internet seemed to be the only way to venture back into the social, and relationship arena.
Unfortunately, a good description of internet introductory sites could be:
Where the odds are good ...but the goods are ODD
It was not a rewarding experience.
I found that not everyone is genuinely looking for a 'partner', and others may just want to find companionship with others to share common interests and form friendships/groups to socialise and support each other.
The minimal commitment to swipe left or right totally devalues the human element and mutual respect.
The occurrences of catfishing and ‘Ghosting’, and the fake and dubious profiles, set up to target lonely vulnerable members was terrifying. You can see some examples of the more unfortunate victims here
Was I expecting too much? My criteria was not too demanding... (OK, Aidan Turner might have influenced it......a bit....just a little bit ) but it was just too scary and so much hard work so after 18 months I abandoned all hope.
Then one day I was enjoying a coffee at a pavement café and idly people-watching when it occurred to me that every day I meet countless other people in the same situation, in my ‘real-life’ – in my ‘Offline’ daily life - Supermarket, work, coffee shops, restaurants, cinema, gym – in fact.....Anywhere and Everywhere…
Then I had 'The Idea'
and try as I might I couldn’t get 'The Idea'
out of my head. I eventually decided to do a bit of research and once I had started I couldn’t stop.
Exactly what does a single or lonely person look like?
Who Knows?!
Everyone knows what an engagement or wedding ring signifies- but how can you tell when someone is single or lonely and looking for companionship?
There are no flashing lights, fanfares or pointing arrows above these people (although that really would have made life simple and 'The Idea'
would never have seen the light of day).
There are thousands
of others out there looking for friendship or company but, because there is no uniquely recognisable indicator of ‘singledom’ or 'loneliness', we just don’t know who they are.
So 'The Idea'
of creating something visual to reveal this and provide a clear statement was born
An opportunity to invite/initiate conversation with others by wearing an Icebreaker Band to......
Break the Ice.
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention - this coffee shop became the birthplace of
'The Idea'
for:
The Icebreaker Band.
ICEBREAKER = INTERACTION - NOT INTERNET
To find out what I did next click here