Socializing self-care gets $$$
Othership’s $11.3M round, livestreaming nature, and Selfridges’ members’ club.
💦 This week on connection: Socializing self-care resonates with investors. NFLs > NFTs. Selfridges gets the green light for a members’ club. And more…
Madrid: Who’s into art? Reply to this email introducing yourself and get a very special invitation for later this week.
Dare to connect,
Andy
NEW HERE? WE’VE BEEN EXPECTING YOU
Welcome to Casa Cinco, a home for people reimagining connection to ourselves, others, and the planet. It starts with our weekly curation of resources and reflections. But it doesn’t end there...
💌 GOING ON AT CASA CINCO
My friend Verónica and I recently started a series of IG livestreams (and hopefully soon, podcast episodes) called Con los Codos en la Mesa - “With Our Elbows on the Table.”
It’s the “formalized” version of what we’ve always done informally: speaking boldly and vulnerably as a way to have fun and feel more connected. This ethos lives at the heart of both Casa Cinco and Host, Verónica’s coffee shop and wine bar in Madrid.
We’re choosing to share these conversations unfiltered and unedited, as a small way to practice what we preach - connection over perfection. The depth of the conversation over the breadth of the table setting.
Our hope is that, by watching, you’ll feel permission to do the same. To worry less about the table, and more about who’s sitting around it.
Don’t get me wrong - we love a good table. Every Casa Cinco newsletter closes with my favorite quote from Will Guidara, which says:
“The food, the service, and the design are simply ingredients in the recipe for human connection.”
Will Guidara, Unreasonable Hospitality
Food, service, and design matter. But they’re simply a means to an end. The human connection they enable is what we should be pursuing… and not just when we’re at the table.
You’re invited to join us live every other week from Host’s IG. Stay tuned for the next one, we’d love to have you there. 🌿
And next time you’re at the table and the depth of the conversation makes you slip your manners for a moment, know you’re going in the right direction.
🌍 CURATING CONNECTION
Othership raises $11.3m to fund U.S. expansion: The Toronto-based company started in 2019 as a mini spa in one of the founder’s garage (fake it till you make it, right?) and has since raised $9.3M across two rounds. This latest raise - a SAFE ahead of its Series B - will help expand its single NY location into multiple spaces across the U.S. What I like: experimenting with new ways to socialize self-care, detox digitally, and connect in person. What I’m curious about: how mainstream the experience can really become. As much as I love Othership’s intention, I feel torn about feeling other people’s sweat.
Forget NFTs, I’m here for NFLs: Engaging with nature is proven to have profound physical, mental, and even spiritual benefits - yet doing so as city dwellers can be incredibly hard. A new study shows emerging evidence that nature-focused livestreams (NFLs) can help: effectively connecting people with nature and each other, providing benefits similar to being outdoors (notably, greater emotional wellbeing and a sense of community). There are dozens of options online, just ask ChatGPT or peek at these and these.
Loneliness is linked to 100 deaths every hour worldwide: According to the latest WHO report, 1 in 6 people worldwide is affected by loneliness and an estimated 871,000 people die each year from causes related to it. This is devastating - and part of the reason Casa Cinco continues working to build a more connected world. Remember: the absence of loneliness does not equal connection, just as the absence of illness does not equal health. It’s not only about avoiding or solving loneliness, but about thriving in connection.
Selfridges is opening a members’ club: The iconic department store is converting staff office space into a membership venue: an “exclusive new shopping and social destination for its most valued customers.” I appreciate the savvy move of turning office space (probably a cost center) into a revenue-generating community, and I’m firmly Selfridges > Harrods (unpopular opinion). But… I’m not sure who’d pay to belong. The most valued customers should almost be rewarded with experiences like these (easy to say, hard to execute), not charged for them. Very curious to see how this one plays out.
💡 YOU’RE INVITED
The finding above on NFLs is fascinating, but should never replace spending time outdoors. Yes, it’s hard to touch grass when you live in the city. But it’s harder, in the long run, to go years without it.
So my invitation to you is: set aside a few hours (or a whole day) next week to simply be in nature. Whether that’s hanging out in your local park, taking a trip just outside the city, or something else, give yourself the chance to properly disconnect… and reconnect with what’s most real.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE
Are you a founder or investor on connection? Interested in sponsoring Casa Cinco? Reply to this email and let’s connect.
Want to build a more connected world?
“The food, the service, and the design are simply ingredients in the recipe for human connection.”
Will Guidara