00:00So I'm getting ready to have some drinks, to mix and mingle, so it's going to be a lot of
00:04fun.
00:06Hey guys, I'm Emily Curl, a video producer and host here at Refinery29,
00:10and this week I'm taking the challenge with Visible to do five days of a social boot camp.
00:15And Visible is perfect for this because it uses Verizon's 4G LTE network and unlimited data.
00:21This week's challenge is about putting myself out there, not only to make new friends,
00:25but also to reconnect on a deeper level with my existing friendships.
00:29I'm originally from Georgia, but I've been in New York for about four and a half years now.
00:33And while I moved up to the city with a couple of my best friends,
00:36it's so important to me to maintain those friendships along with all of my relationships back at home.
00:41But while I do that, I also want to make sure I'm investing in this city,
00:45meeting new people and really growing and learning and challenging myself.
00:51When I was thinking about this challenge, one thing that was important to me
00:54was connecting on a deeper level with people I see every day.
00:57And Steve Doss is one of the first people to come to mind.
01:00He's our R29 Employee Experiences Manager, and he throws all of our events.
01:04And I see him all the time.
01:07And it's always such a fun interaction, but I wanted to take that to the next level.
01:10And I really wanted to spend some good quality time with Steve.
01:13So today, I have invited him out onto a coffee booth.
01:19Steve, I'm so glad we did some alone time finally.
01:22Well, like finally. I'm so glad you put time on my calendar.
01:24Yes. Love that, Sarah.
01:26Cheers.
01:27Cheers.
01:28I had the best time with Steve.
01:30I think so often for me when I see people on social apps or even in the hallway at R29,
01:34I forget how important it is to really take time and energy to invest in someone face-to-face
01:39and really have those deeper conversations.
01:41Today was my social warm-up, and I'm feeling so amped for day two, because let me tell you,
01:47there is a girl in the office that I have admired and loved for so long.
01:51And I think I'm going to get the nerve to ask her on a lunch date.
01:54So today is day two of the challenge, and I'm really excited and also a little nervous
01:59because I've decided that I want to ask out someone that I've really admired for a long time.
02:03So her name is Allie, and she's someone who I've admired from afar for a long time.
02:06She has such cool style, such a great job here at R29, and she's so funny on social media.
02:12So I'm excited to become IRL friends.
02:14But we're not there yet.
02:16Today, I'm just planting the seed.
02:18So I'm actually going to send her an email to see if she has time to go to lunch tomorrow.
02:23I'm here in the R29 office.
02:25I'm just getting a little work done, but I'm also getting ready to write an email.
02:29So I'm sitting here with the chair, got the ambiance, set up a little R29 sign.
02:34It's going to be great.
02:34So wish me luck.
02:37Here we go.
02:38So Allie responded, and judging by her response, I think she's super excited about it as well.
02:43So I'm feeling good about this step in the right direction, and honestly, I can't wait for tomorrow,
02:49and I really can't wait to plan my outfit tonight.
02:55Allie!
02:56Hi!
02:56Hi!
02:57I'm so happy you were able to do this!
02:58Me too!
03:03Okay, I actually think we look kind of alike right now.
03:05I'm really digging it.
03:07Is it our sunglasses moment?
03:08Yeah, we look like twins.
03:09Or maybe it's the light.
03:10The light is good.
03:11I just sat down for lunch with my new friend, Allie.
03:13We're just having a quick light snack.
03:15And here's...
03:18So I had the best day with Allie.
03:20It was such a fun lunch, and I feel like we ended up bonding over the fact that we both
03:25were a little nervous to meet the other one.
03:26It's interesting when you have expectations of someone, whether seeing it on a screen,
03:31and then you meet them in real life, and they're so different in the best way, and more than
03:35you'd imagined.
03:35I think it's cool when you take those 2D relationships and make them 3D, and you can just learn so
03:39much about yourself and about others.
03:42So today is day four of the challenge, and one of the biggest parts for me was to reconnect
03:46with old friends.
03:47I find that the older I get and the busier I get, the harder it is to make time to
03:51text
03:51or call or video chat.
03:53And one of my best friends is actually a flight attendant, and she's always traveling all
03:57over the place in a million different time zones.
04:00So I want to try and find some time to connect with her.
04:03And also this FaceTime will be really special because she's actually been dating someone recently,
04:07and I haven't got a chance to meet him yet.
04:09So hopefully we'll get a little surprise pop in and I can meet Colin for the first time.
04:14I'm going to video chat with my friend, Mag.
04:17Mag!
04:19Wait, where are you now?
04:21I'm in Vegas right now.
04:22Are you working or do you have some time off?
04:25I was out here for fun with somebody special that you haven't met.
04:30No, is he there?
04:31You're kidding.
04:32I have been done.
04:34Let me see him.
04:35Colin, it's so nice to finally meet you.
04:37I was hoping it was going to be in real life, but you know what?
04:40Video chat will have to work for now.
04:41Catching up with Maggie was so needed.
04:44She's someone that I've known for so long and is so special to me, and so I really want
04:47to make that a priority moving forward.
04:49So I think this was a good reminder that even if it's only a few minutes, it still makes
04:53you feel more connected when you can see them and hear them.
04:56So as you can tell, I'm a little bit more dressed up than normal, and that's because
04:59I'm actually going out tonight with a few of my coworkers.
05:02And I'm really excited to take these relationships outside of the office to be with them and be
05:06present and to celebrate, so it's going to be a lot of fun.
05:09We're all celebrating now.
05:10It's Christina's last day.
05:11We're so good.
05:13We're so, so, so glad.
05:14What a good night, right?
05:15You're welcome.
05:16So today is the last day of the challenge, and I have to say I'm a little sad.
05:21I had so much fun meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones.
05:24So tonight I'm getting ready.
05:25We're having a bit of a fancy night with two of my best friends from Georgia that live
05:29in the city now.
05:30We're going to have some quality time before we hit the town.
05:32So I'm really excited to connect with them before the party and then also meet some new
05:36friends at the party too.
05:38Guys!
05:39It's Ryan!
05:40It's so good to see you.
05:40Oh, I'm so happy you're here.
05:41It's so beautiful.
05:43It's so good to see you.
05:44You too.
05:44You like the outfit?
05:45Looking good.
05:46What do you think?
05:46So pretty.
05:47Isn't it so funny to think about us getting ready together at Georgia and then now all being in
05:52the city together and then about to go to like a swanky party?
05:55I love it.
05:56I'm excited.
05:57But we need to do more stuff like this, I think.
05:58Yeah.
05:59Nothing like having a good old fancy night.
06:02So this week was a lot of fun for many reasons, whether it was reconnecting with old friends
06:05or making some new ones.
06:07And Visible was so easy to use with its unlimited data and video chatting so I could always stay
06:12connected and feel really close to the people that really matter to me.
